The State of Cinemassacre and AVGN in 2022

[@DancingwithGhosts]

i know this video is getting more popular because all of the cinemassacre simps are starting to flood the comments 😁👍👍

[@ToonCatTV]

no we're literally getting recommended this by youtube, we dont like redditors explaining how a channel is "dying" we're just here to watch youtube vids

[@Max-ej4oh]

What... popularity? your videos barely pass the 10k threshold mostly are just 1k 2k views. Like damn, doing numbers. Lol. I recommend getting an actual job pretty soon.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

@@Max-ej4oh 15k**

[@andykishore]

@@DancingwithGhosts I literally just typed in "Cinemassacre" into the KZbin search bar and this video keeps coming up.

[@ToonCatTV]

@Nero what's funny about just reveling in negativity? This isn't leafy

[@jackcarraway4707]

The Screenwave guys are a charisma black hole. The difference between them and Matei/Kyle/Bootsy is night and day.

[@GoodFellasPizza08]

Ong

[@mrmusickhimself]

I can't stand Ryan's voice. At first I said "I'm sure he's an alright enough guy, give him a break" but then he started holding the show hostage with his ramblings, and he clearly LOVES the sound of his own voice and thinks that people are actually engaged in what he has to say. NO, it's because he signs their checks, it's like when the crew would laugh at Tony Soprano's dad jokes.

[@commandervile394]

Isn't he the one who got tr00ned out? Just what we need...a mentally ill and confused dude at the helm of the group. @@mrmusickhimself

[@JosephWalker-ip7pd]

Screenwave guys did suck bootsy was barely apart of anything they did really and I wouldn't exactly say he has charisma. James mike and Kyle were definitely the best though.

[@skibidi.G]

Yeap

[@gojiguy5436]

It’s probably the nostalgia, but I prefer the lower quality camera/different aspect ratio of the early videos. It made if feel more simple and genuine.

[@chango_fett]

I agree, my favorite seasons are from 1 to 5

[@Zharrgrim]

That’s the reason why the channel won’t last

[@TheMovieHangout]

Same here.

[@sennedriesen4072]

It's not just nostalgia. Those early episodes where a lot more creative. Now it is just him sitting in the coach, no music, no weird camera angles, white flat lighting, bad green screen (just use a spill suppressor!!!!) .... James wants to be a visuals artist, a filmmaker! So it is very sad to see content relayed only on script. Bad scripting.

[@brosephh7130]

I find that as we dive deeper and deeper into ultra high definition with pristine OLED displays, the more desirable and appealing the low res displays/ cameras become. It’s nostalgia for a simpler time, a time that is long gone. It’s bittersweet. Tech comes at us so fast now that it’s impossible to keep up with it. It makes me feel fatigued. If you ate nothing but cereal for a week, you get tired of it and stop eating it for a while. The simplicity of operation is also a factor. You didn’t have to spend an hour calibrating your TV, worrying about Gamma, HDR10, peak brightness and so on. In the same way, retro gaming exploded in popularity in part due to fatigue of the tropes of modern gaming.

[@OldBuford]

Board James is imo some of his best work. It starts off pretty straight forward, a guy and his friend play a board game where they play out certain scenarios to show what the game is all about and throw in some comedy. As soon as Bootsy gets involved the show ascends and it eventually builds into a couple of really well made short films. Granted it does go off the rails later in the series but even until the very end they were at least well made and you can tell everyone involved was committed to it

[@ryangeorge2502]

Tornado Rex, when the devil calls your name, you better fucking abide!!!!

[@nameofthegame9664]

If he made his movie based on Board James instead of the Nerd I bet you it would have been a decent comedy/horror movie instead of the train wreck Avgn the movie turned out to be.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

damn i guess i really need to give board james a shot then

[@troybilko]

Board James was his most creative thing he’s done on Avgn. Can’t continue it now though because he’s fired and lost the talent from those episodes and so on. Sucks when bridges get burned. The dream phone episode was pretty funny imo

[@JosephBlack]

Board James is the creativity in storytelling we expected with the AVGN Movie. Could you imagine a Nolan/Lynch-esque dark horror-comedy? -glad we got Board james though

[@49short]

I don’t know dude, I think it’s really weird for people to be making a “thing” about his hair loss. Even more than him not being able to bring the same emotion to it because he’s not in his 20’s anymore, it’s absurd to act as if James physically aging is somehow a shortcoming on his part that he’s somehow at fault for. While it is super obvious that it’s happening, it’s also something a lot of people tend to be self conscious about. That being said, it’s crummy enough for people to be pointing it out in the comment section of his videos, it’s even worse for people to be demanding that he address it publicly in some way (some even going far enough to expect him to write a joke about it at his own expense) as if the thought never crossed their minds that it might be kinda humiliating for him to do it. While it would be nice if we could all stay young and pretty forever, it’s not gonna happen for anyone and it’s absolutely ridiculous to expect him to give us all an excuse for aging like it’s his fault for failing to prevent it. C’mon man…

[@tristanjacobucci]

Agreed

[@dawnone8924]

that and the Nerd character has grown over the years. He makes jokes about being jaded from playing shitty games over the years all the time. So, to even say its out of character that he's aging doesn't make sense.

[@aarons2148]

​@@dawnone8924 agreed. He played great character for awesome content. Life moves on and it's not a lifestyle.

[@J0SHUAKANE]

George Carlin never fell off. Lou Costello never fell off. Lon Chaney never fell off.

[@DeRockMedia]

Ya...it's harsh to criticize something he has no control over...it would be funny if he joked about it since it's obvious, but he doesn't have to.

[@dextersbeard3472]

The DOOM episode he just did was great. I wish people would just let James do what he enjoys.

[@theunholinesswithin3601]

Who is stopping him?

[@QF_Dan72]

if he have time then sure

[@PeteOliva]

@Russo Is A Genius, Bro! We all have an expiry date, sadly. Don't hold it against him!

[@PeteOliva]

That was one of his best in a while.

[@qty1315]

@@theunholinesswithin3601 His kids, apparently.

[@SpecialAgentEBunny]

That picture of Justin shirtless is something that will haunt my dreams for years to come

[@DancingwithGhosts]

🤣 sorry about that

[@ColinBurkeMusic]

@@DancingwithGhosts Duuude WHAT? I'm glad I missed it, if it was in the video....FML that's never something I want to to see. When I first saw the dude I was thinking to myself "did Craig from Malcolm in the middle get younger somehow?" I just didn't know who TF Justin was was- and rightfully so- he doesn't have anything notable to bring to the creative world. I guess that's how it is tho. Us peons, even the talented ones scrape to try and make it and the fatcats skate by, at least in this case.

[@neoturfmasterMVS]

Like a real life Fat Bastard.

[@andykishore]

Agreed.

[@selfaware7617]

The AVGN side never got bad. It's just the screenwave dudes with no personality. Mike and Bootsy and Kyle will be missed.

[@FSAPOJake]

Mike already came back.

[@Gage_Brumley]

AVGN has sharply declined in quality though ever since the movie. Jame's anger isn't genuine anymore and it's clear he doesn't fully write the scripts or care about some of the games he reviews.

[@FSAPOJake]

​@@Gage_Brumley I see it as the Nerd character evolving with James. He's aging, and getting a little more worn down, mellowed-out and ambivalent than he used to be. Definitely not intentional, but it kinda works.

[@BananaPhoPhilly]

@@FSAPOJake I just wish that list didn’t also include “being less funny”

[@BareBandSubscription]

@@Gage_Brumley Since the movie? Brother, it’s been declining since 2007 lol. I speak as an AVGN oldhead here: 2006 was the peak of the series. By 2008, it was already a totally different show from what it was two years prior imo. That’s why I find all this discourse about AVGN’s declining quality the last couple of years to be a bit weird. It’s like watching Star Wars fans complain about the Disney era while pretending the later Lucas era wasn’t awful. I’m just glad he’s still around. James Rolfe has given me so many hours of free entertainment that I will cherish dearly for perhaps the rest of my days, especially those early Nerd videos. That stuff legit helped me get through my adolescence and inspired me creatively (still kinda does). He could make the next Nerd episode a ten minute close-up shot of his teeth, and I’ll still support it. He doesn’t owe me or anyone else anything.

[@Chelaxim]

James is great with a script...with topics he truly has an interest in...that he most wrote.

[@fanaticaH]

James was at his best when he surrounded himself with talented people who shared similar people. Now he sub-hires people to work for him and it isn't even a talented team.

[@brianmeen2158]

@@fanaticaH James is great with scripts and really mixed well with Mike Mattei and Bootsy .. when the screen wave guts came in was when it got pretty bad

[@legoyoda9782]

@@fanaticaH I feel like the writing has actually gotten a lot better since his movie came out. Most of the recent episodes have been pretty good.

[@Steambull1]

That "lost tape" in the Last Ninja ep was not actually from the past, James did it for the episode. He does many obvious parodies of what he considered "low effort" in the early videos, and speaks with a more shaky voice on purpose.

[@AlephNeil]

Your video made me realise something I'd never been fully conscious of before: that there's some amount of social pressure on men midway through normal male pattern baldness to *do something about it* (cover it up or shave it). Personally I've always thought a shaved head is more distracting than a partially bald head - or at best it's a wash, but apparently society disagrees. Has it always been this way or has fashion changed?

[@baseddoggie]

honestly I dont understand why its an issue at all. Do zoomers just not understand that people age? James' hairline is the absolute last thing I would complain about in the context of his recent videos. And besides, as far as the character goes, wouldn't a hardcore nerd not give a shit about his hair? If anything, the tat and the weird captain shirt were far more distracting.

[@michaelm108]

bring back bootsy. problem solved

[@xdeadbeatboi6666x]

And Kyle and Mike.

[@michaelm108]

@@xdeadbeatboi6666x yea, that would b awesome

[@guyverjay1289]

And get rid of the fat guy

[@rowdyriter]

yes i did like boots . he seemd cool

[@timbynum]

Bootsy was the best.

[@paulrodriguez7255]

Low blow going after the poor guys hair line

[@segaboy9894]

Imagine if Cinemassacre was just James Rolfe 'exposing' people...

[@almsahrah]

I wonder if he'd expose the fat disgusting pedophile he does podcasts with and relies on to do his work for him.

[@orenges]

HAHAHAHA

[@itsalwayssunnyinpahoa7631]

Awesome, It was your previous work on Cinemassacre that initially brought me to this channel. I did however wind up subscribing and staying for the music and other interesting content. Anyways, we are all super grateful for your work, DWG. Keep up the good work.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

thank you so very much!

[@bottombarrelbudgetfilms1854]

I agree 100% with the take you gave near the end. I'm glad James has production help and I'm glad it makes life easier on him. But I have never once enjoyed seeing those guys on screen in his videos, and I'm actually saying that as someone who did used to enjoy their content back on their own obscure channel when they were no names

[@sydhamelin1265]

I'm James' age, so his early videos REALLY hit me. And I remember at one point realizing I've been watching him for over 10 years. He's definitely had a Simpsons arc, where it just feels joyless. I actually liked the Monday let's plays that they did, some of those, like Goat Simulator, where gold. Matei's role in the early AVGN videos could absolutely steal the show, like his Joker, his Bugs, and the entire Klingon scene in the Star Trek review, is a masterpiece. They all seem so excited about each episode, and they were giving 100% each time. It's definitely been watered down, but I also dig his non-nerd videos still. Then again, he's 40+, so it doesn't carry. Like I said, in our 20s, it was funny watching after getting home from a night out with friends. At 40, it's old.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

sad but true

[@sydhamelin1265]

@@DancingwithGhosts Hey, at least we're getting some good reactionary ivids. As a musician, myself, whose gone through some painstaking efforts, live, and in the studio, to get a decent sound, hearing the Cinemassacre group do a seriously lazy job...well, you covered it 100% on. Thanks for that.

[@HeathenMetalhead221]

I liked the most recent one with the doom ports. It reminded me of an old episode

[@thisistheendpt2]

@@DancingwithGhosts you're sad.hope you like being reminded.

[@brianmeen2158]

For whatever reason, when James makes fun of wii or PlayStation games, it just feels hollow or off. When he’s making fun of 8 or 16 bit games, that’s when he shines. James and Mike mondays were great as well. I cannot stand watching Mike mattei play games solo though lol

[@mrmacross]

Appreciate this video, especially since you've addressed your recent feedback. I'm one of the folks who feels AVGN's quality in 2022 is fine. I think the issue for me is that there've been 200 or so episodes that it just doesn't hit like it used to. I also feel like the Screenwave guys did try extra hard to put themselves in front of the camera and I don't find them particularly interesting. They're not terrible, but at no point did I ever feel like they themselves improved the product other than that they were extra hands on deck.

[@zionix15432]

It's like anything. There isn't a band out there (that's been around a long time) that people still think make as good of music as they used to.

[@TheSultan1470]

​@@zionix15432Ok

[@FSAPOJake]

The most recent episodes have been written by James and Mike (oh yeah, he came back) and getting much better reception. The quantity has gone down to 1 video every 2 months or so, but it's been worth it.

[@hellmoto191]

Mike came back?? When? Why? How?? Cool if that's true :)

[@Vfl666]

The gameplay was from Mike and the rest from the slobs.

[@brianmeen2158]

@@Vfl666 so James isn’t even playing the games now? That’s a bit disappointing

[@Vfl666]

@@brianmeen2158 He was never a big gamer he was and will always be a movie nerd.

[@AWF1000]

I think it's more with lack of chemistry with those screenwave guys.. when he's with Mike, Bootsy, Kyle and even Kevin Finn, he's comfortable.

[@GamingWithDrew]

Well said. It's nice seeing a fair and reasonable take with accurate criticisms which you don't typically see from neither his fanboys nor the Truth subreddit.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

thanks.. i don't hate the guy like people were starting to think from my other videos, i just thought Rex Viper was an affront to my ears and the screenwave guys should never have been on camera

[@FunkSwaggMusiK]

Bro, those Rex Viper vids you did had me dying 🤣

[@DancingwithGhosts]

lol thanks... they had to be taken down a peg or two

[@eddiearniwhatever]

Your Rex Viper vids were so awesome I am becoming a Rex Viper fan - just to marvel at how bad they are, and in hopes of more content you can tear up in your reviews.

[@Voykod]

Yes! With the screenwave guys James lost one of the crucial ingredients: authenticity (As you say). Now that I have seen his nostalgia based videos, like the Bronson Cave one, I can tell he really cares about those topics, hence the better quality on the scripts of the videos... but they get less views because they are not AVGN, even when AVGN is not AVGN anymore.

[@almsahrah]

One of the most crucial ingredients missing now is NOT having a fat pedophile involved.......

[@Voykod]

@@almsahrah The one that was jailed and was a friend of the mayonnaise jar?

[@almsahrah]

@@Voykod No, that guys best friend and avid supporter, Pedo-Fats. The tub of lard portion of the Slob Co....

[@Voykod]

@@almsahrah Oh... well, if that's true, it is a serious problem.

[@ForbiddenAudioPerversions]

Maybe Will Smith can defend James against hair loss comments

[@jaysaiyajoestar1220]

I agree with Every point of yours, Except the Hair Loss Issue. I mean... What Issue? it's not like james wanted to lose his hair or anything. even He stated that He was shocked of himself shaving his head one time. kinda mean critism tbh

[@melanchlorin]

What? The first minutes of The Last Ninja wasn't supposed to feel old? I thought it was a newly produced bit made to look old on purpose, with throwback script reminding us of the TMNT episode.

[@mrmusickhimself]

These vids are aging like wine, especially since Kieran just quit, now James is kinda screwed since they did all the work for him. I would blame his wife "Yoko", but what do I know, I have a Caucasian sausage.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

🤣 that last part though

[@mrmusickhimself]

@@DancingwithGhosts I don't even want to roast James, I just hate when people knowingly produce mid or just plain BAD things and think that people should just eat the slop and like it. It's the like "MORE?" guy in Oliver.

[@Labyrinth6000]

@@DancingwithGhostsdo an updated video?

[@mrmusickhimself]

@@Labyrinth6000 Overall, I'm just sad that James clearly feels like he's trapped in limbo, with a wife that seemingly terrifies him, and he'll never get to make a full length movie again. The only way to make himself feel better is to consider his reviews as films.

[@tgifkids6750]

Let’s be real…James has grown up and has other priorities (like his family). Everything good comes to an end eventually. Once AVGN core folks left…it was over. The AVGN movie was too late, not done right, & honestly not needed. James isn’t stupid and knows he’s getting passive income from his channel, but now all folks do is criticize him. Just enjoy the past stuff the best you can. It was a good run. He still makes some decent vids from time to time.

[@eddiearniwhatever]

You know what would be amazing? If he opened up a video rental shop. I think people would be into it.

[@bpcgos]

The movie reviews James did always enjoyable to watch. His ability to pull and acknowledged reference or technique from old movies being use in modern cinema shows where his passion actually is. As great as AVGN is, its just another medium to channel his love of cinema.

[@Specter227]

I find it kind of funny that the Internet turned poking fun at people like Doug Walker or Linkara into a sport, but say one slightly negative thing (and I'm not even talking about making fun of him, but actual honest opinions from a fan) about James and you get an army of mad people coming after you. Reminds me of 2008/2009 KZbin, when saying something like "Kickassia wasn't that good" was considered a blasphemy to many people. While James' 2022 output is generally an improvement over the rollercoaster that was the last year (with The Last Ninja episode being a highlight), it still reminds me very much of modern Simpsons in that you can see the drive is no longer really there. I know that he has a family to take care of, but as a long-time fan, I would love to see James stop doing KZbin full-time and try to get back into movie-making - that's where his true passion always was.

[@Gage_Brumley]

I'd rather him become like JonTron and release a handful of quality videos every year rather than churn out mediocre AVGN episodes and boring movie reviews once a month. He's just kind of coasting out on the channel right now

[@CameronAllOneWord]

It's almost impossible for AVGN to truly be as good as it used to be since he's already made videos on all of the games that he has personal childhood memories with and not only that but he's already reviewed the most popular games from his era so there isn't much left that we his fans can see and think "oh man he's finally gotten to this one. I can't wait to hear what he has to say!" All that's left are obscure games and good ones. Not only that but with so many other gaming KZbinrs out there every game has been covered to death. He used to be the first and/or only content creator making videos on retro games for a while. I thought the Doom episode in particular was solid so he can definitely still be good I just don't think he's ever going to be as angry as he used to be but I prefer a moderately angry video game nerd over a forced furious video game nerd. I love your idea of James incorporating his baldness into the character a lot though. I think it's important for any fictional character to change and evolve over time and think there's a lot of potential to the idea of an aging AVGN.

[@brianmeen2158]

True, James has covered most bad old school 8 bit games. Surely there’s still enough bad 16 bit games to tackle…? I’ve watched his videos where he slams Wii games and they are terrible. It’s just not the same

[@CameronAllOneWord]

​@@brianmeen2158 There's definitely obscure 16 bit games that he hasn't covered yet but these days tons of other people probably already have and also they're no longer games he has personal memories with which were the best episodes he's made.

[@Progger11]

I was genuinely pleasantly surprised with the Doom video. Best AVGN in a long time!

[@DancingwithGhosts]

i agree!

[@subtledemisefox]

It's cool that he got John Romero on it, even if it was just a voice cameo.

[@jayb9612]

I think avgn and cinemassacre are doing great. I completely understand what your saying, and respect your opinion. I just think he's doing what he likes now, and also James is better on script but I still enjoy him on the podcasts when he is engaged in the conversation. Edit: I want Mike and James Mondays back

[@jasoncollins2994]

I love when people complain about something free and entertaining 🙄

[@PoutingTrevor]

AVGN and Cinemassacre has definitely been better lately. The Last Ninja episode is a classic, and arguably should have been episode 200. The Purr Pals episode is forgettable at best, and the Hudson Hawk episode was fine, but a step back if anything. I like the transition he’s making into making more positive videos about games. Perhaps that’s the direction he’s going in? Also, hot take, but I like the Screenwave guys as people, but I don’t particularly like them being onscreen, at least in Cinemassacre productions. I used to enjoy watching Tony and James talk movies because I thought they had good chemistry, and they both know their stuff. I don’t know why Tony left the channel, but then he was pretty awful as Dr. Gonzo. The dude’s not an actor! Kieran’s also really sweet and I think he’s just happy to be there. Justin is more questionable, largely due to his continued relationship with a convicted s- offender and ch-d pre-tor, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy and he’s definitely copped to a lot of screw ups which he didn’t have to do. BUT I could not care less what Ryan thinks about anything. He’s basically bought himself a role on the channel, but I don’t think there’s anyone less charismatic and unappealing than him. He might be a super cool dude irl, but onscreen he’s just kinda gross lol

[@j.huckvale]

Yeah, I used to check out the rental reviews videos but it was so noticeable how much the other guys dominated the conversation and James was just… there. And I think it was more noticeable because when he’d do reviews with Mike, at least there was chemistry and you were interested to see them work off each other. I was actually interested to hear Mikes thoughts on whatever topic. I’ve been a huge fan of Cinemassacre for so many years and want nothing but the best for James so it is sad for me to not enjoy the content like I used to, but I definitely am happy with the changes and lack of screenwave this year!!!!!!

[@DancingwithGhosts]

my whole thing is they NEVER introduced these people... it went from like "damn where the hell did mike go" to "who the fuck are all these randos taking up 80 percent of the screen"? it was too abrupt and to me none of them had personalities that were interesting.. not funny, not particularly likeable, not witty.. no value added

[@j.huckvale]

@@DancingwithGhosts the whole no introduction thing was so jarring because it was a barrage of new people that were all so uninteresting and felt completely different from every single person to have been affiliated. Introducing* new people to your show(s) isn’t a BAD THING, it had been done in the past (to play the shitty games that suck ass!) on the channel. Like with Bootsy! He was embraced by the fans and earned his keep. I do have to say that Christmas episode with the stunt guy was my least favorite episode at the time and kind of cemented my realization of the change and shift of the content. He didn’t give any history of the products in that video, it was just so different from his past episodes in such a blatant way. I guess I can’t blame the guy for trying something different. But… come on they were so bad 😂 *or not introducing 🙃

[@j.huckvale]

@@DancingwithGhosts also I didn’t hate the stunt guy they used either. I thought his performance was pretty solid, he seemed to work well with James and just didn’t suck. It was everything else about the episode and how far removed from being “the nerd” it all was

[@wcoleman99]

Well Tony started doing his talk about tapes hack the movies channel. He's still with screenwave and is just doing a real annoying neckbeard character thing. Still has a bunch of episodes up with Newt in it because they're some of his best viewed videos despite the whore Newt plagiarism thing. Kieran is gone over not getting paid enough and Justin gives me creep vibes. If he's still friends with a child sex predator makes whatever finally gets him fired even worse

[@RetrofIex]

James is just getting older and losing his youthful mojo, it unfortunately would happen to anyone doing the act for near 20 years.

[@unkles]

It's still cool to see some famous people cameo with that channel. I was surprised to see The Doomguy (Romero) play the icon of sin on Avgn Doom. Wish they could have had some more production with it but thought it worked out.

[@fraciscom.1406]

I'm glad you made this video. I felt the same way when those other guys just showed up in the videos.

[@dpglounge4900]

Do not overlook board james seriously underrated that shark attack episode is my all time favorite internet video ever omg the end rant is the mad he ever was lmaooooooo

[@cormacthem8406]

This Nick Kroll parody skit of a 2006 bitter Zumiez employee is spot on 👍

[@bigshortstop1931]

Why do I get the feeling that deep down, Ol’BimmyBoy is deeply resentful of the fact that he’s basically never going to be a major Hollywood director. It just seems like he can’t let go of his past and now the present suffers for it. It doesn’t help that he probably never really gave a crap about video games to begin with.

[@jaytheocarinian2001]

I remember the time when I was mad saying "Who the Fuck is Bootsy?! get outta here!" but later understood that he's a main cast in Board James other dudes? I never cared even to this days.

[@saeba2393]

Honestly, the Rex Viper videos made me discover your channel but your other content was just as great! So thanks for uploading that 1st Rex Viper video or else I probably wouldn't have found this dope channel! :)

[@DancingwithGhosts]

thank you, im glad you took a chance on me

[@corona1688]

I love your Mega Man X Sigma photo in your background! That's the first game I remember overcoming to beat years after I got it; I want one now! I also agree with your point at 7:28: nobody cares about their opinion. I watched the one with their top 5 bands of all time, then suddenly realized I didn't even care about James's top picks, because he's just "yepping" through the video..His newer videos suffer from Keiran writing them; not that he's bad, it's just not James. You can tell it's Keiran, because he makes a statement, and then follows it up with "and it's amazing"..

[@Vajrubaj]

Love your takes dude, i am so glad you didn't stop like you said , coz you are good, common sense no nostalgia purple glasses.Thx.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

thanks.. people kept commenting on my old Rex Viper and Cinemassacre videos so I thought ahh what the heck I'll make another

[@Fishplants]

He should get his old gang back, Those guys made avgn. And James is comfortable with those guys.

[@Metal-Gear-Moogle]

Kyle and bootsy won't be back, apparently James screwed them pretty hard. Bootsy talked about it

[@andrewm478]

I would love more content related to Cinemassacre, and I think you might be hesitant but I hope you see the light and potential and give us more. There is so much funny stuff/ lore about Jame's channel I'll have to find and unearth myself, I would come here or anywhere that I could find that content condensed in 10- 12 minute digestible bits.

[@user-tn4ik2pi3r]

i think there was trouble when boots left but the end was when mike left

[@SimpleSymonds]

I am so happy James is getting back on track. Been a huge fan of his for years, and I'm glad we cna all just look atht eh controversey and move past it. I'm also glad James is going back to doing stuff the way he wants. The Screenwave crew just were too much. SUre, there are a couple episodes of Rental Reviews or that era AVGN episodes I watch simply because I enjoy them, but I mainly did it for James, not any of the others. So now that they are taking a backseat, i'm happy. Also, I completely agree with what was said in this video, about Screenwave and what james is doing now. So glad to see this channel getting back to it's roots.

[@viscountrainbows2857]

James' content has been comfort food for me to fall asleep to for years, and also we share a birthday so, there's that. But yeah I just stick to his AVGN content and maybe I'd occasionally check some side stuff but, Board James and James & Mike Mondays are the only things comparable in rewatchability to his mainline content. That said, whenever he drops a video yelling at bad games, I'll be there with eyes peeled. And yeah it's sad he has gotten kinda lost in the sauce to a point but, I always like seeing when he comes through with content, even if it's mid like Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. Luckily I can just avoid those but, honestly they can't all be winners.

[@corporationmasamichannel7040]

The truth is that James was never all that talented. He always remained the same as he was as a child, filming cruddy looking home videos in his basement, sometimes with his friends, always in convoluted amateurish ways because he doesn't learn and evolve. Because James doesn't change. He'll never change. We changed. We saw someone make amateurish but cute videos on the internet. The mere fact that you could produce videos for the internet amazed us. Sure, visually it looked drab. The writing was primitive. The After Effects was awful. The guy couldn’t add slick, readable typography onto his videos if his life depended on it. But the editing sold it. Most of all we saw someone with a dream to break out of his basement and into Hollywood. Maybe we recognized ourselves in him. So we cheered him on. We wanted to help him achieve this dream, as we grew compassionate. But “making it to Hollywood” exposed the truth about James to us. We saw he really was never all that talented. We just wanted to believe he is. It’s ok, though. I love seeing the creativity it brought out of you. Some of the stuff here has become more creative, funny, well made and well thought out than Cinemassacre ever was. Keep evolving, always

[@toxicmatrix1337]

I'm amazed you could even make it through some of the new AVGNS, I watched since 2007 on his site before it was on youtube. It was actually very hard for me to finally leave his site and switch to YT to watch him, felt more personal watching it on there. It hasn't been the same for a very long time.

[@jimboramba]

The battletoads episode is imo the best showcase of avgn rage. Compare how he yells in that to how he yells today. If I were James, I'd just wait till I had a rough day to go record some nerd.

[@SuperAnthony3]

What I love about Josh is that he is like the real life version of what I loved about The Nerd and YKWBS, a curmudgeon with a humorous take on things. It's awesome and I'm happy to hear him rant about the things that irritate him any time, whether or not it's things I like or don't like. Funny, entertaining vid!

[@BigRed0059]

I think it’s gotten better since the scandal. The screen wave guys have been off camera. 😊

[@DatDudeVince]

Of course this ended up on r/thecinemassacretruth :) Good video, Josh, also love the shirt and stickers you guys sent.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

lmao this is the first time i've been informed of that i made the cinemassacre truth forum.. did any of my other videos get on there? 😂

[@DatDudeVince]

@@DancingwithGhosts I’ve definitely seen a few shared on there.

[@LAH-oq7vx]

lol This dude has a consistent expression of a 14 year old who found out he can't stay up to watch MTV Cribs.

[@AmandaRogersarock1988]

The book release is definitely putting him back into the algorithm. I decided to ignore Rex Viper and just watch the AVGN videos and I'm enjoying that part of the channel. The reality is James spent 7.5 years at a special ed school and has some challenges and made a career out of his creativity and art. He's quirky and doesn't always get it right, but he seems happier this year in what he's doing. While I do miss the good old days I can't fault people for growing up and moving on and I don't think there's a huge conspiracy behind it.

[@jonathancurran6851]

Fair Enough. But did we really need a 3rd video about this?

[@MyChannel-m9h]

When your hairline gets to the stage where it's pointing _inwards_ in the centre, it's time to get the clippers.

[@peppercatx6470]

It's interesting juxtaposing my opinions on all of this with others. Mainly with Screenwave primarily because I watched Justin for awhile now. Ever since he was on Underbelly and then his own channel. I liked his edgier sense of humor which is a lost art in the modern KZbin landscape. On the Purr Pals video I give that one a pass since that video is pretty much a sendoff to his cat who you can tell he loved dearly and I remember when I lost my little buddy I was really sad so as a cat person I really like how he is immortalizing his in a video.

[@cybernightzero5891]

Something I've noticed over the years, the games he reviews are ones no one cares about. (or has heard of) This may also be a screenwave's influence at work. I think it goes without saying that his latest episode on Doom is the best one I've seen in like 15 years.

[@eddiearniwhatever]

Some of his reviews bring to light terrible games no one has heard of though, so we can marvel at how terrible they are.

[@GamingManual]

Watching Bootsy calmly beat all those insanely hard NES games was/still is some of my favorite KZbin content. Great analysis as always, sir. Big fan of your channel, loved you on RedCow!

[@stuartward1755]

James intended Cinemassacre and AVGN to be little more than a passion project before breaking out into Hollywood. But between the AVGN movie being a flop and life getting in the way he's now stuck with them. It's obvious the passion is no longer there like it used to be. It's now just another job for him now than it is something he genuinely enjoys.

[@peacockjive6847]

mike mitei is the only current part of the avgn universe that's cannon.

[@therippedemon]

I think James should honestly consider a hair transplant. It would be strange to see him shave bald, but it's also weird seeing his receding hairline.

[@weston407]

coming from a bald guy in his late 30s who shaves his head….. just buzz it off and be done with it

[@chango_fett]

i like james rolfe and not only his avgn content but in general, monster madness etc, but your opinion from my point of view is very correct, i think your mixed feelings are legitimate because some of the things you mention also happen to me, and I think you have a lot of balls to make this kind of videos knowing that the fanboys are going to attack you and I have to give you credit for that 😅

[@leathermetal]

I would just be thankful that you can get views from another deserving KZbinrs channel I don't think he's worried about you or anything because his channel is still doing well

[@DancingwithGhosts]

yeah fair enough

[@CreepyBoris]

I just watched some of Doug Walker's latest video (the Home Alone and Christmas Story ones) after avoiding it for over a year and it feels like he's finally back to the old school style videos people want, no more annoying skits!

[@VideoJamesNZ]

WURD! Subscribed! 😁 So many great points raised here! I stopped watching The Nerd a long time ago. It has just really lost its mojo.

[@Djentlemanthall]

Love the AVGN content.

[@MichaelDermotMusic]

I still can’t believe people genuinely think that’s old footage of James in The Last Ninja video.

[@EdibleDeodorant]

One of the most fascinating things about AVGN Ive noticed, if you look hard enough youll notice im gay

[@honestabe411]

You have to check out Board James, it’s actually superior to AVGN

[@DancingwithGhosts]

bro i've been watching them and im like 8 or 9 episodes in and it's pretty boring so far not gonna lie.. not seeing the huge appeal

[@honestabe411]

@@DancingwithGhosts okay if you’re a zoomer who has never played a board game I get it, although the later it gets in the series the more it turns into psychological horror no joke

[@NoiseOverMusic]

No way is board james superior to avgn

[@honestabe411]

@@NoiseOverMusic agree to disagree

[@NoiseOverMusic]

@@honestabe411 No

[@McLovin_2007]

♫He's the Aging......Video Game......Nerdddddd♫

[@zeldabombsquad1144]

Of course it's gotten worse, he's now just the Annoyed Video Game Dad

[@DancingwithGhosts]

The AVGD ... that has a nice ring to it

[@ManiacArtist83]

The Doom ep was incredible, like old school videos from AVGN. Awesome! Just hope he keeps doing them like this.

[@juggalo4life247mfrs]

I still enjoy watching avgn.hes changed over the years,but haven't we all?

[@A.I-GAMING]

Got to bring back Mike, then viewership will go way up.

[@Hoolygamer]

The guy had a good run but like anyone, especially an OG like James, it shows it's better to know when to hang your hat up rather than drag something on for longer than you're capable of caring about it. The same choice awaits a lot of people who have been on this platform for long enough.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

cough cough* h3h3 *cough*

[@Hoolygamer]

​@@DancingwithGhosts One day hopefully we will be blessed by their departure off the platform. I don't think I have ever seen a sadder state then their channel.

[@Hoolygamer]

@@DancingwithGhosts Also dude I reckon your Rex Viper videos were hilarious and is what brought me over to subscribe. I reckon someone with your experience in music could make some great videos in reviewing and analysing shitty music just in general.

[@brianmeen2158]

Problem is, James is stuck with making this type of content. His movie career really didn’t go anywhere and I doubt he will go work a 9-5.. so James is a bit stuck now but I can’t imagine him still creating videos in 10 years lol

[@Hoolygamer]

@@brianmeen2158 His movie aspirations were innocent enough but he really didn't put in the effort to make it a career so he shouldn't of been surprised toilet humour wouldn't get him past KZbin. Honestly, I guess he is milking it for all it's worth at the expense of his reputation, but a family man like himself should probably look at a real career at this point. His content is running off fumes at this point and doesn't look sustainable long term.

[@charlescarnage]

Newer subscriber here, loving these vids and your other vids too. Keep em coming!

[@csciabar]

I personally enjoyed that xmas episode! It was so wild. Maybe just me… but seriously i tuned in today cuz james was taken over by THE SLOBS!! Long live james, hope he makes a comeback.

[@ryanstewart4444]

I throwback tie-in with Fester's Quest to explain his (increasing) baldness would be in character.

[@audreyazwell]

pst (waves) long time no see fam, yeah I've been watchin these cinemassacre vid ngl haha

[@BM-wh5qk]

Five years from now, James should do a real AVGN movie with a dark script and a professional company producing and directing.

[@sodokami6347]

Or heck even a Board James movie

[@Gage_Brumley]

@@sodokami6347no point in doing Board James if Mike and Bootsy won't be involved

[@sodokami6347]

@@Gage_Brumley Who knows, anything is possible 🤷‍♂️

[@TheMovieHangout]

Screenwave Slobs is one of my favorite new terms.😂

[@McLovin_2007]

Why doesn't James just grow his hair a little longer so he can comb it over and hide the bold spot? That's what I did. But if James is rich, I'm sure he can afford some kind of hair treatment. The first time I noticed his baldness was in the Polybius video.

[@SonsOfMalice]

He has no time for that.

[@rodimusmaximus3912]

Maybe he just doesn't care what a bunch of strangers on the internet think. A shocking revelation, I know.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

lmaaoo not the comb over!

[@fbenney]

I agree, the hairline is very distracting. It looks pretty bad. And honestly, I think James already is doing the dreaded comb-over 🤣 and he has been for several years. You can notice in certain videos in the past if his hair is a bit messed up.

[@eddiearniwhatever]

I don't get comb overs, they seem to be high maintenance. Like T**** and his weird insanely hair sprayed thing. I say, leave it as it is and let people be weirded out by it.

[@maxmetalknight]

I didn't liked Doom episode that much, just because so many other reviewers covered Doom so much better so many times before... But then I realized James got THE John Romero voicing in this video...

[@michealrosen]

I couldn't finish it, AVG seems very forced now, it doesn't feel authentic

[@DancingwithGhosts]

oh shit that was the real guy after all??

[@maxmetalknight]

@@DancingwithGhosts Yup :D

[@timj3788]

It's so cool how you made it through those videos of that balding guy in his forties. You're so brave.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

i was WAITING on someone to call me brave, thank you good sir

[@jray0717]

Balding.....so that's life people lose hair.

[@markfavorite795]

And you wonder why your friends don't return your phone calls

[@cookiesandsteam34]

LMG, you're one of those so called twelve year olds? 😂

[@brianmeen2158]

@@jray0717 yeah I don’t get the balding complaints. It happens with age and if James doesn’t care, why should we?

[@c.m.8158]

Here's to hopefully NEVER having to see Justin the Hut, EVER again!

[@kingjoe3rd]

His recent Doom video was excellent.

[@Runicen]

I'm torn on Cinemassacre in general. I actually didn't mind the Screenwave guys when it came to some Rental Reviews and whatever the spinoff they attempted was called. The best episodes in my mind were the ones with Mike involved because it felt like, "Yeah, here's the new crew, but they're like us, so it's all good." No arguing that it did get a bit... excessive with the on-camera appearances though. That wore thin pretty fast. Overall, I don't know that I have a horse in the race. Wish James well, think it's awesome that a joke from his 20s is paying his bills and all, but AVGN really doesn't do much for me these days. I have other interests and the gag had its season. It happens. Hell, it seems like it happened for James. Not sure how he should handle it going forward, but if he's happy, that's good enough for me, I guess.

[@qty1315]

Honestly, I don't think he's happy at all. It seems more like he's trying to put on a brave face and pretend to be happy, but he isn't. I mean, forgetting all the Cinemassacre drama, he's pushed away pretty much all of his real-life friends, he's married to someone who apparently forces all the responsibilities of raising special-needs kids onto him, his audience isn't happy with him, and the Screenwave guys are apparently not very pleasant to be around but he has to be involved with them to support himself. Plus, his failed film career apparently really bothers him. I think that he views himself as a failure in everything that matters. In his mind, the only worthwhile thing he ever did was a stupid internet show that brought him wealth but also a lot of misery. I think that's why he shifted more into "Guys, I just created this channel to have fun and relive the past," because he's miserable, and he's been miserable for years. I think that he wants to go back to a time in the past when he was a kid when he wasn't miserable. I think that's why he's so adverse to drama, too, it's not that he's above drama or too busy for it, it's that he doesn't want to acknowledge the present, which was why his "I'm not watching Ghostbusters 2016," video turned into a video where he talks about the original Ghostbusters that he watched when he was younger.

[@weston407]

I kinda liked Rental Reviews and thought Justin was pretty funny but as soon as the nerd changed his shirt i noticed something was different in the AVGN episodes - it was really interesting when i started to find out more about the Screenwave stuff

[@Runicen]

@@weston407 Meanwhile, I'm over here having missed completely that the nerd changed his shirt... I'm taking "eye for detail" off my resume.

[@Runicen]

@@qty1315 You could be right, but some of this seems like a stretch. I do wonder about whether or not he's still on good terms with the old friends. People do drift apart, but it's hard to say how easy that drift was or if it was a business break. I can't even speculate on the marriage thing. I mean, what was the meme about him having to go upstairs at a certain time? Why is that even a big deal? If I was married with kids and my wife was always nose deep in some project or work, I probably wouldn't be into that as a long-term setup either, so I wouldn't blame his wife for setting work/life boundaries. It's a hard thing to do and sometimes people need to get that nudge from friends, spouses, or whatever. Just saying I can see how that would be a reasonable arrangement. I could be wrong and maybe she's a bitch on wheels, but I'd want a little more to go on before leaping to that conclusion. I get that people don't dig the Screenwave guys on camera, but are they personally unpleasant? The worst thing I can see is that they're a bit try-hard at public events. Annoying, but hardly the stuff of "I'd chew off my own leg to get away from these guys." Think you're bang on when it comes to the movie. James always wanted to make movies. That the one he had the chance to do went over budget, turned into a logistics nightmare, and then didn't really do the numbers must have sucked with teeth and I really feel for him on that one. Wish he'd give it another go, but this time in a more indie fashion.

[@TheFailedmessiah]

I like Mike Matei a lot, he’s funny.

[@Metal-Gear-Moogle]

Mike is the real AVGN

[@azaze88]

As his kids get older he will be able to have more time to put towards his channel

[@DatDudeVince]

He says it's his job, most adults with kids work full time jobs. I've always seen him using his kids as just an excuse to put in minimum effort.

[@therealmaskedheel]

@@DatDudeVince lol he works from home. His kids are my kids age and they aren't exactly the most quiet human beings. Maybe try getting laid and having kids of your own, maybe your ignorant attitude would change.

[@Vfl666]

He has no time it's 5:40.

[@DatDudeVince]

@@therealmaskedheel I’ll never understand the excuses people make for this guy. Cool insult, feel better? Yes he works from home but he has absolutely no organizational skills which is apparent from his behind the scenes video last year. Dude just wants to coast and not get a day job at this point.

[@therealmaskedheel]

@@DatDudeVince If he is still making good money from doing KZbin, why the fuck should he get a different job? Just because YOU don't like what he produces now, doesn't mean other people don't. Instead of crying about the fact that you don't like his videos anymore, move on. I haven't watched The Simpsons in like over 10 years, but I'm not on the internet complaining about it and wondering why the cast and crew of the show isn't moving on to other things despite people still obviously watching the show and making them money.

[@leeartlee915]

Personally, I think he has turned it around. But here’s the issue: the Cinemassacretruth peeps are out of their f’ing minds. They’ve lost sight of the original point of giving feedback. They just are there to hate. I actually think he’s done some of his best work lately. But hey, I’m a simple man.

[@RW-cp8gp]

It’s gonna just be lackluster shit from earlier and on. Nice vid!

[@bigcurt3572]

I have to agree with you that James AVGN has lost what it started back when the channel got up and started but now I don't think it's good And I believe he lost his interest or maybe he is burnt out doing it. But I still watch the old episodes but not to much of any new ones. But I'm glad you did this video and explain what is going on because I can see it to and I hope he can recover from what is going on. That hair line I agree to I notice that as well.

[@rein3417]

So I took some time and listened/watched some of your music vids, really freaking good bruh. I'm a fan. Leagues ahead of Rex Viper that's for damn sure.

[@DancingwithGhosts]

thank you so much i really appreciate that!

[@WHIPTY]

awe man I was gonna reply to my Audrey Azwell comment and leave you a cute little comment chain haha