Editorial Policy
Celluloid exists to answer one question fast: is this title worth watching? This page is the contract for how we assign reviews, how we say no, and what we will not invent.
Celluloid reviews carry named, accountable critic bylines, are checked before publication, and sit next to a transparent four-input Celluloid Score. We do not repackage third-party trademark scores as our own. Rankings are not for sale. Kaiser Khan is the accountable editor.
Who is accountable for what Celluloid publishes?
Kaiser Khan, Founder & Editor, is the accountable editor for the catalogue. Reviews carry a named byline, a role, a publication date and a verdict. Additional critic profiles exist for specialists; they appear as bylines when those critics publish. The legal publisher is Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd (England & Wales company number 17250017). Ownership and contact sit on About and Kaiser Khan’s author page.
How are reviews assigned?
Titles enter the queue because they are in theatrical release, a major streaming window, a festival we cover, or a catalogue gap readers actually search. No review is assigned where there is an undisclosed financial or personal conflict. We would rather leave a page at Review Pending than invent a viewing we did not do or a number we cannot source.
How does a page reach a verdict?
Every scored title page must say whether the film is worth watching and name who should skip it. A hedged page gives an answer engine nothing to quote and a reader nothing to decide on. The Celluloid Score is the composite; the review is the argument. If those two disagree, the review must say so — we do not silently “fix” the number to match the prose.
What does “desk assessment” mean here?
Most scores are built from our editorial rating plus independent public inputs (Metascore, Letterboxd, IMDb), not from a claim that we attended every junket. When we have not had a first-hand screening, we do not write as if we had. Provenance belongs on the page: inputs are labelled, dates are real, and “we do not know” is publishable.
Does Celluloid use AI to write reviews?
Editorial reviews carry named human bylines and are checked before publication. Software aggregates public numeric ratings and computes the Celluloid Score. Automated drafts, if used internally, are fact-checked and never published without editorial sign-off. Metadata and watch-provider syncs are machine-assisted; the verdict is not.
Can money buy a score, a ranking, or a better review?
No. Studio screenings, press junkets, festival invitations, accreditation and hosted travel do not guarantee publication or positive coverage. Material flights, accommodation, hospitality or other support accepted for coverage are disclosed when relevant. Paid placements never influence Celluloid Score components, rankings or review verdicts. Affiliate or partner links, if any, are labelled; the free or official option is named when it wins.
What will Celluloid not publish?
Invented scores, invented admissions, invented trailer IDs, or a zero that means “missing.” We will not mark up
supplier ratings as our own aggregateRating. We will not date-stamp a page without changing the
content. We will not write a second URL for a query we already answer. We will not scrape user reviews and
“rewrite them in our voice.”
How do you handle missing data?
Absence of data is not evidence of absence. Unscored titles render why there is no Celluloid Score yet — Review Pending — instead of a fake 0%. Empty streaming lists mean we do not have a confirmed provider, not that the film is nowhere. See the scoring policy for the two-input floor.
What triggers a correction, and who decides?
A factual error in names, dates, plot, score inputs, watch providers or schema. The editor decides. Minor typos are fixed silently. Material changes receive an updated timestamp and, for reviews, a note describing what changed. Score recalculations update the breakdown immediately after verification. The public log is Corrections. Email [email protected] with the URL, the error, and a source if you have one — we review reports within two business days.
How should posters and trademarks be read?
Movie posters display studio or distributor credits where available. Titles and trademarks belong to their owners. Celluloid is an independent publisher, not affiliated with Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, IMDb or Letterboxd. We cite those products as inputs; we do not wear their badges.
Who is this editorial standard NOT for?
Studios looking to buy a ranking, readers who want an unsigned “the internet thinks” blob, and anyone who needs a live box-office ticker we do not operate. Those people can still use the catalogue. They should not expect Celluloid to pretend to be a wire service or a paid awards campaign.