| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 01/20/2007 : 18:12:15
Star?
Director?
Word of Mouth?
Genre?
Other?
I'm always curious about what makes people get out of their nice comfy homes to pay to see a film. Alternatively, what makes them hire a vid/DVD of a film. Are the criteria the same?
Can you reveal what are the top 1,2, and/or 3 criteria which make you see a film? Interesting to know, too, whether you have a different list if you're watching at home.
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| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Airbolt |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 22:45:32
in addition to my previous answer may i add
air con ( in summer ) |
| Montgomery |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 22:30:38
I see almost everything eventually. Unless it has Jim Varney in it, or someone like that. I missed the whole "Ernest" series of films.
What prompts me to want to see something right away is usually plot and plot alone.
I have fave directors and fave actors, even some fave actresses, but I'm not going to go see something I perceive as boring, just because Ed Norton's in it. (Okay, wait, if Ed Norton's in it, maybe . . . ) But, mostly plot is the motivator.
EM :)
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| Demisemicenturian |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 12:03:39
quote:
Originally posted by ChocolateLady
And if it has Clive Owen in it??
I'm likely to see almost all mainstream releases from my Cineworld membership, so I would be very likely to see his films anyway. Since I also get Curzon discounts, I'd have to really want to see a film to see it full price. Only R.D.j. and the Butterscotch Stallion fall into that category (and Ben Fogle if he were in films). I still think he'd've been a much better Bond, though.  |
| ChocolateLady |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 11:47:14
quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
3. Having Robert Downey, jr. or Owen Wilson in it. 
Hm... interesting. And if it has Clive Owen in it?? Huh?? |
| Demisemicenturian |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 10:11:00
1. Being on at Cineworld, which means I'll almost definitely see it. 
2. Being on at Curzon and being given a review or recommendation that somehow piques my interest. 
3. Having Robert Downey, jr. or Owen Wilson in it. |
| w22dheartlivie |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 06:02:53
quote:
Originally posted by thefoxboy
Lots of chilli. 
*audible groan* |
| thefoxboy |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 05:00:13
Lots of chilli. |
| MguyXXV |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 03:54:29
1. My daughter, which ensures my well-rounded knowledge of kid flicks.
2. Adaptation of a book I really enjoyed.
3. Interesting plots that suggest the director has not put all of the good action in the previews.
4. Recommendations. |
| Paddy C |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 12:39:15
1. Recommendations, either from people whose movie tastes I 'get', or reviewers i agree with (though there's not many of them! Philip French, Mark Kermode, or rottentomatoes.com for the mob mentality....)
2. Writers - good script does it for me
3. Director - always an indication of what to expect |
| ChocolateLady |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 07:28:49
For me, I think its a combination of genre and actors, not necessarily in that order. When the subject matter interests me, I'll then look to see who is in it. If I see an actor I like is in something, I'll decide to go see it if the genre is something I'd enjoy. I think this goes for both going out to the cinema as well as renting DVDs.
At home, I probably go first for genre. I like to check out the old film channels (TCM and MGM) first, then I'll go see what they've got on Hallmark, and if there's nothing of interest on any of those, I'll check out the movie channels I get with my SAT.
As for buying DVDs its got to be a movie I know and love and could watch over and over again. It could be an old classic or a new movie - it just has to be one I connect with, emotionally. I also have quite a few animated films on DVD (and video) mostly because of my kids (and well, I guess I'm a kid at heart myself).
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| w22dheartlivie |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 06:16:00
quote:
Originally posted by wildhartlivie
Geez, it's been so long since I've been to a theatre it's hard to remember. The last two I saw at the theatre would make you think it was the director, but that's really a coincidence. The second to the last was Signs and the last film I saw at the theatre was The Village. Shyamalan was a coincidence, really. Soon after that, I began having the vision problems and that blew going to the movies.
Before that...it was never that basic.
First was probably the genre, coupled with the storyline attached to it.
Second would have probably been the star. But again, tempered by the storyline attached and the genre.
Third I guess is word of mouth, though I've never let it stop me from seeing something I wanted to see anyway.
As for DVDs, I'm really easy. Anything that catches my eye, but I think it's more based on the star and the genre.
But in any case, I wouldn't see a Texas Chainsaw Massacre film even if it starred Edward Norton and he was hacking up Kevin Costner only for the gratuitous violence of it. And I like Edward Norton...
I think I'll expand on this, having read the other comments.
Theater:
1. Genre: These have changed over the years. When I was 16, there was still that fascinating dinosaur called the drive-in movie. You got what you got. However, it's the place I first saw Jaws, Halloween, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
In the last few years, when I went, I usually chose dramas, thrillers, and the occasionally well received horror film. I am guilty of choosing the vapid blockbuster if it had a star I like or a storyline that attracted me. My movie-going buddy loves a certain type of alien films, which explains Signs, The X-Files, and Contact. My personal favorites are usually crime mysteries such as Copycat, and I admit to a guilty pleasure of Grisham and Jeffery Deaver novel based films such as The Rainmaker, The Chamber, The Bone Collector and those Morgan Freeman/Alex Cross films. The biggest disappointment I had along those lines was Murder By Numbers, which had such a terrific base to be a great film, but fell flat on its face, despite the presence of promising Michael Pitt and Ryan Gosling. I'm sure those preferences tie into a side interest of mine related to psychology, which is criminology, specifically serial killers.
2. Star: I'm Junket Whore catch of sorts. I have my favorites and will see anything they do. Yes, demonic, Tom Cruise turns my stomach, but at least I can say honestly it predates couch-jumping, Katie Holmes and Scientology. I always found him shallow and never could shake the tickle at the back of my mind that says "Nah, that's Tom Cruise, playing Tom Cruise, actor." I will see most anything with Johnny Depp, John Malkovich, Edward Norton, Steve Buscemi, Jodie Foster, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, and Kevin Spacey. I find Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon, Gabriel Byrne, Cate Blanchett, Stephen Rea, John Cusack and Denzel Washington to be interesting and worthy of further viewing.
3. Word of mouth: There are certain critics whose pans I will want to see immediately. I often form interests based on the publicity efforts of the people involved, i.e., TV appearances, magazine interviews and the weather. 
I belong to Netflix and usually get anything that flickers a spark of curiosity. That's how I ran across Mysterious Skin. If I like it well enough when I Netflix it, then chances are good that I'll buy the DVD. I'll watch a favorite film over and over and over. |
| demonic |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 01:28:11
I don't need any excuse to go to the cinema. I try and go once or a couple of times a week if there's something on I want to see.
So, what makes want to see what I want to see? Hmmm.
Well, I'm one of those dreadful thesp types so there are certain actors I'm always interested to see, unless I've heard dreadful things beforehand. People that spring to mind are Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cate Blanchett, Nicholson, Ed Harris, Gene Hackman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, actually Tom Cruise (which might turn a few stomachs) I'm an advocate of, Ian Holm, Ralph Fiennes, Toni Colette, Daniel Auteuil, increasingly Naomi Watts, also Jennifer Connelly (but if I'm honest less for her acting). The jury is currently out on Pacino and De Niro.
Also a director will lead me to the cinema - Scorcese, The Coens, David Lynch, Wes Anderson, Michael Mann, Cronenberg, Del Toro, Park Chan-Wook (he of the Vengeance Trilogy), latterly Terry Gilliam, often Spielberg, sometimes Ridley Scott, James Cameron when he still made films.
And sometimes a writer - Charlie Kaufman is usually a must.
Genre - I love dramas, thrillers, fantasy/sci-fi/horror, animated films. On the whole I try most things apart from rom-coms, blockbusters with no particular intelligence behind them (perhaps an oxymoron, but I happily took in the X-Men films but avoided Snakes on a Plane).
I just know when it's something that I'm interested in - subject matter, something about the story, good forward word of mouth all help. I'm a member at two London cinemas and generally see most of the big independent, foreign and quirky movies that the great unwashed wouldn't bother with, and then do occassional cheap early afternoons in the high street hell hole avoiding the charming local teenagers for the blockbusters.
Free screenings help too.  |
| mampers11 |
Posted - 01/20/2007 : 22:43:43
Well I chose the movies that I watch for several reasons
1. Empire magazine usually has an influence in what I should watch. Sounds pretty naff, but it is good to hear what some critic says.
2. Kermode has to have a mention in this. His views does mirror my own views on movies, though his loving of the Exorcist is something I disagree on
3. Certain Directors. Coen Brothers, Tarantino, Nolan, Spike Lee, Scorsese, Kevin Smith. These are my favorite directors around, and I try to watch as much as I can from them.
4. Word of Mouth by friends/family/people I dont even know.
5. Avoiding the hype when possible, especially in blockbuster summer season. Most of the time you get disappointed.
Mampers.
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| Airbolt |
Posted - 01/20/2007 : 22:43:25
I prefer to watch films on DVD or the local Art-House Cinema ( audiences here are marginally less orally fixated ).
What attracts me is a combination of things
* Word of Mouth - Has a Buzz been created . That's how I found out about Nine Queens, Dark City.....
* Reviews in Publications I respect - You soon get to realise which reviewers share your world view
* Subject/ Genre - - I know that if it's a noir, time-travel or anime , it's probably up my street ( having said that I still end up watching stinkers like Mulholland Falls )
* Director - We all know that with certain directors you are going to get a certain film - so if it's Michael Bay you know EXACTLY what to expect. Of course , I still end up watching stinkers like " Jersey Girl " from Kevin Smith
* Trailer- I saw a trailer for "Taxi" on aJapanese Hotel TV, then spent about 2 years trying to find out the name of the film ( I'm really glad I did )
I'm not usually too influenced by who is in it tho |
| silly |
Posted - 01/20/2007 : 21:20:30
There are a couple categories for me:
1) crap my kids drag me to see (anything Pixar, teen comedies, etc)
2) crap I know my wife would never want to see (I go alone): the descent, etc.
3) movies I've heard are awesome (Little Miss Sunshine)
4) some combination of the above (King Kong, Harry Potter)
Same for rentals, but my netflix queue (350 items at the moment) is full of a very wide range of things, many of which I'll watch alone as nobody else cares to see them at my house. Sometimes I'll rent because of the cast, or reviews, or just because I've always wanted to see it.
In other words, I don't have a particular reason  |
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