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Do movie reviews influence you?
I am an unapologetic skeptic. I have a nice home theater. I rarely go out to the movies -- the home theater is just so much more comfortable. But on occasion, I might get tempted. I was thinking about going to see the new Fantastic Four movie: I thought glimpses of The Thing one saw in the ads looked great. But the reviews are in, and they are tepid. So now, I'm thinking of waiting until it gets to HBO / Showtime. So, I was influenced. (Note: I am not that much influenced at all by ads, which all claim that they are the summer's biggest hit). On the other hand, I find that the "buzz" is not always truthful -- for example, I recently saw "Birdman" on HBO -- it was good, but not all that great for me -- I thought it was a bit self-indulgent. Aug 08 15 09:26 am Link Ratings and reviews can influence my decision to watch a movie. Based on my experience... when moviegoers like a film, it's often the case that I will like it too. Then I look at the critics reviews and if they are positive as well, that usually means I have a winner for me. Rotten Tomatoes' rating and reviews have most accurately reflected my own tastes. Anyway... regarding the Fantastic Four, I almost went with friends last night, but I checked the reviews... and when I read that it was absolutely damaging and that even the director is distancing himself from the final version of the movie... that's a pretty good indicator that the movie is definitely not worth spending $45 for three tickets plus the same money for popcorn and a soda...  Aug 08 15 09:33 am Link After reading of the production woes, casting and changes to the characters I wasn't really looking forward to another Fantastic Four movie. The bad reviews nailed it for me - even the geek sites are unimpressed with the movie. I'm sitting on the old wallet this weekend. Currently FF is at 9% on Rotten Tomatoes. Aug 08 15 09:36 am Link i don't watch popcorn movies, so i can't speak to them. generally, if a drama has reviews that hover right around the 50/50 mark, i'll probably like it. if a flick has a spate of glowing reviews, i tend not to fall in line. birdman was a good example. yes, it was 'somewhat' unique, but at the end of it, it had a lot of fatal flaws. and it's the kind of movie that won't have legs. six months on, and i have no interest in ever seeing it again. Aug 08 15 09:36 am Link DHayes Photography wrote: wow...you can pretty much count on a turkey, with those numbers. Aug 08 15 09:38 am Link I can't trust movie reviews. Reviewers say Raiders of the Lost Ark was better than the Temple of Doom-- I disagree. Reviewers say Terminator 2 was better than the first-- I disagree Reviewers hate X-Men 3-- that's the only X-Men movie I can stand Reviewers say Rocky was the best-- I prefer 3 and 4 Reviewers just have different tastes than what I do Aug 08 15 09:53 am Link Nope. I choose to watch a movie entirely based on my mood a that moment and/or the story/topic. An example of two movies which are fairly on opposite of the spectrum: I enjoy the Marvel and some DC blockbusters, the story is interesting, it looks great in terms of art direction and costumes, etc. But also liked Midnight in Paris, because I like the arts, and how you get a glimpse on how those artists might have lived. Aug 08 15 09:56 am Link GK photo wrote: I went to see Birdman at the theater. It was okay, but just more New York people being in love with how totally New York they are. Aug 08 15 09:57 am Link A little but not much. Aug 08 15 09:57 am Link I read reviews even before I watch movies on NetFlix. If a whole bunch of people complain it's long-winded, boring and a "snoozefest," that means I'll absolutely love it. So, yes, I do care about reviews. I use them to find movies that appeal to my love for morose, atmospheric and slow-paced films.. Aug 08 15 09:59 am Link DHayes Photography wrote: I read somewhere that Disney/Marvel has indeed been crashing on non-MCU properties last couple of years, hoping to get that on a stronger track the coming years. Although I don't see a team rising that can equal the core team (working on MCU). Aug 08 15 10:02 am Link Koryn wrote: haha, that's pretty much my mo, when reading reviews. i'm always metaphor hunting, when watching films, or reading lit. Aug 08 15 10:18 am Link I'm certainly influenced - but, more by the aggregate reviews - (rotten tomatoes etc.) But, in the same light - I usually go with what happened at Comic Con sneak peaks - (Which in it's own way is an aggregate viewpoint) where one movie usually sucks the air out of everybody else's sails. (Fury Road had 5000 people going "Holy Shit" in unison there as the preview ended) And despite some aspects that I was not comfortable with - I liked the movie. (I'm a huge fan of the First 2 movies - So, I was all skeptic over a "Reboot" or whatever - but, the Preview won me over) This year - Clearly "Deadpool" was what people talked about - a LOT - this year. So,I'll see it. Aug 08 15 10:21 am Link GK photo wrote: Big Eyes and Ex Machina are on my to-watch list. The past week, I've been out of commission from a recent surgery and marathoning Hell on Wheels. After I'm done with that, I have some movies lined up to watch. Aug 08 15 10:25 am Link Koryn wrote: get well! and happy viewing. Aug 08 15 10:25 am Link I am a total hopeless movie geek for certain types of movies. if it is an visual action flick I MUST see it in the theater and usually do. The fact that the story or acting is a total crap screw stack has no bearing that I want to see a terminator step out of a car that is sliding sideways away from him on its rims while surrounded in burning bombs of fire as he aims a shotgun and starts blasting away. Aahh Euphoria. My wife and I are on a project to photograph all of our regions Drive Inns so we see loads of flicks but certain ones I will see in a standard large screen booming sound sit my but down and everyone shut up theater. We might fly out to see our daughter in Portland for the opening of the new Star Wars release because they have a Cinatopia and none of our local theaters are that fancy. That's how bad we are. We have a 7.1 surround sound large smancy screen system. but some flicks I couldn't care less what some hipster know it all punch drunk on ego thinks. Now your standard lovey flick, no friggin way, none. if its all talkie talkie its either a drive in or Netflix As for reviews, go see Aunt Man while you still can. So stupid, so awesome. no really shut up and do it!. Your welcome. Aug 08 15 10:27 am Link Koryn wrote: I highly recommend, if you haven't already seen them, movies by the great Hungarian director, Bela Tarr. One adjective to add is "bleak" ( But beautiful in it's own way ). Aug 08 15 10:32 am Link Koryn wrote: You really despise everything NYC... LOL Aug 08 15 10:33 am Link udor wrote: 'Cuz she's a country kinda gurl. Aug 08 15 10:37 am Link Nope. They mean nothing to me. Then again, Hue and I don't watch t.v. at all, and movies only very rarely (basically never unless one of her sisters sends her a "Paris by Night" DVD) PBN is a Vietnamese variety show with a bit of everything. I don't understand a word of it but actually enjoy the choreography, songs, and some of the skits that are so well executed that you can easily get the story or message just by watching even if you don't understand Vietnamese. I guess I'm really not much of a good sounding board, huh? Aug 08 15 10:42 am Link Bobby C wrote: Damnation was amazing! I haven't seen the other one though. Aug 08 15 10:43 am Link Bobby C wrote: I like Johnny Cash, Gillian Welch, Doc Watson, etc etc Aug 08 15 10:45 am Link Koryn wrote: "Satantango" is 7 hours long !!! Amazing though ! Aug 08 15 10:47 am Link Koryn wrote: So you are an old timey kinda country gurl. Aug 08 15 10:51 am Link Deja vu. Now this Fantasic Crap filc. I heard the awful stories about the director Josh Trank. Shooting schedules, many reshoots, destroying sets, destroying his rented house in New Orleans, so bad the head of 20th Century Fox had to make a visit with his check book open. Josh Trank's own erratic behavior on the set of Fantastic Crap...was well documented. Josh Trank got Fired..from the stand alone Star Wars film several months ago. Kathy Kennedy and JJ Abrams hear these exact same stories and told Josh Trank to take a walk. The Box Office tracking for The Fantastic Crap is 28 million for this weekend....for a film that cost 120 Million. Not Good. Critics didn't destroy The Fantastic Crap....Josh Trank did. And his Career. He has tweeted that this is not his film...and blames 20th Century Fox. lol Aug 08 15 11:03 am Link Bobby C wrote: I wonder what a " classy" date is. Like an implied date? Aug 08 15 11:04 am Link Reviews don't influence me, but rather inform me. Rotten Tomatoes. Any movies recommended about 90% and over ( give or take a few % points ) on the tomatometer works for me. Aug 08 15 11:04 am Link Koryn wrote: This ? Aug 08 15 11:17 am Link I'm not influenced by reviews. I am also one who prefers movies at home though my home theater has been dismantled (not by me). I find that putting my laptop on a table (like those ones they have in hospitals that roll under and over the bed at the same time), pulling it up relatively close to my face and putting on a set of good headphones is almost as enjoyable, much quieter as there is less outside noise and far cheaper (I have a computer, anyway, and the headphones were only $20 or so). When I get a chance to see a movie (not all that often unless it's a movie I've seen 100 times ... Full Metal Jacket comes to mind) I can sit back, relax and enjoy it almost always without interruption. If I think it might be worthwhile, I read what the reviewers say AFTER I've seen the movie. I get to decide if I agree or disagree with them and to what degree. Normally the movies I absolutely LOVE, they absolutely HATE especially when it was Siskel & Ebert doing the reviews. I haven't read a review in so long I don't even know who the reviewers of choice are anymore, not that it matters. Aug 08 15 11:19 am Link IMDB I find more accurate than rotten tomatoes. what it boils down to, for me, is entertaining factor.. a lot of high ranked movies like Gravity are all well and good for performance but horrendously boring in terms of entertainment Then interstellar, again horrendously boring. . high rating though. Aug 08 15 11:27 am Link Solas wrote: if i had seen gravity at a theater, i would have been chucking shit at the screen by the end. what a bloated mess. it was hot garbage. luckily it was only a 2 buck redbox rental. i had zero expectations of it, pre-viewing, and it didn't even get to that point. it was absolute zero, in my book. Aug 08 15 11:34 am Link GK photo wrote: and yet... 97 % rating Aug 08 15 11:35 am Link Solas wrote: hype. most reviewers wouldn't know a great movie, if one came right up and bit them in the ass. i equate it to some form of mass hysteria. Aug 08 15 11:36 am Link GK photo wrote: Doubtful Aug 08 15 11:53 am Link I rely on RT pretty much but always read what specific critics might say about a movie It is very helpful to read when some ( non maintstream ) Indie , Art or Foriegn Movie comes along that you have never even heard of Aug 08 15 11:55 am Link Garry k wrote: i watched it on my very large plasma tv. there was nothing visually "jawdropping" about it. the only jawdropping it got from me was how utterly ridiculous the story line was. Aug 08 15 11:56 am Link Nope. Aug 08 15 10:24 pm Link udor wrote: 99.9% of my movie watching is library rentals. Aug 09 15 01:36 am Link GK photo wrote: Your very large plasma TV is inferior compared to IMAX. Aug 09 15 04:40 am Link I never listen to professional reviewers....its one of those occupations where they seem to be worried about what their peers might think if they if they give a good review to something. they shit all over anything they dont consider highbrow.so if they are reviewing movies from a prissy mindset why listen to them. they get it wrong in my eyes all the time anyways. Aug 09 15 07:31 am Link |
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