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Post by nucleusofswarm on Dec 28, 2019 2:07:26 GMT
So it seems like, in an era where Rotten Tomatoes has gained major prominence (for some godforsaken reason as it's a terrible system with broken metrics), reviews for this or that movie/show have become a bigger part of the discourse again. Often, weaponized to prove some point.
However, has negative buzz ever stopped you from seeing something that you wanted to? If not, why and what's an example?
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
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Post by shutupbanks on Dec 28, 2019 3:03:04 GMT
The one thing I have learned about popular culture and art is that you should find a reviewer who you largely respect and follow their advice. Not religiously, but enough so that you have guidelines. When what you enjoy regularly corresponds with what they enjoy then you can respect their opinion and you will often be prepared wisely. An example would be the work of Kim Newman who reviewed for Empire magazine back before it became a mouthpiece for blockbuster studios. He seemed to enjoy movies and was, while not forgiving, appreciated what a filmmaker was trying to do rather than what they achieved. He did a short review of Highlander 2 that read in part, “This movie sees Russel Mulcahy go from promising to has-been without ever passing through success.” Because I’d been reading his stuff for a while it seemed like a fair warning so when I eventually did see H2 - in a cinema, no less! - I enjoyed it a lot more than I might have had I read reviews that just called it a straight-out turkey.
I think the only time I didn’t go and see a movie because of reviews would have been the Hobbit trilogy. I liked bits of the first one but not very many of them and I had a hunch - from the Matrix and the LOTR and, confirmed from a recent viewing of BTTF 2 and 3 - that when you make movies back-to-back the quality is evenly spread across them upon release because the “mood” affects the whole shoot rather than just one movie - that it was going to be more of the same. Initial reviews from people I trusted kept me away from the second and third Hobbits.
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Dec 28, 2019 3:20:50 GMT
The only parts of reviews I pay attention to is the "technical" side of things- as in how the filming is, ratio etc.. Everything else is personal opinion and if you aren't paying my house bills I won't take too much stock in that .
I have seen movies that have been crucified that I thought was great, and vice versa.
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Post by Digi on Dec 28, 2019 4:42:19 GMT
Aside from idle curiosity, I pay no attention to professional reviewers in deciding what I see and what I don't.
I find it far more useful and reliable to rely on the word-of-mouth of people you know. You don't even have to agree with them on TV/movies -- I have a couple of friends who are the polar opposite of me in tastes, so even they are reliable in that I take their reaction and assume mine will be the reverse
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Post by relativetime on Dec 28, 2019 6:05:32 GMT
I think it’s worth it sometimes to see movies that fail to deliver, especially if you’re studying film or are in any way interested in film criticism. Bad films can give you a reference for what not to do and it can help create perspective when you see other films. It can make you appreciate the good in films you may have missed otherwise and, additionally, it can help you understand what makes other films bad. So, yeah, I think if you have the disposable income and if you’re so inclined, you should definitely see a movie with bad reviews. Take a friend, too - it’s always a blast when you’ve got a buddy to rant with afterwards.
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Post by tuigirl on Dec 29, 2019 13:16:09 GMT
Well, for someone with a sometimes obscure and strange taste, there are on occasion movies with bad ratings which I love and movies (and series) with rave reviews which I hate. One example on top of my head- Sucker Punch. Like the movie. Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sadly, I still let reviews taint my will to see a movie, and sometimes I kick myself for not going to see a movie on the big screen (because I did not go because of bad ratings). I should have learned by now that it is important to make up one's own mind.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2019 13:35:15 GMT
Well, for someone with a sometimes obscure and strange taste, there are on occasion movies with bad ratings which I love and movies (and series) with rave reviews which I hate. One example on top of my head- Sucker Punch. Like the movie. Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Sadly, I still let reviews taint my will to see a movie, and sometimes I kick myself for not going to see a movie on the big screen (because I did not go because of bad ratings). I should have learned by now that it is important to make up one's own mind. While true, how do people actually do this? I see "I don't trust critics, I make my own mind up" posts and I wonder, wouldn't you therefore have to see every film in that case? If you can't trust critics and ads and marketing by their nature are misleading...what's the alternative? Just watching films by the same people every time? I find the best way for me is to go by the opinions of critics who I trust - Kermode, Kim Newman, Peter Bradshaw and others - and take them largely on trust but also be aware of their blindspots. Anyone who idolised the late Roger Ebert, for example, would be less likely to be a horror-hound as it's the genre he really didn't "get" at all by and large. He also hated most of David Lynch's work. Knowing the critic's overall body of work, which is easily done in the internet age, makes it easier than ever I think to go by a good reviewer. The ones I named above tend to go by "You'll like this if..." rather than "I liked this becuase" which helps make it more broad than just their own canon.
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Post by anothermanicmondas on Dec 29, 2019 13:47:41 GMT
reviews may affect my decision to watch a film if I'm uncertain about watching it. If I want to see it then they are highly unlikely to stop me. I went to see Howard the Duck and, mostly, enjoyed it. I also like Hudson Hawk (though I didn't see that at the cinema)
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Post by Digi on Dec 29, 2019 15:17:47 GMT
Aside from idle curiosity, I pay no attention to professional reviewers in deciding what I see and what I don't. I find it far more useful and reliable to rely on the word-of-mouth of people you know. You don't even have to agree with them on TV/movies -- I have a couple of friends who are the polar opposite of me in tastes, so even they are reliable in that I take their reaction and assume mine will be the reverse Re-reading this, I can't imagine how I could have worded it worse. Very hamfisted What I'm saying is simply: a) I have friends who like the same things I do, so if they like it, odds are good I will too b) I have friends who like the stuff I hate, and hate the stuff I like. So if they hate it odds are good I'll like it (and vice versa) Point is, rely on people whose opinions you trust, to advise you on whether or not you'll enjoy it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2019 16:37:46 GMT
reviews may affect my decision to watch a film if I'm uncertain about watching it. If I want to see it then they are highly unlikely to stop me. I went to see Howard the Duck and, mostly, enjoyed it. I also like Hudson Hawk (though I didn't see that at the cinema) The issue with the Star Wars franchise is perhaps that it has been around for so long that change or anything fresh is seen by some as sacrilege whilst sticking to the formula puts off another tranche of viewers. The polarised opinions on this form demonstrate that it is no longer possible to please everyone anymore... Thinking of the pile-on regards the film of Cats the musical. Not to everyone's taste, but too much of the sneering 'what on earth were they thinking?' reviews appear to gloss over the fact that it has been a stage show for nearly 40 years. That was never everyone's cup of tea either, but was still a big hit for decades. Like you say - make up your own mind and enjoy what you enjoy, not what others say you should.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2019 16:38:21 GMT
If a film looks good or is by a filmmaker I like/stars people I like I will go & see it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2019 16:56:46 GMT
reviews may affect my decision to watch a film if I'm uncertain about watching it. If I want to see it then they are highly unlikely to stop me. I went to see Howard the Duck and, mostly, enjoyed it. I also like Hudson Hawk (though I didn't see that at the cinema) The issue with the Star Wars franchise is perhaps that it has been around for so long that change or anything fresh is seen by some as sacrilege whilst sticking to the formula puts off another tranche of viewers. The polarised opinions on this form demonstrate that it is no longer possible to please everyone anymore... Isn't the problem with the Star Wars franchise the fact that they decided to make a new trilogy without any plan? Stupidest idea in all of movie history.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2019 17:21:03 GMT
The issue with the Star Wars franchise is perhaps that it has been around for so long that change or anything fresh is seen by some as sacrilege whilst sticking to the formula puts off another tranche of viewers. The polarised opinions on this form demonstrate that it is no longer possible to please everyone anymore... Isn't the problem with the Star Wars franchise the fact that they decided to make a new trilogy without any plan? Stupidest idea in all of movie history. From the perspective that they weren't saying 'here's a great story, lets make film of it' but having to come up with a new story because they were going to make a film anyway. It is the curse of sequels, that if you try to replicate the success of something that has come before, but without original source materials, it can be a retread or lose the spirit that made the original a success with audiences. I think that they did have a plan, but shifted in response to audience feedback, where there was no overall consensus. It creates an impression of having been thrown together by writers rooms and focus groups. How much so I really do not know as I have not heard of any earlier drafts for each of the past two films, beyond speculative theorising. Remember, its an entertainment - cinema spectacle, and it has achieved what it set out to do in that regard.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2019 17:27:57 GMT
Isn't the problem with the Star Wars franchise the fact that they decided to make a new trilogy without any plan? Stupidest idea in all of movie history. From the perspective that they weren't saying 'here's a great story, lets make film of it' but having to come up with a new story because they were going to make a film anyway. It is the curse of sequels, that if you try to replicate the success of something that has come before, but without original source materials, it can be a retread or lose the spirit that made the original a success with audiences. I think that they did have a plan, but shifted in response to audience feedback, where there was no overall consensus. It creates an impression of having been thrown together by writers rooms and focus groups. How much so I really do not know as I have not heard of any earlier drafts for each of the past two films, beyond speculative theorising. Remember, its an entertainment - cinema spectacle, and it has achieved what it set out to do in that regard. They didn't have a plan. It was confirmed that Rian Johnson was allowed to do whatever he wanted.
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Post by tuigirl on Dec 29, 2019 18:20:00 GMT
Well, for someone with a sometimes obscure and strange taste, there are on occasion movies with bad ratings which I love and movies (and series) with rave reviews which I hate. One example on top of my head- Sucker Punch. Like the movie. Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Sadly, I still let reviews taint my will to see a movie, and sometimes I kick myself for not going to see a movie on the big screen (because I did not go because of bad ratings). I should have learned by now that it is important to make up one's own mind. While true, how do people actually do this? I see "I don't trust critics, I make my own mind up" posts and I wonder, wouldn't you therefore have to see every film in that case? If you can't trust critics and ads and marketing by their nature are misleading...what's the alternative? Just watching films by the same people every time? I find the best way for me is to go by the opinions of critics who I trust - Kermode, Kim Newman, Peter Bradshaw and others - and take them largely on trust but also be aware of their blindspots. Anyone who idolised the late Roger Ebert, for example, would be less likely to be a horror-hound as it's the genre he really didn't "get" at all by and large. He also hated most of David Lynch's work. Knowing the critic's overall body of work, which is easily done in the internet age, makes it easier than ever I think to go by a good reviewer. The ones I named above tend to go by "You'll like this if..." rather than "I liked this becuase" which helps make it more broad than just their own canon. Well, I will just say that I agree with other esteemed members who say that they often check out reviews from people they trust or friends who they know have a similar/ opposite taste. However, I need to be interested in the movie in the first place, although I am also not adverse to be convinced to go into a movie by a friend. Discovered some pretty great movies that way, even if it did not fall into what I thought would be my genre or interest.
Luckily, I am much less stubborn concerning my opinion and taste as I have been in my narrow minded youth... best example joining the Who fandom which took me years to warm up to.
That said, not sure if I will see the latest Star Wars movie. I did not like the last one, and the positive feedback I heard is massively outnumbered by the negative, so I just cannot rally any interest.
As for Cats... I find bad CGI and the Uncanny Valley very off-putting and already had issues with Cushing in Rogue One. Just a feeling that made me uncomfortable, like something crawling under my skin, so I think I will give Cats a miss (although I love the show, already saw it twice live and can sing the songs by heart).
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Post by coffeeaddict on Dec 29, 2019 19:43:40 GMT
Reviews are highly subjective and I find they rarely jive with my own views of a movie, book, tv show, etc. I remember the reviewer who was carried in the local paper in my hometown was always of the exact opposite to my opinion of a movie. If he hated it, the majority of the time it would turn out to be something I love, or vice versa.
That said, it is rare that I seek out a review until after I have viewed/read the movie, show or book. I will say that I have found that in recent years many of the big blockbuster films are letdowns with the trailers being better than the finished product. So to me, the trailer can, at times, be used as a better indicator as to the quality of the movie.
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Dec 29, 2019 21:00:52 GMT
Well, for someone with a sometimes obscure and strange taste, there are on occasion movies with bad ratings which I love and movies (and series) with rave reviews which I hate. One example on top of my head- Sucker Punch. Like the movie. Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Sadly, I still let reviews taint my will to see a movie, and sometimes I kick myself for not going to see a movie on the big screen (because I did not go because of bad ratings). I should have learned by now that it is important to make up one's own mind. While true, how do people actually do this? I see "I don't trust critics, I make my own mind up" posts and I wonder, wouldn't you therefore have to see every film in that case? If you can't trust critics and ads and marketing by their nature are misleading...what's the alternative? Just watching films by the same people every time? I find the best way for me is to go by the opinions of critics who I trust - Kermode, Kim Newman, Peter Bradshaw and others - and take them largely on trust but also be aware of their blindspots. Anyone who idolised the late Roger Ebert, for example, would be less likely to be a horror-hound as it's the genre he really didn't "get" at all by and large. He also hated most of David Lynch's work. Knowing the critic's overall body of work, which is easily done in the internet age, makes it easier than ever I think to go by a good reviewer. The ones I named above tend to go by "You'll like this if..." rather than "I liked this becuase" which helps make it more broad than just their own canon. Look at the trailers, the genre, the cast list, the posters, story synopsis and make a judgement there. That works for me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2019 21:45:38 GMT
While true, how do people actually do this? I see "I don't trust critics, I make my own mind up" posts and I wonder, wouldn't you therefore have to see every film in that case? If you can't trust critics and ads and marketing by their nature are misleading...what's the alternative? Just watching films by the same people every time? I find the best way for me is to go by the opinions of critics who I trust - Kermode, Kim Newman, Peter Bradshaw and others - and take them largely on trust but also be aware of their blindspots. Anyone who idolised the late Roger Ebert, for example, would be less likely to be a horror-hound as it's the genre he really didn't "get" at all by and large. He also hated most of David Lynch's work. Knowing the critic's overall body of work, which is easily done in the internet age, makes it easier than ever I think to go by a good reviewer. The ones I named above tend to go by "You'll like this if..." rather than "I liked this becuase" which helps make it more broad than just their own canon. Look at the trailers, the genre, the cast list, the posters, story synopsis and make a judgement there. That works for me. Which, while again practical, would lead you to either stay in your own wheelhouse quite often with the same genres and actors, or having to watch an awful lot of trailers and reading synopsises and watch generally bigger movies. I really don't think that a *good* critic who you have a lot of goodwill in the bank with can be bested, really. There are of course no guarantees even then. Many of my very favourite films I've never sene trailers for and don't star anyone big and I watched pretty blind. I think there's much to be said for just jumping in like that, too. Not too much with the popcorn blockbusters but they hold less and less interest every year for me now Disney own everything and you can cut and paste many scripts. I don't think I'd ever have found a love for the films of Jacques Tourneur, Val Lewton, Sidney Lumet, Alan Clarke or Ben Wheatley to name a few spanning the last century if it weren't for critics who I trusted and their appraisal of their works.
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Dec 29, 2019 23:21:17 GMT
Which, while again practical, would lead you to either stay in your own wheelhouse quite often with the same genres and actors, or having to watch an awful lot of trailers and reading synopsises and watch generally bigger movies. I really don't think that a *good* critic who you have a lot of goodwill in the bank with can be bested, really. There are of course no guarantees even then. Many of my very favourite films I've never sene trailers for and don't star anyone big and I watched pretty blind. I think there's much to be said for just jumping in like that, too. Not too much with the popcorn blockbusters but they hold less and less interest every year for me now Disney own everything and you can cut and paste many scripts. I don't think I'd ever have found a love for the films of Jacques Tourneur, Val Lewton, Sidney Lumet, Alan Clarke or Ben Wheatley to name a few spanning the last century if it weren't for critics who I trusted and their appraisal of their works.
Just through everyday life/newspapers/online stuff/tv you can see a lot of variety with regards to movies, if anything catches my eye I take the initiate to seek out further info.It has worked for me for 44 years LOL
(But I get what you mean).
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Dec 30, 2019 2:18:59 GMT
Well, for someone with a sometimes obscure and strange taste, there are on occasion movies with bad ratings which I love and movies (and series) with rave reviews which I hate. One example on top of my head- Sucker Punch. Like the movie. Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Sadly, I still let reviews taint my will to see a movie, and sometimes I kick myself for not going to see a movie on the big screen (because I did not go because of bad ratings). I should have learned by now that it is important to make up one's own mind. While true, how do people actually do this? I see "I don't trust critics, I make my own mind up" posts and I wonder, wouldn't you therefore have to see every film in that case? If you can't trust critics and ads and marketing by their nature are misleading...what's the alternative? Just watching films by the same people every time? I find the best way for me is to go by the opinions of critics who I trust - Kermode, Kim Newman, Peter Bradshaw and others - and take them largely on trust but also be aware of their blindspots. Anyone who idolised the late Roger Ebert, for example, would be less likely to be a horror-hound as it's the genre he really didn't "get" at all by and large. He also hated most of David Lynch's work. Knowing the critic's overall body of work, which is easily done in the internet age, makes it easier than ever I think to go by a good reviewer. The ones I named above tend to go by "You'll like this if..." rather than "I liked this becuase" which helps make it more broad than just their own canon. I don't know that it is even at the level of trusting certain critics. For me it is more about knowing where certain critics are coming from. Roger Ebert was always a good example for me. I didn't always agree with his opinion but I understood the context of how he approached films. I knew what his general likes & dislikes were. So those were factored in.
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