"No. 1 Box Office Hit!"

Would these words on a movie poster entice you to go and see that movie?

To me, those words do not suggest 'this is a good film' but rather, 'a load of kids go to see this film'. Which is off-putting, rather than enticing. Especially if accompanied by 'certificate 12a'.

Maybe to some people, it is important that a film is popular. But like with the singles charts, any film can get to no.1 for a week if it is kid-friendly and shown on enough screens.

Not for me. I usually have my mind up what I want to see without it having to be a smash box office hit.

For the most part though, I am ashamed to say I'm a huge summer block buster movie buff. I always look to see what they are supposed to be, check out the trailer and if it has a nice fat budget in the cgi department, has a decent storyline, and is ususally in the sci-fi genre, I'm there unless it gets a 1/10 down the line by everyone. Usually that many people deciding that it is that terrible a movie are not wrong.

But no, just seeing the words "No. 1 Box Office Hit!" does nothing for me. It may get me to inquire about it but will not inevitably lead me to see it.

Me, I am not ashamed. I am proud to be the movie buff that I am. Personally if I have a good time and enjoy myself than I am happy. Of course I look for entertainment value (who doesn't), decent storyline, characterization and generally come home feeling satisfied. I never go along to the critics because I watch a flick and then get my own opinion first.

Yes, it would. If so many people enjoy watching that movie, it's probably a good movie.

Your right. As long as your the one who's entertained, why care what anyone else thinks.

No, because I would have to determine if the movie to me is a box office hit.

__________________
"Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything..."

I agree. The quickest thumbnail measurement for me is who's in the film. There are some actors I'd buy a ticktet to hear them read the phone book. And there are some--Sandler and most modern "comics", the Baldwins, Julia Roberts, many others--that they couldn't pay me enough to go see.

The primary decisive factor, however, is if the film piques my interest in some way. A subject that interests me, or based on a book I enjoyed, or has a unique hook of some sort.

I also like to read movie reviews by people who really know something about movies. Usually the reviews confirm my decision not to see the film, but sometimes I'll be talked into watching a movie I'd otherwise pass.

Very rarely, there's something in a movie preview that I like. For instance, in the preview of "Saving Pvt. Ryan," the brief glimpse of the mother walking slowly out on her porch and then crumpling as the Army officers got out of the car told me this might be a good film. Turned out, I was wrong.

On the other hand, I almost didn't go see "Midnight Cowboy" because everyone I talked to praised it. Figured if everyone liked it, it couldn't be any good.

Also, there are some films that are best viewed on the big screen rather than wait for the DVD release. "Gettysburg," the "Lord of the Rings" series are an example of that.

Whether or not a phrase like "No. 1 Box Office Hit!" sways me is dependent on other things. If a film is #1 in the country in its opening weekend, and its marketing uses that as a selling point afterwards, then the degree to which that might change my mind is dependent on whether or not it was a strong weekend for the box office in general. After all, every February films take the #1 spot with opening weekend totals south of $10 million.

When a film crosses $200 million domestically, though, I usually give it a second look. For all the biggest box office novas, this indicates strong word-of-mouth.

There are also times where a movie I do not particularly want to see is being seen by enough people that I may be compelled to see it simply so that I have an informed opinion on what is likely to be a topic of conversation from time to time with the people I know and meet. It won't do to be completely ignorant of a cinematic pop-culture phenomenon, let alone for the owner of a movie forum.

Another factor, as rufnek pointed out, is the cast. I hear The Reaping is terrible, but had it received even quasi-decent word-of-mouth, I'd probably have seen it, not only because I think Hilary Swank is remarkably talented, but because she strikes me as the type of actor to make sound career decisions more often than not.

So, anyway, initial box office gross doesn't do much to change my mind about a film I've decided not to see (or am somewhat on the fence about), but if a film is successful for a long period of time, it usually causes me to at least look closer, perhaps read a few reviews, etc., to see if my initial dismissal was too hasty.

One thing that turns me off is the fact that some people turn down seeing a film, only because of what they hear about it.

But unless you have a limitless supply of time, money and tolerance for really bad films, you can't see every single film that comes out, surely 'what you hear about it' is bound to have some bearing on which films you do choose to watch. Surely it depends more on who you hear things from - someone whose taste and judgement you trust or someone reviewing in The Daily Mail...

Yeah, I'd have to agree. While it's important not to judge too harshly if you haven't seen a film, there's a degree to which you simply must rely on the opinions of others, given how misleading trailers can be. I tend to go with my gut, but I usually let critical consensus decide for me in those instances in which it's extreme in either direction. It's pretty hard to go wrong that way, I find.

I agree , That would not influence me one way or another.

Maybe, because sometimes if I somewhat wanted to go watch the movie but didn't get around to it and saw it was a big hit, I'll be more interested to see what the big fuss is about.

Depends how long it's been number one for. If it's been at the top for 3 weeks, especially in summer, than I'd be tempted to give it a look.

__________________
"When I was younger, I always wanted to be somebody. Now that I'm older, I realise I should've been more specific."

This alone doesn't make me want to see a film. There are no end to box office hits and award winners I have no interest in. I'm constantly amazed by what some people like that I do not. That's ok, each to their own and all that.

I'm just more careful about how I spend my money than going because of that alone. It will be free at my library one day. At that point I can take it home, pop it in the DVD player and say, boy am I glad I didn't pay for this. LOL!

Rarely do I say, I wish I'd seen this in the theater or sooner. When I do, I usually buy it as a gift for someone I know will like it. With it in the DVD player too, I can pause it and go cook something, take a walk, decide I'm done with it or whatever. That's the way I like it!

__________________
Bleacheddecay

yes, i find it as a good referral for me to watched that movie or those movie.. but of course it will depend on your taste which movie to watched..

No.


There's so many #1's that end up being terrible. It's all hype.

Couldn't disagree more. Of course there are terrible #1's, but that doesn't mean a film being #1 doesn't tell you something about it, and that it should be completely ignored as a factor. If a film is #1 during a particularly competitive time of year, for example, it probably contains at least one significant redeeming factor.

Not to mention that box office, beyond the first weekend, can very accurately reflect a film's word-of-mouth.

These words certainly would get in interested in finding about the subject matter of the movie and if I like it, then I would want to see it as well.

__________________
Things never stay the same!

I couldn't agree with you more. When it comes to making predictions on the quality of a movie, you can only rely on yourself. It's all hype, money, advertising, and more money. Critics are payed to give a crappy movie a good review and vice versa, producers and production companies will buy thousands of movie tickets just to help the movie's chance as a blockbuster, and money by the boatloads will go to advertising a movie.

__________________
"All the confusion of my life... has been a reflection of myself! Myself as I am, not as I'd like to be." - Guido, 8 1/2