What makes you want to watch a film?

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Is it an exciting trailer, the writer, actors, directors? Are you swayed by Oscar buzz or critical acclaim? Do you go for an adaptation, a genre or simply a plot or premise that sounds appealing?

Certainly for classic films I would nearly always pick based on actors/actresses, although I wouldn't refuse to watch a film if the plot sounds good but the actors sound bad.



Pot of Pringles and some Haagen Dazs.
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Victim of The Night
I used to watch literally anything. I went to the movie theater 2-3 times a week.
But movies just kept getting worse.
So I started going back in time, watching movies that had already been vetted.
Now, that's really all I watch. I'm rarely interested in watching a movie I haven't gotten a strong sense that it is either a good film or really up my ****in' alley.
I mean, that's 2 hours of my life I'm not wasting it on a Will Smith movie or whatever DC or Star Wars are putting out next.



Since I've already seen the vast majority of films you might find on any kind of best of lists, I'm now mostly interested in finding things off the beaten path, that I don't have preconceived notions about, that haven't been infiltrated by the opinions of others. Is there a risk of watching garbage? Sure, but who cares? My time is definitely not so valuable that I cant spare a few hours here and there doing one of the things I like most, discovering lost treasures (treasure being an entirely subjective term, especially in my case).


Also, why would I risk not coming across something I might one day love, just because there isn't some critical consensus (of people I don't know) who advise me to watch it? I don't have nearly enough faith in the opinions of others to have them decide what I might like before I see it. While I have some faith in movies that critics constantly claim as being great (some faith) I have zero faith in movies they say are terrible or that they outright ignore. It's a pretty established fact that movies that are a little too odd or eccentric or rough edged for the mainstream are deeply misunderstood. Often treated with hostility by critics with boring brains. And, since these are generally the movies I like most, how else would I find them without defying the orders or the cultural intellegensia (lol) out there?



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Is it an exciting trailer, the writer, actors, directors? Are you swayed by Oscar buzz or critical acclaim? Do you go for an adaptation, a genre or simply a plot or premise that sounds appealing?

Certainly for classic films I would nearly always pick based on actors/actresses, although I wouldn't refuse to watch a film if the plot sounds good but the actors sound bad.

Good topic.. For me, if I see a great random movie, I'll try and watch all the movies by that director, starting with the beginning usually.. Sometimes I'll post a thread and pick the movies by members here who have similar tastes. Sometimes, I want movies with favorite actors.



I actually never watch trailers, except documentaries.



Is it an exciting trailer, the writer, actors, directors? Are you swayed by Oscar buzz or critical acclaim? Do you go for an adaptation, a genre or simply a plot or premise that sounds appealing?

Certainly for classic films I would nearly always pick based on actors/actresses, although I wouldn't refuse to watch a film if the plot sounds good but the actors sound bad.
There are a number of factors that make me want to watch a film. If it is by a director I respect and admire, then I will likely want to watch it. Or if it is a favourite actor, then I will want to see it. I do sometimes watch certain films because they are nominated for or won awards or are critically acclaimed. Sometimes, a really interesting and unusual or original story is enough to get me to watch a film.



What makes you want to watch a film?

Good topic. I'll start with what I don't do:

I don't watch trailers, they give away too much of the plot.

I don't care what critics say, especially critics today who often value movies with social pc messages over the quality of the film making.

I don't put much stock in IMDB ratings/reviews either especially for older films as they will get a 1 rating because the actress was a house wife...Or a 1940s comedy will get a bad review because there weren't any fart jokes in it.

I don't bother with the Oscars so that's not a deciding factor either.

What I do to find movies:

I join HoFs (hall of fames) here at MoFo so that I get a variety of movies that other members believe are great. Sometimes the movies they choose are great too.

I watch mainly older films and look for a favorite actor/actress (usually actress) and watch some of their filmography. Currently I'm watching movies with Susan Hayward in it. I find a wide variety of film genres and directors that way and the actor/actress film catalog can span decades.

Sometimes I choose a director or scriptwriter and watch a large sampling of their work. Douglas Sirk and Billy Wider would be my favorite for that.

I do get on a genre kick and watch movies selected that way. Currently I'm watching war submarine movies with the emphasis on the 1950s. Though I'm including Das Boot and Hunt for Red October in my submarine genre quest. It's a fun way to contrast and compare.

Sometimes I seek out movies because of their exotic location setting, like Africa, tropical rain forest, south pacific islands, etc.

Sometimes I will watch all the movies based on one adaptation. I believe I've seen all of the Little Women & Jane Eyre movies made, at least the ones I could find.



The #1 reason for me to want to watch something is that I'm a big fan of the director or writers involved, by far (and there are more directors that fit that bill than writers, probably).

The #2 reason is word-of-mouth/reviews.

The #3 reason is the premise and/or trailer. I'm a sucker for high-concept films.

The #4 reason is that a particular actor is involved. There are only a few whose stuff I'll almost always see (and maybe not even for them). There are lots that might cause me to give something a second look, though, usually more because they've consistently chosen good projects than because I have an affinity for them, in particular. Most of the people whose work I go out of my way to see just because they're involved do more TV than film acting.



There are a lot of different reasons I will watch a movie:

Plot sounds interesting
Actors I like
Comes from a writer/director I like
I read a review that intrigues me
Someone whose taste I trust likes/recommends it
A genre I enjoy (horror/thriller/action)
Cool poster
Neat title

Things that will make me hesitate about a film are if it's in a genre I don't love (sports narratives, comedies, political dramas/thrillers) or if it has that "calculated blockbuster" feel. If I have heard too much discussion about a film, it really puts me off of watching it. Like, I currently have no interest in Midsommar (a film I should want to see based on the above criteria).

Things that will keep me from watching a film? There are maybe 5-10 artists who have done things that I cannot overlook and do not want to engage with, even vicariously. And ever since knowing someone who was a victim of torture, if that's the main element of the film I will tend to avoid it.



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Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Replace "dance" with "watch movies" and that's my answer too:

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.



good storyline/plot
director and writer I like
reviews
actors