You had me at hello

Brownie points or automatic stars? What are those elements or little moments that automatically make the movie better for you?
This could be a favorite actor or actress. A certain type of hero/heroine? A genre that you're predisposed towards? (Going back in time to save the world or the biblical action film). Visual quotes from other films? An inventive title sequence? Favorite cliches? (The obligatory hospital scene when some one in a hospital gown turns around and flashes the audience) A line of poetry or an actual poem? A great death scene? Weapons and gadgetry? A great screen kiss? When a favorite song is used? Etc, etc.

Also, do you automatically deduct stars for something particularly annoying?

Anything predictable, retread, or cliche right out of the gate in the first 10-15 minutes tends to really turn me off. Similarly, anything out of the ordinary tends to grab my attention.

Usually it's the quality of the dialogue that sets the tone, for me.

She's been enough for me to see a film for 18 years.


Up until the early 00's, this guy was enough for me to keep track of a film, too.

Anything vampire related will pique my interest, though most of the time that's all it'll do.

I don't know if I would call this inventive, but it has an effect on me: I like a movie like Children of Men that chooses to put the title in at a "resonant" point towards the beginning instead of at the very beginning or just at the end (though I like that too). I'm not sure where this kind of thing began, but Sion Sono's Love Exposure takes it pretty far by waiting to show the title about an hour into the actual film. I saw it again just yesterday in Joe Wright's Hanna and thought it clever.

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"Loves them? They need them, like they need the air."

Yeah, I believe the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th did the same thing (though I haven't seen it myself). I'm usually a big fan of that. You see it most on TV shows like Party Down, The Wire, Veronica Mars, Eastbound & Down, etc. I like the added emphasis it gives certain moments and wish more filmmakers would use it.

Likeable characters. By that I mean people I can't wait to have back on screen (not likeable characters ). Plainview in there will be blood, the joker in the dark knight, Anton in No country for old men and many more.

I'm a sucker for zombie flicks.

I always liked that little thing in a movie where the 2 characters fall for each other, but can never get together for reasons of service or duty, etc. A few that immediately come to mind are Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Now Voyager, but there are a ton of others. Usually there's a good story that goes along with it.

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Under-the-radar Movie Awesomeness.
http://earlsmoviepicks.blogspot.com/

Honeykid - So with you on Drew Barrymore. She's so adorable, love her!

There are a few actors that will make me watch a film no matter what and enjoy more than if they weren't there - Jim Carrey, Tom Hanks, Michael J Fox, Zooey Deschanel etc

And if a film has a lot of quirky moments and characters and a outsider/freak then I'm almost sure to love it

Oh and a great soundtrack filled with either indie tracks or classic 80s rock/anthems/ power ballads

Femme Fatale, red lipstick, a car accident, bunnies, weird synth music, a girl in trouble....


Yep, too much Lynch again this weekend.

*Urp*

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I like films with new story lines- obviously. And I'll go if it's got a good cast or sometimes a weird cast just to see how that works out. Or if it's one specific actor I like.

I'll go for the director too like (today) Fincher, Nolan and Scorsese.

Most of the time- I'll go see anything, just to see how it turns out. You never know something could surprise you. For example- I was dreading The Hangover, but it is actually a hilarious film (though not the best comedy ever).

Why should that be obvious? It wasn't until you said it.

I just thought...who wants to see a film with the same story as every other film.


So more like...obviously who wouldn't like a movie with a new story line

Well, I guess I would counter with: There are no new stories - at least not many. For instance, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter are all pretty much the same story with the same basic premise underlying, but with quite different presentation in each case. A parent passes a problem to their child who must leave their normal life to go out nto the world to face some unspeakable evil in order to save the world/realm/galaxy.

You may hate all of those film series for all I know, but I think the point is valid.

Meanwhile - Excellent favorites list!

Ahh, I had never thought of that...very good point Sedai! I totally agree with that. For example, I love Inception because the story is completely new- but it totally falls under what you are saying. Cobb (DiCaprio) is doing what he does to, maybe not necessarily save the entire world, but save his world (or even the dream world). In order to do this- he has to face his sub-conscience and Mal (unspeakable evil). So yeah, I like "new takes on the old storyline" is probably a better way of putting it.

As I matter of fact- I hate Harry Potter series (don't hurt me) but that's just because I'm not really in to that kind of stuff. I have yet to see LOTR (again, don't hurt me) but because again- not really into that stuff. However, Star Wars- hell yeah

Thank you! I have yet to see sooo many of the classics so- it is forever changing!

I will say, Inception is pretty damn close to an original idea, even if it's because it's a new mixture of older ideas. A heist film in someone's head with 5 (or more, depending on your view regarding who is incepting whom) concurrent narratives running at 5 different speeds in time. The fact that he pulled it off so well is pretty amazing.

Have you considered this angle on Inception: Inception is about making movies. You have your set designer (Ariadne), Producer (Saito), Director (Cobb), Actor (Eames) and so on, and the entire thing is an allegory for making a film, which is in essence a shared dream the audience all participate in at the same time. Mal would represent the Auteur director's "piece of himself', or mark, that each Auteur director tends to leave on each film. It's about the creative process. I won't go too much more into it as this isn't the right thread, and it's more fun exploring the idea yourself when you watch the film again.

Also consider Mal being behind all the incepting...then consider Saito...then consider Miles being behind it all... "Come home Dom...come home before it's too late..."

I'm a huge Nolan fan, so this film is like an all-time high for me. I have actually heard that theory, about it being about film, but I haven't watched it yet from this view point.

But I think that's what I love about this, or pretty much any Nolan film. There is always something new to catch or another view point to look from while watching the film. Even in The Prestige, I always find something new to think about.

When I do get around to watching it again (like I said earlier- I still have soo many classics to catch up on) I'll think about this and let you know how it goes.

Yeah, I have heard about it being a metaphor for the process of film. Definitely an initeresting way to read everything and I did sort of think that myself when watching it. I think the film represents a lot of things though that go even further than film making. One review I read mentioned how the film can be an allegory for the afterlife because of the god like nature at which the some of the characters excel at during the limbo sequences and how limbo is a term used in the bible and what not. Also I think some of the names are of greek mythology too from what I have been told.

To answer the original question:

I will watch (all the way through) any movie starring any of these men:





And this one's dead, but still:



Also:

Movies that are very visually arresting - even if they are lacking in other elements - can often hold my attention.

I'm a big fan of CG children's animation and will usually watch any that are released (though lately I'm finding more and more that anything not made by Pixar is a gamble).

But my biggest issue are the characters. I have to feel engaged with them. I have to care what happens to them. A movie can be cliched and unoriginal just so long as I connect with the characters on some level.

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Oh, yeah that's just an aside I like to think about, being more interested in the actual narrative of the film, as it's so fun and engaging. I like to consider the various angles I mentioned about Saito, Miles, Mal etc. Just a fantastic film.

Ariadne was the woman that gave Perseus a ball of twine to get out of the labyrinth in Greek mythology.