If a person has any of the issues you’ve put forth above, then it’s very clear that one should not be watching movies.
Dang, Tommy. That’s not really the type of response I was looking for, but OK. :)
I had originally written more on this, but in writing the several paragraphs I had, I realized that that one sentence was really what I was looking for. Sorry :-p
Hipness/Grudge don’t usually predispose me to liking a film or not, but they will influence how likely I am to see it in the first place.
I once knew a woman who absolutely loved Von Trier’s “Dogville”. I despised this woman. I found her to morally vapid, and an intellectually empty poseur. So I never bothered to watch “Dogville” assuming that nothing she loved so much could have any cinematic value. But when my girlfriend eventually forced me to watch it, I loved it as well. (Though I did need to just assume she liked it for the “wrong” reasons, just for my own happiness)
I rarely watch films many of my friends have seen, and have usually formulated an opinion before discussion with them. So perhaps I’ve avoided these pitfalls and been able to remain somewhat objective (objective as to my own opinions?) because I’ve secluded my movie-watching habits so much.
Political, social or any aesthetic bias are big factors i.m.o. Ideally one should see past those biases when approaching certain films (or any work of art) but it’s often difficult.
@ “Or maybe we want to impress someone so we exaggerate our enjoyment of a film”
If it’s one of those unavoidable chick-flicks/ Nicholas Sparks fright fest, then yes I’ll plead guilty to faking it. A man in a relationship has to choose his own battles or risk ending up in the dog house.
If a person has any of the issues you’ve put forth above, then it’s very clear that one should not be watching movies.
If a person does not have any of the issues he put forth above then it is very clear that they are deceiving themselves. Nothing we do exists in a vacuum and the act of watching a film is no exception. We associate films not only with their content but with what the experience of watching them was like. Being in a low point (or a high point) of your life will quite likely affect, however slightly, how you feel about what you sat through.
People like or dislike actors all the time based on things that have nothing to do with their actual performances. A director that has been hailed as terrible might be able to make a halfway competent film and never have it validated by a community already predisposed to hating it. Plenty of cinephiles grade films on a sliding scale (being more lenient toward obscure, low-budget independents). We are all prejudiced by our own experiences and expectations. The trick is to be aware of our prejudices and try to consciously move past them. This is not always possible but given the millions of films that are out there it is also not the end of the world when we can’t.
I’ll admit that I’m sometimes guilty of the grudge factor. :/
Other than that, I think my biggest fault is the “auteur factor,” where if it’s a director that’s made a couple other movies I like, I’ll kind of inflate my opinion of the film. I know I’ve done this for Days of Heaven and several De Palma’s.
I’m either not guilty of or just deceiving myself about the hipness factor. But I don’t think I really care how “hip” a movie is.
And finally, I always really really want to like a film if its dvd has a cool cover, or really cool special features, cause I’m a pretty vapid consumer and I love the act of acquiring dvd’s. But I’m usually able to overcome this factor.
Oh, and one more thing – sometimes it’s hard to separate my own opinion of the film’s quality from my opinion on whether or not it’s over- or underrated. I rated The Departed three stars, and lately I’ve been thinking I would have given it four if there hadn’t been such a hullabaloo about it. I can’t think of movies I’ve rated higher just cause I think they’re “underrated” though…
I am so very lucky to not have prejudices or expectations against/for any film, particularly those that are not of my own creation.
Well now I feel guilty… :(
I try not to let these expectations get in the way, but sometimes it’s really hard. And sometimes I can’t even tell what I really think about things!
It’s a matter of time I believe. I’ve spent so much time being disappointed by films in the past that at a certain point, something clicked and I just don’t care what people have to say. You tell me something blows, well then ok, that’s your opinion. Not going make bust my bum at all.
I tend to be harder on films that have a lot of advance hype….or when someone comes up to me at work and tells me that such and such a movie is the best movie of all time….and I need to see it….
I also tend to be harder on films that have actors or actresses that I’m not particularly fond of….I have to work harder to embrace the film. This is also true of directors whose body of work I generally dismiss.
By the same token I give more of a pass to actors/actresses I like and directors I am a fan of.
I try to be as objective as possible when watching films but let’s face it….we all have preconceived biases going in.
Oh, and if a film preaches at me (like Crash, for example) it’s dead in the water as far as I’m concerned. Unless the film is subtle in it’s message or creative in it’s approach I get annoyed.
Yeah, it’s hard to say you’re completely uninfluenced by those things, but you can try to minimize their influence on you the best you can.
I’m not influenced by whether I dislike the person who recommended the film, but I am influenced by whether it reminds me of the prejudices I had when I was a teenager. Ghost World in particular is an example of this, the protagonist has an attitude like the world owes her the right to sit around doing whatever she wants and anything else is sheeplike conformity. Like ‘everything that most people like is stupid and they’re stupid for liking it’, and the movie validates this attitude, with episodes like the old school blues singer opening for ‘Blueshammer’. I had that kind of attitude when I was like 15, and since I got over myself I react strongly against movies that portray that attitude.
I think I’m also influenced by repetition fatigue. Like, watch a single Hollywood film, it’s fine, not that bad. Watch too many of them, I get so sick of the same predictable themes it makes me react more strongly against the film. Especially since you start to feel like the laws of the universe are bending and twisting around the will of the audience in order to construct the ending they prefer, which makes you feel manipulated.
I’m guilty of everything in the book as far as I’m concerned. So DFF, I can definitely relate to the thoughts you posted. I don’t think it’s likely that I’ll have a “pure” reaction to any film anymore – if such a thing exists, which I’m not sure it does. Like Grimes said, we all have biases. I just think at this point in my life, I have a lot of them. As such, my opinions/views on different films change often. But I think I’ve gotten better in some regards.
Better title: Examining the Motivations that Alter Whether We Enjoy a Film or Not.
—PolarisDiB
There’s also the originality factor. I have yet to watch a remake that I think is better than the original, it could mean than none of the remakes I watched are better than the original or it could mean that I’m naturally biased against remakes.
@DFFOO
I want to echo what others have said: you’re not alone. Tommy might not be influenced by these factors, but I’d say he’s one of a very small group of people.
Other than that, I think my biggest fault is the “auteur factor,” where if it’s a director that’s made a couple other movies I like, I’ll kind of inflate my opinion of the film. I know I’ve done this for Days of Heaven and several De Palma’s.
Good point. I really like Malick, but I’ve found my opinion of some of his films diminish over time—and admitting this hasn’t been easy to do. When you have a favorite director, you want to like their films—and you certainly don’t want to lose your enthusiasm for him/her. I’m pretty sure we’re not the only ones that feel this way.
I’m either not guilty of or just deceiving myself about the hipness factor. But I don’t think I really care how “hip” a movie is.
What about the opposite: not liking a film because it’s popular—especially one that isn’t outright trash. I’m thinking of films that are somewhat respectable or hip—but also appeal to a larger audience. I’m not trying to put you on the spot, but I think this is something that goes on (c.f. Tarantino).
And finally, I always really really want to like a film if its dvd has a cool cover, or really cool special features, cause I’m a pretty vapid consumer and I love the act of acquiring dvd’s. But I’m usually able to overcome this factor.
I can relate to this, although I feel the influence on whether I decide to purchase the dvd or not. This is true for cds. There are some covers that are so appealing, it fools me into thinking that the film is going to be good—or at least it creates a strong urge to want to own it. (What’s the deal with that?)
Anyway, thanks for your candor. Btw, fwiw, I agree with Hell about being conscious of these factors and how that’s half the battle. I’ll bet that these factors won’t nearly influence you as much now that you’ve talked about them.
Jazzaloha
We like or dislike movies based on our personal preferences and interests;sometimes the memories and associations conjured up by the film will greatly influence whether we like it or not; and our knowledge and maturity can also allow or prevent us from fully appreciating a film. I think most people would agree that these factors greatly influence whether we personally enjoy a film or not, and I think they’re entirely appropriate (although we should try to appreciate films beyond our interests and tastes, but that’s another thread).
In this thread, I want to explore and discuss more unusual, or at least not so obvious, factors that determine whether a person would like a film or not—factors that probably aren’t so appropriate. I’ve got one in mind, specifically. Let me explain by describing a recent incident. Last week my friends and I watched von Trier’s Melancholia, and I asked my friends what they thought about it afterwards, specifically what they thought the film was about. Usually, they don’t say a lot, but one of my friend’s offered a really good interpretation. It was similar to what I had in mind—but more fleshed out, while also including some interesting insights that never occurred to me. It was a good interpretation, but I must confess that I felt a little disappointed. As if he stole my thunder or one-upped me. That feeling wasn’t overwhelming, as I mostly felt enthusiastic about his interpretation—but I admit to feeling a little deflated, almost less enthusiastic about the film because someone else had come up with a good interpretation. This isn’t so surprising to me because I get excited about film, when I’m able to find a satisfying interpretation for a film, and/or discover interesting facets about the film. Sometimes, I might like or think more highly of a film because of this. Now, I realize this is petty and a bit ridiculous—as if I enjoy the film because I get to pat myself on the back—but the film isn’t any better just because I figured it out; nor is it less good if someone else has done this before me. Nevertheless, this is the truth, as unpleasant as it is for me.
Other types of factors that we may not discuss or think about very much:
>The hipness factor—liking or not liking film because of the status it confers upon us.
>Grudge factor—liking or not liking a film because of the person recommending it. Sometimes we may like a certain film because of the person recommending it to us. Maybe the person is a know-it-all, so we don’t want them to be right. Or maybe we want to impress someone so we exaggerate our enjoyment of a film.
What do others think about this issue? Can you relate to any of these examples? Can you think of other factors that influence whether we like a film or not—that are not really talked about or appropriate?