Ever watch a movie without reading the plot ?

[vulcanman]

Ever watch a movie without reading the plot ?

Am I the only one who thinks that knowing the basic theme of a movie makes it very predictable and consequently, far less interesting. I am not talking about the spoilers ... but the basic premise of the plot.

One of the my favorite movies (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) ... I watched sight unseen. All I knew was that it was a British comedy. Probably the reason why I consider it a gem.

The quandary is that while I would rather not read about the movie ... I still want to know if I am going to waste those two hours

 

[Jeff7]

I watched Practical Magic today on HBO, based only on what SageTV told me about it: "raised by their aunts, two sisters (Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman) use different means to avoid a family legacy of witchcraft."
"Sandra" and "Bullock" were the two words that most kept my attention.

Does that count?



And, if a movie description on the jacket gives away too much of the plot, so as to make it predictable or uninteresting, then the jacket is either way too descriptive, or, more likely, the movie has too shallow a plot.

 

[jagec]

Pretty much every movie in the theater doesn't really list the plot...

 

[tasmanian]

Yes.

 

[0roo0roo]

i prefer to know as little as possible if its a good film.
which is why i don't see the point of dissecting previews or watching the first X minutes type promotions they have now

 

[Mojoed]

Yeah I saw Contact years ago without knowing the plot. I was very much into the movie and was devastated when the first machine got blown up. I thought that was gonna be the end of the movie.

 

[QueBert]

if I wanted to read I wouldn't be watching a movie, the whole point of watching a movie is so I don't have to read!

 

[Anubis]

i never read the plots so Yes i watch them without reading the plot

 

[FoBoT]

nobody does that

 

[vulcanman]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
I watched Practical Magic today on HBO, based only on what SageTV told me about it: "raised by their aunts, two sisters (Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman) use different means to avoid a family legacy of witchcraft."
"Sandra" and "Bullock" were the two words that most kept my attention.

Does that count?



And, if a movie description on the jacket gives away too much of the plot, so as to make it predictable or uninteresting, then the jacket is either way too descriptive, or, more likely, the movie has too shallow a plot.

I usually enjoy the movie when I have no clue about the content ... except for perhaps, if its a comedy, drama etc.

We watched Avalon last night (had heard that it was a good movie but had never bothered to find out anything beyond that) ... and it turned out to be a great movie. Pretty much walked blind into it. Had I known it was a movie of struggling immigrants ... would have certain perceptions that would have made it less wonderful.

 

[Epic Fail]

I didn't know what City of God was about, I think that made it more enjoyable.

 

[IronWing]

Just watched Pan's Labyrinth w/o knowing anything about the plot other than the cover picture. It wasn't at all what I expected (expected a Dark Crystal type fantasy). It was still an okay movie but not one I would have selected had I known it was basically a war movie with a fantasy side plot.

 

[BrownTown]

I would say 50% of the time these days I look at the wikipedia page of a movie before I watch it and read the plot and stuff. I know people might think that is "spoiling" it, but for any decent movie its gonna take at least two viewing to catch alot of the stuff going on. Since I don't have enough time to sit through every movie I watch twice I just read the plot first then watch the movie knowing what to look for. I'm not sure really exactly how much is changed the experience, for 95% of movies you can guess whats going to happen based well before it actually does. Even movies with a big "twist" usually drop some clues which someone paying attention will notice and see what is going to happen. I only watch "site unseen" movies that I know are supposed to be very good, or new movies that have just come out. So I might look at a list of "best sci fi movies" and then watch the ones that I have never seen before knowing they are very likely going to be good since many people rate them as such.

EDIT: that said, usually the movies that have the most "impact" on me are ones that I have never heard anything about before and just watch because I don't go in expecting anything much and then am pleasantly surprised. I remember one night the theater was having a "drug movie night" and I had nothing ot do so I went and say through "City of God", "Requiem for a Dream" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" having never heard of any of them and though they were all really good. That doesn't have to be the case though obviously, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy I read the books and knew everything that was going to happen and still though they all kicked ass.

 

[RaistlinZ]

I rented "Debbie Does Dallas" last week. Didn't read the plot beforehand but figured I'd give it a shot anyway.