How do you all feel about Spoilers

[Doozel]

I always try to avoid any information about what I'm going to watch, so obviously spoilers are a no go for me. I usually decide what to watch or read based on other's opinions and the general setting/genre. I personally think that the experience would be much more immersing and enjoyable if I don't know what's coming.

I rarely watch trailers too, maybe I'm paranoid.

[Ten oz]

On 5/3/2018 at 8:46 AM, Doozel said:

I always try to avoid any information about what I'm going to watch, so obviously spoilers are a no go for me. I usually decide what to watch or read based on other's opinions and the general setting/genre. I personally think that the experience would be much more immersing and enjoyable if I don't know what's coming.

I rarely watch trailers too, maybe I'm paranoid.

I rarely trust the opinions of others what it comes to entertainment. Everyone has their own tastes and I simply haven't had luck following recommendations. For TV Shows I typically wait for the scene to be over and then read detailed a synopsis before committing any time to them. With movies I wait a few weeks after they premier until I can get a real review and then choose to see the film or not. Books are a little different. I am more willing to take blind leaps with books because I feel they are more easily aside. As a married person I generally watch TV or film with my wife. So just turning them off 30 minutes in isn't simple as just putting a book down.  

 

[koti]

13 minutes ago, Ten oz said:

...haven't had luck following recommendations.

 

„Donnie Darko” - 2001.

[Ten oz]

Just now, koti said:

„Donnie Darko” - 2001.

Seen it. Enjoyable for its time but I don't feel it aged well. Some of the pop cultural references are simply best suited for a specific generation of young adults. Also because so much of what made Donnie Darko enjoyable centered around the stylistic choices of Richard Kelly and Gyllenhaal's performance I don't believe spoilers would dampen ones ability to enjoy that films. Kelly's "The Box" was an eerie and enjoyable film too and that bulk of that story is given away in the advertising. 

[koti]

21 minutes ago, Ten oz said:

Seen it. Enjoyable for its time but I don't feel it aged well. Some of the pop cultural references are simply best suited for a specific generation of young adults. Also because so much of what made Donnie Darko enjoyable centered around the stylistic choices of Richard Kelly and Gyllenhaal's performance I don't believe spoilers would dampen ones ability to enjoy that films. Kelly's "The Box" was an eerie and enjoyable film too and that bulk of that story is given away in the advertising. 

I probably enjoyed Donnie Darko most due to two things, the 80’s vibe/music and that the film conveys quite a few motives which happen in parallel and then cross with each other, I like that in a movie. I’ve seen „The Box”, it was fairly enjoyable, not as much as Donnie Darko though. I’ll pitch „A Scanner Darkly” but you probably seen that too. 

[CharonY]

Another example where plot and spoiler do not matter much are probably David Lynch movies (with few exceptions). I thoroughly like the way he creates atmosphere (much of it due to sound design) but the plot does not fundamentally matter most of the time. 

[Ten oz]

3 hours ago, koti said:

I probably enjoyed Donnie Darko most due to two things, the 80’s vibe/music and that the film conveys quite a few motives which happen in parallel and then cross with each other, I like that in a movie. I’ve seen „The Box”, it was fairly enjoyable, not as much as Donnie Darko though. I’ll pitch „A Scanner Darkly” but you probably seen that too. 

I never saw A Scanner Darkly. I don't watch animation. I realize it was shot on video and converted in post but I am still not interested. Visually I can't stand animation. Likewise I typically don't enjoy films with a lot of CGI. For me to sit through something with a lot of CGI the story must be compelling. Which brings us back to spoilers. If the story is kept a secret how am I to know if it might be interesting to me?

I think the whole spoiler free marketing campaign trend will die out. They only work because audiences trust the brands (Star Wars, Avengers, West World, Walking Dead, etc). Audiences trust the stories will be awesome. However brands have disappointed of late. Fans of Star Wars were disappointed by the most recent entry (I haven't seen it) from what I read. Fans of the Walking Dead have been upset and I've heard grumblings about the Infinity War (haven't seen it) too. I suspect to keep those dedicated fanbases future entries will need to accurately set audience expectations. To achieve that they won't be able to treat every last detail like a mystery. 

46 minutes ago, CharonY said:

Another example where plot and spoiler do not matter much are probably David Lynch movies (with few exceptions). I thoroughly like the way he creates atmosphere (much of it due to sound design) but the plot does not fundamentally matter most of the time. 

Good point. David Lynch films are all about atmosphere. Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive are excellent movies yet would more or less be impossible to spoiler because everyone who sees them has their own take on what they are about. 

 

[koti]

20 minutes ago, Ten oz said:

I never saw A Scanner Darkly. I don't watch animation. I realize it was shot on video and converted in post but I am still not interested. Visually I can't stand animation. Likewise I typically don't enjoy films with a lot of CGI. For me to sit through something with a lot of CGI the story must be compelling. Which brings us back to spoilers. If the story is kept a secret how am I to know if it might be interesting to me?

 

The post production conversion into an acid trip is a con for this movie in my opinion.

Quote

Fans of Star Wars were disappointed by the most recent entry (I haven't seen it)

Do yourself a favor and don't watch it. 

[Velocity_Boy]

I detest spoilers. And if I'm reading a movie or book review and the author is kind enough to insert a spoiler alert in the beginning of his review I'll quit reading it. I'd much rather be I'll informed of the plot than be unwittingly smacked with s spoiler going into the book or movie.

I think I hate spoilers more for novels than I do for movies. Not totally sure as to why this is, but I think it may have something to do with the amount of time invested in reading a book compared to the movie.

I sometimes have myself to blame though, for becoming apprised of a spoiler, as I have a habit now of going online to read reviews for prospective movies and novels. I'm a huge Rotten Tomatoes devotee. For novels I use Goodreads.com.. Or sometimes Amazon.

Another habit that I have that sometimes bites me...I'm at the local library and will gather maybe two or three prospective novels to read and then sit down and use my phone to go online and see which one gets the best reviews. This habit has helped far more than hurt, however. I find that its a red flag when you see a book only contains good reviews from other authors. Those are worthless. Stephen King is the worst...often giving superlative reviews to mediocre or bad books. I'm thinking these authors are employed by the same publishing house as is the author of the reviewed book, do they are asked by the House to do it ad a PR favor. Anyway, yeah...worthless. Just like Booklist. Ya need to see reviews from veteran critics.

But spoliers suck. Same reason I rarely watch a movie, no matter how excellent, a second time if said movie was made by its awesome twist ending. Like, say....the Sixth Sense or A Beautiful Mind. I mean, what's the point, eh?

[Ten oz]

15 hours ago, koti said:

Do yourself a favor and don't watch it. 

Right, which is why I believe studios will need to change their marketing approach in the future. Everything about the most recent Star Wars was treated as a spoiler and from what I have heard from people the film failed to deliver. A more open production where some details were made public may have enabled feedback and led to changes which might have helped make the movie better. It is very common for characters to be added, removed, scenes to be re-shot, and etc to improve a film. 

Now that you've been let down will you purchase a ticket to the next Star Wars film without knowing a little bit about it first? 

15 hours ago, Velocity_Boy said:

But spoliers suck. Same reason I rarely watch a movie, no matter how excellent, a second time if said movie was made by its awesome twist ending. Like, say....the Sixth Sense or A Beautiful Mind. I mean, what's the point, eh?

All stories do not have or require a twist. A well crafted novel or film is worth repeat viewing. I have seen Kubrick's The Shining multiple times and notice something new each time I see it. I have also seen Hitchcock's Rear Window several times and am always impressed by the limited camera angles and confined location. My favorite Novel is The Great Gatsby and I have read it multiple times. Each time I read The Great Gatsby I am strong empathize with a different character. My own life experiences at different points impacting my perspective. 

 Sixth Sense and A Beautiful Mind are not worth repeat viewing. They intentionally keep the audience in the dark for the sake of their twist. I am not a fan of that, surprise for the sake of surprise. 

[Velocity_Boy]

9 hours ago, Ten oz said:

Right, which is why I believe studios will need to change their marketing approach in the future. Everything about the most recent Star Wars was treated as a spoiler and from what I have heard from people the film failed to deliver. A more open production where some details were made public may have enabled feedback and led to changes which might have helped make the movie better. It is very common for characters to be added, removed, scenes to be re-shot, and etc to improve a film. 

Now that you've been let down will you purchase a ticket to the next Star Wars film without knowing a little bit about it first? 

All stories do not have or require a twist. A well crafted novel or film is worth repeat viewing. I have seen Kubrick's The Shining multiple times and notice something new each time I see it. I have also seen Hitchcock's Rear Window several times and am always impressed by the limited camera angles and confined location. My favorite Novel is The Great Gatsby and I have read it multiple times. Each time I read The Great Gatsby I am strong empathize with a different character. My own life experiences at different points impacting my perspective. 

 Sixth Sense and A Beautiful Mind are not worth repeat viewing. They intentionally keep the audience in the dark for the sake of their twist. I am not a fan of that, surprise for the sake of surprise. 

Pity you don't dig ABM. I consider it Russell Crowds greatest performance. The critics and the Academy knew he got jobbed for not getting the Best Actor nod, which is why they made it up to him the very next year by giving it to him for his mediocre Gladiators role. A role many many actors coulda done.

I also usually list Gatsby on any Most Overrated Novels Ever lists whenever I do one for one of the many reader's forums I frequent. Fight up there with One Hundred Years of Solitude. But for very different reasons. I just find Gatsby hopelessly dated. It resonated with the post war lost generation Zeitgeist but I never was moved in the least from Jay's plight.

Oh well...to each their own I reckon...which is why discussing books and movies is so damn enjoyable,  eh?

. Cheers.

Edited May 5, 2018 by Velocity_Boy

[Ten oz]

1 hour ago, Velocity_Boy said:

I just find Gatsby hopelessly dated. It resonated with the post war lost generation Zeitgeist but I never was moved in the least from Jay's plight.

The Great Gatsby is about social status, love, and unachievable hopes. In my opinion it's timeless as Romeo and Juliet. Gatsby built a facade to become someone worthy of Daisy not realizing his idealized version of Daisy herself was part of his facade. It hits home me. I hopeless remember the good in the people I have lost to a fictional level they couldn't have ever been. 

[Ken Fabian]

Spoilers.. it depends, but they don't usually turn me off.

Some stories depend on the suspense and the surprise being revealed. Some don't. I usually prefer something that has more appeal than suspense and surprise, appeal that is still there after the surprise is revealed. I like a story that turns out to be worth re-reading (or watching) - which I don't know until I've read it, but if a spoiler does ruin it the story probably won't have the other elements anyway.

[CharonY]

14 hours ago, Ten oz said:

 Sixth Sense and A Beautiful Mind are not worth repeat viewing. They intentionally keep the audience in the dark for the sake of their twist. I am not a fan of that, surprise for the sake of surprise. 

I think the sixth sense also suffered heavily from the scene in which the boy basically tells the audience that the protagonist is dead. One can easily contrast it with Mulholland Drive, where the story only comes together at the end and the turning point does not become a spoiler for the final act. But I agree, a great movie usually does not not suffer much from spoilers. Even if you know what is going to happen, and even if you noticed every little detail, the cinematic experience itself can be very satisfying (aside from  Kubrick , Kurosawa is also high on that particular list),

[Prometheus]

Anyone seen the new Avengers? I won't see it, the one and a half previous Avengers movies i saw were awful. The new Star Trek reboots too: just saw the first one to know it wasn't for me. No one needs to see trailers for these films do they - we all know what we're getting from the product.

Same for Star Wars but unfortunately it is the epitome of all the worst aspects of capitalism: a product designed purely to make money. I have to take my nephew to see it because it's become a ritual we do due a thoroughly successful advertising campaign.

9 hours ago, Velocity_Boy said:

I also usually list Gatsby on any Most Overrated Novels Ever lists

I agree but for different reasons: it is the most alien book i have ever read - the culture, the people and the events are so far removed from anything i have experienced that i didn't even have a point of reference to start from. Obviously a good author though

[Ten oz]

4 hours ago, Prometheus said:

I agree but for different reasons: it is the most alien book i have ever read - the culture, the people and the events are so far removed from anything i have experienced that i didn't even have a point of reference to start from. Obviously a good author though

Have you ever loved someone and or had moments in your life you wish you could get back and fix? To me the setting of Gatsby isn't relevant. Just as West Side Story re-imagined Romeo and Juliet I think Gatsby could easily be re-imagined in modern time. Focusing on the scenery is why, in my opinion, all the film adaptations were terrible. Gatsby isn't about parties and big cars. Those  were all things he surrounded himself with for the sake of others. Gatsby himself was lonely, lost, intimidated, and in search for true North which he tragically assigned to Daisy. The Novel never seeks to redeem a single character. Everyone in the book is some combination of vacuous, pretentious,and petty. The narrator (Nick) is seemingly self aware yet still flawed and  participated lazily in events. His natural dispassion for other subtle highlighted by his faux romance with Jordan. Everyone in the story sucked and the story knew it as the Narrator regularly laments about how ugly everyone is.  It reminds my of my youth. We were all stupid, ignorant, and arrogant once.