Maybe I Should Stop Watching Movies
Every time I leave a movie I always think, “I should never watch movies again.”
And then I remember that I told myself the exact same thing last time I watched a movie, but ignored it. When we were in Thailand we went to a really cool theater in the Siam Paragon to watch Indiana Jones 4. I had fond memories of the first three and even fonder memories of the video game.
Within about ten minutes I knew that I was not going to enjoy the movie. I gave it the benefit of the doubt until about halfway through and then I walked out and went down to check out the mall.
A few days later the guys were watching a movie on TV. Again I watched part of it and left to write halfway through.
Sometimes the movies aren’t even that bad, but I realize that even if it’s mildly entertaining, it’s still a waste of time.
Today Todd and I watched a movie that has Kristen Bell in it. I loved Veronica Mars, the TV show, so I thought I might like it. It was better than the previous two movies, but was still terrible.
So why do I keep watching these movies occasionally when I know that I’m going to think that they’re terrible?
It’s because once in a while they’re really good. And when I see a good movie, like the Godfather movies that we just watched, I think “Hey, if I had stopped watching movies then I wouldn’t have seen this one.
But the problem is that I probably dislike nine out of ten movies. That means that I’m spending 30 hours of my time to see one good story. That can’t be worth it.
Anyway, I’m really only writing this because I just saw a movie. I probably see 5 or less movies in a year besides documentaries (which are almost always worth it), so it’s not actually a huge problem.
Maybe now that I’ve written it down I’ll be a bit more selective about movies that I watch.
(15 votes, average: 2.8 out of 5)
Loading ...
July 9th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Know the feeling. Walked out of Wall-E a few days ago, almost demanded money back. Funny thing is I used to love movies like that. Nowadays I rarely go, and when I do I usually regret it. Have to say I enjoyed “Wanted” though, pleasant surprise if for nothing else than the end quote, though I bet most people take the point a bit differently.
July 9th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I get this feeling all the time now. Hence I haven’t seen a movie in the theaters in about a year or so. Over a year actually… the last was Paris je t’aime, which was excellent, or at least seemed so, that said my “entertainment”-going experiences are typically a lot better when I’m with a beautiful girl (particularly with one I loved).
But seriously it’s because like you, I sit through the movie and realize I’m usually not gaining anything from it, be it informatively or even for the sake of entertainment, because most movies suck or you’ve at least seen one or more others just like it. It’s more fun to live your own story then listen to the same ones fabricated over and over by others. I say just avoid seeing a movie until you’ve been suggested it by someone whose critical opinion you value, or just be prepared to walk up and leave as soon as you’ve realized how worthless it is and not care about the money/time you’ve already spent on it.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Movies in small doses can be good. Haven’t been to a movie since December. I hate having to just sit 2 hours in one place just to watch a movie. I watch movies all the time on my laptop, i can watch it when ever i want, where ever i want and for how ever long. Unless it’s a good movie it takes me atleast 24 hours to watch a movie.
I just like stopping whenever I can instead of being forced to sit in the same seat for hours on end.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Wanted was BAD.
I’m working through a bunch of classic movies right now…
In general I’m VERY picky about what movies I watch. It’s rare I’ll watch something that didn’t get at least an 8.0 on the IMDB.
The only finite resource in the world is time.
July 10th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I’m soooo excited about The Dark Knight! The reviews are amazing. I haven’t been this excited about a movie since I was six years old and the Power Rangers movie was coming out.
July 12th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
What good documentaries have you seen?
July 13th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Same problem for me.
There are a few movies I’ve enjoyed but most are junk. One of the options for me would be only watching time-proven movies but they are not showed in cinemas and I don’t want to invest in home cinema.
July 13th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Check out the rating of a movie at http://www.imdb.com and stop wasting time watching movies that most people think suck anyway. I’m quite sure I’m going to enjoy or even get impressed by a movie after i’ve checked it at IMDB.
Keep watching movies, there are LOADS of very good ones but you have to get off the beaten tracks, thought you would know that by now traveling the world and all that. Another way to find good ones is to rely on professionals, check out http://www.afi.com/10top10/ for top American movies or check out http://www.criterion.com for top Art House films.
Basically, stop watching snacklike movies, the moment the credits roll you’ve forgotten what it was about. That’s not a real movie expierence. A real movie will keep popping up throughout your life.
July 13th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Do you feel the same about TV shows? I find movies are just better quality in general than TV.
July 13th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I usually only see movies if it is a social event, that way if the movie sucks you still have fun because you are in good company. If I know a movie is gonna suck beforehand I say no, and make people do something else! I tend to check reviews at a glance to get an idea.
Also, I really enjoy good movies. Even thought I definitely have seen plenty of bad movies the good ones absolutely overshadow this.
ps: I’m psyched for Dark Knight too! Already got imax tickets
July 15th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I just go see movies because it relaxes my mind. It’s probably my ADD. After them I feel really rejuvenated and refreshed, especially action, thriller and crime dramas.
I’ve got tickets on Saturday night for Dark Knight, being from the same country as Heath, it’s like a tribute with my mates and I.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
Hey, I just did a post on the same issue recently, albeit in my case I decided to resume watching movies after years of not doing so.
http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/personal-effectiveness/20718-portioned-entertainment.html
Any comments?