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See! Critics Do Matter

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Comment Diversions | Comments (91)

The-Critic.jpg

I see a lot of films. I see a lot of very bad films I see because I’m reviewing them. I also see quite a few great films that I’m not assigned to review. There is also the occasional bad film that I’ll watch even though I’m not reviewing it because I want to see how bad it really is. Those are usually the critic-proof movies, although I find that I watch fewer and fewer of those where I’m not meant to review them. After you’ve seen enough train wrecks, you begin to lose interest in rubbernecking.

However, there is a whole other subset of films where a review from a trusted critic will definitely determine whether or not I see that movie. I saw three movies just last week, in fact, that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen were it not for the solid reviews those films received from my colleagues, here. On all three counts, I’m glad that I did, too. Those three films, in general, fell under the category of films that I’d only see because of a review: A movie that looks stupid in trailers but gets a surprisingly strong review (The A-Team), a movie that sort of flies under the radar or is ignored because of bigger movies coming out that weekend (Splice), and of course, small independent films you’d probably only even know about because of a review.

The point I’m trying to make, and one I hope I’m making without coming off as self-indulgent, is this: Despite what the press might have you believe, critics do matter. Maybe not in every case — Sex and the City still managed $50 million in the first five days — but for a certain kind of film, a good review is the best advertising out there. It’s how we find small indies or discover otherwise overlooked films.

So today’s comment diversion asks this: What’s the last movie you saw because of a review? It doesn’t have to be one of our reviews — a review from any outlet will be fine. And were you glad you listened to that asshole critic?









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Comments

Y'all know my feelings on seeing a film based on the opinion of others.

Having said that, while I dont read reviews BEFORE I see a film, I am often giddy to read the Pajiba reviews of the films I have seen because....look, you rock. So. Yeah.

Posted by: Nadine at June 16, 2010 4:09 PM

I watched Martyrs yesterday because TK mentioned it and though it was totally upsetting and disturbing I would still say I'm glad I watched it. It was a well made film.

Though I didn't sleep a whole lot last night.

Posted by: becks at June 16, 2010 4:10 PM

I saw this one movie about a doctor and something I think it was a Centipede...I saw the review here...Thanks Pajiba!

Posted by: Blank at June 16, 2010 4:10 PM

Just a quick technical question guys- Pajiba isn't remembering my persona info even though I'm telling it to do just that...any ideas? Is this a cookie thing?

Posted by: Nadine at June 16, 2010 4:11 PM

I saw Splice because Film School Rejects liked it, but it ended up being all kinds of weirdsies I wasn't prepared for. I'm kind of glad I went, but kind of mad that some ridiculous images will be ingrained in my mind forever. And PS, Splice wasn't that well done, reviewer. Thought-provoking? Sure. In the sense that I thought about why it didn't work.

Posted by: kelsy at June 16, 2010 4:17 PM

The last movie I saw purely based on the review was Boondock Saints as reviewed by Prisco. Like most people I prefer to read the review, watch the movie anyway, and compare the reviewers opinion with my own but with Prisco's reviews he and I are usually of the same mind. If he says its good, I'll watch it. And most times, I'll like it. There are a few other movies that he has recommended and I have added to my Netflix queue. Off the top of my head I can think of Thirst and Pontypool. Thirst is coming up for my next Instant Play choice, but I sadly I can't take gore so much now that I'm pregnant. I tend to, you know, lose my lunch. Toss my cookies, if you will. So, I may have to re-evaluate that choice. But, um yeah, Prisco rules.

Posted by: stardust at June 16, 2010 4:19 PM

I can't remember what the last Pajiba-recommended movie I was compelled to watch was, but I just got Triangle from ze Netflix, so that'll be the next one. I certainly wouldn't have heard of it if not for the review.

Posted by: MM at June 16, 2010 4:20 PM

Yep, cookie deletion didn't work...is it a Google Chrome thing?

Srsly guys?

Posted by: Nadine at June 16, 2010 4:22 PM

Primer, based on some list on Pajiba, if I recall correctly.

I also watched Deadgirl based on Dustin's hatred of it. That was a stupid idea.

Posted by: TSF at June 16, 2010 4:22 PM

I'm planning on seeing Micmacs this weekend based on the positive feedback it's received on this site. Fingers crossed!

Posted by: zygomatique at June 16, 2010 4:24 PM

I assumed Elf was going to be a PG sell-out crapfest and the death of Will Ferrell's career, but Rotten Tomatoes convinced me that it might not be total shit. I was delightfully surprised. It's now a Christmas tradition at the Bla household.

Posted by: ZoBla at June 16, 2010 4:24 PM

Black Dynamite because of the Pajiba review (though it did take me a while to get it from Netflix). And oh man how I loved it.

Posted by: figgy at June 16, 2010 4:25 PM

I don’t see movies in the theatre very often, but the movies I do see are ones that Pajiba makes me excited about. For example, I’m planning on seeing Inception in the theatre because I’ve heard of it here. And yes, it is the only movie I will watch in a theatre this year. Last year it was Where The Wild Things Are (which I loved and my husband hated).

On the other hand, I saw the first Sex And The City movie via Netflix because of OK reviews. The sequel? That shit is never entering my home (again, due to the reviews [and the promos too]).

Posted by: Scully at June 16, 2010 4:26 PM

The last few were because of Pajiba: Black Dynamite, Trick R Treat, and In the Loop. I'll also RENT A-Team, because of your review.

If I want to see a movie and it gets terrible reviews, I'll still rent it out of curiosity. It's movies that haven't heard of or think look stupid where I'll let a positive review sway me.

Posted by: Julie at June 16, 2010 4:29 PM

If you're talking about actually going to the theater? Then, I can't remember the last time a particular review got me into a theater. I don't see that many movies in the theater anymore. Usually, the movies I see are movies I plan on going to see before I read any reviews, or a movie that has been so well received, by both critics and people I know and trust, that I end up going to see it. That latter category is pretty small.

I suppose there are some movies that are on the edge. "Legion" is a good example. It looked iffy, at best, but the kind of movie I would like if done well. It got panned, so I decided to skip it. "Wolverine: Origin" is another. Granted, that looked shit-balls horrible even before I read any reviews, but once the reviews confirmed my fears, I passed. The somewhat lukewarm reviews for "Iron Man 2" made me skip that, while to generally positive reviews for the first "Iron Man" got me into the theater.

So, on second thought, maybe reviews do have some influence. It's usually a combination of the overall "Freshness" rating on RottenTomatoes and the review I read here, since these are the only reviews I read consistently.

If you are talking about movies I rent off Netflix, then I would say quite a few. The majority of movies on my Netflix que are movies that were well-reviewed on this site. The most recent being "(500) Days of Summer", which I really enjoyed.

Posted by: Forbiddendonut at June 16, 2010 4:33 PM

I went to see Exit Through the Gift Shop because of the review here on Pajiba. Also because it was playing at a cool theater and I needed something to do on a date. I loved it and I scored points with my date for picking a good one. So thanks very much for that.

Posted by: king at June 16, 2010 4:35 PM

Black Dynamite and the A-Team. I actually would have rented the A-Team, but the review made it sound better than anything currently at my theater. In both cases the review was spot-on.

Posted by: Mrcreosote at June 16, 2010 4:36 PM

Triangle and Dead Snow, loved them both and read the reviews on this very website. While I don't take everything on Pajiba as gospel, I do tend to make a lot of picks of lesser-known movies based on the Pajiba reviewers and commenters. For example, multiple people keep raving about a movie I've never heard of: Noises Off. So now it is sitting on my kitchen table. Reading the cast list (Michael Caine, John Ritter, Carol Burnett, Denholm Elliot to name a few) I'm kind of amazed this one slipped below my radar.

So keep it up Pajibans! My Netflix que thanks you for it.

On a non Pajiba note, if a movie has over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes I tend to watch it whether I'm all that interested or not. Usually I'm glad I did.

Posted by: TylerDFC at June 16, 2010 4:40 PM

@Nadine - I'm using Chrome and it's remembering my persona; must be a glitch.

And the answer: Hubs and I saw 1408 because of Dustin's review, and loved it. I know that movie was ages ago, we just don't go to the cinema very often. About once a year in fact. Our 'Cineplex Night Out' gift tickets are starting to pile up.

Posted by: Goldie at June 16, 2010 4:41 PM

The BF and I just watched Devil in a Blue Dress last night because of the review on here. We're almost finished ( I fell asleep within the last half hour)
I've always seen it in the store, and wanted to watch it but then forgot about it, so thanks Pajiba!
In general if it's something that is brought up here either in an article or gets a lot of praise in comments, I will either Netflix it right away or go see in theaters.

Posted by: ninetwenteetoo at June 16, 2010 4:41 PM

I saw Easier With Practice after I read the review on Pajiba. I was impressed with it, and I'm glad it's a smaller movie, because I think it could be easy for people to sensationalize the sexuality of the story and be too distracted to take it all in. It might still be available to watch instantly on Netflix, so it's convenient to access if you have a subscription.

Posted by: Dorothy Snarker at June 16, 2010 4:42 PM

Let the right one in. Absolutely beautiful film that I wouldn't have even known about without this site.

Posted by: Meredith at June 16, 2010 4:44 PM

Kick Ass, because a few Jibans really liked it, and yes, it was much better than I had anticipated. Good lord I LOVED Nicholas Cage in it.

I also watched a downloaded copy of Legion at a friends house, despite my protestations that 'my site said it sucked' and it most certainly did. Oh did it ever. Worst use of Charles S. Dutton and his magic powers of intonation yet.

Dan turned out to be spot on with Across the Universe, another I wouldn't have tried; Dustin's review for The Host intrigued me and paid off handsomely; Hurt Locker and Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus reviews here also hooked me into a seat.

On the flip side I pursued The Pacific Series wholeheartedly and had a lot more...patience? Willingness to allow a slower pace maybe? I loved it and didn't really agree with Ted's viewpoint, although I respected his thoughtful argument, as always.

So yeah - I disagree with a lot more than the one listed above, but essentially I think this particular site has done me more favors per review than any other. (I know that's kiss assy, but totally true.)

Posted by: replica at June 16, 2010 4:45 PM

Sherlock Holmes. Because I saw it in a Redbox thing and thought, "Didn't Dustin's review say that it was incredibly amusing, arousing, and awesome without being, you know, deep?"

Bam. Consider "Peanut Butter Sandwich and Frivolous Movie Night" an annual tradition.

Posted by: esme at June 16, 2010 4:45 PM

Part of the reason I started coming back here was that the reviews frequently mirrored my own reactions, whether positive or negative. So, I honestly can't say that I'll go to a screening based on a good/bad review from you people -- probably I'm already on my way to see it, or already avoiding it like the plague.

That being said, you all have a tendency to refer films in passing despite never doing a proper review. The last movie I saw which falls into that category (a movie I've never heard of which I seek out because of a Pajiba referal) was "Tigerland." It was very good.

Actually, I have a list sitting on my desk at work. The most recent new movies to fall on that list are "The Silent House" and "The Exam." I don't know when or where they were mentioned, but they're on the list and this is the only movie website I visit, so one of you fuckers is to blame.

Posted by: superasente at June 16, 2010 4:45 PM

I've gotten to the point where 80-90 percent of the movies I see have to be in the green on metacritic/rotten tomatoes as a baseline measure before I will see them.

After that, I may read reviews here and on avclub or hear about it from my one cinéaste friend. So really, every movie I see is based on reviews at some level. The exception to that will be Inception which I want to go in knowing nothing about.

But the last movies I discovered and became interested in based on reading reviews first were Primer and Let Right One In.

After just reading Forbiddendonut above - pretty much what she said.

Posted by: Blair at June 16, 2010 4:46 PM

And the last time I went to a theater because of a review was Star TreK. It got such a great review here and it was absolutely worth it. But haven't been excited about anything else since then.

Posted by: figgy at June 16, 2010 4:46 PM

The Hurt Locker - I've been off war movies for a long time, but the excellent reviews dragged me in even though I ddn't want to be sad. And I was still surprised by how much I liked it. Oh, and Pajiba's review of I Sell the Dead hooked me on that one; great fun!

Posted by: Cindy at June 16, 2010 4:54 PM

Let's see.... Looking through my streaming history, it looks like The Snake (liked it), Primer (loved it), Let The Right One In (want it to have my baby).

Posted by: logar at June 16, 2010 5:00 PM

The reviews here are just fine. I am the problem. I'll go and check out the odd shitty movie regardless and suffer accordingly.
@replica. Legion was an atrocity of epic proportions!

Posted by: peanut at June 16, 2010 5:05 PM

I don't watch movies, I'm only here for the comments....

Posted by: frank (aka frank_247 aka the lone Scotsman) at June 16, 2010 5:05 PM

Nadine: I'm having the same trouble, too. Just upgraded to Safari 5 - maybe that's the issue?

As for the diversion... I guess I'm easily swayed by a solid critical consensus on a film. Something like The White Ribbon where most of my impetus to see it arose from critical response. A lot of the time, I tend to find myself being underwhelmed with these kinds of films, perhaps because of raised expectations. It's the ones that I really love, though, like Children of Men or WALL•E, where the critical response was exuberant and subsequently, so was I.

I think it's simply impossible to go into a film devoid of its critical context (for me, at least). I'd like to think it never wholly informs my response to a film, but it certainly colors my expectations. The reverse of the "great reviews" thing is true, too - I saw All About Steve because it was so universally panned (verdict: yeah, it was terrible, though Sandra Bullock kinda wasn't), but something like Aeon Flux I think deserves a better rep than it received, but I probably wouldn't have seen it in the first place if not for the critical backlash.

Posted by: whatBENwatches at June 16, 2010 5:09 PM

"a good/bad review from you people"

What do you mean, YOU people?

Posted by: MM at June 16, 2010 5:10 PM

I went and saw The A-Team because your review was more positive and negative. And you fucked me.

Posted by: Will at June 16, 2010 5:16 PM

I know you said to just list the last movie I saw because of a review (that would be Appaloosa I think), but for years and years I've used reviews as a major factor in finding good movies. I used to be a devoted reader of Roger Ebert but for the last couple of years Pajiba has been my guide. Of course there are a lot of movies I want to see and just read the review for it's own entertainment value. But often there will be movies that don't immediately appeal to me or I've never heard of that a good review will make me want to see.

In the recent past here are the movies that I saw based strictly on the reviews and comments here on Pajiba.

Ones I loved:
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The Station Agent
Black Dynamite
3:10 to Yuma
Dr Horrible's Sing along Blog
Stranger Than Fiction

Ones I liked:
Charlie Wilson's War
Appaloosa
Good Night, and Good Luck
Brick

Ones I didn't like:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Traitor

Ones I currently have queued or will queue:
MicMacs
Please Give
Good Hair
The Brothers Bloom

There are also TV shows I watched because of the reviews/comments here. Dexter, The Wire, and Deadwood.

Posted by: EricD at June 16, 2010 5:17 PM

There are far too many to list. Basically, I agree with Dustin about 80% of the time, which is absurdly high. When we disagree about a movie I am very disappointed. The most recent recommendation was Kicking and Screaming which is now one of my favorite movies.

Posted by: "luker" the barbarian at June 16, 2010 5:24 PM

I almost always watch movies because of the review. My strategy has always been to find a reviewer with whom I generally agree and then choose what I watch based on his/ her review. Besides you guys, the only other reviews I ever read and trust are Roger Ebert's, although I'm finding that my tastes are diverging much more from his as of late. I rarely go to the theatre any more, but watch lots of IFC and do the Netflix thing and I generally seek out movies I've heard good things about here. I've got Splice and Exam in my queue. I saw the most recent Star Trek and Batman (with Heath Ledger, even though I hadn't seen the first Batman in the new series) movies in the theatre. I bought Let the Right One In sight unseen (and I never buy movies, especially without knowing what it is first). All based on Pajiba reviews.

Posted by: elsie at June 16, 2010 5:25 PM

Y'all almost always review the opposite of my local paper, which is a good thing--they are headasses.

And y'all got me to rent Where the Wild Things Are, a film I would have otherwise feared was either too much for kids or too precious and twee by half. You said it was neither of those and I agree. Great call.

There are other examples, I just can't think of them. Oh, I read about films I would never otherwise hear about here. That's a good thing!

Posted by: Snuggiepants the Deathbringer at June 16, 2010 5:31 PM

I saw Brick purely because of Dan Carlson's review right here on the 'jiba. Have seen a fair few movies recommended on Pajiba since then and rarely have I been disappointed.

Posted by: Thaf at June 16, 2010 5:35 PM

I saw The A-Team based almost 100% on the Pajiba review. Dead serious.

Posted by: ChristianH at June 16, 2010 5:42 PM

Splice, and I want my $6 back. That's not fair. It's not TK's fault that I ignored the whole jumping off the tracks into a firey death of horrible filmmaking aspect of the review. We basically reacted the same way to the film, only in true Robert fashion, I expressed my rage through unfounded hyperbole and attempts to explain my film philosophy.

Consider it the rubbernecking factor by way of masochism. I knew from the reviews I would hate myself for hating the film yet I still did went willingly.

Posted by: Robert at June 16, 2010 5:56 PM

Oh yeah I saw Brick and Let the right one in based solely off of the reviews (and subsequently the comments) here on Pajiba. Those two movies have jumped their way up into my top ten since seeing them so great job. On a side note, I'll give anything SLW reviews positively the benefit of the doubt.

I mean honestly the whole reason I started obsessively reading this site was due to an agreement on about 80% of the films reviewed. but after being here so long, you learn to trust some of the commenters as much as the reviewers. I mean some folks on here Like Yossarian, Kayanne, and superasante (unless his knocking some mumblecore shit that I'll probably love.) have swayed my opinions as much as the reviews they've commented on.I mean I could probably name 5 movies I've seen becuase of commenters disagreeing with the review.

Posted by: Blank at June 16, 2010 5:57 PM

I do trust in Pajiba's recommendation for the most part, although I rarely go to the movies these days. I enjoy the humor and tone of Vince over at FilmDrunk and I really enjoy when he does full-length movie reviews, such as his glowing praise for Winter's Bone. He really convinced me to watch it, and I am lucky enough to live in a city that is actually screening the film.

Posted by: electricdaisy at June 16, 2010 6:00 PM

Brick, The Wackness, Drag Me To Hell, and Sherlock Holmes. From Pajiba, where else? The first was ok, and I really liked the second and third. The fourth was utter crap. I still need to see Waitress (I'm slow on these things), and I'm intrigued by the A-Team review. I'll Netflix that one, both to satisfy my curiosity and thrill the husband. He likes to play smart guy but he's a sucker for movies like this when they're done well-ish.

Posted by: katy at June 16, 2010 6:04 PM

Look, because of all of you assholes, my Nuckflix queue is 243 movies long. 'Nuff said.

Posted by: admin at June 16, 2010 6:08 PM

whatBenwatches, I'm on Google Chrome and every other autofill box is working, just not 'Jiba.
Maybe it's something a restart will fix.

I like this article. If this was FB I'd like the article, and all the comments on it, because did you know you can do that now?!

Posted by: Nadine at June 16, 2010 6:09 PM

Stop it Nadine! It's madness I say!

Posted by: Julie at June 16, 2010 6:12 PM

It was probably How To Train Your Dragon. I wasn't planning on seeing it, but I had to after the overwhelming love from critics and I ended up loving it (the soundtrack was great too).

Posted by: Snrub at June 16, 2010 6:23 PM

Triangle had been in my Netflix queue, but then I deleted it since I've suffered through enough run-of-the-mill horror lately. Then I read the Pajiba review and gave it a second look. It still annoyed me in parts, but it was more thought-provoking and interesting than what I had expected.

Also, Trick r Treat, Let the Right One In, Hurt Locker were all heard of via Pajiba. There were also a few I watched on Pajiba recommendation and hated. So.

Posted by: Pinky McLadybits at June 16, 2010 6:32 PM

The only ones that come to mind directly are:

I'm Through With White Girls
Sneakers
Primer
Zero Effect

namely because Pajiba was the only place I ever heard of them. I am still waiting to see Brick (found the DVD in a bargain bin).

I did see both District B13 and Equilibrium because of reviews, one from the local liberal hippie paper, and one from a late night viewing of At the Movies.

Posted by: Vermillion at June 16, 2010 6:44 PM

The last four movie I've seen (in a theater):

Movie-----Review-----Was I glad I saw the movie?

Splice-----Positive-----Yes
Iron Man 2-----Positive-----Yes
Kick Ass-----Positive-----Yes
Clash of the Titans-----Mostly negative-----No.

Sources of reviews: Pajiba, EW, HitFix, Rotten Tomatoes, AICN, USA Today, Brutal As Hell.

Posted by: John W at June 16, 2010 6:46 PM

Anything I see in the theater is based on Pajiba's reviews. I don't go out to watch movies much so the review would REALLY have to intrigue me.

I really wanted to see Splice after that whole spoilerific thread, but I decided not to because I will probably hate it... So that goes to show that intriguing doesn't necessarily mean a positive review.

The one time I decided to watch a movie without reading an reviews was a fucking disaster. Legion. Awful awful awful. Paul Bethany looked cool!!! I was seduced by the concept! gahh

The last thing I saw was Iron Man 2. I would have probably watched it anyway, but the review made me actually buy tickets.

The ones that pop into mind are Up in The Air and How to Train Your Dragon and Waitress. Oh and I LOVVVEEEEEE Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and it's all thanks to you guys.

Posted by: dene at June 16, 2010 6:51 PM

Oh! Good Hair! Saw that because of Pajiba, loved it.

Posted by: Snuggiepants the Deathbringer at June 16, 2010 6:52 PM

"Shortly after the birth of the Artist came the inevitable afterbirth ... the Critic."
- History of the World, Part 1

I think the last movie I paid money to see after reading the Pajiba review was Watchmen. It didn't suck too hard.

Posted by: The Wanderer at June 16, 2010 7:08 PM

You rightly praise your fellow film critics on their excellent reviews, and I've yet to see a more entertaining (and addictive) film review site as consistently reliable and informative as the one I'm on right now.

Having said that: your message might have been a bit more magnanimous had you included other critics, in any/all current medias other than Pajiba's alone, that are just as deserving of recognition.

A cursory nod to Ebert or Christe, et al, is fine when a particular reference point/influence has been needed to complete a proper review of a particular film, but you fail to mention even one critic outside of your site that would certainly demand attention when you're praising film critics as a whole.

Personally, I like Lisa Schwartzbaum from EW magazine; she rarely ever steers me wrong, and her latest Heigl assasination is hilarious and heart-breakingly true, considering her latest cinematic atrocity.

Just saying, the world is full of critics- you didn't invent the idea. How about spreading the praise around a bit more?

Posted by: anon 4 fear of reprisal at June 16, 2010 7:16 PM

A longer list, I think, would be my list of movies that I will not see because of Pajiba.

I have officially excised the portion of my feeble brain dedicated to entertainment decision-making, and replaced it with this URL.

Posted by: logar at June 16, 2010 7:17 PM

I’ll still see a poorly reviewed film if the premise interests me, although a middling or negative review might calibrate my expectations (eg Watchmen). As for critics generally, it’s less important to agree than to know what you can rely on them for. The local Siskel & Ebert, Margaret Pomeranz & David Stratton have been pretty reliable over the last 20-25 years for all but Australian films, as I find them a little too forgiving towards the local industry.

Pajiba and I don’t always agree, but it usually skews towards my preferences. You guys have put me onto enough great stuff- Deadwood, The Wire, Let The Right One, Thirst, Red Cliff etc- that I can ignore the obsessions with centipedes, RyRey and the Kathryn Heigl 2 Minutes Hate.

Posted by: Squirrelgripper at June 16, 2010 7:41 PM

that Lisa Schwartzbaum review was pretty funny.

Posted by: dene at June 16, 2010 9:14 PM

If Rotten Tomatoes rates something less than 30%, I probably won't go see it even if I really want to. That's a download once the DVD comes out. Cop-Out comes to mind.

That Guy with Glasses' Bum reviews have made me want to see a movie... How to Train your dragon, being one. That's a great site if you're a Lord and Master of the Dorks (and I am).

Posted by: malechai at June 16, 2010 9:33 PM

I saw Away We Go largely because of Dustin's review and really enjoyed it. I saw Zombieland largely because of Dustin's review and really hated it. So Dustin either has great taste in movies or abysmal taste in movies. I'm not sure which.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at June 16, 2010 9:37 PM

I saw How to Train your Dragon because of the reviews and LOVED it. So yeah, critics do matter.

Posted by: Jeremy Feist at June 16, 2010 10:02 PM

For me it's actually more about the TV shows I watch because of reviews. Three shows came on here in the U.S. while I was living in Europe and I read about them here. Since returning I now have all 3 on DVD: Arrested Development, Veronica Mars, and best of all, Firefly. It sucked that I was taught to love that which would not last, though. Damn it.

Posted by: lainiefig at June 16, 2010 10:05 PM

"Adventureland"

Yes

Posted by: , at June 17, 2010 1:37 AM

District 9 (loved it)
Samson and Delilah (little Australian film, breathtakingly amazing)

Posted by: carmensandiego at June 17, 2010 3:36 AM

Carmen Sandiego!

Samson and Delilah is gorgeous!

Last one I saw based on critics' reviews was Kick Ass, because they kept going on about how inappropriate and terrible it was and I LOVED IT!

Suck it 'the Age' and 'Sydney Morning Herald!'

Before that it was 'Wake in Fright', an aussie film that was lost for years and years since it was made in the seventies, and it is super scary and contains real life clips of kangaroo cullings before it was illegal

I was so glad I watched it even though it was limited release because it was so goshdarn fantastic

So, in review (tehhe gedit?)

The thing is everyone has different film tastes, whether theyre a great film critic or my best friend (who loves Twilight and Alvin and the Chipmunks) or your partner (mine love Ghostrider)...

I an pretty much enjoy any film whether I'm astounded by a script, actors or soundtrack or costume... or whether I'm taking the piss out of a fiery nic Cage attempting to act

And I'm sure its the same with many 'Jibans


Posted by: Camilla at June 17, 2010 4:54 AM

Wow this was probably one of the best articles I have go over on the topic so far. I do not have any idea where you get all your information but up! I am gunna send a few folks on over to take a look at this post. Fantastic, totally awesome.

Posted by: Xbox Kinect Console at June 17, 2010 7:17 AM

I saw Away We Go and, more of a find, Lars and the Real Girl because of reviews here on Pajiba.

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at June 17, 2010 8:59 AM

I ...don't see (or not see) movies based on reviews. I see movies because I love movies. I love the art of the film. Period. (OK, maybe not period. I'm sure there must be *some* movie that I wasn't going to see and decided to because it got more favorable reviews than expected. But I can't name one. Also, I think everyone here knows by this point that I will watch damn near anything.)

However, I also love to read reviews and criticism. Reading criticism is a separate matter, for me. I love the art of the review as much as I love the art of the movie. It's a fine line y'all need to walk, to sum up an entire film without giving anything away lest someone die from SPOILERs, and yet weaving an eloquently worded opinion on that film. Sometimes it's so beautifully done I could weep, and other times, it seems like the reviewer/critic was just tired, but I'll never stop reading them.

And while they are separate art forms, and I appreciate each in different ways, they also go hand in hand. I have my favorite critics (Roger Ebert is one; say what you will about his opinions on specific films, the man has been in the industry for, what, 50 years now, and he can WRITE) and I love to read their takes on the films they've seen, whether or not I've seen them or plan to see them or they wind up being one of those movies that pops up one day on the Netflix "suggestions" that happens to be what I'm in the mood for at that moment. I love criticism because it creates a dialogue about films (as it does in other art forms, i.e. art criticism, literary criticism) and their meaning, and they do have meaning and also create meaning, don't kid yourself that they don't, rather than letting them just infiltrate your brainspace with no context. I love criticism because it helps to make sense of what's happening on the screen, and how it relates to other things. I love critics, even when I don't agree with them, because they THINK.

I love you guys. Even when you're dumb. Which for some of you (*cough*TK*cough*) is most of the time. I love all of your individual voices. I love Drew and Ranylt's crazy "over-educated", decadently wordy reviews and SLW's almost equally over-educated (right? Almost?) and slightly less esoteric ones; I love Prisco and TK's curse-laden diatribes as well as their curse-laden commendations; I love Dustin and Bedhead and Carlson and Boynton's thoughtful takes on the films they review. I certainly hope, for your sakes and mine, that criticism never dies.

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at June 17, 2010 9:19 AM

I saw Exit Through the Gift Shop based entirely on Seth's two reviews. I was so intrigued after reading the double review that I sent them to the Main Squeeze and then he was very excited to see the movie. We actually had a choice between that and Iron Man 2, and chose Exit. So there ya go.

Sunshine also stands out as a movie we saw after I read the excellent review here. After we saw it, we then recommended it to the Main Squeeze's brother, who went out and saw it and loved it.

Posted by: tamatha at June 17, 2010 11:06 AM

Once upon a time I wrote movie reviews for a local weekly called "Terminal City". There are hundreds of hours of my life I will never get back. Some of those hours were spent watching drek like "Catch & Release", "Prime", "An Unfinished Life" and "the Perfect Man". Eventually I stopped writing reviews. People thought I was too critical.

But You know what? I will never forget watching "Birth" for the first time, and realizing I could never review this film. I loved it. The critics hated it. Such is life.

Posted by: maewest at June 17, 2010 10:08 PM

Off the top of my head, the last few movies I saw because of a review include:

How To Train Your Dragon
Trick R Treat
Hurt Locker
District 9
Moon

I enjoyed all of them, but I would have missed them if I hadn't read the reviews. A couple of those just didn't interest me before the review. The others I only heard about because of the review.

This weekend, I'll be seeing Micmacs and The A Team based on Pajiba reviews. And I've added The Exam to my Netflix list.

Of course, some movies I see in spite of the reviews--others, I just don't want to see, regardless of how good the reviews are.

Posted by: ariadne at June 17, 2010 11:22 PM

The Trotsky. I enjoyed it. His role wasn't a large one, but Colm Feore always brings it, so when he showed up, I thought 'neat'.

I mainly read the reviews just for leisure, I don't have a very high threshold for human sentiment and can't watch violence of any kind, so options are very limited. Rom-coms are pruno, but not as nice, and anyone who squees for twee deserves the knife I shove into his femoral artery, so don't fight it.

Posted by: Jo 'Mama' Besser at June 18, 2010 12:15 AM

Most recent was definitely "How to Train Your Dragon"; I thought it looked like your average Dreamworks "meh" until all the reviews I saw it getting were uber-positive. Same thing with Sherlock Holmes (initial trailer was disappointing, later reviews convinced me to give it a chance).

In general, I tend to be pretty hyper-critical of films from trailers/premise/etc., and it will take a large quantity of proof otherwise to convince me against my initial opinion. In some cases, if the premise doesn't interest me, it will take a LOT of convincing to get me to see it, even if it IS such a great movie and all.

The biggest use I have for reviews is, therefore, when it comes to movies I've never heard of before. "Let the Right One In" was one of these, as was "The Proposition" and "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (though the final two were recommended by trusted friends as opposed to professional reviewers).

Finally, pretty much anything on Criterion of Kino are auto-recommended for me, but once again premise will come into play on selecting the ones to watch ASAP.

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