Film Lover vs. Educated Movie-Goer

[NathanRomano]

When I went to see Inglourious Basterds at Midnight, I looked around. I thought I would be in a theater full of film lovers that wanted to see the new Tarantino movie first, but sadly I realized that a Midnight Screening has turned from fans of films or the series to just a show time. When I saw Star Wars III at Midnight, people were dressed up, cheering, light saber battling. When I saw The Dark Knight, it was silent the entire time, no one was dressed up and the row in front of me was four middle-aged housewives. That's not to say they aren't huge Batman fans, but odds are, they aren't. (That was kind of a ramble, sorry)

Anyway, the point is that there's a fine line between a film lover and an educated movie-goer. Just because you know who directed Training Day and American Gangster doesn't mean you are a film lover. It's OK if you're just the movie goer who pays attention and knows a little bit, so you can have some form of conversation about films, but when you masquerade as a film lover, it's annoying.

This doesn't mean that in order to be a film lover or film geek or what ever you want to call it, you must know everything about every movie.

A film lover is judged not by how much he knows, but how much he cares.

And if all you want is to see cars fighting and Megan Fox in skimpy clothes, you do not care.

[jdparker]

Exactly how do you judge how much a stranger in the cinema "cares" about a movie? If it's based on whether or not they dress up for a given movie, well, that's just superficial. I've never dressed up for an opening night and probably never will, it's not my style. Are you saying that I don't care? I really don't think that people with an interest in film are interested just for conversation sake, they clearly enjoy movies, and I think it's a tad pretentious to hold these people up to some imaginary standard of "film lover".

I'm sorry but I don't understand this rant at all. It sounds to me like you've romanticized the midnight screening. Each person in the audience at your Inglorious Basterds screening was there for reasons just as valid as yours.

[NathanRomano]

Well when people yell, talk and text during the movie, it leads me to believe they aren't too interested in the movie. You can tell whether or not an audience is excited.
And that was all a side rant, so sorry.

I just know some people that pretend they love film but really just know a few names. I can't really explain it, you just have to know someone like it

[Shinigami]

I'd wager that Tarantino would label himself a "film lover".

As has been quoted in another schmoes signature:
When people ask me if I went to film school I tell them no, I went to films

Bam.

Btw I didn't understand your rant either. Film lover versus educated movie goer? What do you mean?

[Cbenz]

I have no idea what you’re talking about Tyler.

It seems to me that you are confusing a film lover with a fanboy. Fanboys are usually obsessed with a particular genre or series and often dress up for movies and collect memorabilia. Unlike a film lover, they are maniacal about one specific franchise and irritate normal working stiffs who happen to appreciate lots of different movies.

I think it’s silly to suggest that someone doesn’t like movies as much as you because they didn’t show up to Inglorious Basterds dressed as Vincent Vega. They obviously like QT enough to go to the theater at midnight to see a two and a half hour movie, when they likely have to go to work in the morning. I’m a huge QT fan but I haven’t even seen Inglorious Basterds yet. I have it penciled in for next Thursday afternoon. I work seven days a week at three jobs, and am a full time graduate student. I don’t have the money to waste on toys, costumes, or memorabilia, and even if I did, I wouldn’t spend my money on that junk (I would probably buy copies of the movies I love so much). I guess that makes me a phony film lover.

[NathanRomano]

Alright, let's drop the midnight showing thing- it was a side rant that I rambled onto when I started typing. It wasn't directed towards Inglourious Basterds specifically. Just that midnight screenings were a place that fans of that series or whatever could go together and see it. Now people just show up. (There was a Midnight Screening for Aliens in the Attic.) It doesn't have the same charm as before, there's texting, talking, being rude. The energy isn't there.

This is probably a bad example, but Earth Day. On Earth Day everyone pretends to care about the environment and then the next day it's all the same. It's just people don't care. If you know and love sports, cool. I've seen a Baseball game. I know who Johnny Damon is, but I won't call myself a sports fanatic. Maybe it's cause I'm in high school, and I encounter annoying teens everyday. For some reason it makes me mad when someone calls a film like Half Nelson 'awesome!'. I don't know why, it just urks me.

I have a cousin who pretends to be a film lover. He knows some directors and actors, but he just doesn't care about the art of it, the storytelling. The characters. Just the action.

Does any of this make sense to anyone or do I just sound like a fool?

[Reigh Kaufman]

Does any of this make sense to anyone or do I just sound like a fool?

No, but you have to understand that we are Rob, Barry and Dick from High Fidelity. We frown upon people who enjoy the experience but don't appreciate the effort and the art of movie-making.

As I understand it, this analogy is what I think you are trying to say:

"What bands do you like?"

" I love Beastie Boys"

"Cool"

-Puts on Sounds of Science.

"What's this?"

"Beastie Boys - you said you liked them?"

"Oh, yeah. I liked that one song they did - Intergalactic. Do you have that?"

So they are not really fans of the Beastie Boys, but simply like one track. They have no interest in exploring the rest of their music - because they are not really educated in the sound of the Beastie Boys craft, just the catchy tune they heard in a club or on the radio one time.

Something like that?

[FireCaptain4]

I must say, being on a movie fan site, like JoBlo, makes me a little anxious sometimes. I love movies, I absolutely adore them and the craft of making them, BUT mostly everyone here feels the same way. That's great on one hand, but I'm always worried about scrutiny here. Granted, there are rules in place to prevent someone from being a dick on the site, but there's a ton of stuff about filmmaking and many, many films that people claim are greats that I still haven't seen. Look at Reigh Kaufman's Beastie Boys example: if someone were to ask me if I loved Alfred Hitchcock, I'd say yes. However, if they asked me what I think about Rope, I'd have to tell them "I've never seen it." Does this mean they'll frown upon me because I'm not as big of a devotee to have experienced Hitchcock's entire resume? I worry that they would, despite my love and appreciation for North by Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, Strangers on a Train, and Rear Window. I also feared this just recently when posting in the "Rate Others Top Ten Lists" thread. I noticed the films I included were all rather recent films and kind of felt shamed by it, hoping someone wouldn't respond with "how dare ye not include older cinema!" Then I noticed my contradiction by mocking someone else's list above me (it was a joke and I pointed that out in the post, but it may have been in bad taste especially when someone is willing to pour out their list for all to see).

Anyway, I don't really differentiate between film lovers and educated film-goers. Aren't they one in the same?

If you truly love movies, you'll probably want to know more about them and you'll do some research and, in the process, become an educated film-goer (or, at least, over time).

Now, differentiating between a casual movie goer and people like us is much easier, I think. When somebody says coming out of District 9 that it's the worst film they've ever seen, your first thought probably is, "wow, they must not watch many movies."

As long as audience members aren't noisy, chatty, texting, squeaking, teenage twerps, I don't have much of a problem with an audience. When people are genuinely excited about a movie (as the audience was with Inglorious Basterds recently), it's blast when you hear the audience cheer as Brad Pitt says. "... this may be my masterpiece."

Then again, I can remember seeing Burn After Reading last year and being puzzled when me and my sister were the ONLY ONES laughing during a screening in a packed theater. I swear the only time I heard so much as a giggle during the whole thing was when Clooney's "chair" reveal occurred.

Silence can also be a good thing. I remember the audience being silent during Zodiac because they were on the edge of their seats and loving it. Afterwards, I heard some clapping once the credits started and people came out exclaiming, "wow"s and "damn"s.

[NathanRomano]

No, but you have to understand that we are Rob, Barry and Dick from High Fidelity. We frown upon people who enjoy the experience but don't appreciate the effort and the art of movie-making.

As I understand it, this analogy is what I think you are trying to say:

"What bands do you like?"

" I love Beastie Boys"

"Cool"

-Puts on Sounds of Science.

"What's this?"

"Beastie Boys - you said you liked them?"

"Oh, yeah. I liked that one song they did - Intergalactic. Do you have that?"

So they are not really fans of the Beastie Boys, but simply like one track. They have no interest in exploring the rest of their music - because they are not really educated in the sound of the Beastie Boys craft, just the catchy tune they heard in a club or on the radio one time.

Something like that?

Exactly like that.

And FireCaptain, I feel there's more to being a film lover than just knowing the stuff. I can't put it in words. I just can't, I'm sorry- I wish I could explain it better.

[FLAME_ON]

I can always tell if there are "film lovers" in an audience if the theater is packed with fat kids in Nintendo t-shirts, hipsters with black rim glasses, and you can hear the chatter of 100 unfunny jokes as people try to impress others sitting around them.

[someguy]

I still find this to be a weird rant since, I would assume, an educated movie-goer would also be a film lover.

[NathanRomano]

maybe educated movie-goer isn't the right term. A casual person that watches movies every once in awhile, who happens to know a few names

[Highspeed]

I still find this to be a weird rant since, I would assume, an educated movie-goer would also be a film lover.

Thats what I thought when I first read the title to this thread I didnt see the difference. But I'm beginning to see what he means.

[jdparker]

Well when people yell, talk and text during the movie, it leads me to believe they aren't too interested in the movie. You can tell whether or not an audience is excited.
And that was all a side rant, so sorry.

I definitely agree with you on this. I think I used to get annoyed by the same things as you when I was younger, in high school. What I realized was that I just hated the people that would say things like "Yah, I love Fight Club", and it pissed me off that they liked the same things as me.

No, but you have to understand that we are Rob, Barry and Dick from High Fidelity. We frown upon people who enjoy the experience but don't appreciate the effort and the art of movie-making.

I was thinking about this after my first post. I think that lots of people just see it as, "I love Pulp Fiction, I love Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill is Sick and therefore I like Quentin Tarantino". Whereas serious film buffs, the kind that, and I use this term hestitantly, but I think it's true, the kind of people that "study" films, can explain why they're excited about a QT film, or why they loved it. The dialogue, the pro direction of actors, the unpretentious love of all things cinema.

[echo_bravo]

A film lover is judged not by how much he knows, but how much he cares.

.

How much do you care???

I consider myself a film buff (or movie geek) but I dont want my life to revolve around only movies.

[NathanRomano]

How much do you care???

I consider myself a film buff (or movie geek) but I dont want my life to revolve around only movies.

My life doesn't revolve around movies, but there definitely a huge part of my life. One of my favorite activities. I'd rather sit with some film geek friends at the "Bistro Lounge" and talk movies before a screening of Blue Velvet than go to a club where I can't even hear my self.

[echo_bravo]

.

[ericdraven]

I had another situation like that with one of my friends. I had a debate with her on her favorite Johnny Depp movie, and I said my favorite was "Dead Man" and she replied "oh DEAD MAN'S CHEST WAS AMAZING" I literally said to her that it was indie film that he made in 1995, it was in b&w and 3 hours long. She was like "I hate black and white films. why can't they do them in color?" I just got up and left after she said that.

[echo_bravo]

Disregard this post, I was shitfaced when I first typed it out and I looked at it sober this morning and it didnt make a lick of sense. ;)

[jdparker]

Disregard this post, I was shitfaced when I first typed it out and I looked at it sober this morning and it didnt make a lick of sense. ;)

LOL, it made sense, and it makes even more sense knowing you were drunk.

[fooknasty]

What do you mean about loving the making of a film? And studying a film?

Just beacuse someone hasn't taken a class or doesn't know who the cinematographer of a film is doesn't mean he is not a lover of film.

Just because someone prefers watching a Zack Snyder movie over an Alfred Hitchcock movie doesn't mean he has no taste or passion for movies (Now if he refuses to give Hitchcock a chance, that is a different story).

I am confused by this rant.

[LordSimen]

I say long live Zack Snyder AND Alfred Hitchcock... If he were still alive. =( At least I got my many DVD's of Alfred Hitchcock Presents so I can listen to his crazy ass voice speak as if he were talking directly too me.

*Sits in a corner and rocks.*

[bigred760]

I like to think of myself as an educated film lover. I like to watch movies and I like to learn as much about them as possible: what went on behind-the-scenes, what actors and directors were at one point involved, symbolism in the movies, what inspired the writers/directors/actors to do certain things in the movie, etc. I know everyone doesn't do this, but I enjoy doing it. I enjoy learning about the movies and what not. The more "stories" and things I learn about the movie, the more memorable it becomes for me.

Of course, not everyone does this. I think most people just go to the movies, pay for the ticket and popcorn, sit down and simply enjoy the movie and that's the end of it for them. Few of them are pricks and talk, text, etc. and ruin it for others. I like going home and learning more about movies. People know me for this; my friends and family know that I know a boatload about movies. It's become a part of who I am.

[FireCaptain4]

... I literally said to her that it was indie film that he made in 1995, it was in b&w and 3 hours long. She was like "I hate black and white films. why can't they do them in color?" I just got up and left after she said that.

Kudos to you. I seriously don't know how I would have reacted to the situation. Maybe something like this...

http://i44.tinypic.com/2i8vp0j.jpg

[Highspeed]

I like to think of myself as an educated film lover. I like to watch movies and I like to learn as much about them as possible: what went on behind-the-scenes, what actors and directors were at one point involved, symbolism in the movies, what inspired the writers/directors/actors to do certain things in the movie, etc. I know everyone doesn't do this, but I enjoy doing it. I enjoy learning about the movies and what not. The more "stories" and things I learn about the movie, the more memorable it becomes for me.

Of course, not everyone does this. I think most people just go to the movies, pay for the ticket and popcorn, sit down and simply enjoy the movie and that's the end of it for them. Few of them are pricks and talk, text, etc. and ruin it for others. I like going home and learning more about movies. People know me for this; my friends and family know that I know a boatload about movies. It's become a part of who I am.


This is basically what I've grown into...

[FireCaptain4]

See, I actually wish I knew a few people like those on this website in my everyday life. Discussion about movies always falls flat after about two or three minutes with others outside of the forums, mainly because others don't know what the heck I'm talking about. I know a few hardcore movie lovers, but I don't see them as often as I'd like (maybe once or twice a month since they live in different cities or states due to college or work or family).

[ericdraven]

See, I actually wish I knew a few people like those on this website in my everyday life. Discussion about movies always falls flat after about two or three minutes with others outside of the forums, mainly because others don't know what the heck I'm talking about. I know a few hardcore movie lovers, but I don't see them as often as I'd like (maybe once or twice a month since they live in different cities or states due to college or work or family).

I think the exact same thing. You can't really debate movies with your parents or anybody else f or that matter when probably your parents hate half the movies you love and they probably don't understand the message of the film. I showed my parents Fight Club and they thought it was Misogynistic, which I explained that is what the author was going for.

[deathw1shzero]

so i guess i'm just an educated film goer cause i usually go to the movie like once or twice a month and all i want to see is fighting and megan fox in skimpy clothes,but sometimes i do enjoy watchin a movie without any of those in it and i'm not even familiar with some of the movies you guys mention on the site.

[Natty]

I'm not sure if I totally understand the difference between the two but this reminds me a discussion I had with friends today.

I suggested we go to the cinema and see Inglourious Basterds (before the film came out). They apparently wanted to see it too but I had to really push for the trip if you know what I mean, its like I was the only one who wanted to go.

I told them that I don't see how we all rushed to see Transformers 2 on opening day (we are all 18) yet when the actual films are released we are not that keen, I basically said most people our age are philistines and also emphasised how great Basterds was in my typical Tarantino-fanboy way. One of them expressed that he would rather see District 9 and I said that that basically proves my point to which he replied that he 'can appreciate Oscar worthy films and blockbuster films, but blockbusters offer a better cinematic experience'.

This is a different arguement but the point of this is that my friends see me as the pretentious 'educated movie goer' the OP was referring to so I thought I'd share the recent discussion. My friend is wrong though as I think it depends for what you're looking for in a movie. In my opinion, if it's a better film, it's a better experience...in most cases.

[Asa_Phelps]

I know I'm late to this discussion but I have got to say that I know exactly what you mean. However I've never encountered this when it comes to film. Yet.

From what I'm understanding (and because this was my own rant) it sounds like you're saying there are people who masquerade as movie lovers but they're the same people who say things like 'The movie 9 was amazing! Tim Burton is a genius!'

Just recently actually I was speaking with a girl in my class who said she loved South Park and it was one of her favrioute shows. I got excited because I don't know many girls who like the show. Ten minutes and several episode summaries later I realized she had pretty much just seen Make Love Not Warcraft.

[The Postmaster General]

Could I analogize films to chocolate ice cream, and say that you don't have to know how chocolate ice cream is made, who made it, etc, etc, in order to love it?

I think "educated movie-goer" is misleading because when I think of that I immediately think of like some stanford professor wearing a wool suit and smoking a pipe while watching a Maddea movie.

There are people who love watching movies, and there are people who love knowing about the movies they are watching. Sometimes they overlap, but they are not the same people. Then from that there are people who really, really love those things, and so on.

I think a lot of times, also, people forget that content in film means more to most people than artistic merit or achievement in film. A lot of people just don't care about that stuff, but it doesn't mean they don't love movies as much as the next guy. I'm not just talking about, for instance, violent actions, but also story and so forth.

I was skeptical of Inglourious Basterds, but am one of those people who appreciate Tarantino's work and then gave it a shot only to find out the marketing kind of painted it a different color than the film I got. Because of that, I could understand someone wanting to see District 9 over Basterds. Sometimes I think it wasn't the Forrest Gump that sunk Pulp Fiction and Shawshank Redemption out of the Best Picture Oscar; it was probably the anal rape.

[Sgizzy316]

I know more about movies than anyone else in my friend group, but I would probably consider myself to just be a movie lover based on what movies I like. I don't care for the majority of, IMO boring films that are beloved by supposed "educated movie-goer." And as far as Transformers goes, anyone who can take some of my favorite childhood stars and put them on the big screen the way Michael Bay did has my vote. I found it to be very entertaining because I knew what I was getting into when I purchased the ticket. As far as being able to judge or criticize people just by seeing how they watch a movie, I'm not sure how accurate you can really be. In fact, if you are that worried about things like that, then it is probably taking away from your own enjoyment of the movie. I feel bad for people who have that problem. If I'm watching a movie in a theatre and as long as people aren't being loud or texting, I couldn't care how they react or interpret a movie, because I will get what I want out of it and that's really all that matters. If someone wants to call themself an "educated movie-goer", let them because chances are I will disagree with most of the movies they claim are masterpieces anyway. Everyone is entitled to their own taste. My advice is to quit worrying about anyone else and just enjoy your own experience while watching a good flick.

[Mr. Creasy]

If I watched a trailer and I like the movie, I don't care if it's directed by Bay or Scorcese or maybe if the actress is Megan Fox or Kate Winslet... I'm just gonna watch the movie and enjoy it. If is a bad movie, I'm gonna say it, if is good I'm gonna say it too... who cares? Maybe that's why I can watch Transformers a million times, but I can't even watch a second of Pulp Fiction. Like someone said... "To each his own..." THX!

[bima.pringgo]

When I went to see Inglourious Basterds at Midnight, I looked around. I thought I would be in a theater full of film lovers that wanted to see the new Tarantino movie first, but sadly I realized that a Midnight Screening has turned from fans of films or the series to just a show time. When I saw Star Wars III at Midnight, people were dressed up, cheering, light saber battling. When I saw The Dark Knight, it was silent the entire time, no one was dressed up and the row in front of me was four middle-aged housewives. That's not to say they aren't huge Batman fans, but odds are, they aren't. (That was kind of a ramble, sorry)

By your definition, I find film-lover annoying. I formed the line in front of the ticket booth before it opens many times. But when I went in the theater, I was not there to have a costume party or a convention. I was there to watch the movie.

So even though I love film, I was almost silent the entire time I saw The Dark Knight.

[CoryChaos]

My Nazi band was at the cleaners that night, so I just went as a refugee stoaway and got turned away at the door.

[CyclicNightmare]

wat

[Mr. Creasy]

My Nazi band was at the cleaners that night, so I just went as a refugee stoaway and got turned away at the door.

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/8973/celebritypicturesyodamu.jpg (http://img109.imageshack.us/i/celebritypicturesyodamu.jpg/)