The other day, I read this fascinating article (well, more of an infographic) on how people choose what films to see at the movies. Apparently, 4 out of 5 use Youtube, and many of those check out the trailer. Who knew?
Personally, I try to avoid trailers because they spoil too much for my taste. Most show not only bits from the beginning, but from all throughout the narrative. Basically, this shows you how the story develops virtually up until the end. I hate that! I’d much rather be surprised when I’m in the movie theater. (The ending is less important to me than the journey, because often we already know the movie has a happy ending.)
So where do I hear about movies? Usually from a) a friend, b) newspaper reviews c) movie posters. Or a combination of the above. If I’m not sure I want to see it, or if I’m at the movie theater trying to choose one, it’s rotten tomatoes all the way for me. Public’s average, critic’s average, maybe a short summary or two… It’s a lifesaver!
Apparently I’m not entirely alone though–according to the study, people who want to watch family movies also check out reviews a lot. Why only that genre? Hmm, not sure. Maybe they want to verify what ages a movie is appropriate for? Me, I like all kinds of genres, although I’m not a huge fan of horror (unless it’s apocalyptic horror!).
What about you? How do you decide what movies to watch?
I’d say the majority of the movies I see are based on friends’ recommendations and my personal list of ‘must-sees’ like Star Wars, The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings, the Marvel series. I don’t get to the theatre too often unless it’s for a big blockbuster or something that must be watched on a humongous screen. 🙂 Even then I manage to miss many and generally wait until they’re available via Netflix or Amazon.
I too watch more movies at home, but it’s nice to vary it from time to time with a trip to the cinema. 🙂