How Do You Choose a Movie?

[dfergie]

What Criteria do you use to select a movie to rent or buy?

 

[Zookster]

I put a lot of stock in reviews, but if it's a film I know I will really enjoy based on the actors, genre (comedy or action), I'll give it a shot as a rental. I would only buy a 5 star movie I know I'd rewatch at least 3 times (which are few and far between).

 

[HD MM]

I read reviews. I tend to get the feel of whether or not I'm going to enjoy a movie based on the reviews at HD Digest. If the Video and Audio are superior it's a bonus, but I try and get a movie that has a substantial storyline before anything else.

 

[meStevo]

I said reviews, and probably would have said TV trailers too, but it has disc in the option, and we've never sat through a disc trailer. Even then, a TV trailer alone wouldn't make a decision for us.

I routinely go to Apple, Yahoo, AOL, traileraddict and watch movie trailers... and get a couple emails from different sites about movies released the current week.

 

[ONUOsFan]

All of the above!

Sometimes it's a sequel or something I "know" I'll like based on personal experience, other times I hear about it from someone else, sometimes the trailer just catches my interest....

When I'm "iffy" about whether I want to see something or not, I look for reviews online.

 

[navychop]

I generally won't buy unless I've seen a trailer or two. Sometimes reviews help sway me. And reading opinions posted here can help. I'm not too big on movies anyway.

But I certainly prefer to buy a BD, or maybe rent one (haven't done that yet), to going to a theater. And that, for a movie I might only watch once. Fuel, tickets, god forbid- snacks, all add up quickly and can exceed the cost of the BD. Plus, I think my audio system is better than a lot of theaters. And the usual (house is cleaner, no talking teenies, no cells going off, etc).

Old topic, but let's beat it to death again. Most tickets $8-$12 @. Or a junky theater with poor sound and older titles for $4@. Figure $16-$24 for tickets for two. Figure another $3 or so for fuel. So before you eat anything, you're out $20-$30 plus a little wear and tear on your car. I can buy a BD for that - or even less. It's cheaper to buy a BD online than to take two people to the theater.

Of course, I also rarely pay full price for a title. Lot's of sales still. I'm up to about 80 titles, about half of which I haven't seen yet.

But to touch on the question, I suppose I should have picked "other" in retrospect. The main reason I'd buy/see a movie is because it's a book I read and enjoyed, or part of the Star Wars franchise, or certain other already known quantities. Or a BD version of an old classic I enjoyed, like Casablanca.

 

[HD MM]

Oh btw, I rarely buy anymore. I used to buy DVD's all the time back in the day, but a few years have gone by and I now have a huge collection of discs with over half of them never even opened! I pretty much found out that I watch most movies only once and some of my favorites 2-3 times at the most. I save the money and just rent BD's from Blockbuster Online.

 

[dfergie]

I voted Trailers as I watch Nothing But Trailers a couple of times a week at least, but probably all of the choices would fit for some movies...

 

[meStevo]

Oh btw, I rarely buy anymore. I used to buy DVD's all the time back in the day, but a few years have gone by and I know have a huge collection of discs with over half of them never even opened! I pretty much found out that I watch most movies only once and some of my favorites 2-3 times at the most. I save the money and just rent BD's from Blockbuster Online.

Even though we have some movies, i find myself queuing some of my favorites up on Netflix since it's so convenient

As I mentioned in another thread, we made a resolution this year to not buy any movies and use the Gamefly and Netflix (1-out, was just for streaming) memberships that we've had for a while. There will be a few exceptions, sure, but I bet we go from buying a couple/few dozen movies like we did last year to just buying a handful.

 

[TheForce]

Well, since I have Block Buster Movie Pass, I watch them all. In other words, I peruse the new releases in Blu Ray first and then reg DVD each week and usually, by the end of the week I have seen all new releases. On rare occasions I will get a new release that is really awful and since it didn't cost me anything except gas to go pick it up, I'll just not finish watching. But generally, I select a DVD on the basis of it is there for my picking.

Then I make a decision on what to own. That is based on whether I think a movie is worth viewing a 3rd time and usually that would happen if the movie is an epic, like Lord of the Rings series, Matrix series, Bourne series etc. While I could also go back and pick up the epic movie free, I'll watch these owned DVD's when I have time to watch unexpectedly, as when the one I rented from BB is so awful a story, I don't waste my time viewing. Then I would resort to my library.

Obviously this complex decision process is not possible to list in a poll so I thought I'd just state it here.

 

[bhelms]

I buy to fill-out a series (Matrix, LotR, MI, Fast/Furious, etc.) or when a title is cheap and fits my preferred genres, like Wanted, Outbreak, etc. I rarely rented DVDs and have yet to rent an HD title. I don't have broadband at home, so D/Ls are not in the equation at this point. I have yet to try netflix or BB, but there's no particular reason that I haven't.

Agreeing with navychop, all things considered it's a wash or even cheaper to buy/watch at home vs. in theatre, and for many of us at least an equally enjoyable overall experience, and one that can be repeated at no real additional cost later. I don't have a "3x expectation rule" or similar that I apply before buying. Some have been watched quite a few times (I think I have loaded Ratatouille at least 6x for various audiences!) and others are still in their wrappers...! It's cool having DVDs "in queue" for when available time and best intentions converge. (I still have at least 30 HD DVDs waiting, and about 6 BDs!)

For many of us it's a hobby, one that consumes disposable income. "We don' need no steenkeen rules...!"

 

[JamesJ]

Oh btw, I rarely buy anymore. I used to buy DVD's all the time back in the day, but a few years have gone by and I now have a huge collection of discs with over half of them never even opened! I pretty much found out that I watch most movies only once and some of my favorites 2-3 times at the most. I save the money and just rent BD's from Blockbuster Online.

I was getting ready to write pretty much this statement. While I do watch movies more then once, ALOT of our 300+ dvds get watched maybe once a year. I am glad I did Netflix, and in the last week, My wife has added 20+ movies (some kids movies) to the instant que. so she can watch when she has down time when our son is taking a nap, or she is just folding laundry or what not.

 

[TheForce]

For many of us it's a hobby, one that consumes disposable income. "We don' need no steenkeen rules...!"

You might say that if I make a rule based on my habits, break the rule with no penalty when I want, is it really a rule? Maybe it is more accurately described as a customary practice. But I also buy on price and for having a reference of excellence.

 

[bhelms]

I wasn't casting any aspirsions. We all have a madness to our methods. In my case I was merely pointing out that there's little science to it. Price certainly factors into my decisions as well. And to be sure I have a "wants" list that triggers when I find the right price, which varies with title and other conditions. The last 2 titles I mentioned above were value-priced at Walmart and Best Buy respectively, and since they fit my style I bought them on impulse. But my "hobbiest" attitude, meaning something in which I am currently and actively engaged, allows me some lattitude here, by my rules. Others here alluded to a more structured decision process based I presume on more pressing goals that limit their (in)discretionary spending, and I certainly respect that...

 

[riffjim4069]

A little of everything, but the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com) is a reliable source since it tallies the combined input from so-called experts, critics and Notives alike - it gives me a good ballpark idea if I will rent or purchase a movie. Additionally, the Blu-ray Tier rating of overal picture quality at avsforum.com is also useful since I love owning high-quality media.

 

[TheForce]

Yes, price, bargains that is, is an excellent impulse buy motivator for me. While at CES I stopped in at Frys there in LV and discovered they had many old titles, classics, that I liked at huge discounts for HD DVD. Since I now have three ways to play HD DVD, I doubt that format will become obsolete here. So at a price of 4.99 to 9.99 I picked up quite a few. Nice because some of these were dual SD sided so I can play them in my laptop too.
For BluRay, I give preference to digital copy titles to own because of the same reason is I can store them on my laptop for viewing when I travel.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I use all. My criteria for the Theater is very high now, so we dont really go. Unless its just a horrible looking movie, Ill rent any Theatrical release.

I only buy after I have watched it and deemed it worthy, or if I just know I want it(did not see QoS in the Theater, but ill be buying it in March)

 

[Kevinw]

I had to pick all because it is a combination of all three. I also look for nudity on the cover.