Movie watching Poll

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What kind of movie watcher are you?

Escapist
4
8%
Entertainment Driven
7
14%
Narrativist
11
22%
Technical/Craft Focused
1
2%
Emoter
5
10%
Cultist
0
No votes
The Structuralist
0
No votes
Rythmitist
7
14%
Formalist
2
4%
Experimentalist
4
8%
Analyst
3
6%
Academic
3
6%
Contextualist
1
2%
None of these are close
1
2%
More than 3 of these apply
2
4%
 
Total votes: 51

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Movie watching Poll

Post Post #0 (ISO) » Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:25 pm

Post by Kublai Khan »

The Escapist

The escapist views films as a way of shutting out the world around them, and appreciates films that in some way manages to either dull their senses, pass the hours and let them think of something else. The escapist is not necessarily interested in plot, structure, or craft and primarily appreciates films on a visceral level.

The Entertainment Driven

Though essentially all kinds of film viewers want to be entertained, this group stands out as they solely care about visceral entertainment without too much introspection. Separating themselves from the escapist by demanding to be actively involved, the Entertainment Driven movie lover seeks that which keeps them on the edge, makes them laughs, cry, etc. They do however not want to dull their senses, but rather hype up their senses. This type of film buff can be entertained by widely different genres, or have their favorites/niches - they will however be less likely to care about anything outside of their own entertainment level, and not want to ruin it by analyzing their experience.

The Narrativist

The Narrative Focused Film Buff believes that the key to great filmmaking are the stories told, and will typically appreciate dialog, plotting and characters. Realism and believably is often important, but not a necessity. They may care about technical aspects, but believe that they are there to serve the story.

The Technical/Craft Focused

The craftmanship focused film buffs take a deep interest in the actual craft going into cinema, feeling it is even more important than the narrative, but usually, that they compliment each other. They tend to still swing in the direction of traditional cinema, loving old Hollywood, or the newer generations of Ridley Scott, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, etc. Note: This film buff loves traditional craftmanship, the film school way, and will likely not be swayed by experimental or overly artistic cinema.

The Emoter

The Emoter is a kind of film buffs that is not coldly reserved while appreciating technical mastery, structure or form. This kind of film buff believes art is personal, not technical. If they find a film cold, or it does not involve them, it does not matter how beautifully shot or made it is, it has failed. The most important thing for The Emoter is that the film speaks and connects directly to them, this can be through matching their own life experiences or comment on emotions they themselves feel/want to express.

The Cultist

Revelling in fetishism, and so good it's bad, the cultist does not enjoy films from the traditional perspective, but adds in a meta layer where the unintentional quickly becomes a quality they love. They usually want crass films of specific natures and atmospheres. Like the escapists they revel in the experience, which can be fully sarcastic. Tropes and cliches are embraced and revered. Note: The cultist may also be a fetishist of classic Hollywood, idolizing actresses and actors in an iconoclastic way.

The Structuralist

The Structuralist is a cold calculator of the collective narrative and craft, looking at how the film is built, how the pieces correspond to each other, how the film flows. To them a film is almost like a mathematical puzzle they are solving and evaluating. How do these plot point fit together, did it make sense to have this music done here, but not repeated later, are questions a structuralist will likely ask themselves while viewing a film.

The Rythmitist

This type of film viewer views film just as a musical symphony and looks at how it plays it's note. This can concern the flow of the narrative, scene transition, and with a similar care for structural repetition as the structuralist, but from an entirely different perspective, dropping the calculated analysis for the visceral experience.

The Formalist

The Formalist views the cinematic language as the most important aspect of film. They see shots, movement, music, cuts akin to the language and eloquence of a book. The formalist embraces experimental cinema, and does not need the structure of the structuralist, or even the right rythm - though they can appreciate both through the form they create. The formalist does not reject narrative cinema in any way, however traditional ways of doing a shot or telling a story can often be seen as dull. Inventive form beats an inventive story, and characters, dialog, plot, narrative are interesting in the way that it serves the form.

The Experimentalist

Rejecting all/most forms of the traditional narrative, the Experimentalist thrives on what goes against norms, challenges expectations and creates unique expressions/technical feats.

The Analyst

Proclaiming that all films needs to have a purpose The Analyst loves metaphors and meaning. If a film does not actively have a purpose or meaning or a point of be driven home or experienced, the film is typically dismissed. The Analyst may love narrative cinema, experimental cinema or both - the main key to their passion is the purposes they can derive from the work, and how this affects them.

The Academic

Perhaps the most well-rounded, the academic approach consists largely of contexts and history, often embracing films for the purposes they were made, understanding why they were made, the impact they had and why this happened - while at the same time reviewing both technical and narrative abilities in their respective disciplines, times and form - and assessing how they affected both various types of audiences and themselves.

The Contextualist

Closely related to the academic, - and usually just as intrigued if not more by what the film actually achieved to provoke in others, this group distinguishes itself by placing their experience/entertainment more on the sideline. The influences a film has had on cinema, or can be expected to have on cinema is directly tied to their appreciation/experience of the film. They can explore schlock, silents, experimental and epics alike.
Occasionally intellectually honest

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Post Post #1 (ISO) » Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:02 am

Post by Venmar »

I think, by definition, any cinephile or true film buff should be clicking on the last option, more than 3 apply. I watch films for escapism, analysim, academia, for entertainment, for narrative purposes. I can identify with certain traits more than others, but I don't think I could stick with just one.
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Post Post #2 (ISO) » Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:16 am

Post by zoraster »

In post 1, Venmar wrote:I think, by definition, any cinephile or true film buff should be clicking on the last option
I don't think that's correct at all.
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Post Post #3 (ISO) » Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:45 am

Post by Kublai Khan »

I think that's the weird part of why I put up this poll. I had assumed that other cinephiles were like me (Analyst/Contextualist) with maybe one or two others. But I'm discovering that I'm more in the minority.
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Post Post #4 (ISO) » Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:37 am

Post by Nero Cain »

I mean, when I read through the descriptions I felt like
Entertainment Driven
fit me best and didn't see the
More than 3 of these apply option.
I think that's generally what I like do to do is just be entertained by a movie. I also really really like docies. I think my mood dictates a lot of what I watch. I like comedies and I think those are just really fun to watch and relax too. But then I'll watch a more serious documentary or drama when I'm in a better mood.


The Academic/The Narrativist/The Entertainment Driven

I think those are prob my 3.
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Post Post #5 (ISO) » Thu Jan 25, 2018 6:44 am

Post by Venmar »

In post 2, zoraster wrote:
In post 1, Venmar wrote:I think, by definition, any cinephile or true film buff should be clicking on the last option
I don't think that's correct at all.
Maybe I shouldn't have put it so bluntly and blanketed ALL cinephiles as such, but I don't think I am being outrageous or unreasonable in making the assumption. I entertain discussion of why I might be wrong!

I personally love watching films for analytical reasons. I love deriving metaphors, meanings, hidden messages, and themes out of almost every film I watch. Films like
A Clockwork Orange
are films I love dissecting. I dissect what I can, where I can. I am in many ways, a Narrativist at heart, because I love writing myself and would love to write stories, books, or screenplays myself one day, and when watching a film I keep a close eye on the narrative and story being told.
Lord of the Rings
is one of my favourite narratives yet told, but to be fair, nostalgia dominates my opinion of that trilogy. I enjoy being a cultist at times, and the works of directors like
John Carpenter
actually make-up a large portion of my favourite films. I am Entertainment Driven as well; as much as I love analyzation and being a narrativist, I continually seek out films at times that at their core are just fun and entertaining.
Battleship
is perhaps my favourite example, a terrible film that I love because it's so entertaining for me. At times I have been a Structuralist, especially when I watch
Paul Thomas Anderson
films, which I love piecing together, and at times an Academic. But I think, at heart, I am an Escapist above all else.

As a movie watcher, I think I am bit of everything. Perhaps a bit more of one than others, but at the end, I have identified as one or another and can't honestly cling to one identifier myself. Perhaps I shouldn't claim that all cinephiles are or should be as such, but much like Kublai Khan's discovery, it would strike me as a discovery or shock if all cinephiles, to some degree or another, didn't identify with AT LEAST 3 of these traits.
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Post Post #6 (ISO) » Thu Jan 25, 2018 10:50 am

Post by Kublai Khan »

You may be onto something.

I think there is a baseline general attitude towards movies and I think that's what I'm asking for. Like, if you start watching generic movie X and it's not great, what aspect might you start criticizing it first. The poor narrative, the bad cinematography, the lackluster action, plodding pace, etc.

Everyone can appreciate any movie on any one of these levels. And its' the great movies that force you to enjoy it on a category that it does well. Truly great films force you to enjoy it on many categories that it does well.

Basically I think about the standard way I approach movies. Recently I watched
The Twilight Samurai
. I initially approached it with the mindset of it's context. I'd not see any of the director's previous work, I know this is an acclaimed movie, it came out only 15 years ago and thought about what other movies came out about that time. Samurai movies aren't a genre I'm usually into, so I thought about previous samurai movie I'd seen and would likely ultimately compare it too (Kurosawa, Lone Wolf & Cub, maybe some various types of things that featured samurai or bushido (anime, video games, western adaptations). It's a period piece so I reminded myself to look for and be appreciative of small touches of authenticity.

Then I started watching it and I really ended up enjoying it on as Emoter and A Narrativist. I think I consider it to be a great movie because it pulled me from my comfort zone. I could say that the
Passion of Joan D'Arc
did the same except I really enjoyed it as a Structuralist and a Technical/Craft.
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Post Post #7 (ISO) » Fri Jan 26, 2018 2:27 pm

Post by AniX »

Narrativist & Emoter primarily.

Analyst to dd narrative and emotion when they ren't already present.

Cultist sometimes.
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Post Post #8 (ISO) » Sun Jan 28, 2018 12:52 pm

Post by Majiffy »

In post 7, AniX wrote:Narrativist & Emoter primarily.
Same.

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Post Post #9 (ISO) » Sun Jan 28, 2018 2:52 pm

Post by Espeonage »

My gf is trained as a director. I have many reasons to watch movies.
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Post Post #10 (ISO) » Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:39 am

Post by Nero Cain »

Does she have any good movies?
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Post Post #11 (ISO) » Fri Feb 02, 2018 5:22 am

Post by Annadog40 »

I'd say for me the main things are the The Narrativist and The Entertainment Driven
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Post Post #12 (ISO) » Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:31 pm

Post by dorothylewis »

Personally I think that "The Academic" is really interesting
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Post Post #13 (ISO) » Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:54 am

Post by Harambey180 »

I'm the "Non-movie-watcher". Where's that option? There are people that don't watch movies like me. So I filled in 'none came close'.
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Post Post #14 (ISO) » Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:56 am

Post by CooLDoG »

I picked technical, formalist, and academic. I'd also say that for me it also depends on the type of film that one is watching and what your trying to get out of it. For example, on the first watch of a Fellini film I'd take an academic approach because a lot of his work is playing with neorealism and trying to diverge from it. But on a second watch I'd probably start to want to admire craft and technical qualities (formal + technical). The narrative and emotions portrayed in film are obvious, thus anyone who picks one of those types are really just uncultured swine who wish to be entertained.
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