Mike Scott Rebuts Nolan's Reply to "Deadguy's Dementia", PCR #62

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I read your comments about the Movie review stuff, and of course, I don't agree. I DO agree that after a movie has passed it's initial release, perhaps more information should be provided. However, I have rarely read an "in-depth" review that didn't end up ruining the movie for me. If I already know the outcomes of various character decisions (a la plot points), then I already know the story well enough to not be able to "immerse" myself within it to "feel" what the characters feel. Which, you yourself should know at least a little about, considering that the whole driving intent behind writing a screenplay in the first place is to immerse the viewer, and have them feel that they can relate to your characters as you develop them.

I saw where you said that reviews weren't designed for fanboys getting their next fix on their favorite franchise, I agree with that too. I only used the Star Wars example because it was a movie most folks are familiar with, but it easily applies to ANY movie across the board. You can certainly entice folks with less info, but reviews aren't intended to entice folks to a movie, OR scare them away, they're just there to say what the reviewer thought about it. It should also be noted that a movie review isn't intended to spoil the movie either though, and a movie review doesn't have to list plot points in order to discuss why something about the story is new and innovative. Just because it's been done that way by other reviewers doesn't make it "law", or the "right" way to do it. Personally, I hate it, but that's pretty obvious by now, I guess.

It's kind of ironic that some folks seem to feel that a reviewer's opinion of a film isn't at least PARTIALLY affected by the fact that while watching it, they themselves had NO idea about the plot points that they were being set-up to see.

About the Titanic scene I "spoiled".. You threw in a comment about my ruining the movie for you, I suppose as a way of saying, "So? who cares that I know about that scene, it doesn't ruin the movie." You're right, it doesn't ruin the movie, but for me, that was the only redeeming scene from the whole thing; the ONE spark of brilliance in the entire film. If I'd had that scene spoiled, I'd have been a bit ticked off. I hated that movie from beginning to end, all except that one little scene, I died laughing. At this point, it's no longer a spoiler that shouldn't be mentioned. Granted, there are folks somewhere that never saw the movie, but by this point, they should have seen the movie if they had any interest in doing so. At THIS point, perhaps my spoiler WOULD entice someone to watch the movie. However, this misses the point I was making. In my first version of the Titanic "spoiler" I gave very little away, while still being able to comment, or REVIEW, what I thought or felt about the scene. THAT'S a review, not a PREVIEW. It was aimed to review my thoughts about the scene without actually giving everyone a PREVIEW of the scene itself. In doing it that way I avoid ruining it's spontaneity, timing, placement, any anything else that may have been intended with that scene, with folks that haven't seen the movie within the first week of it's release.

Any revelations about a movie to an audience that hasn't seen it yet is affecting how those people will view the movie. The screenplay suffers by the lack of spontaneity, and the storyline can't seem to "grow" for an audience that's already "in the loop" before the characters are. How can you immerse yourself into something where characters are torn, trying to determine a course of action, if you already KNOW what they're going to do?

If I won a million dollars and Kristin told you about it secretly without me knowing, and then a day or two goes by and I finally call you and say, "Hey Nolan, guess what?" You're definitely going to know "what", and you're then either going to have to pretend to be surprised, or simply let me know that Kristin spoiled the surprise. Well, for all of you that like in-depth movie reviews: at least try to ACT surprised, will you?

--Mike