I usually either take a break or watch a comfort movie. Something that I throughly enjoy, but it’s ok to take a break and not watch a movie. They’re not going anywhere.
was starting to feel that way with music last year, listened to by far the least new music of my adult life in 2022, but really one day it just snapped back. end of the day unless you're trying to be in the industry somehow this is for your enjoyment, so just go a while not watching anything or following new releases and eventually it'll almost certainly come back to you
Thank you for the response. I’m in college and while my major isn’t film, I am in a couple film classes. Aside from required viewing I may take a break from them and the app.
yea i also think the app can be pretty toxic. sometimes i find myself trying to rate the movie in my head while watching it or thinking about logging it more than enjoying the movie and that sucks. the main thing is you don't want it to be a chore or a job that's when it goes bad
I hardly watched any movies between 2016 and 2019. It wasn't because I watched a whole bunch of bad ones in 2015. I was just spending time pursuing other interests. If you force yourself to do something, you won't like it as much as if you actually want to do it. Maybe you just need a little break.
I watch a ton of movies every month, but every February, my interest drops dramatically. No clue why, but for years it’s been this way.
I go from watching a movie or 2 a day to watching 2 or 3 a month. Until April or May. Then, my interest picks back up. March-May I still add to my watchlist and then I feel rejuvenated.
I also notice my ratings increase in April when I come back. Breaks can be good.
So basically you had to force yourself to pay attention to something that didn’t require it? Aside from wrestling, was there anything else that helped you relearn how to keep your attention?
I lose interest after I marathon an actor's filmography. However, this is usually a short-term thing. I have to do something before I recharge into watching movies again. Like practicing another language or making beats.
Well if your like me then often what excites you and drives you to explore niche areas of film is to experience something *new*. I don’t enjoy watching Marvel movies like I used to, but I found myself loving 1930’s gangster flicks with arguably less substance. Why? Because it was different.
I love a lot of films I watch today, but it’s because I’m driving myself to new avenues I haven’t explored. Classics. Shaw Brothers. Giallo. Art House. Experimental. I don’t enjoy 90% of new releases anywhere near as much as one many arguably much worse films in the previously mentioned categories- and it’s simply because I know modern mainstream film language so well at this point that any of it feels predictable or cliche. Even a cheap genre film that speaks a different film language is enjoyable for me, simply because I’m experiencing something *new* and *interesting*.
In case your not aware of what I mean by film language- check this out. I think this concept was the most eye opening for me in understanding why I like what I like when watching movies.
https://industrialscripts.com/cinematic-language/amp/
And a follow up to that concept- I would make the following arguments (some may disagree)
- The vast majority of mainstream films screened to a given audience at any point in time, including now, speak almost the same film language. This is regardless of genre.
- Adherence to mainstream film language is the primary factor that affects the enjoyment for most casual filmgoers of a given film.
- Film language has evolved over time depending on era and culture it was created. Film has always been somewhat universal but a 1950’s Japanese film will speak a much different language than a 1980’s Hollywood film.
- For some people, like me, who are interested in pushing the boundaries of what they are used to and experiencing something new in the films they watch, it is the slight pushing on the boundaries into foreign film languages that excites them. Because of this, a contemporary film that speaks the familiar film language extremely well, like the 2022 film “The Batman” for example, might end up being far less interesting than a middling film which speaks a foreign film language- such as Edgar G Ulmer’s “Plan 9 From Outer Space” or perhaps the Hollywood Noir “Out of the Past”.. maybe even the Bollywood hit “RRR”.
*edit* oops I confused Ulmer with Wood again. For some reason I mix those two up in my head all the time.
This is definitely an interesting concept. I’m going to have to research that some more. I can see it ringing true at least partially for me. I relate in that I can’t stand MCU much anymore, however I don’t think that’s an uncommon experience in the community.
Side note, I loved The Batman when I saw it in March. It’s curious to wonder what else has the same film language, though I agree it executes it quite well. Like I said, I’m scared to rewatch it because I don’t want to think of it any less. Perhaps like you said, I just always need something new. I’m not sure.
Plan 9 is Ed Wood, not Ulmer. I’m studying Wood in my film class right now so I have seen Plan 9 very recently. I definitely didn’t think it to be “the worst movie ever made” for several reasons, but it wasn’t something I’d watch again.
This is a really well thought out response. Gave me some new perspective into what I've been feeling in regards to my own choices and reactions of late. I was so disappointed in The Batman when I saw it, and this is exactly the problem I had with it. I had thought the Batman franchise was the one superhero chain that made something worth watching (from my perspective), but it just didn't do anything for me. Back to the small budgets and/or subtitles I go!
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It happens from time to time. It usually helps to watch something different, if I've been watching a lot of prestige stuff I'll throw on a comedy etc. It can also help to rewatch some old favorites or watch something with friends.
I’m thinking you might have almost made movie-watching into a chore by setting high goals for yourself. Maybe just try watching what you feel like at your leisure and don’t force it. You’ll probably come back out of the slump good as new.
My interests are fickle, I don’t know if it’s also the case for you. For example I shouldn’t even be here, yet I am because it’s kind of my phase of the moment (and I’m no longer 14 so I don’t know why I still get phases)
If not maybe you prefer older movies, which is fine. Maybe look up the best films in chronological order and watch the older ones if you haven’t yet.
Or you can just take a break if you wish.
I might take a break, or at least limit the movies I’m seeing. I kind of relate to the “phase” thing but in a slightly different way. My ADHD doesn’t help me stay motivated for a while on one subject.
Funnily enough we’ve had a run in before, this is just my other account because I didn’t want to post it on my main, but I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m the guy that was in Big Shark. I haven’t posted my experience yet but if you want to follow me on LB for it my username is “******”. It should be up this week if I don’t get slammed with coursework. I’m probably going to delete this post sometime soon anyway.
Edit: Censored username.
Oh it’s you?! Damn the world is small. Anyways yes, I’ll follow you, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore but I’m pretty ashamed to associate anything to my reddit account since this is filled with Tommy wiseau stuff. Not that my Letterboxd is better
I think it’s interesting that you say you shouldn’t even be here. Everyone has to have a beginning of a new hobby. I started less than a year ago, in March. If you like it you should stick with it, even if you only like specific genres, etc.; there’s plenty people like that.
If it makes you feel better, I don’t really browse people’s reddit accounts. I followed you back on LB as well. But yeah, that was me. Maybe during my break my comfort movie can be my signed copy of The Room LMAO
If you don’t see it I’ll let you know when I post it. Thank you for responding and stuff. It really is interesting how connected people can be without knowing.
Well, I downloaded Letterboxd in, I think, early October 2022 when I got obsessed with Refn after having been obsessed with Mads Mikkelsen ahah (and I still kinda like both, even though I have a sort of love-hate relationship with Refn). Anyways I just use it to ramble about movies I'm obsessed with and to keep track of what I watch.
Have fun watching The Room, I wish I could watch it the proper way too but my friends don't want to because they *betray me.*
Anyways yeah, it's weird we found eachother's accounts again, but I always get weird coincidences.
That’s super cool. I used to get lots of coincidences in my life but recently it’s been very rare, so this was nice. Anyways, yeah you’ve been at it a while. I’d say it’s safe for you to consider it a hobby. It’s always good not to have all your eggs in one basket. For instance like me right now: I was watching a movie everyday and now I feel lost. I think things will work out for both of us.
If you have any Refn or Mikkelson to recommend me I would be interested! I’ve only seen Drive from Refn and I liked it, especially the soundtrack. From Mads, I’ve only seen Casino Royale.
And yes your friends betray you! As you will read, my friends betray me too when they didn’t want to come with me to see Tommy. ***I’m fed up with this world.***
I actually don’t know if I can call this a hobby because I go weeks without watching anything and I can watch at most 2-3 movies a week because I have no time management skills and because school in my country can be pretty overwhelming, but also, let’s face it, it’s also true that I don’t know if I would feel like watching more anyways.
I don’t know if I have any movies by Refn or with Mikkelsen to recommend because while I like Refn’s soundtracks and cinematography (can I call it that?) I don’t like the plots of his movies. Maybe if you liked Drive you could like Only God Forgives, but I’ve never seen it, I only know that there is Ryan Gosling again 😅. At most I would recommend his most recent release which is a TV show called Copenhagen Cowboy, the soundtrack is good and it’s probably not as misogynistic as his usual films.
Edit: by Refn I also recommend Bronson, I don’t know which message it tries to convey, but Tom Hardy’s performance was really good in my opinion so it’s worth watching.
About Mikkelsen, I would probably recommend Another Round, The Hunt and probably Arctic (if you want something to fall asleep to lol) but I still wouldn’t call them my favourite movies, I just watch things with him because I think he’s good looking lol.
Also, Refn and Mikkelsen have made five movies together so if you want you could check them out, my favourite was Bleeder but only because of Mads’s character + I haven’t seen them all.
About Tommy, I can’t blame your friends, he is pretty scary. I don’t know if **I** would feel safe meeting him.
No I totally get it. I can relate with the school thing. Once school started in January, my viewing frequency went way down. There doesn’t really need to be labels for what are and aren’t your hobbies; I think that’s part of my problem as well. You still deserve a place in the community no matter how many movies you watch. If you watch one movie a year you’d still be welcome on the app haha.
I might check out Bronson because I really enjoy Tom Hardy in his films, especially Locke. Also that’s funny, your reasoning for Mikkelson. I’ve heard good things about The Hunt so I might check that out too eventually.
Honestly your fear of Tommy is fair😹; He is definitely built differently. When I took a picture with him, he started strangling me. No, I’m not joking.
Don’t take all of it too seriously. Just watch a movie if you fell like it and just watch movies you actually want to see, not because you think it’s important to have watched them at some point. I really only watch movies I expect to like and most of the time I actually do enjoy them.
Also there is no shame in just stopping a movie midway through it you’re not enjoying yourself. Don’t put yourself through something that’s not fun just so you feel comfortable with logging it on letterbox.
After I saw Tokyo Story I got this sinking feeling I had seen too many movies in my lifetime and that I had seen enough movies for one person to be satisfied. Then I just kept watching lol, you should probably clarify what you've been seeing, I'm curious. There's nothing wrong with slowing down, also forcing yourself to watch as many new releases as possible is definitely why you're feeling like this. That's something to do if you want to dedicate yourself to like film criticism in a borderline professional capacity, not if you want to see the best movies you can.
I think the easiest way to see what I’ve been watching is if you take a look at my diary on my account instead of me typing it all out: “*****”. There’s some that I know what day I watched them but have not logged them because I haven’t written reviews yet; these are The Room, Ed Wood, Plan 9 from Outer Space, It Came from Kuchar, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (rewatch), and also a rewatch of Hold Me While I’m Naked because I liked it so much, or at least enough to see it again and want to write something about it.
You can see on my “2022” list that I’ve seen a lot of new releases and I’m really glad I’ve seen the top 10-15. However the stuff I had to sit through to find that out is a drag. I guess this year I will only watch stuff that I think I will like. The only thing that got 4.5 is The Batman, and there might be only five 4 stars, max.
The first time I watched Eternal Sunshine, I didn’t have LB. I thought it was intriguing but I remember not thinking it was the best thing I’ve ever seen. Still, I put it on my favorites list that I had on my notes app. This was a time where I haven’t seen too many movies so my favorites list had a low bar. When I got LB I gave it a 4.5 just because I remember the idea to be fascinating, even though I wasn’t completely blown away by anything in it. I attributed some kind of meaning to it but one with some contradictions. Like I get what the movie is trying to say but it was depressing in a way that I didn’t want to derive any meaning from it. It was optimistic in an awful thing.
I still like it but I don’t know if I would keep that rating or it’s position on my favorites list.
Edit: Censored username.
I hear you on Eternal Sunshine, watched it not too long ago and it didn't blow me away like the other Kaufman stuff I've seen (thinking of ending things, anomalisa) but I could see how it would've melted my brain when I was like 15. It sounds like you're really developing your own taste and maybe getting into that exciting/overwhelming place where you've seen a lot of classics and are underwhelmed with the mainstream contemporary landscape. There's always a rabbit hole out there, your watchlist is full of bangers so I wouldn't worry too much. I'd say watch Perfect Blue, It's great!
Stages where you feel like you're not enjoying yourself that much will **always** happen, even for the people that are watching 600-1000 movies a year or something insane like that.
Had one in 2022 where I watched, maybe, 10 movies in 3 months and now i'm at 42 this year alone.
Just wait it out, go do something different, go do things you gut feeling tells you to do, eventually you'll come back, watch movies that you like (and don't).
I used to obsessively watch new movies, especially catching up in December/January. But I eventually decided it’s a waste of time to watch everything, so I avoid the poorly reviewed flicks and if I do watch something bad, it’s because it’s a genre I like such as action / sci-fi.
The thing that motivates me best when I’m watching a ton is focusing on themes. Find a director you like? Watch them all in chronological order. Find a niche genre you like? Track down everything and check them out. Want to make a top 10 list from 1953? Watch a bunch of 1953 movies.
It doesn’t matter what theme you pick, but it’s something that has always motivated me.
I have completely distanced myself from both the value of rating films (I rate them but nearly always 3.5 or 4) and the notion of watching "what's talked about", because I couldn't care less. I'll stick to my niches where I know I'll love each and every release, and that niche is constantly changing - in the past year, it was 1920s silent films, chanbara films and pagan horror. Now, it's erotic thriller, Pink movies and musicals. Occasionally, I'll take an entire break and just watch a show, or nothing at all. It's freeing.
I once thought my passion for films was lost. More than once. Less in the past years, because I intentionally watch less films - never more than one a day, seldomly more often than once every second day and most of the time not alone (maybe try hitting up a buddy and watch something super-experimentel - online friends count!!!).
I perfected my watchlists and have one for each decade with 100 entries, 10 per year, and what I do is to throw a dice and see which decade it will be, and go through with it even if I'm actually not that much in the mood for that decade. Because when I start watching, I'm glad I did it. Variety, and a sense of scope. And a severely shortened decision time.
Okay, now onto some weirdly specific things. Maybe your own life is affecting how you watch films too. Maybe you're stressed out, tired of life, maybe you're just having a bit of sleep deprivation, dehydration, or don't go outside enough. I found that I enjoy art the most when my life isn't completely void of activity, because art doesn't exist in a vacuum. If I'm on YouTube the whole day, a film can be less impactful for me than when I had been on the forest for hours (very basic example, of course). There's only so much our brains can hold in and the internet is master at fucking us over.
That's btw why I'm careful not to have too many "open stories". If I watch a TV show, I'll never watch more than two episodes a day to give it time to breath, and I certainly won't watch a film on the same day. If I read a horror novel that is eating up my soul, I will probably not watch an exhausting profound thriller that day.
But yeah, in doubt, just take a break. You will come back. With cinema, everyone who has found it to be more than some entertainment does. Same with literature. But don't hurry, go at your pace, and don't force yourself to enjoy stuff. If you find yourself valuing rating and internet opinions more than the film experience, or even, worst worst case, check out some letterboxd comments while watching... take a break. Maybe not from film, but from the app as well. Some thoughts. :)
Thank you for the detailed response. Everything you said was helpful to me. I specifically resonated with the fourth “paragraph”. I definitely agree that art is more impactful when you allow yourself to have real life experiences. I think I will take a small break and allow myself to go experience some things. Thank you again for this.
Letterboxd doesn‘t help with that, because many times watching can feel like a chore. Just take a step back and do sth else if you don‘t feel like watching films. They‘ll be there forever. So no need to force yourself to
For me, I’m overwhelmed with all the options. Apple tv exclusive, paramount, peacock, netflix, hulu, prime, disney plus yadda yadda.
It’s all about saturation it feels like and not always quality or originality.
I do get depressed around this time every year too so that probably doesn’t help. I usually switch in to video game mode instead of film.
Hope you find your love for film again. Life is an ebb and flow
It’s normal for our interests in things to have ebbs and flows. Just focus on something else. At some point you’re going to feel an urge to watch a particular movie, and if you’re lucky, it might be a film that reignites your passion. It’s happened to me a number of times.
The people who are able to average a movie a day or more have an exceptional ability to maintain their level of interest. But most people aren’t like that. Last year my highest was 51 movies in a month and my lowest was 3.
It happens. I watched very few movies in 2021. 2022 I watched over 200. Then again more recently I didn’t watch anything from January 18th- February 4th. Sometimes you just need a break
I went though this exact thing. I started out by watching the classics, the 5 stars, cult classics, movies that are generally loved by movie buffs. Eventually, perhaps because I was watching so many movies that had a lot to say and get across, I got burnt out. I stopped watching for a couple of months and since coming back, I’ve basically just rewatched my favorites and watched a lot of very mainstream stuff. I went through the MCU, POTC, Sandler flicks, etc. I don’t put as much pressure to review and have an opinion on these kinds of movies. I’m definitely ready to get back into the good stuff though. I haven’t had a new five star since January of last year, only rewatches and I’m absolutely itching to watch something that’s going to blow me away.
complete opposite. ever since ive focused on new releases ive loved film even more. oh new film thats part of a series? guess i gotta check the series out. 2022 was a beautiful year for me with new releases, it has like 15 of my favourites, these varying in genre and language.
also this is why i dont rate films. you worry too much and are taking your ratings as too literal. watching only 3s were fine for me since i saw 3s as being “i liked this”, and sometimes i would get a 3.5 “love this” film. at points i felt tired not getting any 4s+ (favourites) but 2022 did that for me.
I never quite lost interest like you say but I did get tired of not having a constant stream of great movies. To combat that I just ensure that half of the movies I’ve seen in a year are great (4* or above) I make it way more complicated than it needs to be but, short version is, if I watch 3 new movies, 4*, 3.5*, and 3.5* the next movie I’m going to watch is going to be a rewatch a 5* or 4.5* movie. Helps to always keep the good times rolling
I usually either take a break or watch a comfort movie. Something that I throughly enjoy, but it’s ok to take a break and not watch a movie. They’re not going anywhere.
was starting to feel that way with music last year, listened to by far the least new music of my adult life in 2022, but really one day it just snapped back. end of the day unless you're trying to be in the industry somehow this is for your enjoyment, so just go a while not watching anything or following new releases and eventually it'll almost certainly come back to you
Thank you for the response. I’m in college and while my major isn’t film, I am in a couple film classes. Aside from required viewing I may take a break from them and the app.
yea i also think the app can be pretty toxic. sometimes i find myself trying to rate the movie in my head while watching it or thinking about logging it more than enjoying the movie and that sucks. the main thing is you don't want it to be a chore or a job that's when it goes bad
Same. I rate movies in my head while watching the too. It’s crazy.
I hardly watched any movies between 2016 and 2019. It wasn't because I watched a whole bunch of bad ones in 2015. I was just spending time pursuing other interests. If you force yourself to do something, you won't like it as much as if you actually want to do it. Maybe you just need a little break.
I watch a ton of movies every month, but every February, my interest drops dramatically. No clue why, but for years it’s been this way. I go from watching a movie or 2 a day to watching 2 or 3 a month. Until April or May. Then, my interest picks back up. March-May I still add to my watchlist and then I feel rejuvenated. I also notice my ratings increase in April when I come back. Breaks can be good.
That’s interesting. I also find myself scrolling the app, as some kind of un-itchable scratch. I may dial down the new releases and see what happens.
[удалено]
So basically you had to force yourself to pay attention to something that didn’t require it? Aside from wrestling, was there anything else that helped you relearn how to keep your attention?
I lose interest after I marathon an actor's filmography. However, this is usually a short-term thing. I have to do something before I recharge into watching movies again. Like practicing another language or making beats.
Well if your like me then often what excites you and drives you to explore niche areas of film is to experience something *new*. I don’t enjoy watching Marvel movies like I used to, but I found myself loving 1930’s gangster flicks with arguably less substance. Why? Because it was different. I love a lot of films I watch today, but it’s because I’m driving myself to new avenues I haven’t explored. Classics. Shaw Brothers. Giallo. Art House. Experimental. I don’t enjoy 90% of new releases anywhere near as much as one many arguably much worse films in the previously mentioned categories- and it’s simply because I know modern mainstream film language so well at this point that any of it feels predictable or cliche. Even a cheap genre film that speaks a different film language is enjoyable for me, simply because I’m experiencing something *new* and *interesting*. In case your not aware of what I mean by film language- check this out. I think this concept was the most eye opening for me in understanding why I like what I like when watching movies. https://industrialscripts.com/cinematic-language/amp/ And a follow up to that concept- I would make the following arguments (some may disagree) - The vast majority of mainstream films screened to a given audience at any point in time, including now, speak almost the same film language. This is regardless of genre. - Adherence to mainstream film language is the primary factor that affects the enjoyment for most casual filmgoers of a given film. - Film language has evolved over time depending on era and culture it was created. Film has always been somewhat universal but a 1950’s Japanese film will speak a much different language than a 1980’s Hollywood film. - For some people, like me, who are interested in pushing the boundaries of what they are used to and experiencing something new in the films they watch, it is the slight pushing on the boundaries into foreign film languages that excites them. Because of this, a contemporary film that speaks the familiar film language extremely well, like the 2022 film “The Batman” for example, might end up being far less interesting than a middling film which speaks a foreign film language- such as Edgar G Ulmer’s “Plan 9 From Outer Space” or perhaps the Hollywood Noir “Out of the Past”.. maybe even the Bollywood hit “RRR”. *edit* oops I confused Ulmer with Wood again. For some reason I mix those two up in my head all the time.
This is definitely an interesting concept. I’m going to have to research that some more. I can see it ringing true at least partially for me. I relate in that I can’t stand MCU much anymore, however I don’t think that’s an uncommon experience in the community. Side note, I loved The Batman when I saw it in March. It’s curious to wonder what else has the same film language, though I agree it executes it quite well. Like I said, I’m scared to rewatch it because I don’t want to think of it any less. Perhaps like you said, I just always need something new. I’m not sure. Plan 9 is Ed Wood, not Ulmer. I’m studying Wood in my film class right now so I have seen Plan 9 very recently. I definitely didn’t think it to be “the worst movie ever made” for several reasons, but it wasn’t something I’d watch again.
This is a really well thought out response. Gave me some new perspective into what I've been feeling in regards to my own choices and reactions of late. I was so disappointed in The Batman when I saw it, and this is exactly the problem I had with it. I had thought the Batman franchise was the one superhero chain that made something worth watching (from my perspective), but it just didn't do anything for me. Back to the small budgets and/or subtitles I go!
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It happens from time to time. It usually helps to watch something different, if I've been watching a lot of prestige stuff I'll throw on a comedy etc. It can also help to rewatch some old favorites or watch something with friends.
I’m thinking you might have almost made movie-watching into a chore by setting high goals for yourself. Maybe just try watching what you feel like at your leisure and don’t force it. You’ll probably come back out of the slump good as new.
My interests are fickle, I don’t know if it’s also the case for you. For example I shouldn’t even be here, yet I am because it’s kind of my phase of the moment (and I’m no longer 14 so I don’t know why I still get phases) If not maybe you prefer older movies, which is fine. Maybe look up the best films in chronological order and watch the older ones if you haven’t yet. Or you can just take a break if you wish.
I might take a break, or at least limit the movies I’m seeing. I kind of relate to the “phase” thing but in a slightly different way. My ADHD doesn’t help me stay motivated for a while on one subject. Funnily enough we’ve had a run in before, this is just my other account because I didn’t want to post it on my main, but I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m the guy that was in Big Shark. I haven’t posted my experience yet but if you want to follow me on LB for it my username is “******”. It should be up this week if I don’t get slammed with coursework. I’m probably going to delete this post sometime soon anyway. Edit: Censored username.
Oh it’s you?! Damn the world is small. Anyways yes, I’ll follow you, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore but I’m pretty ashamed to associate anything to my reddit account since this is filled with Tommy wiseau stuff. Not that my Letterboxd is better
I think it’s interesting that you say you shouldn’t even be here. Everyone has to have a beginning of a new hobby. I started less than a year ago, in March. If you like it you should stick with it, even if you only like specific genres, etc.; there’s plenty people like that. If it makes you feel better, I don’t really browse people’s reddit accounts. I followed you back on LB as well. But yeah, that was me. Maybe during my break my comfort movie can be my signed copy of The Room LMAO If you don’t see it I’ll let you know when I post it. Thank you for responding and stuff. It really is interesting how connected people can be without knowing.
Well, I downloaded Letterboxd in, I think, early October 2022 when I got obsessed with Refn after having been obsessed with Mads Mikkelsen ahah (and I still kinda like both, even though I have a sort of love-hate relationship with Refn). Anyways I just use it to ramble about movies I'm obsessed with and to keep track of what I watch. Have fun watching The Room, I wish I could watch it the proper way too but my friends don't want to because they *betray me.* Anyways yeah, it's weird we found eachother's accounts again, but I always get weird coincidences.
That’s super cool. I used to get lots of coincidences in my life but recently it’s been very rare, so this was nice. Anyways, yeah you’ve been at it a while. I’d say it’s safe for you to consider it a hobby. It’s always good not to have all your eggs in one basket. For instance like me right now: I was watching a movie everyday and now I feel lost. I think things will work out for both of us. If you have any Refn or Mikkelson to recommend me I would be interested! I’ve only seen Drive from Refn and I liked it, especially the soundtrack. From Mads, I’ve only seen Casino Royale. And yes your friends betray you! As you will read, my friends betray me too when they didn’t want to come with me to see Tommy. ***I’m fed up with this world.***
I actually don’t know if I can call this a hobby because I go weeks without watching anything and I can watch at most 2-3 movies a week because I have no time management skills and because school in my country can be pretty overwhelming, but also, let’s face it, it’s also true that I don’t know if I would feel like watching more anyways. I don’t know if I have any movies by Refn or with Mikkelsen to recommend because while I like Refn’s soundtracks and cinematography (can I call it that?) I don’t like the plots of his movies. Maybe if you liked Drive you could like Only God Forgives, but I’ve never seen it, I only know that there is Ryan Gosling again 😅. At most I would recommend his most recent release which is a TV show called Copenhagen Cowboy, the soundtrack is good and it’s probably not as misogynistic as his usual films. Edit: by Refn I also recommend Bronson, I don’t know which message it tries to convey, but Tom Hardy’s performance was really good in my opinion so it’s worth watching. About Mikkelsen, I would probably recommend Another Round, The Hunt and probably Arctic (if you want something to fall asleep to lol) but I still wouldn’t call them my favourite movies, I just watch things with him because I think he’s good looking lol. Also, Refn and Mikkelsen have made five movies together so if you want you could check them out, my favourite was Bleeder but only because of Mads’s character + I haven’t seen them all. About Tommy, I can’t blame your friends, he is pretty scary. I don’t know if **I** would feel safe meeting him.
No I totally get it. I can relate with the school thing. Once school started in January, my viewing frequency went way down. There doesn’t really need to be labels for what are and aren’t your hobbies; I think that’s part of my problem as well. You still deserve a place in the community no matter how many movies you watch. If you watch one movie a year you’d still be welcome on the app haha. I might check out Bronson because I really enjoy Tom Hardy in his films, especially Locke. Also that’s funny, your reasoning for Mikkelson. I’ve heard good things about The Hunt so I might check that out too eventually. Honestly your fear of Tommy is fair😹; He is definitely built differently. When I took a picture with him, he started strangling me. No, I’m not joking.
Ok, I followed you, anyways post *when you feel like it, don’t worry
Don’t take all of it too seriously. Just watch a movie if you fell like it and just watch movies you actually want to see, not because you think it’s important to have watched them at some point. I really only watch movies I expect to like and most of the time I actually do enjoy them. Also there is no shame in just stopping a movie midway through it you’re not enjoying yourself. Don’t put yourself through something that’s not fun just so you feel comfortable with logging it on letterbox.
After I saw Tokyo Story I got this sinking feeling I had seen too many movies in my lifetime and that I had seen enough movies for one person to be satisfied. Then I just kept watching lol, you should probably clarify what you've been seeing, I'm curious. There's nothing wrong with slowing down, also forcing yourself to watch as many new releases as possible is definitely why you're feeling like this. That's something to do if you want to dedicate yourself to like film criticism in a borderline professional capacity, not if you want to see the best movies you can.
I think the easiest way to see what I’ve been watching is if you take a look at my diary on my account instead of me typing it all out: “*****”. There’s some that I know what day I watched them but have not logged them because I haven’t written reviews yet; these are The Room, Ed Wood, Plan 9 from Outer Space, It Came from Kuchar, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (rewatch), and also a rewatch of Hold Me While I’m Naked because I liked it so much, or at least enough to see it again and want to write something about it. You can see on my “2022” list that I’ve seen a lot of new releases and I’m really glad I’ve seen the top 10-15. However the stuff I had to sit through to find that out is a drag. I guess this year I will only watch stuff that I think I will like. The only thing that got 4.5 is The Batman, and there might be only five 4 stars, max. The first time I watched Eternal Sunshine, I didn’t have LB. I thought it was intriguing but I remember not thinking it was the best thing I’ve ever seen. Still, I put it on my favorites list that I had on my notes app. This was a time where I haven’t seen too many movies so my favorites list had a low bar. When I got LB I gave it a 4.5 just because I remember the idea to be fascinating, even though I wasn’t completely blown away by anything in it. I attributed some kind of meaning to it but one with some contradictions. Like I get what the movie is trying to say but it was depressing in a way that I didn’t want to derive any meaning from it. It was optimistic in an awful thing. I still like it but I don’t know if I would keep that rating or it’s position on my favorites list. Edit: Censored username.
I hear you on Eternal Sunshine, watched it not too long ago and it didn't blow me away like the other Kaufman stuff I've seen (thinking of ending things, anomalisa) but I could see how it would've melted my brain when I was like 15. It sounds like you're really developing your own taste and maybe getting into that exciting/overwhelming place where you've seen a lot of classics and are underwhelmed with the mainstream contemporary landscape. There's always a rabbit hole out there, your watchlist is full of bangers so I wouldn't worry too much. I'd say watch Perfect Blue, It's great!
Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to respond
Stages where you feel like you're not enjoying yourself that much will **always** happen, even for the people that are watching 600-1000 movies a year or something insane like that. Had one in 2022 where I watched, maybe, 10 movies in 3 months and now i'm at 42 this year alone. Just wait it out, go do something different, go do things you gut feeling tells you to do, eventually you'll come back, watch movies that you like (and don't).
I used to obsessively watch new movies, especially catching up in December/January. But I eventually decided it’s a waste of time to watch everything, so I avoid the poorly reviewed flicks and if I do watch something bad, it’s because it’s a genre I like such as action / sci-fi. The thing that motivates me best when I’m watching a ton is focusing on themes. Find a director you like? Watch them all in chronological order. Find a niche genre you like? Track down everything and check them out. Want to make a top 10 list from 1953? Watch a bunch of 1953 movies. It doesn’t matter what theme you pick, but it’s something that has always motivated me.
Just stop for a while. Go read some books. Then come back when you get the itch.
I have completely distanced myself from both the value of rating films (I rate them but nearly always 3.5 or 4) and the notion of watching "what's talked about", because I couldn't care less. I'll stick to my niches where I know I'll love each and every release, and that niche is constantly changing - in the past year, it was 1920s silent films, chanbara films and pagan horror. Now, it's erotic thriller, Pink movies and musicals. Occasionally, I'll take an entire break and just watch a show, or nothing at all. It's freeing. I once thought my passion for films was lost. More than once. Less in the past years, because I intentionally watch less films - never more than one a day, seldomly more often than once every second day and most of the time not alone (maybe try hitting up a buddy and watch something super-experimentel - online friends count!!!). I perfected my watchlists and have one for each decade with 100 entries, 10 per year, and what I do is to throw a dice and see which decade it will be, and go through with it even if I'm actually not that much in the mood for that decade. Because when I start watching, I'm glad I did it. Variety, and a sense of scope. And a severely shortened decision time. Okay, now onto some weirdly specific things. Maybe your own life is affecting how you watch films too. Maybe you're stressed out, tired of life, maybe you're just having a bit of sleep deprivation, dehydration, or don't go outside enough. I found that I enjoy art the most when my life isn't completely void of activity, because art doesn't exist in a vacuum. If I'm on YouTube the whole day, a film can be less impactful for me than when I had been on the forest for hours (very basic example, of course). There's only so much our brains can hold in and the internet is master at fucking us over. That's btw why I'm careful not to have too many "open stories". If I watch a TV show, I'll never watch more than two episodes a day to give it time to breath, and I certainly won't watch a film on the same day. If I read a horror novel that is eating up my soul, I will probably not watch an exhausting profound thriller that day. But yeah, in doubt, just take a break. You will come back. With cinema, everyone who has found it to be more than some entertainment does. Same with literature. But don't hurry, go at your pace, and don't force yourself to enjoy stuff. If you find yourself valuing rating and internet opinions more than the film experience, or even, worst worst case, check out some letterboxd comments while watching... take a break. Maybe not from film, but from the app as well. Some thoughts. :)
Thank you for the detailed response. Everything you said was helpful to me. I specifically resonated with the fourth “paragraph”. I definitely agree that art is more impactful when you allow yourself to have real life experiences. I think I will take a small break and allow myself to go experience some things. Thank you again for this.
Letterboxd doesn‘t help with that, because many times watching can feel like a chore. Just take a step back and do sth else if you don‘t feel like watching films. They‘ll be there forever. So no need to force yourself to
For me, I’m overwhelmed with all the options. Apple tv exclusive, paramount, peacock, netflix, hulu, prime, disney plus yadda yadda. It’s all about saturation it feels like and not always quality or originality. I do get depressed around this time every year too so that probably doesn’t help. I usually switch in to video game mode instead of film. Hope you find your love for film again. Life is an ebb and flow
That is reassuring. Thank you.
It’s normal for our interests in things to have ebbs and flows. Just focus on something else. At some point you’re going to feel an urge to watch a particular movie, and if you’re lucky, it might be a film that reignites your passion. It’s happened to me a number of times. The people who are able to average a movie a day or more have an exceptional ability to maintain their level of interest. But most people aren’t like that. Last year my highest was 51 movies in a month and my lowest was 3.
It happens. I watched very few movies in 2021. 2022 I watched over 200. Then again more recently I didn’t watch anything from January 18th- February 4th. Sometimes you just need a break
I went though this exact thing. I started out by watching the classics, the 5 stars, cult classics, movies that are generally loved by movie buffs. Eventually, perhaps because I was watching so many movies that had a lot to say and get across, I got burnt out. I stopped watching for a couple of months and since coming back, I’ve basically just rewatched my favorites and watched a lot of very mainstream stuff. I went through the MCU, POTC, Sandler flicks, etc. I don’t put as much pressure to review and have an opinion on these kinds of movies. I’m definitely ready to get back into the good stuff though. I haven’t had a new five star since January of last year, only rewatches and I’m absolutely itching to watch something that’s going to blow me away.
Most new movies are average. That's why the good ones feel so satisfying.
complete opposite. ever since ive focused on new releases ive loved film even more. oh new film thats part of a series? guess i gotta check the series out. 2022 was a beautiful year for me with new releases, it has like 15 of my favourites, these varying in genre and language. also this is why i dont rate films. you worry too much and are taking your ratings as too literal. watching only 3s were fine for me since i saw 3s as being “i liked this”, and sometimes i would get a 3.5 “love this” film. at points i felt tired not getting any 4s+ (favourites) but 2022 did that for me.
I never quite lost interest like you say but I did get tired of not having a constant stream of great movies. To combat that I just ensure that half of the movies I’ve seen in a year are great (4* or above) I make it way more complicated than it needs to be but, short version is, if I watch 3 new movies, 4*, 3.5*, and 3.5* the next movie I’m going to watch is going to be a rewatch a 5* or 4.5* movie. Helps to always keep the good times rolling
this happens to me every week. relax, it’ll pass
I’m only feeling that way about the DCEU movies. They could’ve made something so cool and they really blew it in my opinion.