catch 22 - movie watching

[Aliquid]

I really like watching movies where I'm caught off guard by a plot twist or a surprise ending. I like that feeling of "holy crap, I didn't see that coming".

The problem is... I can't deliberately seek out movies like that. If I know in advance that there is a plot twist, I am anticipating it, and I don't get caught off guard.

As a result, the most enjoyable movies I have seen have been ones that I know nothing about in advance. Not even a plot summary, or a preview. The problem with that is... how can I make sure I watch movies I like if I can't know anything about them in advance.

That's my dilemma of the day.

[tomandtish]

It's not quite the same thing, but something I do every once in a while is go to the theater (especially the one that shows the "art films") and tell them to sell me a ticket for whatever is starting next.

You may end up seeing some stinkers that way (Last Airbender....), but you can see some really good stuff you wouldn't have considered. And since you don't even know what you are going to see, you don't have to worry about spoilers...

[Aliquid]

It's not quite the same thing, but something I do every once in a while is go to the theater (especially the one that shows the "art films") and tell them to sell me a ticket for whatever is starting next.

You may end up seeing some stinkers that way (Last Airbender....), but you can see some really good stuff you wouldn't have considered. And since you don't even know what you are going to see, you don't have to worry about spoilers...I imagine it is also liberating walking into the movie with zero expectations.

[tomandtish]

I imagine it is also liberating walking into the movie with zero expectations.

It certainly can be. I'm not going in with that sense of dread that it might disappoint me (Force Awakens), or resignation (I'm only seeing this because the wife/friend/niece/nephew wants to see it). And you can see some really interesting things that you might not otherwise catch.

Some really good ones I've caught that way included Rosewater (about journalist Maziar Bahari - google if you want more info since it's probably too political), 12:08 East of Bucharest, Night Watch (the movie version of the Sergei Lukyanenko novel), Mystery Men (I didn't expect to like that one but did).

I don't do it quite as often anymore only because it's so expensive...

[blunk]

Work your way through the IMDb Top 250 (http://www.imdb.com/chart/top)? Rate a lot of movies on Netflix and take their recommendations?