I wonder how moviegoers knew whether they had enjoyed a movie before the birth of the Rotten Tomatoes website?

Every time I see someone bash someone else's opinion on a movie, using it's Rotten Tomatoes rating as a reference, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

"You couldn't have enjoyed that movie - it only got 23% Fresh reviews on RT!"

"You are wrong to give that movie a bad review - it got 83% on Rotten Tomatoes!"

Worse, I see exact phrases of professional reviewers parroted back in personal reviews. But I suppose it is a lot to ask, that people form their own independent opinion these days. At least, it is extremely rare.

Reviews and personal opinion have nothing to do with percentages. Those who love a movie and those who hate it are both absolutely right. It's not a zero-sum game.

That is just dumb. The vast majority of moviegoers still thinks for itself, otherwise films like Scary Movie 3/4 wouldn't be sucessful.

I have given a bad review to Blade Runner (92%) and a good one to Domino (17%)

So...

I have caught a glimpse of independent thought once in a while in your writing, Dr. Lecter. But are you sure you're not an anti-conformist...

Because it'd be dumb to just give a bad grade to a movie because it is doing well at RT. You can#t generalize by saying that they always get it wrong. If I reemmber correctly, you love Harold and Maude which stands at 90% at RT. May I assume that you just adopted their rating?

They read the paper.

The point is that RT is irrelevant...

My old grandpappy told me about something called "the paper" - was it some kind of proto-internet technology?

I can't stand all the Rottontomatoes hooplah. There are just some types of films that will never get a good rating, and other films that are good but aren't necessarily original get killed.

You really have to see what you want to see.

To be honest, I check Rottentomatoes everyday, but that didnt stop me from checking out Firewall, 16 Blocks, The Pink Panther, numerous horror flicks, and Posiedon.

Some people just get that assurance of knowing what to expense. Many people hate going to the movies now for the prices, they want to go to one that they should have a great time at. But I dont think its that bad as bradley is making it out to be.

RT is more effective for judging how films will dow ith critics awards then anything. The general public has long shown the don;t give a dick about what reviewers say, they go see the films they want to see. Like at the horror filsm that have been doing sow ell at the box office and getting horrible reviews, the public sees what it wants to see. Or someone like Tyler Perry, the public love him, the reviewers not so much.

Personally I find reviews helpful when its a film I have heard nothing about, the serve the alert me to a film I might never have heard of or thought to see. Otherwise I read particularly reviews because I like the writing style of the reviewer.

We are capable of forming our own opinion, I am so damn tired of everyone always suggesting that when someone doesn;t agree with them they are a hseep, or just saying that to be different. Here's a thought, why don;t we give each other enough credit and assume we actually have own distinct thoughts.

So Lecter actually dislikes Blade Runner, so do I, bug deal, not everyone gonna like it.

Oh brother. The mindless hordes again? RT has never dissuaded me from seeing a movie (I'm seeing Art School Confidential today). Its only persuaded me to see one. I pretty much judge from the synopsis, cast and crew, and the trailer. But if I think something "looks" terrible on paper and it ends up getting surprisingly high critical acclaim (Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory did), I actually might check it out anyways.

They have there local papers and WOM i guess. Also nobody knows what they like more then themselves and can chose there films accordingly. I'm rarely dissapointed when i go to the cinema cause i don't listen to RT (except for oscar bait) and go with what i like. Example Aeon flux got crap reviews but i liked the genre so i went and i enjoyed the movie.

You know, people who go see movies these days like to think of themselves as critics. It destroys film experience. I find it as a media student a lot easier than youd expect to switch on and off that way when im watching a movie.

What kind of freak do you have to be to enjoy Aeon Flux?

One with an extremely weak resistance to dystopia movies. Im not ashamed of my Flux love I think.

I actually found Aeon Flux enjoyable as well. Very flawed, but enjoyable.

Edit:

[Self Deprecating Humor]What kind of freak do you have to be to enjoy Aeon Flux?[/Self Deprecating Humor]

Oops - didn't think I'd need the tags on this forum, after the avalanche of crap I've taken about liking Aeon Flux...

Alas newbies like me did not know this so they were neccesary. But the next movie this happens with ill know.

My apologies, my good sir...

I generally agree on RT, and with it being brought up on the forums. I consider it useless/irrelevant in regards to anything I care about.

I don't agree that people who follow it necessarily lack the ability to independently think. Well, some might....but not most.

I don't think anybody here has the problem of "conforming" to RT's thought patterns. We're all, for the most part, intelligent people who know how to express their own personal thoughts, without the influence or the help of something like RT. I can't speak for anybody else outside of KJ, because, well, I don't talk to them. I'd assume the same for most of them too.

There are those who are spoonfed their thoughts on pop culture and society, and they will never go away. Everyone else can make their own decision.

Personally, I don't go to RT, and ignore the ratings until awards season spams the forum, or somebody brings it up for whatever reason. I'm more prone to being influenced by the reviews of people I trust on this forum (Lecter and Zing mostly, since they more often than not match my taste in movies). If something is standing out in positive forum reviews (like New World) my interest will likely be piqued, but since that's rarely the case, I stick to those that I know.

With the recent tizzy about the Da Vinci Code's low Rotten Tomatoes ratings, I find it amazing the amount of energy spent rationalizing why they're low. This is the time the usual Rotten Tomatoes supporters temporarily abandon their faith, and start saying that it doesn't reflect the views of ordinary Joe movie watchers, and won't affect WOM. Kuckily, that won't last, because next time a film gets high Rotten Tomatoe scores, their faith will be restored and they'll be back to trumpeting their meaningfulness...

Who is this exactly? It can't be me, and I've been vocal on TDVC. Zingaling. I don't think Magnus is the ominous "Rotten Tomatoes supporter" you refer to. Of all the people who have been attacking TDVC's RT reviews, I can't think of who you might be talking about.

I agree with him.

Feeling guilty?


I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:7