Many times, I've had people ask me the same question over and over again - "What makes a good movie?"
So, I thought I'd go over my general rule of thumb - "My 15 Minute Rule."
Basically, when I go into a film I give it 15 minutes to get my attention and get me interested. Think of of it more like an audition.
When you go in to audition for a role (i.e. movie, play, etc) you're only given a small amount of time to do your thing and capture the attention of the director. So, it's got to be good. And, yes - you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
So, that's how I approach my movie watching experience. If the film does not capture my attention in 15 minutes max, then I know it's really not going to be that great of a movie.
(Note: This is a general rule of thumb. Some may argue there have been good movies that get better after the first 15 minutes. Though, this has been my general experience).
For a movie to be great (in my opinion), it must capture the audience from the beginning. Period. There must be a reason for the audience to keep wanting to watch more. And, that reason usually boils down to one word - conflict.
Without conflict, there is not much reason to keep watching. Let's face it, as humans we love conflict - drama is what gets us going. And, this drama caused by conflict stirs up controversy which makes us curious. And, we all know the saying - "Curiosity kills the cat."
It's this "curiosity" that makes us want to watch more. And, a movie that can makes us want to watch more makes for a good movie. Why?
Without interest and the "want" to see more, there is no reason for us to keep watching. It's the mystery and the intrigue that really keeps us interested. And, this interest is because we care - we care what happens because of the conflict and the drama.
Here are a couple clips of some movies I've picked out. See if you can test out "My 15 Minute Rule." Does it pass the test?
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I hope "My 15 Minute Rule" will help others see my thought process in evaluating and determining a good movie. I've used "My 15 Minute Rule" time and time again - it's worked for me.
In the end, it's all about entertainment. And, a movie that is entertaining is one definitely worth watching.
Happy movie watching!
p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!
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3 comments:
FG,
I agree that a film needs to grab you within 15 minutes -- I'd even drop that down to 10 -- but for me, this is kind of moot anyway, because I have a personal philosophy of always finishing any film I start. Then again, as a breed, film bloggers are different from the general public, aren't we?
The real place that 15-minute rule comes into play is when it's actually a 15-page rule. My wife is in the script-vetting business, and any script that hasn't given you something solid by page 15 gets chucked out the window. (Not literally -- that would be littering.)
I have thought about dropping my rule of thumb to 10 minutes, but have stuck with 15 minutes as my general rule of thumb - it seems to be a good timeframe and works for me.
Very interesting about the 15-page rule regarding the script business, sounds similar in nature. (Liked the joke, funny!)
Thanks for reading and for stopping by!
I agree with "the 15-minute rule" but only because you`re one of the hottest chicks i`ve ever seen.
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