Does popular = good?

[Ponine]

Now to the other frequenters of imdb, that ranking is made from our votes and ranking of those of us who log in right?
Combined with how often its looked up?

imo, a great deal of the time popular = there's something interesting here.

Not necassarily good, just interesting.

I would personally never take the rank of a movie on imdb to be a reason to see it. But thats me.

Originally Posted by Capt Jack

btw, Shawshank.....I didnt see it. no real interest to even now.

And for the record... I really like Shawshank. (really really like, wierdly so for me for a guy movie)
I think it is totally worth the time at least once.

[Capt Jack]

Originally Posted by Ponine

I think it is totally worth the time at least once.

yeah. I'm told that a lot for numerous movies, events, places, bands etc. while I do love a good movie, they just arent the super draw for me they are for many folks I know. the list of films a vast majority of the viewing public see as 'geez, everyone has seen that, havent they?' that I've not is substantial. hell, I never saw "Wizard of Oz" until I was in my 30's and Aerosmith, one of my all time favorite bands, I saw in concert for the first time this year.

I just put them on the "yeah, I'll get to it eventually" list.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Ponine

Now to the other frequenters of imdb, that ranking is made from our votes and ranking of those of us who log in right?
Combined with how often its looked up?

The Top 250 list is generated completely on user rankings. The frequency of look up doesn't play into it.

If you go to an individual movie, down towards the bottom is a MOVIEmeter rating that is a measure of how frequently people are looking into that title relative to previous activity.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Ponine

And for the record... I really like Shawshank. (really really like, wierdly so for me for a guy movie)

If Shawshank is a guy movie because it takes place in a men's prison, then "Ilsa, Wicked Warden" is a chick flick.

Both, not so.

[Ponine]

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

If Shawshank is a guy movie because it takes place in a men's prison, then "Ilsa, Wicked Warden" is a chick flick.

Both, not so.

To me, Shawshank plays like a 'guy' movie, because it has no major female characters to relate to.
To understand the story, or the minds at work in the story, I had to just stop and watch, because they were not thinking about the situation the way that I would.

I had a very hard time relating to, and understanding that film, and had to watch it over and over again to understand why the men handled it they way they did.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Ponine

To me, Shawshank plays like a 'guy' movie, because it has no major female characters to relate to.
To understand the story, or the minds at work in the story, I had to just stop and watch, because they were not thinking about the situation the way that I would.

I had a very hard time relating to, and understanding that film, and had to watch it over and over again to understand why the men handled it they way they did.

Do actors need to be of the same gender for you to associate with? This to me seems quite limiting.

There are stories being told that apply to me and affect me when I differ greatly from the character. For example, I am not Jewish but I could easily relate to the characters (regardless of gender) in Schindler's List. While I have never been, and Goddess forbid, never shall be in a situation like what they endured, I could none-the-less be engrossed in their story and empathize with them.

[Ponine]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Do actors need to be of the same gender for you to associate with? This to me seems quite limiting.

It is, but none the less, sometimes the case.
I analyze too much and spent a great deal of that film thinking... I dont get it.
Why is this an issue?

Just as I spent time realizing that I couldnt understand (since you mentioned it) Ralph Fiennes character in Schindlers.
I could totally understand the woman he was beating, but not him.
Hence, I spent more time being confused than trying to actually watch the film as a whole.

Which is also why I said I watched Shawshank more than once.
I'm an idiot. I accept it. :P

[lizziebith]

Is the inverse true? Does unpopular=bad? Shawshank was considered a flop during its theatrical release, but on home video it developed a spectacular life of its own...all on the power of WOM of renters of every stripe. It has since been on several popvote lists as #1 or #2.

It's done consistently well on various formats since its initial distribution -- enough to warrant a massive 10-year anniversary party/viewing which I was lucky enough to attend. Hubby is best friends with the director.

I like the movie a lot, but it's not on my personal top-10 list.

What makes a movie good? Is it even quantifiable? Sometimes the sheer popularity of a film has so turned me off that I've deprived myself overlong before finally submitting, only to discover that some gems ARE popular. Some movies that I think are real stinkers get great reviews and accolades. Actually the more I think about it -- I've hated more movies that got raves than rotten tomaters. Must be the heightened expectations thing.

Still, good CAN = popular. But obviously popularity is no solid predictor of good, OR bad, OR what each of us might like. Popularity is just what it is. As Alex noted it's something that is quantifiable, and perhaps that is why it is so frequently used to represent "good."

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by lizziebith

Hubby is best friends with the director.

Did I mention how much I loved that movie?