Weekday Five 05/03/2008

[Diva]

1. Has anyone ever spoiled a book/movie for you?

2. Have you ever spoiled a book/movie for anyone?

3. Do you prefer to know the ending?

4. What movie/book's ending surprised you the most?

5. What movie/book's ending disappointed you the most?

[Reliquiae]

1. Has anyone ever spoiled a book/movie for you?
No.

2. Have you ever spoiled a book/movie for anyone?
Yes.

3. Do you prefer to know the ending?
No.

4. What movie/book's ending surprised you the most?
The Dark Tower Series: Wizard & Glass by Stephen King. I cried. :waaa:

5. What movie/book's ending disappointed you the most?
Truthfully, I've never been disappointed. :w00t:
<!-- / message --> <!-- sig -->

[Unforgiven]

1. Has anyone ever spoiled a book/movie for you?
Not that I recall.


2. Have you ever spoiled a book/movie for anyone?
I don't think so.


3. Do you prefer to know the ending?
No.


4. What movie/book's ending surprised you the most?
2010: Odyssey Two, maybe.


5. What movie/book's ending disappointed you the most?
Fahrenheit 451

[Beat_Criminal]

1. Yes.

2. Nope.

3. Nope.

4. Movie - The Departed.
Book - Stephen King's Dark Tower Series

5. Movie - The Blair witch Project
Book - Not sure really.

-B

[Beat_Criminal]

4. What movie/book's ending surprised you the most?
The Dark Tower Series: Wizard & Glass by Stephen King. I cried. :waaa:

<!-- / message --> <!-- sig -->


I did not expect the ending but Wizard & Glass was the best of the series, once it picks up after page 200 or so.

-B

[Diva]

1. Has anyone ever spoiled a book/movie for you? I remember when I was going to see the Blue Lagoon and we were just walking into the theater. Some people were walking out and one person said (loudly) "At least they were saved at the end". I thought people were going to jump them. The person looked over and saw all these people glaring at her and scurried away quickly.

2. Have you ever spoiled a book/movie for anyone? Kinda. I was complaining about a movie in a forum (before I knew about the *spoiler* warnings) and someone got all pissy with me about it. Oy... On one hand I felt really bad about it, but the person was in the discussion and never stated that they had yet to see it. Why jump into a discussion about a movie you haven't seen?

3. Do you prefer to know the ending? Heck yes! I'm a total wimp and hate sad/realistic endings, or if a main character dies, or if an animal dies, etc... So I have someone find out before going. I'd go to the movies to be taken away from the realities of life.

4. What movie/book's ending surprised you the most? The movie Seven is the first to come to mind. Liked the movie, HATED the ending. Most people walked out of the theater without saying much. Of course my then boyfriend got an earful when we got into the car. Scream was another movie I couldn't figure out the killer.

5. What movie/book's ending disappointed you the most? Seven, for obvious reasons. Also... Bambie. That movie scarred me for life. Afterwards I wouldn't sleep in my own bed for a while and I would call my dad at his work daily, saying "Daddy please don't die" while sobbing into the phone. Oy... My poor dad.

[Amaurote]

1. Has anyone ever spoiled a book/movie for you? I remember when I was going to see the Blue Lagoon and we were just walking into the theater. Some people were walking out and one person said (loudly) "At least they were saved at the end". I thought people were going to jump them. The person looked over and saw all these people glaring at her and scurried away quickly.

2. Have you ever spoiled a book/movie for anyone? Kinda. I was complaining about a movie in a forum (before I knew about the *spoiler* warnings) and someone got all pissy with me about it. Oy... On one hand I felt really bad about it, but the person was in the discussion and never stated that they had yet to see it. Why jump into a discussion about a movie you haven't seen?

3. Do you prefer to know the ending? Heck yes! I'm a total wimp and hate sad/realistic endings, or if a main character dies, or if an animal dies, etc... So I have someone find out before going. I'd go to the movies to be taken away from the realities of life.

4. What movie/book's ending surprised you the most? The movie Seven is the first to come to mind. Liked the movie, HATED the ending. Most people walked out of the theater without saying much. Of course my then boyfriend got an earful when we got into the car. Scream was another movie I couldn't figure out the killer.

5. What movie/book's ending disappointed you the most? Seven, for obvious reasons.

But why? The conclusion has perfect symmetry and is in keeping with the storyline's sense of miserable fatalism.

Novel-wise, I've always hated the final thirty pages of Red Dragon, in which Thomas Harris undoes all his previous good work with a ridiculous schlock-horror ending that beggars belief. The best thing Michael Mann ever did was cut it all out and ignore it when he made Manhunter. Film-wise, it's so hard to say, there are so many - Revenge of the Sith is probably the biggest offence to narrative in history and the biggest missed opportunity.

I'm not normally all that surprised by film. I think the last time I was shocked by a movie ending was The Last Broadcast. I had difficulty sleeping that night; it's quite brutal and disturbing viewing.

I've tended to stay away from spoilers ever since I ruined season three of 24 for myself by finding out what happened to the main villain well in advance.

[Unforgiven]

Agreed, about Se7en. That was exactly how that movie should have ended. It completed the list of sins, and as Am said, was very symmetric. Also, I just thought it was a bit clever.

[JakeD]

Agreed, about Se7en. That was exactly how that movie should have ended. It completed the list of sins, and as Am said, was very symmetric. Also, I just thought it was a bit clever.

Thirded, though I know my girlfriend's movie quirks. It was Fincher's best shot across the bow so far and it worked out beautifully.

I already notified her that she would hate the shit out of Zodiac, so I think we're safe. :P

That being said...

1. Has anyone ever spoiled a book/movie for you?
Yes, many times. It still hasn't changed my perception of the medium, though. I don't understand the people who hem and haw about someone verbally telling them that something happens when you still have yet to see it put on screen or on paper.

The secondhand account of some random dipshit doesn't hold a candle to what the director/author wanted to accomplish, so who gives a fuck?

2. Have you ever spoiled a book/movie for anyone?
Accidentally, yes.

3. Do you prefer to know the ending?
No. Thrill me.

4. What movie/book's ending surprised you the most?The latest - There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men.

5. What movie/book's ending disappointed you the most? The LOTR movies. Not only were the films stultifyingly slow and plodding, but the fucking thing refused to end. I love Peter Jackson a lot, but I don't know how much of the blame should fall at his feet and how much is due to J.R.R. Tolkien's boring bullshit.

[Amaurote]

I already notified her that she would hate the shit out of Zodiac, so I think we're safe. :P


Great film, but in a way Zodiac has more finality than Seven - I was expecting something nebulous, but it basically tells you who the killer is. That final scene in the shop reminded me of William Calley in his jewellery store.

I can't say I loved the LotR films, but they seemed to be as accurate as a Tolkien fan (which I am not) could hope for, apart from excising Tom Bombadil, the wight, the poetry, striving with the Orthanc-stone, the scouring of the Shire, most of the characters, etc. etc.

I'm a big fan of the Psycho trilogy (and yes it is a trilogy, Psycho IV never happened), but I can't stand the novels - Bloch is an iffy writer at times, and he ruined the two novels in the series that he wrote. The genius of that saga came from Joe Stefano and Hitchcock who had the sense to make it a story of lost innocence, not just some guy whacking off at every available opportunity like the old tramp on the bus in that Dave Chappelle sketch.