How movie reviews act as spoilers!

July 8, 2008

The reviews are better than the movie; that’s what I think of the pieces from Mayank Shekhar, a film critic with Mumbai Mirror. Sometime ago, I read how reviews top the book and dismissed it as impossible. With Shekhar’s review of Love Story, 2050 titled “Shove Story, 2008“, I know it’s possible to garner more readers for one’s reviews than viewers for a movie.

The much publicised July 4 weekend for Bollywood is past us. My exposure to television has increased marginally over the past few weeks. Surfing through channels, one was exposed to a fair amount of robotic gimmicks of one movie and the familiar boy-has-fun-with-the-girl-who-is-his-friend plot of another. The build-up was so much that for once I’ve felt like watching the first day, first show of a movie - Jaane tu..ya jaane na. Honestly, I have never seen any movie on the first day of its release - for that matter in the first week. The only premiere I’ve been to is that of The Last Samurai in Chicago.

Finally, came Sunday when we realized we could haul ourselves to the multiplex - the first time since LG has been born. Yea, haven’t seen a flick in over two years at the theater. It was too late - didn’t get any ticket for a show with a decent timing; so, we let it pass. Now the interest has died what with the numerous reviews on every blog, every channel and every newspaper. Even if these guys don’t reveal the storyline or the climax, it’s spoiler enough to make one lose interest for it’s no longer a mystery which was so well kept until the opening weekend.

Mayank’s reviews have a way of doing that. Even if he recommends seeing a movie or better utilizing one’s time by napping over the weekend, it’s the same thing because it’s out there - the stars, the treatment to the movie, the comparison of actors, overacting and numerous other things which weren’t talked about until Friday. Then follows the interviews with the director,post-release profit statistics, turnout. Suddenly, it’s more than the songs which was the only thing one was exposed to till date. I may sound crazy but try seeing one a week after release and you’ll realize why it’s so easy to settle for a DVD in the comforts of your home rather than hauling your bum to the multiplex and spending a 1000 bucks?

Ironic that today’s editorial in Times has an entry called “Spoilt for choice” on the same topic that’s been running through my mind the whole weekend.

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Comments

3 Responses to “How movie reviews act as spoilers!”

meetu on July 9th, 2008 4:27 am

Hey!

I so understand your sentiment. Many a time, I’ve walked out of a room where the story was being discussed for a movie that I haven’t seen.

I’m absolutely the first day first show kind of a movie watcher. Exasperated by reviews being all about stories, I started a hindi movie review blog called “Without Giving The Movie Away”

Yet, the level of non-spoilers you want is not possible in a full review. What you want is a plain star system, I guess or a one line action point. Watch immediately, wait, junk it - types. I completely understand the sentiment
Lakshmi on July 9th, 2008 5:42 am

Hi Meetu,

Loved your site and the one liner reviews. So disappointed to see “wait for the video release” for most releases. What’s happened to Bollywood? Creatively challenged or challenged to provide entertainment?
meetu on July 9th, 2008 6:33 am

Oh well, could just be that I watch way too many movies