What are your personal "red flags" before watching a movie?

This is sort of a spin-off of "What are your personal "red flags" before reading any fanfic?"

What "red flags" would you have to see in a movie's trailer or summary for you to become wary or just flat out refuse to see it? Seeing something you don't like in an independent review doesn't count.

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For me, any movie whose trailer or summary implies that this is a story where everything in protagonists life is horrible, downtroden, etc, even if there is hope at the end. Also, those that are deeply dramatic. Think Precious or The Butler for an example of what I'm talking about.

Those movies could have actually been the happiest actiony things ever but I could never go see them because of the way marketing protrayed them. I'm sure they're good movies, but I can't bring myself to ever sit down for something like that. The first type's depresses me and the second type I find dull.

Which is why the only "African American/Black" movies I can stand at all (a small list) are action and/or comedy. (I'm a first generation African American (Nigeria) with sisters that LOVE this stuff, so things can get kind of awkward when there are no action movies out...)

edited 20th Jan '14 2:22:39 PM by Notoyax17

Hmmmm.... This is an interesting one.

I suppose what turns me off to a movie is...

If the plot sounds like something I've heard a million times before, but there are exceptions to that one.

If its a horror movie, then I'll usually get turned off if it looks exactly like any other horror flick I've ever seen with seemingly nothing new to offer.

If the trailer tells me absolutely nothing of the plot...

In terms of Animated films, the first teaser of Frozen is usually an indicator, but I ended up loving Frozen.

And, generally, if there's anything in the trailer that has me confused and going "That doesn't sound right" or "That's just terrible writing" (An easier way to explain this would be if I ever see the name Stephanie Myers appear on the screen).

However, there are exceptions because I'm familiar with marketing departments being absolutely crap. Also, I did enjoy movies like The Host and Breaking Dawn because I didn't go in expecting a good movie, I went in with family/friends to laugh about how bad they were and crack jokes that were more entertaining than all four (five?) books combined.

Three words:

Steven Seagal is...

From the creators of Meet The Spartans...

Kristen Stewart

most stuff about a "family drama" or "family comedy".

And other stuff I can't remember right now.

edited 20th Jan '14 5:06:27 PM by Quag15

M Night Shayamalan

Release date: Good movies are seldom in January.

For an animated film: Anything that's from a studio I've never heard of and/or uses its cast as the main selling point.

For live-action: Linda f***king Woolverton.

In general: Narmy trailers (looking at you, I, Frankenstein)

I generally don't watch trailers, unless they are put on commercials. I usually just watch movies that fit the genres I like.

If the trailers sounds generic and cliché. I know that's vague, but a lot of movie trailers make the basic premise of a movie sound like a thousand other movies that have been made. If the dialogue sounds like it was ripped out of dozens of other generic action movies, or the jokes for a comedy film are variations on something you've heard many times before, then it's a good indication that not a lot of thought was put into the film.

Or if all the jokes in the trailer are unfunny or sound out of place.

Or if the plot of the movie appears to be, "This is a drama about the lives of horrible people."

But there can be good trailers for bad films and bad trailers for good films. If a trailer looks bad but the basic summary of the film sounds interesting and the preponderance of reviews are good, I'll still go see it.

Anything starring Hitler, I suppose? Or are you just doing the Godwin on this thread?

edited 20th Jan '14 5:32:13 PM by Quag15

I avoid Nazi movies, they're played out villains. I did see Red Tails though.

Ah, I see. Carry on, then (Downfall is great, especially since there's more to it than that Hitler rant scene).

edited 20th Jan '14 5:51:51 PM by Quag15

M. Night Shyamalan, Michael Bay, Shia Le Douche, Nicolas Cage, DC Comics.

Well, the trailer for that animated January flick The Nut Job had Gangnam Style in it, and that was all the indication I needed that it probably wouldn't be worth the money. If you can't sell your movie on anything other than a pop culture reference that's already played out, no dice.

This is why I avoid trailers—they never give a good or accurate impression of a movie.

period-inappropriate music for the ads (i'm looking at you, Jay Z).

Let's be reasonable here, he DID do the score for that movie, to my understanding.

Heh.

yeah...

*cries*

edited 20th Jan '14 10:03:23 PM by Odd1

@odd: True, but nothing else about it convinced me that it was going to be good. And apparently, Psy makes a cameo in the film credits even though it's set in the 50s.

edited 20th Jan '14 10:05:49 PM by edvedd

@ed: early 1920s, actually.

Yeah, I don't know where you got the idea that it's set in the '50s...did your high school teacher not make you read the book?

That's not what I was referring to.

I read The Great Gatsby, I was referring to The Nut Job.

Oh, whoops.

I go out of my way to avoid watching trailers before a film, as they all too often spoil or are nothing like the actual film. I'll only go and see a film if it has been recommended or I like the sound of it.

I avoid silly looking comedies and horror movies. But usual...it's less that I have "red flags" and more that I need some green flags. There are so many generic movies that it needs a pull to make me spend the money. Thus said, I remember that I picked "Shawshanks redemption" more or less at random. But usually high-prolific actors or directors make me pick a movies, as do good reviews.