My Approach To Movie Viewing

There's a convoluted and contradicting approach I take with me into movie appreciation.
If you've ever watched MST3k or enjoyed the music video riffs Beavis & Butthead did, well that's what it's like watching a movie with me and mine.

- If It Was A Comic Book Or Novel, Read Up On It First
Even reading the synopsis on IMDb.com and Google'ing the original story can help bring you into the right kind of mind frame to understand the story.

• Do you like Apocalypse Now!- read Heart Of Darkness first. 
• Really into Iron Man, check out Iron Man's Encyclopedia.

- Big Producers, Big Directors, Big Actors, Big Special Effects Can Quickly Turn Into A Big Load Of Shit

• Alexander 
• Battlefield: Earth 
• Spider-Man 3 
• Pearl Harbor (The actual event was the worst attack to the U.S. and I feel this movie was propaganda and a mockery >R.I.P. Ed Midel, Sr<)

- If It's A Remake, Watch The Original

• Dawn Of The Dead (1978) VS Dawn Of The Dead (2004)
  
• The 300 Spartans (1962) VS 300 (2006) 
• True Grit (1969) VS True Grit (2010) 
• The Wolf Man (1941) VS The Wolfman (2010)
  

- Don't Get Caught Up In The Hype!
A marketing blitz on a film can mean it sucks more balls then a 4'9" Tanned Gremlin From New Jersey.  Don't argue the fact with me that I think these movies suck. Check Out My Blacklist

• James Cameron's Avatar 
• The Twilight Saga 
• Jerry Maguire

- Know How and When To Separate Special Effects From The Story  
I'm a sucker for CGI, puppetry, good make up and a really touching story, but there are movies that there are terrible from concept to finish.

• Good Effects, Terrible Story:  Stealth, Splice, Spider Man 2 and I hate to say it- The Star Wars Prequels
• Good Story, Terrible Effects:  Spawn, Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions
• A Good Idea, Really Bad Execution:  Fantastic Four, The Last Airbender, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Aeon Flux
• A Bad Idea, Start To Finish:  Superman 4 The Quest For Peace, House Of The Dead (2003), Street Fighter (1994), 
• Excellent Story, Excellent Effects:  Legend, Pan's Labyrinth, Hellraiser series 

-Have A Set Basis Of What A Good Film Is To You And Use That As Your Yard Of Measure.  
The best movies of all time, in my opinion are:

• Metropolis
• Stand By Me
• Lost Boys
• Jaws
• A Christmas Story
• Scarface (tie 1932 &1983)
• Apocalypse Now!
• Full Metal Jacket
• Legend
• Pan's Labyrinth
• Alien Trilogy (I see those as one long movie)
• There's a ton more, I just can't think of them right now.

Now the reason I think these movies are great are rather simple: Solid story and script.  Well performed acting.  Intuitive and creative direction and cinematography.  State of the industry effects; meaning that if the movie has special effects or make up, it was the best available at that time.