Non film buffs always credit the star for movies..?

[Mutie]

I had a friend at college who loved Seven and Fight Club, and he said he "loved Brad Bitt movies" cause those 2 films were so good and bought all the Pitt movies he could. It never occured to him to look for more by the same director or writers. Another friend of mine bought all the films with Kevin Spacey he could find cause he loved American Beauty so much. But nothing else by the same writer or director of A.B.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't like a star and follow a star, but both times it seemed like it was the story of the movie they loved, yet all they could think of was to look for the actor.

On the other hand though, if you trust a star to choose good roles and know he only makes quality (Like Spacey in LA confidental) then you know your going to get a good movie, for example Al Pacino only seems to appear in good thrillers. So maybe its not a bad method after all.

[Darcy88]

I see what you're saying. But I'll sometimes watch a bad movie just because I like the star. A few Brad Pitt movies come to mind. Directors and writers do typically get shafted in terms of acknowledgement when it comes to the average viewer though. Many of my favourite films are independent or foreign with actors I do not know, and so in those cases if I like a movie I will seek out others by the same writers and directors. A good actor working with a terrible script and a terrible director will probably fail to salvage the project. A great writer and great director can make a bad or mediocre cast shine.

[Helga]

I don't think I have ever seen Kevin Spacey in a bad movie, granted I have not seen Fred Claus and I do believe that as long as I don't my opinion on Spacey movies won't change. Superman wasn't good but it wasn't bad, he was good in it. In general I think about the director and writer, like Allen or Coppola or Jarmush.

My best friend says all Paul Rudd movies are great, I can not agree with that but I do enjoy Apatow films from time to time and it might be a coincident that Rudd plays in many of his movies, he tends to stick to a similar group of actors. Apatow is also the reason why I watched 'Freaks and geeks', well that and Jason Segel (he is the only cool part of 'How I met your mother').

I often decide to watch something because of the actor in it, that mainly focuses on sci-fi actors but a few others. Like 'Game of Thrones' I decided to watch that because of Jason Momoa, he was really good in Stargate Atlantis. Same with 'Castle' I checked that out because Nathan Fillion was awesome in 'Firefly' and a really cool villain in 'Buffy the vampire slayer'. So I guess I often choose by actor.

I often choose by genre too, if it's sci-fi, fantasy or action chances are I'll check it out, if it's romance chances are I'll avoid it.

[Desolation]

There are some actors that I'm more drawn to than others, but I usually care more about the director. Usually, I only really care about an actor if I dislike them...Like Tom Cruise. Screenwriters really get shafted in the whole business, which I think is a shame. Woody Allen and Charlie Kaufman seem to be the only writers who can get their name put onto a poster and really sell a movie.

However, what seals the deal for me, more than anything, are a movie's premise and reviews. If Martin Scorsese puts out a new movie, I get a little bit excited, but if the premise seems dull and the reviews are bad, then I'd probably skip it.

[KCurtis]

I almost always go by the director, in a few cases I don't, because of the actor-Denzel Washington comes to mind, I just adore him. For me it's usually director first, then I look at reviews for the film.

[Mutie]

I really like Liam Neeson, Ive bought a few films just cause of him like Rob Roy and Taken.

But with some people though, you hear them like they think there is no writer, just the star improvosing. Like I heard 2 guys on the bus saying "uh its the new nic cage action film, i gotta get that, a film will be great if he's in it".

[Helga]

I really like Liam Neeson, Ive bought a few films just cause of him like Rob Roy and Taken.

But with some people though, you hear them like they think there is no writer, just the star improvosing. Like I heard 2 guys on the bus saying "uh its the new nic cage action film, i gotta get that, a film will be great if he's in it".

I can't stand Nicholas Cage! there are only two movies I have seen him in that were good 'The Rock' and 'Wild at heart'. There is just something about him that is so annoying

[Darcy88]

I can't stand Nicholas Cage! there are only two movies I have seen him in that were good 'The Rock' and 'Wild at heart'. There is just something about him that is so annoying

Lord of War is a decent film. The Weather Man had me laughing hysterically at times and also contained some genuinely intelligent moments throughout.

[Helga]

Lord of War is a decent film. The Weather Man had me laughing hysterically at times and also contained some genuinely intelligent moments throughout.

yeah, I have to admit that because he annoys me I have only seen two or three other movies he's in, 'National treasure' and I didn't like it and 'Ghost Rider' they couldn't have made a worse choice than him in that one!

[Desolation]

Nicholas Cage is definitely more miss than hit, but he's been in a few really strong movies. Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas, and Bringing Out the Dead spring to mind immediately.

Leaving Las Vegas is especially good if you're looking for a movie to make you curl up into a ball wondering if life can ever be ok again.

[Helga]

You guys keep ruining my hate for Cage! Adaptation was really good. maybe the universe is telling me not to let some actor annoy me...

[jajdude]

Yeah a lot of people dislike Cage it seems but he has been a few good ones anyway. I liked "The Family Man" as well, kind of an interesting idea for a movie, so I guess many actors could have done the role as well.

Most of the actors I like I can think of at least one lousy movie they're in. A good story hopefully makes you sort of forget who the actors are, though sometimes that is impossible. One example of this was when "George Costanza" played an evil guy in a Criminal Minds episode. He looked different, acted the part well, the story was interesting enough, but I just couldn't ever forget it was him.

For a weak Kevin Spacey movie I'd say "Father of Invention" is one.

[Mutie]

I like the look of adaption and remember him being cool in wild at heart...there was one movie with him i refused to see...one where he had tics....cant bear the memory (i have some tics)... the whole theater was laughing..

[Darcy88]

Nicholas Cage is definitely more miss than hit, but he's been in a few really strong movies. Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas, and Bringing Out the Dead spring to mind immediately.

Leaving Las Vegas is especially good if you're looking for a movie to make you curl up into a ball wondering if life can ever be ok again.

How could I forget Bring out the Dead? I love that movie.


yeah, I have to admit that because he annoys me I have only seen two or three other movies he's in, 'National treasure' and I didn't like it and 'Ghost Rider' they couldn't have made a worse choice than him in that one!

National Treasure and Ghost Rider are probably near the top of the list of Cage's worst films.

[Helga]

'National treasure' is (in my opinion) a bad idea in general, it felt like a indiana jones wannabe. Now 'Ghost rider' is in my opinion a good idea and could have worked with a better actor and maybe one or two changes.


I haven't seen 'Father of invention' so I can't say anything about that.... My all time favorite movie is always 'Midnight in the garden of good and evil' and Spacey was really good in it.

[tonywalt]

I agree that I look for the same director and often the same writer(or adapted book author).

One of the exceptions to the above would be John Malkovich. Any film he does is bound to be at least interesting by virtue of his presence.