Topic: Cinemaniacs vs. Cinephiles

[Najemikon]

I dropped across this article the other day: What's your game, baby? Cinephile or cinemaniac?

I think his first example of a cinemaniac is poor, but my interpretation is someone who watches hundreds of films, because they enjoy watching. Therefore they may not venture into other forms. Whereas a cinephile will obsess over minutiae, "loves the idea of film" and all its possibilites, so will try anything and everything. Interesting, but it didn't address the issue of DVDs which I think can turn a 'phile into a 'maniac.

I would class myself as cinephile through and through, with the same attitude to DVD, so I voted number 2. I think DVD is a fantastic medium and has opened up my interest in huge ways, but I don't keep ones I don't like and even get rid of ones I do like yet don't think I'd watch enough. I also don't feel I have to own every title in a series of any form, be it sequels or numbered spines. Apart from one or two exceptions I see no need to keep multiple copies. However several people have said -especially on DVDP- that they keep all theirs, to the point they have to put them in storage, saying they "love all their children, even the ugly ones"!

If you have half your collection sealed up in the shed, that's got to be DVDmaniac as far as I'm concerned! But I don't think it necessarily means you're a cinemaniac... and if you honestly chose option 5, you are definitely a maniac and I'm sorry, there is no cure...

[Jimmy]

Very interesting article Jon, a little bit short and too general.

After reading it's pretty obvious that I'm a cinephiles, but to be honest I don't like the term : it sounds pretentious in my ears  . But I don't agree with the author definition of a cinemaniacs, this is not a person that only like one genre of cinema. If you take me as an exemple

I love almost everything and I like the fact, even if it sound Joe know it all, that I can easily have a serious discussion about a nudie cutie or a roughies or a sexploitation films. For me this is the difference between the two : I see a cinephile much more like a fanboy (sure he knows what he knows, but the problem is that he knows nothing else). That's why you're not a cinephiles for me Jon, like me your taste are rather large.

I'm a moviemaniac, I'm proud of it and I know that my defenition is completly different that the one in the article.

 

[lyonsden5]

nothing bugs me more than a gap in the spine numbering... 

[Najemikon]

Very interesting article Jon, a little bit short and too general.

After reading it's pretty obvious that I'm a cinephiles, but to be honest I don't like the term : it sounds pretentious in my ears  . But I don't agree with the author definition of a cinemaniacs, this is not a person that only like one genre of cinema. If you take me as an exemple

I love almost everything and I like the fact, even if it sound Joe know it all, that I can easily have a serious discussion about a nudie cutie or a roughies or a sexploitation films. For me this is the difference between the two : I see a cinephile much more like a fanboy (sure he knows what he knows, but the problem is that he knows nothing else). That's why you're not a cinephiles for me Jon, like me your taste are rather large.

I'm a moviemaniac, I'm proud of it and I know that my defenition is completly different that the one in the article.

Yes, the article is a good idea, if not quite a good article! There was that one and another it linked to and I can't remember which one said it, but I could really identify with the idea that a cinephile is always putting things into a larger context, looking at the history of film while hungry for the future. Plus as you say, a truly wide range of taste. That's how I see a cinephile, so I'm afraid you definitely are one! As I've said in the past, I truly admire your collection and you have such a good understanding of it's content.

It definitely is pretentious and there is no way I would ever say to someone, "Ooh, I'm a cinephile!"... however, it's a heck of a lot better than "film buff". What is a "buff" anyway? Sounds dodgy to me. I've seen a couple of newbies on forums like this start their first post with "I, am a movie buff", thereby implying everyone must just bloody stop and listen, because -thank god- the oracle just arrived.

nothing bugs me more than a gap in the spine numbering... 

Sick. And beyond help. Well done!  

[Jimmy]

it's a heck of a lot better than "film buff". What is a "buff" anyway? Sounds dodgy to me. I've seen a couple of newbies on forums like this start their first post with "I, am a movie buff", thereby implying everyone must just bloody stop and listen, because -thank god- the oracle just arrived.

Don't even had to be a newbie on a forum. I give you an exemple of someone that thinks that he is a film specialist in the same genre than me : Casey Scott

He is a writer for dvd drive-in (maybe not anymore) that have pissed off many peoples by trashing many respected individual or company in the exploitation market : Code Red, Subversive, Johnny Legend, 42nd Street Pete, Don May Jr,...
He is completly crazy and the last thing that he've done is send a lawyer letter for a copyright infringment for a dvd compilation of John Holmes movies. But there are absolutly no copyright on those films for one very simple reason : it's impossible to copyright something criminal and, sadly, at this time it was illegal to produce an adult film in the USA.

The guy was respected at one point : he had wrote some dvd liner note and for a 20 something years old he looked like someone that knows what is talking about. But all this was lost because of his weird attitude

I would had like to add a link to his review of "The Candy Snatcher" that was just an attack against Subversive, but the review was strongly edited by him or, more probably, by George Reis the owner of the website.

[Jimmy]

nothing bugs me more than a gap in the spine numbering... 

Something that can be very costly if you do it with the Criterion DVD. I have the same reaction with the dvd released by Something Weird Video (I want them all and one day it will be done), but at least they are cheaper than some Criterion.

[DJ Doena]

If I understood it correctly then I am a Cinemaniac, I watch what enjoys me and what enjoys me is mostly lighweight material within in the mainstream. And bluntly: I don't care. Why should I bother watching some intellectually high-rated stuff if it bores me to death?

Life is too short.

[addicted2dvd]

I don't know... I guess I would be a cinemaniac going by what is here. Though I do agree with Jimmy when he said...

But I don't agree with the author definition of a cinemaniacs, this is not a person that only like one genre of cinema.

I love a little bit of every genre... but I definitely don't look at a movie for anything other then what it is on the screen. I don't care all that much about beyond that point. I described myself to another forum like this...

When I watch a movie I go into it with the mindset that anything is possible. I check my brain at the door with every single movie I watch... just sit back... believe... and enjoy. I think that is the reason I can more then enjoy a movie that most people absolutely hate.

BTW... that was a discussion between me and a film student. his reply was  "If only more people could watch movies like this" then went on to say how he is more happy now watching movies... basically dissecting them then he was before he became a film student. Seemed a bit contradictory to me... but that's ok.

So in my opinion... there is nothing I could hate more then watching a movie and sitting there over thinking it. Just give me a movie and let me enjoy it... no matter the genre... no matter the time period...or anything else like that.

So what do you think... where do I fall in there?

[Najemikon]

Pete, I thought you were a maniac long before I heard it related to DVDs!

That comment you quoted from a film student is something I think happens a lot: burn-out. Movies are meant to be enjoyed in the way you describe and if you become too obsessed with technique, that can only cloud its original purpose. Also, you start watching movies because you think you're supposed to and that again, just ruins why it was made in the first place. He sounds like he's hit the wall!

My Dad was never much of a film fan, but he was a hi-fi enthusiast and when he was my age, he would build his own amplifiers and speakers for a hobby. He told me about some of his friends who tried to do similar things, but became obsessed with technical details and could never enjoy the music because they thought they could hear some imperfection. "Remember to listen to the music, not the equipment", he used to tell me and it's stuck with me. Actually like me with films, he could find something to enjoy in any genre of music, which is often elitist where rock fans won't listen to country, and jazz won't listen to pop.

I'm glad I can watch anything and talk about it at length or just enjoy it for what it is. The only line I draw is when I believe the film was made for the wrong reasons or disrespects a source material (recent convo about U571 for instance).

I think I'd be very depressed if I felt I had to refuse to watch things because they don't conform to some predefined concept. Anyone remember "Spookyluke" from the Profiler forums? Aggressively attacked any film that was purely entertaining, because he said you weren't supposed to simply enjoy them! I found him hilarious and loved winding him up, but at the same time, how very sad.

If I understood it correctly then I am a Cinemaniac, I watch what enjoys me and what enjoys me is mostly lighweight material within in the mainstream. And bluntly: I don't care. Why should I bother watching some intellectually high-rated stuff if it bores me to death?

Life is too short.

Exactly. I've said before my favourite film is Dances With Wolves and people are often surprised because it's so long, light on action and heavily subtitled. But I truly enjoy it without making the effort and I connect with it very strongly. It's what led me into trying films I'd dismissed as not my thing (old, foreign, surreal) and I ended up counting Casablanca amongst my favourites too. But I found a lot I didn't like that were supposed classics and instead of analysing why, I just didn't watch them again. And some "film students" would be utterly aghast.

[addicted2dvd]

Me a maniac?... OK... just as long as I am not an Ani-Maniac!


 

Anyway... I totally agree... and one thing I would never do (other then to the extent I do in reviews) is try to analyze a movie I don't like... like you I just won't bother to watch it again... end of story. So no... I will not be watching The Sorority during my horror marathon next month! 

[Achim]

Clearly for me:

Cinemaniac, DVDmaniac, just plain maniac!

I am limited to some sorts of films (meaning some other sorts I just don't bother to watch), I like to watch, and buy, loads of DVDs and I do so more for my own entertainment rather than getting overly technical with it.

[Jimmy]

I will not be watching The Sorority during my horror marathon next month! 

Give it another chance you never know, sometimes it happens with me to like a movie only after a second viewing. I could even try to rewatch Lizzie Borden if you rewatch The Sorority.

[addicted2dvd]

  Trust me... that is definitely not the case this time.

But I tell you what. If someone on this forum feels brave enough... buy The Sorority and watch it during the marathon. If someone else watches it for the marathon. I will suffer through it one more time. How is that? 

After all... I can't be the only one to suffer with it! 

[DJ Doena]

The only Sorority movie I'd watch on a horro marathon would be "Thirst".

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=pUrwm7VrK2w

[Jimmy]

But I tell you what. If someone on this forum feels brave enough... buy The Sorority and watch it during the marathon. If someone else watches it for the marathon. I will suffer through it one more time. How is that? 

Pete this movie is now a part of my next Amazon order in preparation for the marathon. I will made it the first of the month. At first it was a couple of boxset to get some movie that I've never seen (I don't want to do my marathon with mostly already watched movies), but since I really want to see if this is that bad...

And 5$ is not that much to make you revisit this movie 

Edit
Since I will order this awfull movie to please you, I hope that you will order my worst viewing experience too. My only advice don't buy it new, go with marketplace.

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