I think for most people, seeing a new movie trailer is a fairly innocuous experience. The reaction is somewhere between "that looks mildly interesting" to "meh, pass". However, sometimes a new movie comes out and you're instantly excited about it. Whether it's the story, a favorite actor/director or a slick trailer that hits every note, something about the movie grabs you and it won't let go until you see it. Other times you have the exact opposite reaction. A new film comes out that just looks so awful you make note of the title just so that you don't accidentally get tricked into watching it someday.

Then there are those rare occasions where a new movie comes out that you feel could be worth getting excited over but at the same time looks like it could be absolutely terrible. Part of you really wants to see it, but another part of you feels it will be a huge disappointment.

As an example, here's a few movies I've been on the fence about:

Edge of Tomorrow (or Live. Die. Repeat. ?) - It has a cool sci-fi concept that looks very interesting, but also looks like it has the potential to be a boring CGI-fest of overlong mindless action scenes. It also stars Tom Cruise who is the very defenition if a movie star, but not someone whose work has ever really impressed me. I have seen dozens of his films and can count on one hand those I actually liked. He's also the reason I've not watched any of the Jack Reacher films despite hearing good things about them from my friends.

Mad Max:Fury Road - I grew up watching Mad Max. I watched The Road Warrior so many time the VHS tape actually broke. So the news of a new film had me torn. Is this a chance to go back into the post apocalyptic world if Mad Max for one more adventure, or another soulless Hollywood cash grab reboot/sequel that will "ruin my childhood". On the one hand they brought back the creative minds behind the originals and supposedly kept studio interference to a minimum, so this could be good, but the clips and previews show things that make me worry. I keep hearing about this awesome character that plays a flaming guitar during battle, and the visual effect does look kinda cool. However, in the Mad Max world I remember food, fuel and ammo are scarce. Why waste resources on a guy whose purpose is to waste fuel?

Wonder Woman - I grew up across the street from a comic book store, the owner was our nextdoor neighbor. So I've read my fair share of comic books. DC was always my hands down favorite, however let's just say that my vision of these characters is the polar opposite of Zach Snyder's vision. As such I've so far refused to watch any movie in the Snyder-verse DCEU. Considering that Wonder Woman is a completely separate story that takes place in a different time period and has none of Snyder's fingerprints on it I'm hoping it does actually live up to the hype. There has also been some hopeful news coming out the Aquaman movie coming out later this year, and I really want to finally see Aquaman on the big screen.

I was on the fence with Fury, but recently had the chance to watch it. There have been many WW2 movies which focus on regular infantry, so seeing the war through the eyes if a tank crew was something a little different. However I don't tend to like war movies not based on actual events. Hollywood writers don't seem to understand enough about the military and war to get an original story quite right. I thought Fury was terrible!

I also finally broke down and watched It Follows. I had heard a lot of good buzz about this film, but was still expecting "Indie Horror Film #4275" with "Plot Twist #28". I wound up really liking this one.

So how about you? Are there any movies you kind of want to see but at the same time you are also avoiding them? Were there any you finally sat down to watch and were either pleasantly surprised or thoughly disappointed?

I was afraid to watch "Faces of Death". After all the talk, all the hype, I feared it may be too much even for a sick fuck like me, but I soon realized that what was "strong content" in 1974 won't even make the nightly news in 2018. :P

Come to think of it, at least the nightly news is real footage. "Faces of Death" I don't think has one real life shot in it. I guess we can call it's reputation one of the greatest hoaxes in the history of cinema. :P

I bought "Deliverance" and "Salo or the 120 days of Sodom". I intend to watch them, because classics, but vague apprehension keeps me prioritizing other movies. I feel a bit the same about "La grande abbuffata".

I'm also a bit scared of "Eternal sunshine", which is one of these supposedly must-see films that threaten to hit too close to home.

Anyway, "Fury road" is a great film (proof), and "Edge of tomorrow" is very watchable. Tom Cruise is as insipid as always, but the plot is pretty fun.

To comment on your concern about Edge of Tomorrow and Mad Max. I myself really, really don't like Tom Cruise. Mostly because of the lunacy he's gotten himself mixed up in, but I'll be damned before I say Edge of Tomorrow is anything but a stellar sci-fi film. I also put off on watching it for reasons very similar to yours, and only watched it out of boredom because there wasn't anything else on tv at the time. Suffice to say I was very pleasantly surprised.
As for Mad Max. Up to that point when it was released the big and successful action films had me worried that I simply had had my fill of the action genre. But that illusion was swiftly set aside by seeing Fury Road for the first time. Turns out I had simply forgotten what a properly put together action film was. Though don't go in with any hopes of a very believable post apocalyptic world. It's pretty out there, to put it mildly...

As for films I was afraid to go and see? The Perfect Storm comes to mind. I went to see it with some family I was staying with at the time, so I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. I knew it was going to be good, but I remember sitting in the theater taking in the picturesque seaside village and quaint little fishing boats while thinking to myself 'this won't last'. I sat there actively dreading the inevitable part where the ocean turns into the impersonal embodiment of death itself. That I'm deathly afraid of raging water might have something to do with it though.

Almost afraid to watch? Anything in which I think the dog might die. Also, Grave of the Fireflies from what I've read about it. Hachiko also comes to mind, though that's not 'almost afraid to watch' as much as it is 'refuses to watch' :P

I was almost afraid to watch Lights Out but I watched it and I regretted it. It was scary, they could've done more with it but it was scary enough. They did their job.

The movie that comes to mind right now is The Magnificent Seven. I love the original movie and I'm a bit scared to watch the 2016 remake.

I'm most afraid to watch stupid movies that would lower my IQ... Agreed, i thought it was a good film. Then again i tend to like films with interesting time loop mechanics.

I'm afraid to watch Raggedy Ann & Andy, a Musical Adventure again.

Tom Cruise may be a weirdo, but he's a good actor.

Edge of Tomorrow is super good, and for once Tom Cruise isn't playing the smartest coolest dude on screen.

Another Tom Cruise movie I highly recommend is Collateral.
One of my favorite movies, and in regards to Tom Cruise, you kind of forget it's Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise.

But seriously, Collateral is awesome and Edge of Tomorrow is a fun watch.



Tom Crews.

Not a huge fan, but Collateral is a great movie.

I actually really liked Edge of Tomorrow... though I'm an absolute sucker for Groundhog Day movies.

Movie I'm almost afraid to watch? Human Centipede. Just... no.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNtGsGc_ifI

keep it up :D

It's not fair to say "they" brought the creative minds back, it's the creative mind of the director who was fighting to make this movie for years and years and finally managed it. This movie is all George Miller. And it's phenomenal. It's everything anyone could wish from a new Mad Max movie and more. It's striking, beautiful poetry in motion. Easily one of the best movies of the last decade. Obviously our tastes differ here, since I like Snyder's style and his movies a lot. I loved Wonder Woman, but I have to warn you, it's not without Snyder's "fingertips" on it. He has story and producer credit, and obviously he cast the main character (in my opinion he made a brilliant choice). Still, I think you should give it a chance. I can hardly imagine a better Wonder Woman movie. I often feel like that with franchises or director's I really like, but I pretty much always see the movie anyway. See, for me even utter failure of a movie can be an interesting and worthwile thing to watch (that's how I felt about the second and third Hobbit movies for example, or Prometheus). Seeing a failed movie can help understand what makes a movie good an better appreciate it.

And besides, I'd rather watch a bad movie than miss a great one. I was pretty sure Blade Runner 2049 is going to be a bland cash in on one of my all time favourites. And I'm so glad it didn't keep me from seeing it in the theatre,as it turned out to be a near masterpiece and one of the best movie going experiences of recent years for me. This. He's really good, and he's been in plenty of movies I like. I don't mind admitting I love Top Gun. Born on the 4th of July is probably Cruise's best role, and he's truly great in that. And I just can't not love his role in Tropic Thunder. I just could not believe it the first time I saw it. And Collateral is probably Michael Mann's last great movie.