Carrying on TMP’s long-standing tradition of adapting YouTube tag videos into written blog posts, today I’ll be doing the “Would You Rather? Movie Tag” which I found via the channel FKVlogs. I tag everyone — feel free to answer these on your own blog if you’re reading this post!
Would you rather…
…watch only horror or only thrillers?
This one’s easy for me: thrillers, hands-down. I like a good horror film now and then, but I find thrillers to be much more engrossing in general, with their elements of mystery and dread. While thrillers can be intense, I don’t have to cover my eyes quite as often as I do while watching horror flicks. (Gore just isn’t my thing!)
…Okay, that was a little over-dramatic. But I love romantic films. (Image via Pinterest)
…watch only comedy or only romances?
Another easy choice. I’d have to go with romances, one of my favorite genres. Romances can be melodramatic, serious, cheesy, mysterious. There are so many subgenres under the “romance” umbrella that I doubt I’d ever get bored of watching them. Additionally, romantic comedy is my favorite type of comedy. That’s a loophole that will allow me to continue having a few servings of comedy in my film diet if I go the “romance only” route.
…watch only male or only female leading roles?
This is not something I usually consider when choosing a film. If it’s got an interesting story, I’ll watch it, no matter who’s in the lead role or what gender the character is. I never browse Netflix specifically looking for stories about men or about women. That being said, if I had to choose only one or the other, I’d watch only films with female leads. I personally tend to connect with and relate to female characters more easily.
The choice is tough here, because the majority of films are male-led. It would be smart of me to choose male, purely based on the number of films that would be available to me. Only 15% of 2013’s film protagonists were female. Seeing these stats actually just solidifies my hypothetical choice of viewing only female-led films, though. Greater consumption of female-led films can encourage the production of a greater number of them.
…shop online or in stores?
Another tough choice, because I adore my local record shop (where I frequently buy used DVDs), but I also like to buy DVDs that aren’t readily available in every store. Since my local record shop has an online store, I’ll go with web-only shopping. I can continue to support the local business, as well as continue ordering from Warner Archive, the TCM shop, and other no-store-around-me-sells-these-films outlets.
…watch one movie per day or 15 movies per week?
It would be a dream to have the time to watch 15 films per week, every week. I’ve done it before — my highest viewing month on record added up to about 90 films (three a day!). Realistically, though, I’d rather watch one movie per day, leaving myself time for my school/work obligations and other hobbies. I imagine that, since I like to review every single film I watch, I may start feeling burned out on 15 films per week after a while. Then again, if I could review 15 movies per week and make reviewing my only job, I’d jump at the chance. (Who doesn’t want to get paid to watch films?) So, my answer is conditional: 15 movies per week if I’m being paid for it, one movie per day if I’m continuing my library career.
…be a director or a professional movie reviewer?
I would be a professional movie reviewer, definitely. I may be the only person I know with a passion for film but no desire to work in the industry.
I’ve never tried to write a script, never wanted to direct a film, and certainly never dreamed of acting. (I would make a terrible actress. Not even Classics of the Corn bad, just plain awful.) I take video clips of my dog sometimes when he’s being extra cute, but that’s the extent of my foray into filmmaking.
…watch only your top 20 favorite movies, or watch only those you haven’t seen before?
Again with the difficult choices. Could I live the rest of my life without my favorite Cary Grant films, Barbara Stanwyck films, and early-21st century cheesers? I’m not sure I’d survive. This question is much easier for books, because I only rarely re-read books. Films are another can of worms. The idea of watching only new-to-me films is attractive from a blogging standpoint (endless new post material) and from a “GIVE ME ALL OF THE FILMS” discovery standpoint. I do watch new-to-me flicks more frequently than old favorites, so I guess I might have to go with new-to-me only. I’m very glad this isn’t a decision I have to make in the real world!
…watch only your favorite genre, or every genre but your favorite?
In the past, I’ve written about how important I think it is to vary your viewing in terms of genre and era. I even did a whole series about my attempts to form an appreciation of the western genre. I’m going to be a total hypocrite here and choose favorite genre only. People in my family tend to live to a good age — all of my grandparents are still living, and even one of my great-grandpa’s brothers is still living. I’m only 23 years old — I could have eighty more years of viewing ahead of me. Eight decades a long time to go without watching my favorite genre!
…only watch films from physical media or only watch films on a tablet?
Very easy question for me. I’d choose physical media any day. I do quite a bit of viewing on my laptop, but even then I’m often watching from DVDs. I’ve only watched a film on a tablet once and I didn’t care for the experience. As great as my relationship with Netflix is, I’d gladly end it if I could only watch films in one format.
…watch only films or only tv shows?
I love my TV shows, but I’d have to go with film. A life without the Redford Theater, pre-codes, or Cary Grant would be a sad one.
The Motion Pictures 