War Of The Worlds

[cowboykurtis]

you should be scared when you go in and watch it - so when its scary you wont be so frightened.

[Pubrick]

What should my frame of mind be when I go see this movie?  As in, what's the mood like, the tone?  Should I turn off my brain, is it a horror movie, a thriller, etc.

how bout with no expectations?

[Ghostboy]

Yeah, otherwise you might end up completely missing the best elements of it, like Ebert - who actually suggests that Spielberg should have paid attention to the global destruction of The Day After Tomorrow. You'd think he didn't see 500 movies a year, writing something like this. Sheesh.

[w/o horse]

But with mainstream directors I always go in expecting one thing and get another, then view the film again with privileged information and like it.  Fine fine, pre-conceived notions are bad, that's boring I'm bored.  If someone could just tell me what to expect I'd appreciate it.  Maybe if this was a personal experience I'd think you guys were right, but now I just think you're wasting my time and money.  Let's not pretend there's more to this movie than there is - it's a kind of movie, and I'd appreciate it if the film literate would just tell me and save me the time of saying "I enjoyed this movie more the second time around."

[Ghostboy]

I always go in expecting one thing and get another

Isn't that exciting, though? Being surprised is a good thing.

[w/o horse]

I edited more explanation while you made that post.

[cowboykurtis]

here's what speilberg wants you to expect

"If my movie is effective on audiences, hopefully they'll be looking all around the theatre for somewhere to hide! "

[w/o horse]

Yeah but Speilberg has never made a scary movie.

[Sleuth]

he wrote Poltergeist

[cowboykurtis]

Yeah but Speilberg has never made a scary movie.

Have you ever seen Jaws or Duel?

[w/o horse]

Fine, I'm not even going to argue about Jaws or Duel.  I asked a simple question and got shat on.  Obviously my bad.

[cowboykurtis]

no one is shitting on you or picking an aruguement -  

I have not  seen it but i'd imagine it's the suspense/terror of jaws but replace the shark with aliens.

it seems very clear if you read any reviews and/or watch the trailer that this a popcorn film about a bunch of aliens blowing up a city.

[Ghostboy]

I don't think your opinion got shat on so much as that no one here has actually seen it, except for me and one other guy, and we both posted (or linked to) what we thought of it somewhat specifically one page back.

EDIT: Or what cowboy said while I was making my post.

[w/o horse]

no one is shitting on you or picking an aruguement -  

I have not  seen it but i'd imagine it's the suspense/terror of jaws but replace the shark with aliens.

it seems very clear if you read any reviews and/or watch the trailer that this a popcorn film about a bunch of aliens blowing up a city.

A fair and respectable answer.  It informs me that I should clarify.

Clarfication:  Reviewers sell their movies to the masses.  As a film fan, what should be my mindset going into this film?

Ghostboy:  But I don't want the spoilers.

[Ghostboy]

You ask too much! But here you go: expect a horrific sci-fi film  with an appropriately limited scope.