Bullets 'n' Babes

As the title says: I just feel lately I'm losing my passion for cinema (HK cinema in particular) and other things I used to enjoy, and havent really watched any movies lately I dont understand What do I do? I want to rediscover a passion in life TBH

Don't give up! Mark's been a totally jaded fan for years and he still watches the films

My philosophy on keeping interested in cinema:

View movie watching/studying as a marathon not a sprint. Do not try to get in as much as you can as soon as you can. I've known many (when doing yearly stats) to watch like 50 or a month in a month and then just burn out.

Do not just watch the same type of film (genre, country or actors) in a row. Mix up your watchings. Watch a HK film one day, follow by an indie US film, follow by a European film, silent movie etc... Don't just watch action films or even just martial art films (and I certainly love them.) Occasionally push your boundaries by watching cinema that you might not have considered before. Maybe a Fellini, Tarkovsky, Tarr, Ozu etc... Doesn't mean you will like it, but try it.

Go to the theater now and then. Read a book on cinema now and then.

Have goals like certain lists you might want to finish off (join a site like icheckmovies for example.)

Also very important: stay balanced in other areas: family, gym (or place to exercise), studying, reading, friends, traveling, work etc...

luckystars wrote:Don't give up! Mark's been a totally jaded fan for years and he still watches the films

So true.

Master makes an interesting point there in his reply... I have to be balanced in other areas too and I dont think I am very much TBH..

sounds like you are a bit depressed

Some advice

1) Like Master said, try to explore new things. Forget about Hong Kong films for a while. Explore some genres that you're not so familiar with. Giallos? Italian 1970's crime films? Cannibal films? Pinky violence? Roman porno? 1970's jitsuroku yakuza films? 1960's ninkyo yakuza films. 1970's karate films? Early 2000's Japanese drama? Hong Kong Category III films? Violent 70's chambara? Film noir?

2) Don't stay home all the time. Go catch films on movie festivals. And not just in your home country. Why not try something like Nippon Connection in Germany? Surely there are cheap airlines available (like Ryanair), and you get to travel and see foreign countries at the same. My friends went to a film festival in Dubai, and they ended up riding camel most of the time instead of watching movies.

3) Do other interesting things in life. You'll feel better and you'll have less time for films, which in turn will make you more hungry for movies (edit: right, Master said this too ).

I've been in your shoes some years ago, but now I'm feeling like I don't have nearly enough time to watch all the films I want to see (although I'm in a lucky position for living in Japan where there's so much to see... speaking of which, why not come visit Japan? Fall is good time. Not too hot, not too cold.)

I'd say: If you don't feel like watching movies, then don't watch them. Like Masterofoneinchpunch and HungFist have pointed out here - do something else to stimulate your mind, and discover new things about yourself by getting out of your comfort zone.

I watched a lot of movies as a teen, and went through a lot of the classics by Kurosawa, Tarkovsky, Bergman, Kubrick - all those movies. But, during the period when I was 16-20 years of age, I just was a completely different person, and so I perceived and experienced a lot of those movies through my adolescent/ post-adolescent filter, which means I missed out on a lot of the marvelous aesthetics and beauty of those works I can now enjoy more as a young adult. If people grow, then our perception grows with it. It comes to you when it comes to you, I suppose.

What I mean to say is: Let some time pass, and it'll come back to you. And you are probably also going to re-discover a lot of the movies you've watched over the years, because you are going to grow and change as a person.

Thank you, that sounds interesting
Maybe I do feel down right now (I wouldnt say a bit depressed not sure) as real depression is very different from just feeling down, but still I often feel as if my feelings will ebb and flow
More importantly now I want to feel happy and at peace with myself

See, Grim, you're not alone. Spam bot has been losing his passion for cinema, too

Go to a gala/festival/special screening of something with a good audience. I saw Chinese Zodiac last week and Jackie Chan did a Q&A after the film. One of the most exciting film experiences of my life

luckystars wrote:Go to a gala/festival/special screening of something with a good audience. I saw Chinese Zodiac last week and Jackie Chan did a Q&A after the film. One of the most exciting film experiences of my life

Yeah, something like that is great. I met Sonny Chiba a month ago. Been watching his films non-stop since then.

I'm currently doing a 100-Chiba kumite (see 100 Chiba movies). I've beaten 75 Chibas so far

Mo wrote:I warn you this is coming from a crazy person, which is why I didn't respond earlier. but this is what I do when I feel like taking a break from watching movies. I start buying every movie that interests me. I watch them, torturing myself, until I find one that I love. Then I am able to take a break. And when I start watching movies again I find that I'm more interested than ever.

"we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending" -- Moby Dick

I do think many of us are a bit crazy and that is indeed an interesting approach. I wish I had time to take that approach (I am thinking you are watching more than one movie a day then, I tend to average about 1.25 to 1.5 depending on the year.)

Some more thoughts/tips


Discriminate/have standards.
Don't watch films that are unrewarding. Films are like any art form - 99% shit. Rule number one of any art: respect the classics. Study what makes films great. Get more obsessive. Many films are overrated, many chronically underrated. Don't believe reviews, especially online. Seek out the best films and reject the dross.

Don't force yourself to watch films you USED to like
We change as people every moment of every day. Don't force yourself to enjoy films that you once liked or thought were better than you now know. Hate films you used to like, like films you used to hate. Some films have to be laid to rest. Life is too short. Watch a film and think, i don't need to carry this in my life any more.

Have a purge
So many films we keep forever are shit. If there's a film you're keeping on display that you actually don't care for, get rid. Take a stack of stuff to CEX and spend the voucher on new stuff. Your shelves will look better after a declutter and you will SEE more of the stuff you really want to watch.

Don't worry about that big stack of unwatched DVDs.
Maybe chuck some out (see above) or just buy some more. Just don't feel under pressure to watch them in any space of time. Follow trends. New favourite director/genre/era. Go off on tangents. Maybe spend a year just at the cinema and watch none of them

Get a new obsession.
I alternate between films/music/reading/gym...erm porn? Take a movie holiday and come back fresh. Actually getting into music/literature can oddly change how you see film/story structure. Go back fresh and maybe with a new approach altogether.

Change how you source film.
I often prefer to 'stumble' on DVDs than buy online these days. Go back to browsing. HMV/CEX/Carboots/Charity Shops etc. Check out whats on at your nearest art house cinema. Finding films like we did in the old days. More memorable and actually fun.

Stop being a collector.
Special packaging is stupid. You love film for film not lenticular art cards, space hugging boxes, dented corners, creased slipcases or slowly rusting steel books. Worrying about 'things' is unhealthy and the packaging is *nearly* all just marketing bollocks. Obviously collecting series like HKL's is different. There, it's the films that actually matter.

Great ideas LS, I'll consider some of those

The standards ideal I think is very important (though everyone standards are going to be different.) There are some that are perfectly happy watching Godfrey Ho films over and over and more power to them. For myself I do want to branch out into many different areas of cinema.

I'm actually a collector as well so take things I write in the context that I am probably insane. I do not have to watch a film right away, in fact I will often store them for quite a while, but I do like collecting (found it easier on my pocketbook and sanity than collecting other things like basketball cards) and organizing. For some reason searching for films (both online and in stores) is soothing for me after a stressful day (gym for me is also very important.) THe feeling when you find an OOP for five dollars is a pretty nice one. But, and this is the important part, have a reason for keeping it. I lend out constantly (my masterofoneinchpunchflix). Some people do not like doing this (avoid people who do not return and/or do the Mo thing and kick them, kidding of course) because of possible damage or losing (once again see Mo), but I have fun doing it (always somewhat justifies a larger BD/DVD collection.)

For myself, sometimes online is the only way to get a film though. But may tastes can run to the esoteric.

Like lucky says (and I have stated before) movies are not the only art. I remember my track coach didn't want his longer distance runners to always just do running and put them through crosstraining. I think the same applys in our mental life as well. Be well rounded. Try to be that ideal of a renaissance man (or woman). Also work different areas of your brain. Just don't read fiction or non-fiction. Read against your ideals as well. Get different viewpoints (from hopefully good writers, you can avoid too much Ad Hominem driven prose.) Discuss what you have read. Engage in more meaningful conversations. Avoid Twitter

Ask around and see what your friends, enemies, frienemies recommend. If you hear a film mentioned more than once from them (this goes for books as well) put it higher on your personal queue to watch.

Join icheckmovies.com

Random advice (or I'm starting to go off topic): Remember most movies are mediocre (not shit). Try to avoid being a binary critic (either hate or love; avoid hyperbole). Look for both the good and the bad in a film. If you disagree with a classic, first wonder where you might be possibly wrong, then wonder where the film might be wrong. But remember to thine own self be true.

Collecting seems to be a habit I've fallen into sadly

grim_tales wrote:Collecting seems to be a habit I've fallen into sadly

I'm not sure it is sad, unless you fear the piles might one day suffocate you (or else you have every Pauly Shore film then I might wonder.)

grim_tales wrote:Collecting seems to be a habit I've fallen into sadly

What's wrong with having a film collection why is it sad?aren't we all movie fans here?though i agree with LS i probably have some in there i don't actually like too much....do i really for completist's sake need those lame Crow sequels....not really

Of course we're all movie fans But I guess what I mean is I shouldnt fall into the trap of collecting/buying movies and then not watching the bloody things Which seems to be the case, its like I cant find time/energy to watch all these movies like I used to for some reason, thats all.
I want to start enjoying movies again

Perhaps the pressure you're putting upon yourself to 'enjoy' them, is actually the reason why it's harder to do so...!?

Anyway, I think we all go through phases like these, with movies, with gaming, with watching football, etc etc. And then you just kinda step away from it for a little while, and something interesting will come along, and you'll enjoy it again, and slowly that love will return.

saltysam wrote:

grim_tales wrote:do i really for completist's sake need those lame Crow sequels....

No one needs those. No one. Ever.

I haven't seen any of the Crows movies, but gawd I love 'Little Linda', from one of the soundtracks...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqBCFrRQEcI

Ok, Grim, I think the first thing you should do it stop buying films you already own. You don't need another copy of House of Flying Daggers or Hero or Crouching Tiger! You've seen them already and you even own them. They're such popular films that you can even get them from rental store anytime.

You're not gonna re-discover passion for cinema if you keep watching (and buying) the same movies again and again. It's like eating chocolate every day for 10 years, and then wondering how come I don't love chocolate anymore.

What you need to do is start watching movies / genres that you don't know anything about.

Sure, you can still occasionally upgrade your favourite film when you start feeling suicidal without having it, but don't do that when you don't feel like you absolutely need it. Look into the future, towards new adventures, not into the past and re-living what you've already experienced once.