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Sunday Discussion: How Spoiled Do You Want to Be?

by Alex Billington
May 11, 2008

Over the last few days I've received countless e-mails from people sending in the alleged Harvey Dent / Two Face photo from The Dark Knight that is supposedly official. Yes, I've seen it, yes I know what it looks like, but no, I am not going to post it. Why? Because I prefer to keep not only myself, but all of you, as spoiler free as possible. But thankfully these submissions have allowed me to pose this question today - how spoiled do you want to be? I prefer, as an avid moviegoer myself, to remain as spoiler free as possible simply because I believe the experience is enhanced when going in to see a movie with as little knowledge as possible. However, it seems that some of our readers really prefer to see or hear every last juicy spoiler from a movie themselves. What gives?

I really learned a very valuable lesson from Spider-Man 3 last year. I was so excited for the movie, more than I've ever been for anything that I literally got into a mood where I would watch, read, and soak in everything I could - which included every last clip and trailer that came out. When it became time to actually watch the movie, I had literally seen every last action sequence, fight scene, and everything else entertaining in it. What was left were the dull and tedious moments like the dance sequence and other scenes that really brought down the movie. After that travesty last year, I vowed to never over hype myself and thus stay as spoiler free as possible - the way it truly should be for all of you, too!

You have to realize my goal here at FirstShowing.net is not to be just another humdrum movie website that does the exact same as everyone else. Instead, I try to enhance your moviegoing experience in the only ways I know how: building interest and excitement, encouraging high quality theatrical experiences, and keeping everyone as spoiler free as possible. That personal touch is what I really try to bring to FS.net to make it unique. I'm trying to allow everyone to experience movies the way I do. They are my life and I love movies more than almost anything. If at the very least I can give you a glimpse into my own moviegoing experiences, than I've done a good job. That is what FS.net is about and that is why we will always remain as spoiler free as possible.

There are plenty of other websites out there, who I shall not name, that post every last bit of news that hits the web, especially spoilers. I feel like it's their mission to post them with a giant grin on their face and shove as much as they can out in front of the public and ruin the movie. It really depresses me to see this - but some people want spoilers. And that feeling has really begin to hit hard will all of these e-mails about Two Face, especially those coming from long-time readers of the site and friends. I guess I had expected them to share my same spoiler free feelings, but alas that wasn't the case. There are people who want spoilers and there are those who don't - I am, of course, the latter.

Of course, the choice to remain spoiler free or not is entirely up to you and you alone. However, it just nags me when the majority of the readers on the internet prefer to know everything when it is my goal to prevent that. Is it really that important to see and hear everything that hits in the internet, even if it is full of potential spoilers? Have you ever had an experience when you went into a movie with nearly no knowledge of what to expect and was blown away? As much as I'll encourage everyone stay spoiler free, in the end I realize that some people just can't help it. But I'll continue to preach, as much as I can, that the more spoiled you are, the worse the movie will be when you finally see it.

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Mark R

Amen brother, Keep us Spoil-Free, this is one movie that is definitely going to be more entertaining the less we know.
http://internetinjustice.com Mike

Spoiler free please. Although a friend of mine has already ruined some aspects of this movie
http://www.andreascliment.com Andreas Climent

Agreed. As few spoilers as possible! What fun is it to see a movie if you already know what's going to happen?
JM

I totally agree with you, What is the point of seeing a movie if you already know everything of interest that happens in it. It makes no sense, however sometimes the wait for the release date can be brutal and can drive even the strongest of wills to give into the spoilers.
http://www.wheelhopcity.com Jami

I completely agree with you. I hate spoilers. I hate when I spend so much time avoiding a specific movie trailer or bit of news for a movie that I'm dying to see and RIGHT before I get to see the movie, someone comes along and spoils it for me. There are certain friends (most of my friends actually) that I can't talk about movies I haven't seen with at all. As soon as I mention a movie that I haven't seen they have to give me the full plot and best parts of the movie.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Yep, spoiler free all the way.
Agent Jrb

I dont mind spoilers at all. In fact i usually seek them out. I don't think it ruins the movie for me i think it builds more hype and excitement for me personally.
Boo-Yah

I agree - part of me didn't even want to see the Joker revealed until I went to see the flick. Which is why I loved that very first, very short teaser trailer were all that was included was snippets of dialouge and no visuals at all. That was enough to get me hooked. Alas, there is no way they could have marketed this movie without showing us the Joker. I had wanted to keep Two-Face as spoiler free as I could as I did read that Nolan did some awesome visual things with him - just to make it that much better when I saw it theaters in July. Unfortunately, I stumbled across a picture at another site - who didn't even mention anything like spoiler ahead, etc - which kind of disappointed me (not the pic being disappointing, but the fact that the site gave no warning). Granted the picture I saw was of a toy and not an actual shot from the movie. It looked really awesome and I can't wait to see it on screen. I'm hoping that WB keeps any official images under wraps until the film hits.
Nettle

No spoilers please! I can't tell you how much my enthusiasm would be deflated for the movie if I saw Two-Face. Things like the teaser scene at the end of Iron Man and Cap's shield are fine as far as spoilers go, but nothing else.
silver

Spoiler-free is the way to BEEE!!! I'm sorry but yeah I already have to go on TDK lockdown. I must avoid the temptation to see Two-Face...or should i??? Yeah I will I also hate it when comedy trailers are full of good dialogue but they turn out to be the best ones in the entire movie. Don't you love it when the trailer jokes are just the tip of the iceberg?
Andy

Hey Alex, Thanks for keeping us spoiler free! I can relate to what happened to you on Spider-Man 3 cause it happened to Iron Man for me... I basically saw ever last exciting clip of that movie I could've before going into the theatre... and came out unimpressed... I am more excited for TDK so hopefully that won't happen... please keep us informed, but not spoiled! Oh, also, I just want to say ever since I discovered FS.net, it has really enhanced MY movie going experience! So, thank you!
Reza

I totally agree. Spoiler free was how I went into Lord of the Rings, the first one. I didn't even know anything about the storyline, all I had seen were the posters with the Fellowship sailing on the river with the statues. The movie experience was completely amazing. Everything was new, unexpected, the surprises surprised me and the tension was raw. I couldn't ask for anything better, and I would never have had that experience had it not been for the spoiler-free mindset I had entering into the theater. GO SPOILER FREE FIRSTSHOWING.NET!!!!
Keith

Spoiler free please.
Dusty

Thank you Alex for throwing this out there... I appreciate your stance with this .. and really value that you don't run 'too much' cause I think I am like the majority of other commenters... I like some mystery. I do visit, or look up, some spoilers when something particularly interests me, but FirstShowing is wonderful as a news and editorial site, and if I had all the spoilers in front of me, I know I would read them and run my experience. Thank you for your position on it.. please keep it up.
Darrin

i totally agree with alex. good job, well done. You just give me another reason to like this site.
sam

i often hear you mention other sites but i visit yourss frequenly and i enjoy the way you run it...
harrison

i want to be spoiled by hollywood moving the release date for TDK up to next weekend other than that, keep it spoiler free, going into the theater with just the movies name and knowledge that what im about to watch isnt a musical is all i need
http://www.thestopbutton.com Andrew Wickliffe

The movie ends the same way no matter what. Though I'm sure Firstshowing would disagree... Citizen Kane as a case in point. I knew what Rosebud was, but it didn't spoil the movie. Worrying about knowing ahead of time what's going to happen affecting a film's quality is absurd. What happens in the film happens in the film (and will happen over and over). Besides, if spoilers ruin a movie, then every film ought to be destroyed after viewing, as the viewer knows what's coming on the second viewing.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

Andrew, what you're saying is on a much more grand scale. Yes, we all know the Titanic sank, or that the Spartans won, but that isn't what we're discussing. It's minor details, fights and scenes that we want to see completely 100% fresh for the first time on the big screen. It's not that they obviously happen in the film no matter what, it's that we want to see these scenes for our very first time in an optimal experience - on the big screen, in a movie theater, with a crowd full of excited fans. Claiming that knowing spoilers is "absurd" is an atrocious statement in itself. You're going against the complete ideals of millions of moviegoers like myself. You're welcome to research as much as you want, but I'm asking you to actually go into a movie knowing NOTHING and tell me if you walk out that much more entertained knowing you got to see all of this for the first time on the big screen. How would you have felt if you went to see The Matrix back in 1999 only knowing the title and that it was futuristic?? I know everyone I talk to says that was one of the most unforgettable days of their lives...
http://missgeeky.com Melinda Seckington

I agree completely. When I saw The Matrix all I knew was it was about some "virtual world", nothing more. I can't imagine how that experience would have been, if I had known more about the movie. It was in part because of the shock and surprise and wonder of the world, that it is so unforgettable. I think for me it depends on the movie, if I want to stay spoiler-free or not. After watching the first trailer, I decide whether it already goes on my "to-watch" list and try to avoid future trailers/videos/etc. The ones that I haven't decided on, have more convincing to do and I'm more lenient with the spoilers coming out for them.
Fiona

I like to have the choice with my movies although for this one I prefer to be spoiler free which is why this is the website I read regularly. If I want spoilers I know where to go but mainly I prefer the hype
Tremolan

I believe the theather experience is the cooles part of movies, specially big cult films like TDK. Please don't post spoilers, I love movie news cuz they build up the hype to watch the movie. Don't you people hate the guy in the back row talking about the movie and all the stuff he knows and saw?
Melissa

I agree! Spoiler free is the best. I am involved with the DK virals and the ARG but I try to stay away from seeing things like Dent's outcome. (Though I think that I might have caught a peep at it..I hid my eyes and am trying to pretend I didn't.) I too fail to see how you can enjoy a movie knowing all the exciting surprise bits, what good is that? And, it isn't always the ending that has the biggest surprise to it. Sigh. And I hate the know it all-talk about it-jerks that belong in the same special hell as the people who text or play with their blackberry in the theater. Going to see it a second or third time.. that's different.
http://www.movielegacy.com Dan Geer

I don't like to know everything about a movie. However, I do like to know enough to where I know what to expect from the movie. That way, I don't go in expecting something else and then get let down when it turns out to be something different. There times where I WOULD be disappointed with a movie's plot if I didn't know ahead of time what to expect. I've warmed up to the idea of Indy 4 being more about an alien artifact rather than a traditional religious one. But had I found out this particular detail right upon viewing the movie, I'd probably be disappointed. Many times I just need time beforehand to warm up to a particular detail of a movie so that I accept it when I actually go and watch it. So in that sense, I want that particular spoiler. Another example is The X Files: I Want to Believe. I'd would probably expect it (and want it) to be an alien mythology movie had I not read up on it than it is a stand alone story. So if I didn't read up on it before hand, I would probably be disappointed. But again, I've warmed up to it being a stand alone story, so now that I've had enough time to accept it I'm okay with it and am really looking forward to it.
n leissner

Alex, I couldn't agree with you more. I prefer FirstShowing to any other websites or movie blogs and I try to turn everyone on to you guys! #7 you are entiltled, #18 you are not reading the same article and #24, your just being silly. I see so many movies that inadvertently I will see trailers over and over. Half the time it ruins a lot of surprises. Heck they show trailers on TV so many times, even if you didn't go to the theatres. "Speed Racer", good job, the trailers gave you a taste without ruining the plot (my opinion). The art film "In Bruges" for instance (spoiler alert if you haven't seen it) you can see the guy is jumping off the tower in the preview. That really made a "some what" predicable film very predicable, in an important moment (I still liked the movie but please). Stop with the TMI in critic reviews too. Thank you for not putting the two face shot, I am trying to avoid any more trailers for Dark Knight - I can't wait to see it but I want that freshness. Thank you for having your fingers on the pulse of the general and fanatical movie going public!
Djo Fortunado

Having caught a glimpse of it, I can say I DO NOT want to see that again, until the movie comes out. This movie already has me psyched out enough. My brother brought up to me how people are saying the film will have connotations of the US role in Iraq; that Batman's mere PRESENSE in the City is what's bringing out the 'Crazy' in everybody, and that he's going to have to figure out how to respond to that escalation. What a fascinating idea. Cheers to the Nolan team for, yet again, taking us where the Comics never even thought to go. And cheers to Alex for running a (generally) spoiler-free site. Classy.
Seizonsha

My first post here , i just found this site about a week ago and now i check it many times a day . I also like being spoiler free . I even hate when going to see a movie with friends and they start talking about the action not yet seen in the movie . So i won't google now for that pic , but i really can't wait for this movie to come . Too bad that here in Romania there is no IMAX , and the closest to me is in Budapest , but they play movies in their own language and i don't know it So no spoliers for me too .. Keep up the good work , Seiz
http://screenrant.com ScreenRant.com

Great article, bud. I try to stay fairly spoiler-free on Screen Rant as well. Once I made the mistake of mentioning that I knew a huge spoiler about a yet to be released film that will remain unnamed... and man the ration of crap I got from people not only on my site but across the internets misreading my intent. Next time I get a big spoiler tip I just won't mention it at all. Vic
Dan

I agree and try to stay largely as spoiler-free as possible. When the first Matrix came out, I knew absolutely nothing about it with the exception that there were some fight scenes in it and that it "looked kinda cool". I ALMOST passed on seeing it the opening weekend until some friends said they were going. Had I known any more about the movie than what little marketing there had been up to that point, I don't think it would have had nearly the effect on it that it did.
http://blog.myspace.com/shero_rauf shero

I think some times spoilers are fine ...as for me I found images and information that maybe you saw it before but I got enough information and proves ...that I can give a spoiler about the movie ...I will not write it here to not be a spoiler but anyone who want to know about it here you are the link : http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&FriendID=137086138&blogMonth=5&blogDay=30&blogYear=2008 or just enter my blog : http://blog.myspace.com/shero_rauf and read the blog from 30.May.2008 I am sure you will like what I found ... Batman vs B........ !!!!