Spoiler Limit

[ferretchucker]

I was thinking...fairly often some sort of spoiler will be revealed on this site - it's a risk we're willing to take when we read here. But when does the "Spoiler Warning" become obsolete?

South Park once claimed that something is only funny after 22.3 years. Do spoilers have a time limit after which it is okay to discuss them? Is it relative to how many people know it? For instance, it is a fairly well known fact that in Psycho, Norman Bates is the killer (see how I didn't feel the need to put a spoiler warning on that?) However, I have a fair few friends who haven't seen Psycho and don't know that. Who are we to judge when it is fair to reveal the twist of a film?

Just wondered your opinions on this.

[neverending]

For myself, I don't care if people post things that might be spoilers or not. By the time I see the film I've forgotten everything anyway...

But not everyone is as senile as me... :p

[ferretchucker]

For myself, I don't care if people post things that might be spoilers or not. By the time I see the film I've forgotten everything anyway...

But not everyone is as senile as me... :p

Haha, that's the spirit Grandpa Ozma!

[vanlutz]

Spoilers Suck. They're one of the reasons I won't read reviews before seeing a flick. Many on-line reviewers, don't really have a clue as to how to write a review without giving spoilers. So, they're even worse.

I had an ass give a review of Us Sinners where he gave a scene by scene description of what happened. He was so fucking stupid, he couldn't even get the spoilers right.

[BookZombie]

Well some movies are very hard to review without revealing any spoilers. I would say that yes it depend on the age of a movie or book to some extent, we all expect people to know how Psycho ends or that Dark Vader is Luke's father, however this also go only so far.

The way I see it it is difficult to talk about a film without making any spoilers, however if one is discussing major plot lines then it is better to use the spoiler warning to often than to little.

I also have to say that some people are very sensitive to spoilers and others no, and some considers everything a spoiler. Like I mentioned a joke in a horrible science fiction film once. Basically in the second Gor film Tarl and his sidekick come to this nasty old lake, there are skeletons laying by the side and the water is all but black and green. Tarl like and idiot go to drink and the sidekick says. "Do not drink the water!" Tarl asks "Why not." The sidekick then says. "Because it is poisonous!" I mentioned the scene to point out how stupid this movie get. Well one lady was very upset that this was a spoiler. Really, it like mentions a five second sequence which have nothing to do with the plot what so ever. So I told her that if she was so sensitive to spoilers then she should not discuss a movie online.

My point is that if you are discussing main plot twists and ending then let people know there will be spoilers, but anything but that flies, if people are discussing on a movie forum then they have to expect a few spoilers now and again.

[ChronoGrl]

For myself, I don't care if people post things that might be spoilers or not. By the time I see the film I've forgotten everything anyway...

But not everyone is as senile as me... :p

haha - I chuckled at this one.

...

It's a good question, Ferret - I think that it might come down to how iconic the film is instead of how old it is - For example, Psycho is incredibly iconic and has been referred to, referenced, and paid tribute to ad nauseum - Its become a staple of the genre and its "reveal" is part of its image. Same thing with Empire Strikes Back, Planet of the Apes, Soilant Green, Citizen Kane - All of these films come from different eras, but I feel as though their reveals are public domain because they are referenced so much.


Personally, I tend to err on the side of caution and put up my [SPOILER] warnings liberally, though with those aforementioned films I would probably omit my warnings as I feel that the reveals are public knowledge.

[roshiq]

Yeah...there should be "Warnings" for any discussion or review containing spoilers. Anyway, I'd like to see (in probably coming Scream 4) that ghostface kills someone for ruining a movie for him...:D

[ferretchucker]

I think that's a good point about it depending on how iconic it is. In relation to cinema as a whole, The Sixth Sense isn't particularly old and yet in 50 First Dates they literally just ruin the twist. Again, they're assuming most of their audience has seen it or at least been told the twist. Of course, with Mr. Shymalalalalalalalalalan it's become common place to expect a twist...