I don't hang out in this forum much and i'm sure it's been asked before (search didn't find it) but thought i'd ask.

Personally I almost always check reviews before going to a theatre (usually rottentomatoes). It's not like movies are $.50 anymore. These days if I'm going to spend $30 on my wife and I to go to a movie I want to make sure we are seeing something that at least is probably going to be good.

I usually don't read any reviews until after I have seen the movie. My husband will sometimes read a review and make comments weather the review was favorable or not. But I have never not gone to see a movie I wanted to see beacuse of what someone else wrote about it.

Bad reviews won't sway me from seeing something I think I'll enjoy but good reviews may occassionally help me decide to see something I otherwise would not have bothered to watch.

Nah.....I'm usually a pretty good judge on the quality of a film.

I avoid reviews for movies that I know I'm going to see anyway (don't want spoilers). But I'll use reviews for movies I never heard of, or am on the fence about wanting to see. Though some of the genres I like (horror/sci-fi/thrillers/comedies) often don't get a fair shake from mainstream critics, and I frequently ignore the critics suggestions.

Like brainee, I will go to any movie if I have been anticipating it. Otherwise, I use reviews from sources I trust as a guide on what to check out that I haven't heard of, or know little about.

I have a few sources (Ebert, Entertainment Weekly) whose reviews are solid and trustworthy, IMO. Mostly though, I just go check out what has been getting good buzz on this board.

I go to few movies, so I don't worry about reviews at all.

Depends on what type of movie it is. If it's a movie I'm hugely anticipating, I'll usually see the movie no matter what reviews it gets. If it's something I'm on the fence with, then reviews will tip the scale.

I selected "I always check the reviews" but they don't affect my decisions. Sometimes a reviewer will have some insight into a movie and it makes for an interesting read... even if I have no interest in the movie itself.

I always check the reviews as my taste in films usually runs along the same lines as the majority of critics. Since I dislike most of the mainstream films that come out of Hollywood, that makes me a definite minority in this country.

Of the films I've seen in the past 2 years in theaters and on DVD, I would say about 90% of the films I disliked got under a 50% positive review rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

I typically know what movies I will see regardless of reviews (and I generally avoid those beforehand), but I like to read about lesser-known titles I might have overlooked.

As a DVD reviewer (for another site), I try to avoid discussing too much of the plot particulars in favor of trying to give a sense of how a movie "feels" without describing it scene by scene, so that a reader would know if that release was in their wheel house - minus spoilers, of course.

I think this is especially important for oddball, relatively obscure releases as opposed to one of the mega-blockbusters that most have probably already decided whether it's for them or not.

Same here.

I usually check the reviews. I don't read them (because of spoilers), but I like to get an overall picture of critical reaction before I see a film. Some films (popcorn action, horror, etc) I don't bother checking the reviews on, since I know they're probably suck and are going to be ripped apart anyway.

Reviews mean nothing to me. If it is a movie I want to see, I will see it even if it gets a 0/10. If the movie is something I have no interest in, I will not see it even if it gets a 10/10. I have loved plenty of low rated movies and hated plenty of high rated movies. This goes for video games as well.

Unfortunately, they affect my decisions a little too much. Once I read a review, I can't really put it out of my head, even though I've never found a reviewer who I tend to agree with. I really have my own taste in movies, and that's why I try to avoid reviews whenever possible. But it isn't easy.

I have a couple of reviewers that I generally trust and read those, but I don't put much stock in random reviewers.

Since I try to avoid trailers at all costs (because I think they give away too much),(non-spoilerized) reviews make all the difference in the world to me. Even if it's a bad one, it may make me want to see the movie.

I've stopped reading the little mini reviews from Time Out New York they rarely like anything.

I just check out Rotten Tomatoes, reading a few of the captioned bits on the film's main review page but generally the reviews won't affect my decision to go unless the film falls somewhere under 40% on the Tomato Meter, since that's a good way to gauge general perception.
-ringding-

Reviews mean nothing to me... If I want to see it I see it; after all they are just other peoples opinions.

I'm kind of the same way. I generally disregard reviews for movies I know aren't technically going to be "quality cinema" but I'll find entertaining anyway. Dumb comedies like Beerfest, horror flicks, etc.

On the other hand, if a 'prestigious' Oscar-bait movie or indie drama has a really negative review average I'll be more likely to pay attention, as those are the types of movies reviewers usually fawn over.

For everything else, the only time the reviews might affect my choice is when I've got two movies I have equal interest in and am trying to decide which to see first. I might go for the one with 70% favorable reviews before the one with 15% favorable reviews.

Reviews are one resource I use to help me decide what to see. Sometimes they can push me to see or not see a movie I'm marginal on.

I usually read the review AFTER I see the film, so I can see if my opinion matches and where it differs.

Reviews help me in one case: If it universally gets slammed (I'm talking 0.5 out of 4s or lower), I'll avoid it.

I go to see the movies I want to see...