Monday Night Poll: Battle of the Sexes?
Filed under: Action, Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, New Releases, Sony, Warner Brothers, Box Office, Polls
Is it as easy as 'men love action, women love romance'? Sci-fi thriller District 9 was the big winner at the box office, as Eugene Novikov reported earlier, taking in nearly twice as much as romantic drama The Time Traveler's Wife. Variety said District 9 drew "largely on the strength of males," while our reviewer Jeffrey M. Anderson said "no guy is going to want to sit through [The Time Traveler's Wife]. However, if you're a chick, the movie mostly works." Did couples head to multiplexes together, blow an air kiss, and then head their separate ways to different movies?
I saw both movies at advance press screenings, and so I didn't get a feel for how audiences in general might have been divided. Personally, I loved, loved, loved District 9 ("hellaciously entertaining," I wrote in part.) On the other hand, I mostly agree with Jeff Anderson's assessment that The Time Traveler's Wife is dripped in "soft, gooey gauze." Oh, and since I didn't feel the movie was particularly new or fresh, I didn't think Rachel McAdams' comments on The Daily Show really "spoiled" the plot twists, which, in any event, are telegraphed well in advance.
But I'm curious now about how all you movie-going couples handled the decision-making process. Did the ladies get together and leave the dudes behind to indulge in the gooey romance of The Time Traveler's Wife? Did the men go "woof, woof" and race off to see things go boom (with unexpected intelligence) in District 9? Take our poll and let us know! Feel free to elaborate in the comments section on how you decided what to watch. And a more general query: are you tired of being defined by your sex when it comes to movie-watching?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-17-2009 @ 9:09PM
NP said...
"are you tired of being defined by your sex when it comes to movie-watching?"
Moreso the implied hetero-ness of it all..
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8-17-2009 @ 9:11PM
SpaceAce said...
I actually thing the lake house is what kept me from seeing the time travelers wife.
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8-17-2009 @ 9:12PM
SpaceAce said...
"Think"
8-17-2009 @ 9:33PM
Kate said...
They did the same thing last year saying women would rather see 'Mamma Mia' than 'Dark Knight'. I almost burst a capillary I was so angry. (Ftr, I saw Batman five times, ABBA zero and I still had a vagina last time I checked.)
And I have no interest in seeing 'The Time Traveler's Wife'. Now if 'District 9' didn't have such sucky story issues, I would see that five times as well.
In summary, yes, it is really annoying when they use gender like that. It is true that a majority of women will go see 'Time Traveler's Wife' but considering the money it made this weekend, I'm sure a hell of a lot more went to go see aliens in Jo'burg.
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8-17-2009 @ 10:47PM
SkyeWriter said...
I'm female, and I saw District 9 because I thought it looked awesome and I haven't been the movies a whole lot this summer. Weepy romances are not my thing.
"And a more general query: are you tired of being defined by your sex when it comes to movie-watching?"
In a word: YES.
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8-18-2009 @ 2:31PM
Ed said...
I actually went to The Goods first, then District 9
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8-17-2009 @ 9:48PM
Jessica Dillon said...
"However, if you're a chick, the movie mostly works."
Wow. I think that is the single most offensive thing I've ever read on Cinematical. I didn't see it before because, as a chick, I read the District 9 review.
While I can understand why you'd put your weakest writer on the worst movie of the weekend, he should understand that the women who read Cinematical are interested in good films, not trash, and assuming otherwise is disrespectful. As a film writer, he should know that women who actually take the time to read about films care about quality film making. Seeing a romance won't automatically make us go doe-eyed and forget about things like the script, acting, and direction. A movie either works, or it doesn't. That fact doesn't change based on your gender.
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8-18-2009 @ 4:05PM
mezzaninex said...
Is it your period today?
8-17-2009 @ 10:13PM
Tony le Stephanois said...
Didn't make it to the theaters this weekend, but watched Timecrimes on DVD, going to see District 9 tomorrow. yay.
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8-17-2009 @ 10:13PM
Maria Stahl said...
I totally dragged my honey to see District 9. He loved it. So did I.
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8-17-2009 @ 10:30PM
RTMS said...
I saw both and loved D9 while TTTW was ok. It's silly rom coms that I don't like.
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8-17-2009 @ 10:34PM
Michael Byng said...
MAN- I SAW BOTH! Why isnt that an option!?
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8-17-2009 @ 11:09PM
Toobusyforyourignorantthoughts said...
My husband and I saw District 9 and loved it.
I don't let my gender define what I watch. But, I must say I do hate romantic comedies.
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8-17-2009 @ 11:39PM
nelson said...
Believe it or not, I saw District 9 and Julie and Julia in the same weekend. I am a man. Julie and Julia was only slightly more violent and with 15% more vaporizations.
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8-18-2009 @ 2:16AM
Akira said...
"are you tired of being defined by your sex when it comes to movie-watching?"
Not at all. I think that men and women are different, and that's a good thing if you ask me.
Reply
8-18-2009 @ 3:10AM
Tom Gerlick said...
I saw Ponyo... and I'd do it again!
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8-18-2009 @ 7:04AM
vijay said...
Interesting to see the poll results
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8-18-2009 @ 5:33AM
Tracey said...
Haven't seen either one. The Time Traveler's Wife doesn't appeal to me, and District 9 isn't available in my area yet, nor will it be for another two months or so.
That said, if I were going to watch any movie now out, it would probably be one of the following:
Watchmen
A Haunting in Connecticut
Star Trek (Reboot)
Coraline
I don't think any of the above qualify as a "chick flick." And I'm very very VERY tired of Hollywood and critics thinking that chick flicks are all women watch and all we want to watch.
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8-18-2009 @ 7:31PM
aelfwine said...
I haven't seen anything in this particular case since neither is out where I live, but I intend to see D9 if I can and not TTTW.
"And a more general query: are you tired of being defined by your sex when it comes to movie-watching?"
Yes ! I find the very term 'chick-flick' annoying. Action films or thrillers or whatever aren't called 'guy-flicks' or some similar term, as far as I know. It'd be equally stupid, mind...
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8-18-2009 @ 1:38PM
Matt said...
I'm a guy, I saw and enjoyed District 9 for what it was but found it extremely overrated and a far cry from the intelligent blockbuster people are claiming it is (the guy uses a gravity gun to fire a pig at someone FFS). I also read and loved The Time Traveler's Wife and will be seeing it tomorrow, as there's always a chance the reviews for it are just as wrong as the reviews for District 9. Critics are, after all, mostly fools.
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