I CRAVE INSPIRATION

[Flick James]

"Bad Movies" won the coin toss.

I've been kind of depressed lately, only regarding movies, not anything else. I find myself being increasingly bored with films, good films, b-movies, everything. Last night I found myself flipping through cable and saw that Motel Hell was on, right at the beginning. Now, normally, I would have jumped all over it, although it's been so long since I've seen it that I don't remember if I would have enjoyed it or not. I watched about 5 minutes, and just had this profound sense of boredom. I don't think it was the movie necessarily. I think three months ago I would have gotten into it and enjoyed a nice classic bit of cheese. But lately I think I'm just becoming disenchanted with movies.

I know the recent birth of a new child has been a factor. With two kids, one a newborn, your energy is just zapped on  a regular basis and getting excited about something takes energy you just don't feel. However, I don't think that's entirely it by a longshot. It's been developing for several months. I don't want to feel this way. Movies, in all their flavors and colors is a source of escape and enjoyment and enlightenment that I've had all my life. I hate to think it's going the way of the dodo bird. I hope it's just temporary. I just can't seem to get my interest up in ANY movies lately.

Does anyone else here run into this syndrome? What do you do to get over it? What do you do to rekindle your interest in movies?

[Sleepyskull]

I know exactly what you mean!  I've had this happen to me with almost everything I've ever been very interested in.

When this happens to me I simply take a break and try something else.

For instance if I'm getting tired of one literary genre I love I try another genre. I force myself to try something new if I have to because I usually gain enjoyment or stimulation out of it. At times when I've gotten tired of reading books I will give them up entirely temporarily.

You could also try a different version of the same experience. For instance if you're tired of traditional books try a comic book. In your case (movies) you could watch short films online rather than feature films. Maybe you could create a different version of a movie you love. It might be an interesting experiment to at least try writing a novelization (or something similar) of a movie you've watched, creating artwork based on that movie, or writing your own sequel (maybe just a script) to the movie.

Hey! You play Irish music right?  Maybe you could write and perform a musical piece in that style based on movie(s), genre, or your feelings/experiences regarding what you're going through right now. It's not necessary to show it to others, but you could if you want to.
Maybe you could make a video clip and post it here!

Whatever you do, good luck!

[claws]

I had something like a burnout about two years ago. What sparked my interest again was having access to countless VHS gems from the 80s. Rare movies I haven't seen in ages (because they were never released on DVD) or films I had always wanted to check out but for some reason never did.
Just watching those classic video logo intros from my favorite companies at the beginning gave me such a thrill and reminded me of the good old days when it actually was fun to rent and watch movies on tape, and all the excitement that came with it. Even with bad audio and the grainy full screen print.
The trip down memory lane did the trick and made me feel that nostalgic childhood passion for movies again.
It also helped that I watched those movies on Saturday nights, just like I did as a kid. Equipped with popcorn and Dr. Pepper.

[Trevor]

I work with films daily and the fact that films have always been my hobby helps me never to lose interest in them. It also helps me get over my Dad's passing in 2008 as he and my mom were the people who introduced me to films when I was knee high to an ant. 

[Vik]

Never happened to me. I certainly hope not, my biggest fear 

[AndyC]

Continuing on the different version of the same experience, have you watched much MST3K? It's pretty easy to acquire the complete series, and it does make for easy b-movie satisfaction to let somebody else find and enhance the humour.

I also highly recommend RiffTrax. Same concept, same people, but with movies MST3K couldn't have done. I'm hooked on it. Makes a nice change when you don't feel like a bad movie or a current hit.

I'm finding lately I'm often not in the mood for straight b-movies, and there currently aren't a whole lot of new releases that really excite me, but I'm just eating up the Rifftrax. Nothing quite like hearing the later-season cast of MST3K riffing on Avatar or Transformers 2.

[Jack]

My interest in most things waxes and wanes.  Over the years, I'd buy a bunch of DVD's in a few months, then six months would go by and I wouldn't get anything.  Then I'd get back into it again.  Maybe you just need to enjoy a different hobby for a while.  Or look at it this way:  watching a bad movie is better than watching commercials all evening just to see a rerun of some mediocre thing on TV.

[The Burgomaster]

Just walk away from them for awhile.  I've had plenty of days when I stood in front of my DVD collection looking up and down the shelves and finding not a single movie I felt like watching.  But I always end up getting rejuvenated after a few weeks or a couple of months at the most.  Then, next thing you know, I stay up until 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning watching about 5 consecutive movies.  I can't get enough.  Your boredom is just a phase.  It will pass.