Women vs. Men: Most-Watched Movies (Does the Audience Want Male Sensitivity Shown in Films?)

Sci-Fi Fodder ^ | May 8, 2007 | Sky Movies Sci-fi

[fight_truth_decay]

The Sky Movies Sci-fi & Horror Channel recently conducted a survey to tie in with the Sci-Fi London film festival. The question? What movies do you watch over and over again?

The answers were very interesting. Sky broke up the results by gender lines. Men loved Sci-Fi movies, which is fairly obvious. Women, on the other hand, love movies with music (evidently). There is one exception though -

"Star Wars"! Sci-Fi transcends all boundaries!

Here are the detailed results of the survey.

Men's Most-Watched Films

1. Star Wars trilogy 2. Aliens 3. The Terminator 4. Blade Runner 5. The Godfather

Others: The Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, Alien, Die Hard, Terminator 2

Women's Most-Watched Films

1. Dirty Dancing 2. Star Wars trilogy 3. Grease 4. The Sound of Music 5. Pretty Woman

Others: It's A Wonderful Life, The Matrix, The Terminator, Jaws, The Lord of the Rings

Just let me say one thing - "Dirty Dancing" is just painful to watch. I don't care what Johnny says - get back in your corner, Baby!

Sky Movies has not stated how many people took part in the survey. However, it was reported in the BBC article that "Star Wars" fans have been flocking to a new exhibition of props, costumes and other memorabilia which opened on Friday in London. So, just like most surveys, take the results with a grain of salt. They may just indicate that female "Star Wars" fans like chick flicks with music

[fight_truth_decay]

Tom Ortenberg, the president of Lionsgate, said
he did sense a gender divide in Hollywood fare. “In general, female markets have been underserved, and the over-25 female audience is one that’s dramatically underserved in the marketplace,” he said. “I don't know why that is. You could speculate that it’s because this is a male-driven world, with people greenlighting the movies they feel most close to.”

Yet he said that bias did not apply at Lionsgate. Even though, at first glance, a slate filled with films like (2007_film)"“Bug” and “Hostel 2” (2007) would seem to be classic male-oriented shriekfests, the reality is that women are avid fans of horror films. (Fifty percent of the “Hostel” audience was female, he said.)

I can contribute that the new Spider-Man 3 has our Super-Hero and the villeins showing more of their sensitive sides. (My wife wouldn't let me see my child after I got out of prison, scenario so I turned to bigger crime. I was humiliated because I wanted the job so badly, I turned in a fraudulent assignment and got terminated, etc.)

Pretty touchy-feely movie for a Super-Hero action film. But, it is doing gang busters at the box office with both genders. I noticed pretty much 50/50 M/F in the audience when I attended.

Is there a more "sensitive side" being added by studios to the more male inspired movie genres?

When do you remember walking out of a SuperHero film and hearing someone say: "That was really sad." (?)

Did Broke Back Mountain start this new trend where men express their emotions more in the plot, just like in the female dominated films?

The Sopranos, another example that comes to mind. Tony discusses his "issues" with his shrink. And now Bobby "Bacala" after a hit, returns home, holds his little daughter in his arms, stares out over a lake in Upstate NY lake and the scene fades.

Did the legendary John Wayne..and any of the other Old Greats show the "sensitive" side of their persona? Shoot and cry after?

[Drango]

Breaking hard. News at 11.

Women like chick flicks.

[Tamar1973]

Star WarsRules!

[svcw]

Not THIS woman. I want action, things blowing up and REAL men. Musicals are vomit on the screen. For my 50th birthday my husband bought me the Terminator Trilogy,,,fantastic!

[Dixie Yooper]

This guy likes Kelly’s Heros. I have it on VHS and DVD, but I still get slack-jawed when it’s on regular TV with commercials. I don’t know what my wife is getting me for my 50th, but there are only 6 shopping days left.

[hawkboy]

Did you hear Arnold Scharzenegger will be acting in a new musical comedy? It’s about an action movie star who is mistakenly cast as a famous German classical music composer. The title of the film is “I’ll be Bach”.

[Clemenza]

Clemenza's most watched:

1. Taxi Driver

2. The Star Wars Trilogy

3. Apocalypse Now

4. Godfather 1

5. Annie Hall

6. The French Connection

7. Pulp Fiction

[Argus]

Argus’ most watched:

MY COUSIN VINNY

CITY SLICKERS

THE GODFATHER

DIE HARD

CLIFFHANGER

CINDERELLA MAN

WALK THE LINE

THE NAKED GUN

HOT SHOTS

INDEPENDENCE DAY

[svcw]

Good one.

[Mr. Blonde]

1. The Big Lebowski

2. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

3. Tombstone

4. Smokey and the Bandit

5. Pulp Fiction

I can watch comedy over and over again more than anything else.

[x1stcav]

You morons left out ‘High Noon”.

[Dumpster Baby]

I cried all the way through “Full Metal Jacket”, it was so beautiful.

[tuffydoodle]

movie ping

[MrEdd]

I will admit that one depicted boot camp accurately.

---

My list:

To have and have not
The Fifth Element
Spiderman I & II
High Plains Drifter
The Journey of Natty Gann
For a Few Dollars More.

[weegee]

I’ll be passing on the new Spider-Man movie. I’m bored by origin stories and the origin of 3 new villians is triple boredom. Read the friggin’ comics already for background.

We didn’t see the origin of James Bond or the villians every movie. They just “were”.

Additionally Spider-Man 3 is a deluxe computer animated cartoon with limited live action inserts. Woo hoo. Shrek is a more entertaining cartoon. The effects are not “impressive”, the look cheap.

Watch any early 1990s HK action comedy film (especially Jet Li or Jackie Chan) for much more impressive and dreamlike stuntwork. Those films are so over the top you still cannot get many of them in an uncut format in this country. It isn’t that they are “too violent”, it is that they are too much a challenge to the status quo. They set the bar too high. A franchise like Lethal Weapon couldn’t compete. Jackie Chan’s stateside films all suck and he’s paired with B-list actors as comic relief.

It is interesting how Hollywood apes comic books for plots and characters and then seem so embarassed by the source material.

Well Ang Lee’s sensitive Hulk film was a big yawn. Give me a Dino Di Laurentis pop comic book film any day.

[trisham]

I like the men’s list. Hmmmm.

[weegee]

I’d even have a hard time coming up with “most watched” films. I may put something on in the background on DVD but then it is more likely to be a concert or concert film DVD.

I watch Dr. Strangelove numerous times but don’t even own it on DVD and I don’t even watch my Criterion laserdisc of it that much.

I suspect that some of these films (of recent era) poll so high (A) from cable repeated viewings (too lazy to change the dial) and (B) the only common films between young and old audiences are likely to be recent films.

[Finny]

I'm with you, scvw. I'm a woman and my list ... not one or even close, except for Terminator, on the list.

Hawkboy, you're "I'll be Bach" joke is killing me. *sigh* Well done.

I've got my share of chick flicks, notably the BBC Pride & Prejudice, and ... okay, I confess, You've Got Mail. *sigh* Hanging head in embarassment. Another one that raises eyebrows because it's a VIOLENT and bloody movie but by God I'll defend it as a splendid tale of redemption! -- Kirk Russell's Soldier. I cherish that movie.

Also:
Tombstone
Aliens
Anything with Bogie & Bacall
Shane
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Cruel Sea
Lawrence of Arabia
Dark Blue
COMEDIES,My Cousin Vinny
America's Sweethearts (not a chick flick)
Get Shorty
Galaxy Quest
SORT OF COMEDY, 3,000 Miles to Graceland. Sorry, all the pans and outrage, this is a great flick that holds up over time. Costner is just GREAT.

As for Star Wars, when it first came out, I was 20 and I watched it at the movie theater either nine or 11 times, I forget. I loved that movie. Watched it on video many times, too. But it doesn't make my top 10, surprisingly. I guess George Lucas aged poorly. I met him briefly as part of work, and to my surprise, didn't like him. It wasn't anything he did, it was just ... him. If I'd met him the same but didn't know who he was, I'd have walked away with my gut telling me, "Steer clear of that guy."

[Finny]

I LOVE High Plains Drifter!!

[Finny]

I should add, “The Quiet Man.” Can take many watchings, lots of good lines, and it’s got Ward Bond!