Spoilers...what do you feel about them.

[temporus]

A friend recently made a post over on Facebook, talking about what you might want to tell the you of 30-35 years ago.  This is not a direct response to that post.  However, as I was thinking about it, the first thing that came to mind was this:  that movie commercial you thought looked like the stupidest thing ever, yeah it will change the world, and movies, and, break all sorts of ground.

Anyone want to know what movie my dumb-ass 6 year old self thought looked stupid when he saw the commercial?  

Star Wars.

Okay, so what does that have to do with spoliers?  Well thinking about Star Wars, and not merely just Star Wars, but the experience of being a child experiencing the stories as they came out, it reminded me of one of the strangest spoiler moments I've ever had in my life.  My older brother Steve saw the movie before I had.  And I remember he had this crazy grim look on his face after coming back from the movie, and being all cryptic about it.  Of course I wanted to know, I could tell it was going to be awesome (yes, I'd been coverted to the ways of the force by then) and yet something about his demeanor had me worried.  I pestered him to tell me about the movie, and he hemmed and hawed about it, feeding me small dribs and drabs, but nothing of substance.  Then he let slip that there was an unbelieveable secret, that was going to blow my mind.

So, of course I had to know.  But Steve didn't quite want to just tell me.  He tried to give me an out, not really wanting to spoil the surprise.  But I harried him, as is the wont of youngest brothers everywhere, until he finally agreed to it.  But to give me one last possible chance, he did it under water.  (We were in the pool.)   So to hear the terrible secret, I had to hold my breath, dunk my head, and listen, as he bubbled out the phrase:  Darth Vader is Luke....well, you know.  It took two tries, for him to say the whole phrase, and for me to piece it together out from the burbling sound of his voice.

Despite having the big reveal, that crazy hinge upon which the middle chapter turns spoiled for me ahead of time, Empire remains to this day, my favorite of all the Star Wars films.  Though I can never know for certain, I don't believe knowing that secret walking into the theater lessened one bit the impact of that scene.  Perhaps that's a testament to the skills of those involved in the movie.   Perhaps the story is just so compelling that it doesn't matter.  Or perhaps spoilers didn't bother me then the way they might today.

So I ask you: what's the craziest thing you've ever done in regards to spoilers.  Either to hear/read them, or to just avoid them altogether.  Do you think they really do spoil your experience?  Or do you figure that story is more than just the facts, and foreknowlege of events doesn't ruin a thing?

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

As a kid I once hid under the bed to read the last page of a book, as if the author, or a teacher, could see me.

Loved your star wars story!

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

SPOILER ALERT in order to appreciate this anecdote, I have to spoil the ending of a Hercule Poirot mystery, so if you're a fan who hasn't finished them all, close your eyes before reading any further :)

As a teenager, I was an avid Agatha Christie fan. My mom gave me 'Poirot's Last Case' for Christmas and said: 'You'll like this, it's the one where Poirot is the murderer.'

[temporus.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's pretty rough. If there is one genre, where spoilers are most dangerous, I would think Mysteries are it.

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

By the way, I thought you did a great job at the slush panel Q&A for the GSHW on Saturday :)

[temporus.livejournal.com]

Thanks, had a good time at the panel.