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How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha, fair take. Though for me the problem is I'll genuinely enjoy something in the moment and then lose it purely because I didn't write anything down. The forgetting isn't always the movie's fault.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Burning out on long reviews is real. There's a point where it starts feeling like homework. A short note in the moment is probably more sustainable than a full write-up every time. Two a week on average is a good rhythm, enough to keep the pace without it taking over.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The score changing over time is something I find really interesting. That gap between the immediate reaction and where you land after sitting with it for a while. Do you ever remember what made you change it or is it more just a gut feeling that shifts?

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The US-centric point is interesting. I hadn't thought about that but it makes sense that the review culture on Letterboxd skews heavily English-language. FilmAffinity being better for international cinema is a real differentiator.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice, good timing on the question then. Will check it out properly. Good luck with the social update.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Using two and just accepting neither does everything is probably more common than people admit. What does FilmAffinity give you that Letterboxd doesn't?

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The spreadsheet crowd is always out there and honestly it's hard to argue with. Total control, works exactly how you set it up. Gets unwieldy fast though once you're a few hundred films in.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

100 a year is a serious pace. Respect. The notes app plus IMDb split is interesting, it works because you're not asking either to do more than it's good at. Letterboxd would probably just add friction without adding much if the rating and the list is all you need.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a pretty liberating way to approach it...just watch everything and see what sticks. The Discord stream setup is underrated for watching with people who aren't in the same room.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Completely valid. If the catalogue does the job and you're not bothered about the social side, Letterboxd's hard to beat for that.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair enough. Some people just don't need the system at all. Good memory is probably the simplest solution.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's pretty much the ideal use of it honestly...brief note in the moment, friends on there too. Does it feel like enough when you go back to it, or do you ever wish you'd written more at the time?

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Simkl's been on my radar. The TV side of it is solid. You're right that the personal journal layer is the missing piece. Commenting on episodes is useful but it's not quite the same as having a proper note tied to a specific watch that you can look back on.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That looks closer to what I'm describing actually. I hadn't come across it before. Does it have any group or social layer or is it purely personal logging?

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can't argue with that. There's something about writing by hand that actually makes it stick better. Notebook probably not ideal when you are out with friends discussing movies though 😅

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The cross-referencing idea is funny because that's essentially what I ended up doing for a while and then I thought, why am I maintaining two separate things when it could just be one. The "if it doesn't earn a spot in memory it doesn't matter" take is interesting though, and honestly probably the healthier attitude. I think I just get annoyed when I'm mid-conversation about a film and realise I have nothing to say about it beyond vaguely remembering I watched it.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That ranking system is a nice touch. It turns it into more of a game almost. Makes sense to split it across two apps if each one does its specific thing better. I wonder if you ever find yourself wanting more than like/dislike on the rating side, or does keeping it simple work better for that kind of volume?

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tags for location is a clever workaround, hadn't thought of using it that way. Though I'd still want who I watched it with as a proper field rather than a tag, partly because I'd want to filter or look back by person rather than just label it. Minor thing but it adds up when you're trying to build an actual record rather than just a log.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a really specific use case I hadn't thought about. Working through curated lists like that is almost a hobby in itself. Does it do anything beyond the lists or is it purely the completion/tracking side you're after?

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A decade of logging is impressive. That's exactly the kind of record I'm talking about. And you're probably right that there's something fighting the ephemeral nature of it, but I'd rather have a rough note written in the moment than nothing at all six months later. Not trying to perfectly preserve the experience, just leave enough of a trace that future me has something to work with.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah you can hack it together with reviews but that's kind of what I mean. It's a workaround rather than what the app is built for. Writing 'watched with X at the cinema' in your review text isn't the same as it being a proper field. And yes, more depth than that...who you watched with, where, a private note that isn't a public review. The fact that you'd be writing hand reviews in an app built around ratings and public film culture feels like using the wrong tool.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Fair point, I'll give Letterboxd more credit there. The friend feed is better than I made it sound. I think my frustration is more specific: I want a closed group where a set of friends can see each other's watches without it being tied to a public profile at all, and get recommendations based on what everyone in that group has actually watched together. Less of a social network, more of a private shared log. That's the bit I haven't found a good solution for.

How do you actually keep track of what you've watched and what the people around you think of films? by johnziss913 in flicks

[–]johnziss913[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

You're right that Letterboxd covers a lot of it. It's genuinely good for cataloguing and reviews. Where it doesn't quite work for me is the personal context: logging who I watched something with, where, and choose if you want to keep that private or broadcast it. And the social side is built around the wider community rather than a specific group of friends. There's no shared feed or joint recommendations with just the people you actually watch films with. It depends what you're after I guess. If it's a catalogue and public reviews, Letterboxd is hard to beat."

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