Have you ever heard of method acting? Method acting is when an actor tries to better characterize whoever they are playing in a play or film. This might be by changing their voice, appearance, personality, or way of thinking. Heath Ledger was considered a method actor when he played the Joker in "The Dark Knight" and Johnny Depp was known for his method acting roles such as the Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland" and Willy Wonka in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Keeping this definition in mind, have you ever considered method watching? What I mean by this is, have you ever watched a movie in a way that reflects the movie's setting?
An example of what I consider to be method watching is watching "Snakes on a Plane" while you are on an airplane. You'll have the setting of an airplane and you'll feel like you're in the movie. Sure, I haven't watched this movie on a plane, but the action and suspense of the movie would feel stronger and more personal if you watched it there.
One time I decided to watch "Gravity" at midnight with all the lights in my house shut off, and it was amazing. I felt like I was actually in space and it didn't bother me that I couldn't see two feet in front of me. I felt strangely isolated -- as Sandra Bullock did in the movie -- and the nighttime sounds coming from outside felt natural while watching the film play out in its outer space setting. Would you consider this a movie buff's high? Maybe so, only because it feels so real when you put yourself in the setting.
In a strange way, we already kind of method watch movies. When its Christmas, we watch "Elf" or "Jingle All the Way" and during Halloween we watch "Halloweentown" or "Ghostbusters." It is considered normal to watch these movies then because it feels appropriate and the stakes seem more important because of the season. In fact, a lot people find it strange that others watch these movies out of season.
So next time you're at the office or your own workplace, consider watching "The Office" there. Maybe if you're visiting Washington D.C., consider watching "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" in your hotel so you can pretend the Winter Soldier is stalking you on your trip. Hell, watch "Night at the Museum" before you go to the Museum of Natural History so you can be creeped out by the wax figures.
Whether you're a movie buff or not, method watching is awesome and changes your whole viewing experience.
