I read
this awesome article from the NY Times about people trying to improve Netflix's recommendation feature - you know, the "like this movie? then you'll like this one!" part of their site. The people who help improve the recommendation engine's accuracy by 10% will get a cool million dollars - not bad, right?
Once you can tell a person's basic taste, it's relatively easy to predict which movies they'll also like based on the genres, actors and actresses and themes of movies - if you like 13 Going on 30, you'll probably also like While You Were Sleeping and Pretty in Pink.
Anyway, the current conundrum for these engine-betterers is figuring out how to predict peoples' opinions of indie movies like I Heart Huckabees, Lost In Translation, the Kill Bill series and, of course, Napoleon Dynamite. People tend to have such polarizing opinions on these movies that it's hard to tell which ones they'll like and which they'll loathe.
I remember seeing Napoleon Dynamite when it first came out and arguing with friends over whether or not it was a good movie - I maintain that it is - and we couldn't figure out why we liked it! There's something about it . . . and that something is what these guys are trying to decode.
What did you think of Napoleon Dynamite? Are you usually able to recommend movies to your friends that you know they'll like?
Comments (10)
Napoleon Dynamite - I hated it / it was extremely boring
I didnt see what's the hype was about, what makes Napoleon Dynamite so damn good?
Funny? uhh not really ?
Stupid? - DEFINETLY*
I loved Napoleon... it was stupid and quirky, and reminded me of too many awkward things that my friends or I myself have done to not strike some kind of a chord.
I loved the idea of a movie where the main character was not cool, popular, familiar with current trends, etc, and yet he barely even cared. His own world was good enough for him.
Some peoples' movie tastes I can judge pretty well; others can be so random.
I will NEVER watch this movie.
HATED it. i mean okay the dance was kinda neat at the time and "vote for pedro" had its run.
the movie was. just. awful. so you put tator tots in your pocket and busted out a few for a snack. BFD. i did that in the 2nd grade.
did not like napoleon dynamite. maybe i have to be under the influence or high to enjoy it...
Did not like Napoleon.
Whoever can predict what movies I like should win a billion dollars. I have really high/wierd movie standards so I rarely like any.
I enjoyed watching napoleon dynamite. Some people say it's a pointless film but there's a lesson to it all. Like who gives a damn what others think and be the individual. And ... it has a good soundtrack.
So far, I've been pretty good at reccomending movies that my friends will like. Not all the time though.
I didn't see it when it first came out. People in school were talking about it and I didn't know what the big deal was. I decided to watch it to see what the big fuss was and I liked it. I think it is a good movie. It is one of those that is good but if you tried to explain it to someone who has never seen it it would sound dumb.
Napolean Dynamite was okay. I feel no desire to watch it a second time, but parts of it did make me laugh.
As for reccomending my friends, I'm fairly good at it. It all depends on which friend.
Napolean Dynamite was so lame that I actually enjoyed it!!
Napoleon is funny in a stupid way.
I'm not sure why I like it. o.o