The Time Out film debate 2012 results

Earlier this year, we asked our readers to join the Time Out Film Debate, exploring all aspects of films and filmgoing in 2012. Here we present a complete list of the results, from your popcorn preferences to how you really feel about Hollywood, from the state of British cinema to a list of nominations for the new James Bond...

Going to the pictures

We asked all about your filmgoing habits, and the responses were largely as expected: cinemas are definitely too expensive; talking during the movie drives you crazy; there’s no consensus on the best kind of popcorn.

Only a minority really loathe the multiplex – perhaps some of our voters are too young to remember any alternative – and even though only one third of you are willing to fork out for a fancy cinema seat, that’s surely enough to keep those swish boutique cinemas in business.

The world of movies

This is where things started to get interesting. Almost two thirds of you think that the work the film writers at Time Out and elsewhere do is worthwhile – which means a lot to us, to be honest.

Just over half of you would consider downloading a film illegally – which could be bad news for the studios – but roughly the same proportion still care about awards ceremonies, so the mainstream film industry isn’t in real trouble yet.

A whopping 84 percent would go and see more foreign movies if they were on locally – but, and we don’t want to sound cynical, the box office figures don’t really back this up.

Hollywood

The box office records prove that the British audience’s love affair with Hollywood continues unabated. But that doesn’t mean we’re happy to admit it: almost two thirds of you think Hollywood needs to try harder, and an even greater percentage feel that there’s too much digital imagery in movies and that 3D is a passing fad.

Forty-five percent of you have been stung by going to see a bad film starring someone you liked, and very few of you have any interest in future movies based on board games.

The good, the bad and the ugly

Less than one third of you feel there’s too much violence on screen. A similar figure feel that there’s no limit to what can be depicted in a movie, and a mere 9 percent feel that there ought to be more censorship.

This speaks volumes about the liberal nature and open mindedness of Time Out’s readership – but does suggest that only a small proportion of you have seen ‘A Serbian Film’. It’s interesting, however, that you love Woody and loathe Mel – in pretty much exact proportions.

The home front

British film is in rude health, if these stats are anything to go by: 75 percent of you think our homegrown film scene is in good shape.

A very pleasing nine out of ten think that David Cameron was talking utter rubbish when he tried to stick his oar into the British Film Institute’s funding agenda, and even though 57 percent of you think that we could try a little bit harder to break out of the ‘Downton Abbey’/Guy Ritchie ghetto, the general sense is that we’re getting things right.

A recent Guardian article clearly got a few folks thinking about the first black Bond, and two thirds of you are already booking tickets for the scrap of the century. Posh fight!

All results have been rounded to the nearest full number where appropriate.