The Freebie Effect

When I get to see a movie for free, this is what I've noticed: Bad movies seem better than they actually are, while good movies seem worse than they are. Recently, I saw "Night at the Museum" for free. I think I chuckled a few times and didn't consider it a total waste of time. Overall, I would say that it was O.K. But do I really think that? I certainly wouldn't recommend it. The storyline is hokey, I hate CGI effects, and I despise forced tugging-at-the-heart-strings endings. On the flip side, in 2003, I saw a ton of Oscar-nominated films for free. And I thought the majority were average or just plain bad: "Gangs of New York," "The Hours," "Frida," and "Chicago" among them. But who knows: maybe 2003 was a bad year for films.