Talking Point: Why do you read reviews?

It's been a slow few days (a quirk of my review schedule just now), and I was too busy to watch V last night, so that review will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm actually beavering away on reviews for Lost and La La Land's first three episodes, but because I hate total blog-silence, I thought I'd ask y'all a simple question: why do you read, watch or listen to TV/film reviews?

Some follow-up questions to get your braincells buzzing:

• Are you interested in reading other people's opinions?
• Do reviews help you understand something you didn't comprehend?
• Does a good review enhance your own experience of the subject?
• Are reviews just something fun and trivial to read, to pass time?
• Do you find the best reviews to read are ones that disagree with you?
• Is a negative review inherently more entertaining and memorable?
• Can you read reviews of things you haven't seen yourself?
• Are the best reviews usually found online or in the press?
• What annoys or delights you about reviews?
• Has a review ever actually changed your opinion on something?

Those are just a few things to stoke your thoughts. Your answers don't have to relate specifically to DMD, just reviews in general. Is it as simple as just wanting to extend the experience of a film or TV show by talking and reading about it? I prefer to think reviews offer something of true value, though.