Just having Tom Cruise in Very Dramatic Movie was the signal that he would buy it

I think you meant Tom Hanks, Nutty, but I'd say that's a meta reason (to use an already overused word) for knowing he buys it. The "I'm a school teacher" moment is when the picture officially telegraphs Hanks' impending doom.

I have a question about the resistance to emotional manipulation. I don't quite get it. I have no problem with it, as long as it's good.

This is what I'm saying, Robin. I hear "emotionally manipulative" too often as a criticism for film (or, as you say, art in general). Like Jess, I only care if it's done badly.

Same as editing, sound design, or any other element intrinsic to the medium. If it's good, it shouldn't call attention to itself.

So you don't think this depends on the aim of the movie? I mean, what about when such elements are incredibly stylized by design? I'm thinking of films along the lines of TOUCH OF EVIL or VERTIGO or even (especially?) SUSPIRIA, or the incredibly complicated editing schemes that Nicholas Roeg's best films employ.

There's a difference between emotional and emotionally manipulative, though. I don't mind crying at a sad story, but when the preview for a crappy movie makes me mist up, I'm annoyed. (The musician I was seeing said it was something particular about the chords in the background music.)

I'm trying to think of a movie where my emotions were skillfully manipulated. The Usual Suspects, perhaps. I guess the criteria would be drawing a strong emotional response from me without me going, "Yeah, there are the strings."

Blade Runner sort of did it. Lilo & Stitch.

Lilo & Stitch had me crying like a baby.

Lilty and Stitch would be a fun movie.

What Jesse said, but more. Emotionally manipulative IS the term for per se poorly extracted emotion. It's ex ante pejorative. There's another Latin term I'm trying to think of, but two will have to do. Anyway, If you know John Williams's swelling score is what's making you mist up, you feel kind of dirty. But plain old crying at movies is not necessarily manipulated.

So you don't think this depends on the aim of the movie? I mean, what about when such elements are incredibly stylized by design?

Unless the aim of the movie is to make the audience think about sound design, then the sound design shouldn't call attention to itself. Good stylization isn't distracting in the way I'm talking about. (Unless the audience has been to film school and is unable to turn off that part of their brain. Not that I would know anything about that.)

So you don't think this depends on the aim of the movie? I mean, what about when such elements are incredibly stylized by design?

Unless the aim of the movie is to make the audience think about sound design, then the sound design shouldn't call attention to itself. Good stylization isn't distracting in the way I'm talking about.

"Aaand star wipe... and out!"

There's another Latin term I'm trying to think of, but two will have to do.

De facto? Pro tem? Nolo whatever?

In medias res?