I have a feeling the majority of movie-goers couldn't give a shit about directors, and really, they shouldn't. People should be attracted to a movie because the previews make it look entertaining, regardless of who is involved in making it.
I disagree. Directors have a huge influence over the quality of a movie. In fact, movies are often seen as the medium of the director as he/she has control over everything from the choice of the script to the re-writes to the day-to-day activities of the film-making process. Choosing a film based upon the director is not much different than choosing a book based upon the writer.
Previews, on the other hand, are often misleading and designed entirely by marketers who care little for the film. They're a decent way to sparking interest, but they're not the only way of figuring out a film's potential quality. It's often a good idea to look at a director's track record because a terrible director can turn even the best of movie ideas into complete crap.
Michael Bay is probably example #1. His movies have a similar style and intellectual quality (or lack thereof). You know what to expect from Bay (good or bad) after you've seen a couple of his films.
