Flare Sci-Fi Forums: SPR and Two Little Psychopaths

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Posted by Chimaera on :

I finally went to see Saving Private Ryan last night, and afterwards I must say I am rather annoyed that it didn't win best picture. It was very well done, spectacular in fact (in a gruesome sort of way).

The only problem wasn't with the movie, it was with two kids sitting behind me, probably about 13-14 years old. As those of you who see the movie know, the beginning is the American landing in France and, true to history, a lot of them are cut down by machine gun fire and mortars. And no sooner than this started than also did the exclamations behind me did too. When an american gets hit by a mortar and gets his leg blown off, they thought it was "awesome!!". Further exclamations followed at various points throughout the movie. When a german sniper is shot (in a most unlikely way, I might add), it was "sweet!". And needless to say they greatly enjoyed the battle near the end.

Although it is annoying to have people talk loudly during a movie, it is downright disturbing to hear two kids who are so bloodthirsty and are obviously desensitized to such gory violence. There's a lot of argument out there that kids are becoming desensitized to violence, and many people simply reject it saying there's not enough evidence out there (even though a lot of people realize how impressionable children can be). Well, although two kids aren't representative of society as a whole, I got all the evidence I needed last night. A lot of people on this forum are younger than I am (I'm 22), and they may disagree with me, but I think this may become (or already has become) a serious problem.

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"Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you."
-Commander Riker, USS Enterprise

Posted by Jeff Raven (Member # 20) on :

Reminds me when I went to go see Titanic. I thought it was going to be a good movie, but I had a group of kids behind me, all younger than 13, and I could hardly put up with the giggling and comments. The thing that almost made me turn around and smack them was when it came to the nude scene, two of the kids screamed out "BOOBIES!!".

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"Bickering is pointless." - Spock, Miri
"I'm real easy to get along with most of the time, but I don't like bullies, and I don't like threats." - Janeway, State of Flux

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

Jeff: Is that wrong?

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"The record of my unspeakable crimes, in previous lives, in previous times, indelibly stains the pages of history."
--
They Might Be Giants

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

I still think that a seperate country should be made for all chlidren, and upon passing a series of grueling physical and mental tests, only then will they be allowed to join the rest of us in normal society.

I personally either go to the pictures very late, or during the day when the kids will be at school.

Or I pull my gun on them.
No, wait, that's the US...

Actually, there is a lot of evidence that says that kids are becoming desensitized to screen violence, but when presented with it in real life they still react with as much shock as anyone would expect. It's just that today we can screen out what is real from what is not.

Apparently...

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'It's okay to only know three chords but God, put them in the right order'
-Hank Hill

Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

After over 40 years of watching occasionally very violent events (IRL, on TV and at the "flickers"), I have yet to become "desensitized". I do not enjoy gratuitous violence, and never have. I do not watch nor enjoy "mad-killer-on-the-loose" movies like the "Friday the 13th" series or the "Freddy Kruger" flicks ("Saturday the 14th" was a riot, OTOH

On-screen violence brutalizes the audience unless handled with sensitivity. Unfortunately, the mind-set in Hollywood these days is that somehow a movie that challenges you to sit there and take the abuse is "better" that one that was intended to entertain and possibly make you think. I am somewhat dismayed by the idea that a movie must contain violence, sex, and abusive language before it is deemed appropriate for adults to enjoy.

(Mind you, sex itself is actually a VERY GOOD THING. The way it is portrayed on the silver screen, however, sex is often pointless, inconsequential, and motivated by a need to establish control over another person, rather than from any truly tender emotions. Think: "Porky's".)

I think I shall be deeply saddened when I am able to observe the suffering of another (real or cinematic) and feel nothing but amusement.

--Baloo

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[This message was edited by Baloo on April 05, 1999.]

Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

BTW, when I saw "Jurassic Park", I even felt sorry for the lawyer.

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Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :

SPR is anything but a glorification of violence. The graphic violence shown in the movie is certainly not gratuitous. Indeed a person like myself has no way to really understand what it must have been like under the circumstances of the D-Day landing.

However, SPR suffers from a certain guilt by association. Violence is unquestionably used in a wrong fashion in those slasher flicks Baloo mentioned. But there have been some fine movies of late that have used violence to make a statement against violence. Pulp Fiction is one that comes readily to mind. Moreover, to the less complex movie goer, voilence is simply violence.

The redeeming quality of SPR is the violence has consequence. And there are even consequences to violent actions in war.

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My childhood was typical: summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring, we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent, I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds. Pretty standard, really.

Posted by Curry Monster (Member # 12) on :

I can say unconditionally that I have no idea what the hype was about. It was a very dissappointing film for me. I'd have spent the $7.50 playing pool down in the lobby if I had known....

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I drink therefore I am.

-Descartes

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

I think the revelation that there are pool tables in the lobbys of Austrailian theaters says something profound, only I'm not sure what it is.

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"The record of my unspeakable crimes, in previous lives, in previous times, indelibly stains the pages of history."
--
They Might Be Giants

Posted by RW (Member # 27) on :

it all depends on what kind of movie it is. If it's a tongue-in-cheek horror movie I laugh at the gross depiction of ultra-violence. it's exciting. In a serious movie as SPR it was gruesome, just as it was intended to be. I'm not a bloodthirsty monster because I know the difference between the two kinds of movie.

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

Haven't seen SPR, although I have seen The Thin Red Line.
1 hour rather good film, 2 hours pointless nature documentary. If Lee had suddenly started anrrating 'and hear we see the beautiful wilderbeast running from the guns' I would have only been mildy surprised.

Although I do agree with Sol. Pool in the cinema? Isn't there a pub nearby?

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'It's okay to only know three chords but God, put them in the right order'
-Hank Hill

Posted by RW (Member # 27) on :

It's wildebeest ;]

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

Not to the spoiler god it isn't

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'Saying it in a stacato voice doesn't make it any more true'
-Stewart Lee