Today, a good friend and colleague, a pal at work, announced with delight that he had received his new Netflix movie in the mail...."Saw IV"! Blood! Guts! Gore! Pain! Terror! Fear! Yippee!!!
Now, I really like my friend. He's a nice fellow, not a kid, but a grown-up man. And for some reason, he truly seems to enjoy these torture movies.
I think I'm sort of the "Buddha Head" at work. They think I'm a little weird. Anyway, I cried out in dismay and tried to tell my friend about how the Buddha had dealt with Angulimala, the famous serial killer who made a necklace out of the fingers of his homicide victims. When Angulimala chased after the Buddha and told him to stop, the Buddha said, "I've already stopped, Angulimala, when will you stop?"
This didn't make a big impression. My friend waved his hands delightedly and told me about how little these movies cost to make, and how much money they bring in. Then, with an impish grin, he told me all about how the central character in these "Saw" movies likes to drug people into unconciousness, kidnap them, and place them in an environment where they have to mutilate themselves or kill each other in order to live.
Concerned about the karmic consequences of being kidnapped by such a fiend, I asked, "Well, can they just kill themselves in order to avoid forcing the other person to kill them?" He seemed a bit surprised by the question, but conceded that this was possible. The whole point of the movie, though, he said, is to watch the lunatic's victims fly into a state of panic and go after each other...
My God, how unwholesome a state of mind is that?
Why do people go to see this stuff, and what is the appeal? Talk about horrified, I genuinely am!
I felt compelled to rebuke my friend: "(Friend)", I said sternly, "Just how badly to you want to be reincarnated under the Spanish Inquisition? Huh? How badly?!?!"
This didn't seem to make a big impression, either. Instead, he went on and on about how all the creative people and creative executives in the business watch this stuff and try to get ideas from it. Why on earth would you want to get ideas from something like that? I dunno, I just dunno - I must be the loneliest Buddha Head in Hollywood.
In an attempt to redeem himself, my friend pointed out to me that he would never hurt even a spider if he could avoid it. That he didn't deliberately step on beetles, or crush insects. And this is true - I believe him. He did adopt an abandoned kitten. He is an all-around wonderful fellow. I would truly hate for him to be re-born under the Spanish Inquisition. They had all kinds of nifty torture ideas, too.
What is the net effect, do you think, of violence and torture in the movies? Do we become callous? Do we lose a capacity for empathy? I think that's why I can't watch the stuff - I'm too empathetic. Whenever someone else gets hurt in real life, I genuinely "feel their pain". If I watched a torture movie, I wouldn't sleep for a week.
What do you all think? Thanks for your thoughts.
Be peaceful, be wholesome, be cool.
Byrd in LA
I've never been into this kind of movie. I always figured I had enough grusome violence in my head without having to purposely add more. A few years ago there was a movie called "Cell" and I heard the buzz that it was really violent and sadistic. For some reason I decided I would see the movie. I think just to prove to myself that I could handle it. I thought the cinematagraphy was very good and some scenes reminded me of Hieronymus Bosch or more likely some more modern similar artist. In the movie they were able to travel into the hell that was the serial killers mind. I think that movie was better than the average "slasher" movie but over all I thought it was a waste. I think people like these movies because they stimulate primal emotions of fear and anger while the person is safe munching popcorn in a theatre. Rollercoasters are fun for the same reason exposing oneself to "danger" while really being safe.
ch
Byrd --
From my PR opinion-molding perspective, I worry about the effects of such garbage on impressionable psyches -- and not only on youngsters who use AK47s on their classmates.
Some time ago, a US Consular officer complained to me about the way we teach men in other countries to believe that all female American tourists are eager to be raped.
In their theaters, they constantly see films that we never heard of, starring people we've never heard of, all about sex-starved, half-naked blondes.
It's one reason that much of the world thinks we are a rottenly decadent nation.
Barbara
Byrd,
Maybe the question is, 'does life imitate art, or does art imitate life?'
Do we live in a violent society or do we create the violence in society?
Perhaps this is in line with the chicken and egg theory, which came first a violent society or a violent thoughts mnotivating violence within our society?
Nichiren says, 'Both good and evil spring forth from the same mind.'
Patrick
Byrd,
I don't have any particular objection to this kind of movie; I just don't enjoy them very much. Every now and then I'll rent a new one to see if it might be worthwhile. I rented the first "Saw" movie, for example, a few years ago. After about 20 minutes I decided that it wasn't worth my time, and I've not bothered with any of the sequels. These are the people vs. people movies, and they are usually pretty dreadful.
I do like monster and creature stuff, though, but again, if it's bad, I'll quit after a half hour or so. Thus, I quit with "Gremlins," but watched "Alien vs. Predator" all the way through. I like the "Underworld" films.
I don't however, believe that such films make axe murderers out of anyone. Axe murderers might take some pointers from them, but they were axe-murders in the making first. My opinion, anyway.
Cheers!
Andy
Posted by: Andy Hanlen at January 31, 2008 03:36 PMSpeaking of creature movies, I saw "FIDO" over the weekend and actually fell in love with a zombie. What a wonderful, heartwarming story of a boy and his dead. Loved it, loved it. See it if you can. But it wasn't violent, really. Just kind of weird
Byrd in LA
Posted by: Byrd in LA at January 31, 2008 05:29 PMHi Byrd!
A certain person we both know, who wishes to remain anonymous, loves slasher movies and lots of blood and gore. But does not wish to explain why here. Maybe in a phone conversation or in person. . .
Michele
Posted by: Michele at February 1, 2008 09:12 AMByrd:
I've got a quasi-attraction to this depraved genre. I recommend "The Devil's Rejects," directed by Rob Zombie, or the old classic "Last House on the Left." Even Ebert thought this was a good one.
Charles
Posted by: Charles at February 1, 2008 11:39 AM