I contend that every movie ever made is overrated!

ElDuque · #1 03-05-2007, 01:34 AM

Reading El D's (The superior El D, BTW) recent movie thread made me remember that I don't like movies. In general. Like some people don't like baseball or math, I don't like movies. I straight up don't get it.

When someone asks me to watch a movie I always cringe because I know that I'll likely be suffering for at least 90 minutes. And if I tell someone that I just don't like movies, they look at me like I'm crazy and then tell me that I just don't watch the good ones. I've watched a large variety of movies and I must say that there is a million other things I would rather do than watch some freaking movie -- including the classics that everyone is supposed to fawn over.

I'll even go so far as to say that I think that the medium of film is completely over-valued in modern American society. OOT, why the heck do you like movies? Why the heck is it so important to Americans to watch these things? What is the freaking point!!!?!?!?!

Some of the reasons why I think I dislike movies:

1.) The time investment. two hours -- are you kidding me? And there is no guaranteed satisfaction/happiness for watching a movie. In fact, usually I feel like [censored] afterwards.

2.) What can a long movie give me that a 22 or 44 minute tv show cant? In my case, a movie can only give me more of a headache.

3.) I honest to god cant think of one way in which my life has improved because of movies. Quite the opposite, actually.

splashpot · #2 03-05-2007, 01:41 AM

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1.) The time investment. two hours -- are you kidding me? And there is no guaranteed satisfaction/happiness for watching a movie. In fact, usually I feel like [censored] afterwards.

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There is no guaranteed satisfaction for ANYTHING in life.

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2.) What can a long movie give me that a 22 or 44 minute tv show cant? In my case, a movie can only give me more of a headache.

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This isn't an argument. It gives you a headache? WTF does that mean? Why doesn't TV give you a headache?

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3.) I honest to god cant think of one way in which my life has improved because of movies. Quite the opposite, actually.

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My life has improved zero amount because of soccer or hockey. That doesn't mean there is no value to those who like them.

ElDuque · #3 03-05-2007, 01:46 AM

Splashpot,

Thats all very fair. But to be honest, I am speculating on my reasons for my aversion to movies. The bottom line is that I don't get movies and I don't get why so many people place so much value in watching them.

IQ89 · #4 03-05-2007, 01:49 AM

Do you like to read?

splashpot · #5 03-05-2007, 01:49 AM

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The bottom line is that I don't get movies and I don't get why so many people place so much value in watching them.

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Well, that's your issue then. You haven't given any real evidence why movies suck. Someone could use the exact same logic for watching TV. Or watching sports. Or playing an instrument. Or going out to a nice restaurant to eat. Or basically anything else.

guids · #6 03-05-2007, 01:52 AM

Personally, I like movies, but I do def understand what you are saying. There are just certain things that 90% of the population likes, but for some resaon you dotn. For example, sports, I dont get the point of watching a sporting event, playing is one thing, but spending money to pay a bunch of grownups to play a game seems pretty ridiculous, also getting all worked up whenever a team wins a championship seems lame, I just cant get much excitment out of it.

PokerFox · #7 03-05-2007, 01:54 AM

Escapism, for one. People like to immerse themselves in a world that doesn't involve their crappy job/crappy spouse/crappy whatever.

In addition, they capture shared experiences that give people a feeling of unity. You can relate to things that happen to characters in movies, and therefore relate to your neighbor or a guy 1000 miles away in NY.

They are also an important form of education/patriotism/indoctrination.

You underestimate the power of the medium of film. For many people, a book won't do it, often because their ability to match images to descriptive language is not very good. However, they can relate to what they SEE much better.

ElDuque · #8 03-05-2007, 01:57 AM

IQ, reading is good -- not my favorite thing to do, but its good.

Splashpot, I guess your right. I suppose if I thought about it for a while I could write a 10 page essay on the logic of movies sucking, but I am obv not going to do that. Answer me this then: Why do you like movies?

SamIAm · #9 03-05-2007, 01:58 AM

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Do you like to read?

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This is a good question. Perhaps OP just doesn't like stories.

ElDuque, do you consider yourself an imaginative person? I don't mean 'creative', I mean fantasy and make-believe. For instance, when my father was a kid, he never played with representational toys. According to my grandfather, my dad liked games and building-toys and sports, but never picked up a toy-car and said "vroom vroom".

Maybe the Story part of your brain is just busted. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

splashpot · #10 03-05-2007, 02:03 AM

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IQ, reading is good -- not my favorite thing to do, but its good.

Splashpot, I guess your right. I suppose if I thought about it for a while I could write a 10 page essay on the logic of movies sucking, but I am obv not going to do that. Answer me this then: Why do you like movies?

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Well, why is reading better than watching movies? You watch TV so it can't be the screen. Reading takes more time and has the same sort of effect. Both storytelling. Everyone grows up listening to stories and I, for one, loved being consumed in a fantasy story world. If you just don't like stories in general, fine, but that clearly isn't the case for you.