My wife tells me that I have this annoying habit.
I love action/adventure movies, but that's not the problem. My practice of nit-picking them is what drives her nuts. I am compelled by forces beyond my control to point out the errors, inconsistencies and complete fabrications that I see in these movies. It's fun for me and "educational" for those less enlightened watching the movie with me.
I'm sure that some of you, to some degree at least, do likewise.
This hasn't really put a strain on our marriage, as I usually shut up when I'm instructed to do so (usually after my first or second astute observation).
It doesn't really detract too much from my enjoyment of the movie as it's usually pretty mindless entertainment to begin with, so I am willing to accept a certain level of nonsense.
But it has occurred to me that many people who watch these movies and TV shows lack my "technical expertise" and subsequently believe, to some extent, what they see on the screen.
As an example, automatic weapons are HOT in Hollywood. Every BG has an MP-5 or Uzi under his jacket along with 5000 rounds of ammo which they callously perforate everything in sight with.
Actually, MGs are so seldom used in real life that they hardly even register in most crime statistics. Yet many people think otherwise. Why? Because they see it constantly on TV and in the movies. On one level, they may know it's all fake, but when they see it often enough, that line between reality and make believe gets a little hazy.
With a little encouragement from the fear mongers in the media (overly imaginative graphics, rigged polls, liberal use of key anti-gun buzzwords and outright lies) that hazy line sometimes manages to disappear altogether.
Another aspect that I find troubling is that Hollywood is probably "teaching" more people improper gun handling techniques than we care to think about.
How many firearm related accidents are the result of some ignorant individual trying to emulate something he saw some actor do?
With the military draft gone, the foundation for proper firearms training for many Americans has disappeared. Despite the efforts of many dedicated people in the private sector, there just aren't enough instructors or ranges to match the influence of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Finally, if you consider the usual plot line that is served up to us in movie after movie, we see a recurring theme that encourages helplessness and minimizes the true terror of violent crime.
Don't worry, Mel or Bruce or Sly will be kicking the door down any second now to save you from certain death. Wait for help.
How many people die waiting for help to arrive?
And if they don't get there in time, you won't suffer long.
Have you ever noticed how quickly brutality passes by in the movies? Even in graphic films the scenes that are disturbing usually don't last very long.
I'm not complaining. I don't enjoy splatter.
I understand the time constraints of the presentation as well as the marketability of a movies final rating. NC-17 is the financial kiss of death.
The point is that I sometimes wonder if most people have any concept of the length of time they may actually suffer at the hands of some deranged predator.
In a movie, this circumstance may exist for 5-10 minutes. In real life, it could last for hours or even days.
In real life, as well as the movies, the more gruesome aspects of some crimes are withheld. I understand that an ongoing criminal investigation could be compromised by revealing sensitive information.
I can understand not wanting to abuse the tender sensibilities of the general public by inflicting a crimes lurid details upon them.
In the movie "Dead Man Walking", Sean Penn plays a character based on a real murderer, Robert Lee Willie.
I knew the parents of one of his victims. In the movie, her ordeal (rape/murder) lasted less than a minute. In real life, her ordeal (rape/torture/mutilation/murder)lasted much longer.
In the movie, her presence was fleeting. She wasn't the central character in the story. In real life, her parents suffered the agony of her loss for as long as they lived.
Have you ever noticed how long we remember the murderers, and how quickly we forget their victims.
When people find themselves in a situation of imminent victimization, will the degree of resistance they offer be determined by the often false hope of rescue, or by the realization of the misery they are likely to suffer through complacency?
It's getting more difficult to determine where make believe ends and reality begins.
Too many people don't know which side of that hazy line they're on.
Maybe some of these people who perpetrate heinous crimes are really bit players who are trying to renegotiate their role.
Maybe we need a new script.
I love action/adventure movies, but that's not the problem. My practice of nit-picking them is what drives her nuts. I am compelled by forces beyond my control to point out the errors, inconsistencies and complete fabrications that I see in these movies. It's fun for me and "educational" for those less enlightened watching the movie with me.
I'm sure that some of you, to some degree at least, do likewise.
This hasn't really put a strain on our marriage, as I usually shut up when I'm instructed to do so (usually after my first or second astute observation).
It doesn't really detract too much from my enjoyment of the movie as it's usually pretty mindless entertainment to begin with, so I am willing to accept a certain level of nonsense.
But it has occurred to me that many people who watch these movies and TV shows lack my "technical expertise" and subsequently believe, to some extent, what they see on the screen.
As an example, automatic weapons are HOT in Hollywood. Every BG has an MP-5 or Uzi under his jacket along with 5000 rounds of ammo which they callously perforate everything in sight with.
Actually, MGs are so seldom used in real life that they hardly even register in most crime statistics. Yet many people think otherwise. Why? Because they see it constantly on TV and in the movies. On one level, they may know it's all fake, but when they see it often enough, that line between reality and make believe gets a little hazy.
With a little encouragement from the fear mongers in the media (overly imaginative graphics, rigged polls, liberal use of key anti-gun buzzwords and outright lies) that hazy line sometimes manages to disappear altogether.
Another aspect that I find troubling is that Hollywood is probably "teaching" more people improper gun handling techniques than we care to think about.
How many firearm related accidents are the result of some ignorant individual trying to emulate something he saw some actor do?
With the military draft gone, the foundation for proper firearms training for many Americans has disappeared. Despite the efforts of many dedicated people in the private sector, there just aren't enough instructors or ranges to match the influence of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Finally, if you consider the usual plot line that is served up to us in movie after movie, we see a recurring theme that encourages helplessness and minimizes the true terror of violent crime.
Don't worry, Mel or Bruce or Sly will be kicking the door down any second now to save you from certain death. Wait for help.
How many people die waiting for help to arrive?
And if they don't get there in time, you won't suffer long.
Have you ever noticed how quickly brutality passes by in the movies? Even in graphic films the scenes that are disturbing usually don't last very long.
I'm not complaining. I don't enjoy splatter.
I understand the time constraints of the presentation as well as the marketability of a movies final rating. NC-17 is the financial kiss of death.
The point is that I sometimes wonder if most people have any concept of the length of time they may actually suffer at the hands of some deranged predator.
In a movie, this circumstance may exist for 5-10 minutes. In real life, it could last for hours or even days.
In real life, as well as the movies, the more gruesome aspects of some crimes are withheld. I understand that an ongoing criminal investigation could be compromised by revealing sensitive information.
I can understand not wanting to abuse the tender sensibilities of the general public by inflicting a crimes lurid details upon them.
In the movie "Dead Man Walking", Sean Penn plays a character based on a real murderer, Robert Lee Willie.
I knew the parents of one of his victims. In the movie, her ordeal (rape/murder) lasted less than a minute. In real life, her ordeal (rape/torture/mutilation/murder)lasted much longer.
In the movie, her presence was fleeting. She wasn't the central character in the story. In real life, her parents suffered the agony of her loss for as long as they lived.
Have you ever noticed how long we remember the murderers, and how quickly we forget their victims.
When people find themselves in a situation of imminent victimization, will the degree of resistance they offer be determined by the often false hope of rescue, or by the realization of the misery they are likely to suffer through complacency?
It's getting more difficult to determine where make believe ends and reality begins.
Too many people don't know which side of that hazy line they're on.
Maybe some of these people who perpetrate heinous crimes are really bit players who are trying to renegotiate their role.
Maybe we need a new script.
