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New York, 6:54 AM
Sun Nov 15
12 posts in the last 24 hours
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Saturday Night Special
06:17 AM
Julia Allison's Performance Art Debut: Critic of Art Critics
06:06 AM
Julia Allison's Performance Art Debut: Critic of Art Critics
06:04 AM
Lions Gate Declares Its War on Big Screen Entertainment Will Never End
05:46 AM
If someone is going to be a sick monster, they're going to be a sick monster whether they watch a Saw film, or Bambi and think the hunter is cool.
As far as not liking the series, I think the concept of a person who tortures people to have them gain more of a respect for life is interesting. Sure, there are some schlocky torture scenarios. What do you want though, nobody can be perfect.
Shakespear wrote many plays with murder and gore in them, and there was the Marquis De Sade. I mean, you act like this just came out of nowhere.
I don't understand why there's so much hysteria every time someone brings up these "torture porn" films. They are so over the top, that it's practically ridiculous. Most people who watch horror films, watch them because they feel a sense of enjoyment from empathizing with the victims, not siding with the killer. Which is what good horror writers play into.
Finally, everyone has someone they'd like to see have the ^#%^#%^ taken out of them. In one of the Saw films, they had a pedophile submitted to one of the tortures. Don't tell me, you wouldn't like to see a pedophile suffer, considering all the suffering they've given to others.
Frankly, and I know this will come across as arrogant but I feel it needs to be said. I think those of you claiming torture porn horror films are the most awful thing to ever exist, are missing the deeper elements of it.
It's about more than people being tortured. It reflects that on us as human beings these things do frighten us, and that should be seen as a reconfirmation of our humanity that these things are horrifying. Rather than seeing it as a sign we're losing our humanity.
The main themes of both Hostel and Saw are a lack of control. The same theme, that also happens to be the main theme of many alien abduction films. Everyone universally has an innate fear, of not having an ability to be in control of themselves or their circumstances, it's a part of the survival instinct. The first Saw film also had the concept of the father knowing his family was in trouble, and he might not be able to save them. Of course for everyone, one of their worst fears has to be harm coming to their loved ones and not being able to stop it.
So, what I'm trying to illustrate here is that it's much more than just people being tortured. Even Takashi Mike's films, which are notorious for extremely graphic depictions of torture and violence, also have a powerful statement about who we are as people.
The reality is, you can't separate the experience of the human existence from the idea that bad things happen for no reason at all. It shows up in more places than horror films, or torture porn. Like Superman for example, the whole superhero genre is based on the idea that we would love if someone existed that could keep horrible things from happening to innocent people. That just isn't how it is.
Horror films have always been about giving people a safe way to experience their fears. If you look at the bigger themes, rather than the gore, you'll understand they're not as horrible as they appear.
I think the issue here is perspective, and if you don't have the perspective to say, "This is a story it doesn't represent reality" when it comes to horror films, then they're not for you.
Having that view doesn't entitle you to play armchair psychiatrist towards the people who do enjoy the films. The fact that the reason people are fans of horror film for the most part because they represent something that is aversive to them, rather than something desirable should be a sign that you're dealing with relatively sain people.
The reason I'm rambling on here, is that when I shared my concerns about watching too much horror with a psychiatrist he freaked out on me. After leaving and thinking about it, I thought really I know I'm losing my perspective here.
What if the patient was someone who really was sensing they couldn't control what they were doing, that they actually had impulses to do harm, the psychiatrist's impulse to yell at the person and tell them to stop watching the films, would make them clam up and feel they are not being understood. I think what is important is to hear them out, and then assess if what they are doing is due to something like depression, and self-harming through emotionally upsetting one's self, which is what I discovered was going on with me. Versus someone who thinks serial killers are cool, and they want to be in the news and admired. I doubt they'd really admit that to a psychiatrist, but here's my point.
When you place judgment on people who watch horror films, you are missing out on a chance to find those few people who may be sick. The majority aren't, but judging someone who already takes a disturbing interest in violence won't do anything but cause them to go back into hiding their issues. Better to listen and find out, if they sound like someone who could actually harm or murder a person, because then you might be able to stop them.
As far as the depression thing goes, I believe that most depressed people feel guilt for no real reason which contributes to the depression. That watching a horror film and feeling that they've empathized with someone else, makes them feel like they're not such a bad person.
Gawker Guessing Game: The New York Post's Heavy Metal Headline
05:40 AM
Gawker Guessing Game: The New York Post's Heavy Metal Headline
05:39 AM
Levi Johnston's Playgirl Spread: The Royal Alaskan Penis Has Been Shot
05:14 AM
Or, perhaps the poor man has a speech impediment and was actually referring to young Levi's girth... akin to a 'twee twunk'. #levijohnston
Levi Johnston's Playgirl Spread: The Royal Alaskan Penis Has Been Shot
05:13 AM
Is twunk the past tense?
I twink, I will twink, I am twinking, I twunk. #levijohnston
Levi Johnston's Playgirl Spread: The Royal Alaskan Penis Has Been Shot
05:11 AM
Levi and Prejean? How about Levi sans jeans?
Ah, puns. I could keep going for hours. #levijohnston
Levi Johnston's Playgirl Spread: The Royal Alaskan Penis Has Been Shot
05:10 AM
Levi Johnston's Playgirl Spread: The Royal Alaskan Penis Has Been Shot
05:07 AM
Levi Johnston's Playgirl Spread: The Royal Alaskan Penis Has Been Shot
05:06 AM
Levi Johnston's Playgirl Spread: The Royal Alaskan Penis Has Been Shot
05:05 AM
They really couldn't spring for a better location, then? #levijohnston
Julia Allison's Performance Art Debut: Critic of Art Critics
04:57 AM
Before tonight, I would have suggested it still had a twitch or two left in it. But this clip represents the nail in its coffin.
Farewell, art criticism. I barely knew thee. #juliaallison
Julia Allison's Performance Art Debut: Critic of Art Critics
04:52 AM
Rectal. Definitely rectal. #juliaallison
The Gray Lady and Her Sad, Shared, Empty Bag of "Douche"
04:09 AM
Andrew Sullivan, Calling Out Sarah Palin: I Know You Read My Blog, Sucka!
04:01 AM
Andrew Sullivan, Calling Out Sarah Palin: I Know You Read My Blog, Sucka!
03:54 AM
Andrew Sullivan, Calling Out Sarah Palin: I Know You Read My Blog, Sucka!
03:48 AM
Saturday Night Special
03:47 AM
Julia Allison's Performance Art Debut: Critic of Art Critics
03:45 AM
I also propped the floor length mirror up so he doesn't have to watch himself balding. #juliaallison
Saturday Night Special
03:43 AM
Saturday Night Special
03:40 AM
Saturday Night Special
03:35 AM
Yes, last Wednesday--that was a very good day in the life of mattchew03! I feel that entire day should have been recorded so you could replay it on days like today. And that actually sounds like a pretty awesome upside, although now I'm totally stuck on the fact that you were in love with a lady. But I digress--something to look forward to! Yay! #saturdaynightspecial
Saturday Night Special
03:32 AM
Saturday Night Special
03:30 AM
Saturday Night Special
03:28 AM
Seriously, some day, you'll need to explain to me how you became friends with this person. #saturdaynightspecial
Saturday Night Special
03:25 AM
Saturday Night Special
03:20 AM
Gawker Guessing Game: The New York Post's Heavy Metal Headline
03:19 AM