Reply #129: I can't handle violent movies either. They give me horrible nightmares. [View All]

I thought The Dark Knight was a complete and totally depressing waste of time. Nothing but people threatening and killing each other, bank robbers, bombings, Joker sounding like a very methodical serial killer, and no reason for it -- just pointless violence with no plot or moral answer for anything. And nowadays people go see that stuff and can't understand why I think it's pointless and certainly not artistic. Technically, sure, it's had millions spent on it -- but it's depressing as hell. Why should we spend our time going to depressing movies when we got enough reality that is depressing to deal with?

We're easier to control when we live in fear. I'm looking at you: Hellfire and brimstone Christians who worry about other peoples' sex lives, and right wing Tea Party nuts who are afraid of black and brown people, and bosses who think the world will come to an end if you get there at 8:02 am.

I can watch something violent if it has to do with history like Schindler's List. And Schindler is himself redeemed at the end when the employees make him a ring with "He who saves one life saves the world entire" from The Talmud. And he starts ranting about how many more people he could have saved with his possessions.

My daughter made me watch Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill. I remember nothing about them except that they were really gross and violent and pointless. So call me square.

I couldn't watch Million Dollar Baby on TV because I could not identify with a person who injures and sometimes kills people for a living -- a professional boxer. I could not sympathise with her. I also could not watch the Alien movies on TV and refused to watch any of the Hannibal movies because I figured I could not handle it.

I saw Body Double on TV and was grossed out by the woman being killed by the guy with the power drill.

When I was really little (2, 3, 4) my sister took me to the 25c Saturday matinee and I saw lots of movies that scared the hell outta me. I should not have seen them at that age. The ones I remember: The Blob, the Incredible Shrinking Man, Godzilla, Mothra.