What We Watch

What do we watch? What exactly do we let in into our minds? Our souls?

For example, why do people like movies like Man of Steel? In another thread on this forum, some even claimed that they could find Christian elements in the character of Superman.

I don’t want to offend anybody, but on the contrary, I find Superman as opposed to Christianity. To God. As a new tower of babel thing. See for example Smallville (or rather don’t). In the late seasons people came to see Superman as their savior.

But is Superman really a savior? What exactly can he save? Let’s see. He’s a slave to time (just like all of us). In one single minute, throughout U.S. (let alone the entire world) take place thousands of crimes: gangstery, rape, stealing, murders.

So even if Superman would use all his time to save others, he would only be capable of saving one in 100000 or so. That’s for U.S. alone. Not much of a savior, is he?

Moreover, he DOESN’T use all his time to save others. Not only in the movies but also in the TV show most of his time, BY FAR, is spent TALKING - not doing. So indeed, not much of a savior, is he?

There was a scene illustrative in this regard, in the previous screen Superman movie. Superman flying almost out of the atmosphere and staying there tuning in to police frequencies, to see where exactly he is needed. And eventually finding a robbery in progress, and then speeding down to the scene. I found that to be completely absurd.




I would also like to hear what movies have you seen and found them to be watchable, as a Christian. Similarly for TV shows.

I for one watch for example White Collar. Also Covert Affairs. While not Christian, at least they are not offensive (not much violence, swearing etcetera). However, Covert Affairs does have a rather strong sexual content. Similarly for Nikita. Although this one at times is also very dark. But there aren’t too many options out there, are there?

I also enjoyed Rubicon. Much, actually. Similarly for Human Target and Burn Notice.

Somewhat less, Leverage.




I remember that more than a decade ago I was deeply into horror movies. And the movies of Martin Scorsese, or Quentin Tarantino. Now I can only ask myself how I could have possibly watched those kind of super-violent movies (and entirely full of ugly things). Not very Christian of me, feeding my mind with all that UGLINESS. No surprise I had many nightmares back then. We are what we feed ourselves with? In some extended sense, I think yes. What’s your opinion?

Thanks for your thoughts.



P.S. I am kindly asking the moderators to leave this thread here, under General Discussion, instead of Media, because the discussion is not much about the actual movies or shows, but rather how is a Christian doing in a world putting him or her under siege each and every moment, in this particular case through the entertainment industry. Thank you.
 
I don't watch much TV anymore. When I do watch TV, I usually watch the news, sports, and a few other things. There is so much garbage that you have to weed through in order to get to something decent, that I just don't even really try anymore. Sometimes you don't realize just how bad the stuff on TV really is until you get away from it for awhile. Your mind is like your body, if you put junk in, you get junk out. If someone thinks they can feed their mind garbage on a daily basis and not have it affect them in a negative way, they are deceiving themselves.
 
I try to mostly just watch sports, documentaries or news for the most part. There are some movies that may have very anti-Christian elements, but do offer good food for thought for a thinking type Christian. (Shakespeare films, or other literary films perhaps?) They may be damaging for weak believers at the same time. It's probably not good in the end for any believer, weak or strong, to devour too much worldly material. I really believe that movies are mostly damaging to Christian faith.
 
Just to throw it out there: the televised news and documentary films can be works of fiction with as many "anti-Christian" elements as anything else :) Even sports, through the ideas and values they inherently espouse, can be thought of as reinforcing a worldview that may not reflect a Christian worldview.
 
That is true. Much of the news and documentaries are nothing other than propaganda. But, a person does need to be informed. One must be discerning. I used to follow the NHL, but I have stopped watching Hockey since the local NHL team decided to put a video on the internet showing their support for homosexuality. It is a devil's world, no doubt.
 
What do we watch? What exactly do we let in into our minds? Our souls?

For example, why do people like movies like Man of Steel? In another thread on this forum, some even claimed that they could find Christian elements in the character of Superman.
Superman (1938) and Cpt America (1941) were created chiefly to boost morale amongst kids / young soldiers in WW2. I don't see any point in comparing them to Jesus. The ''man of steel'' was perhaps the best superman film since the originals. Good, clean movie for the family imho.

I watched ''This is the end'' recently. Lots of swearing / dirty talking....but overall I actually enjoyed it. It sent a strong message of getting ready for the rapture. It gave me a platform for witnessing at work :).

I give most movies a chance. I walk out of alot. Normally when there is Christian bashing or gays making out (n).

My wife is getting me to watch more Christian movies. They are actually quite good these days.
 
Zack Snyder (the director of Man of Steel) said that he did intend to create a Superman/Jesus parallel with character, imagery, and plot. I didn't see it yet--my parents saw it and said they thought it was OK (they were much more into the 1978 adaptation). Though I think people often take home different things from different subjects.

I remember my little sister's friends not being allowed to watch The Little Mermaid because she disobeys her father.

Though discretion on behalf of kids is a separate subject from discretion on behalf of yourself--I'll stick to the latter.

I guess I tend to draw a line somewhere, as I think even many non-religious people do. For instance, I remember when two movies came out in 2011 -- one was Drive w/ Ryan Gosling, and the other was Shame w/ Michael Fassbender.
Drive.jpg Shame.jpg

Drive was an R-rated movie a lot of violence, but I think no sexual scenes or even talk. It had an incredible soundtrack, great acting/directing/story. I loved it. Shame got some notoriety for being a mainstream NC-17 movie. It was 100% NC-17 for sexually explicit scenes.

While both Drive and Shame were each simulations of their extremes (Drive's being violence and Shame's being sex), Drive would be nothing more than a fun thriller, where as Shame would most likely instill lustful thoughts.

Perhaps for some, watching violence in a movie is as damaging as watching sex in movies depending on what triggers bad thoughts for them. But ultimately, we have to be responsible for our own thoughts and discretion.

Lately I've been on a real 50s/60s movie kick. Some of my favorites are Annette and Frankie movies. :p
AnnetteFrankie.jpg
 
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I don't watch much TV anymore.

Then you’re watching the best shows in the world, unlike the rest of us. In so many cases, the lack of something is better than that something.


When I do watch TV, I usually watch the news, sports, and a few other things.

I cannot agree with the news. Why don’t you make an experiment? Stop watching the news for 5 years, and then do watch the news for a week or so. If you find anything important that you didn’t already know, tell me. I personally couldn’t.


There is so much garbage that you have to weed through in order to get to something decent

I agree.


Sometimes you don't realize just how bad the stuff on TV really is until you get away from it for awhile.

Indeed.
 
Just to throw it out there: the televised news and documentary films can be works of fiction with as many "anti-Christian" elements as anything else :) Even sports, through the ideas and values they inherently espouse, can be thought of as reinforcing a worldview that may not reflect a Christian worldview.

I agree.
 
Drive was an R-rated movie a lot of violence, but I think no sexual scenes or even talk. It had an incredible soundtrack, great acting/directing/story. I loved it.

I loved it too. Until minute 50 or so. I really don’t know why they have to spoil both a very good movie and a very good story with nonsensical, completely gratuitous violence.

I don’t think I saw lately better cinema (OK, perhaps except for Prestige) than in the first 50 minutes (or so, I don’t remember exactly, it was few years back) of Drive.


Drive would be nothing more than a fun thriller

I certainly didn’t get that from this movie.


Lately I've been on a real 50s/60s movie kick. Some of my favorites are Annette and Frankie movies.

Well, some years ago I remembered about Cheers and started watching it again. But I couldn’t watch more than a few episodes. It’s certainly not what I remembered from when I was much younger.
 
I loved it too. Until minute 50 or so. I really don’t know why they have to spoil both a very good movie and a very good story with nonsensical, completely gratuitous violence.

I don’t think I saw lately better cinema (OK, perhaps except for Prestige) than in the first 50 minutes (or so, I don’t remember exactly, it was few years back) of Drive.




I certainly didn’t get that from this movie.




Well, some years ago I remembered about Cheers and started watching it again. But I couldn’t watch more than a few episodes. It’s certainly not what I remembered from when I was much younger.

A friend of mine made the same sort of statement regarding Drive saying that by the second half of the movie, it all of a sudden became nothing more than a lot of gratuitous violence. But I disagree.

The character of the driver had a past that he isn't happy with, but knew it was just his own reality. When he met the waitress and her son, he felt that it was a sort of light at the end of the tunnel that he didn't expect. He was uneasy about the waitress's husband/boyfriend because he also had a criminal past, but vicariously, wanted to make sure it was all nothing more than the past.

The violence, which was pretty extreme, seemed pretty metaphorical. Granted violence is bound to happen in a crime movie, but the extreme of it was a pretty good illustration of his hopes being shattered. In fact, I felt sorry for the character as the violence carried.

Granted, it's subjective so I suspect neither one of us are really right or wrong, but that's what I came to see the second time I watched it. The first time did come off as nothing more than senseless violence...but the even if that were a flaw, it was a flaw I was able to look past as the movie was still enjoyable to me.
 
Indeed. But please share what you think are exceptions.
I thought 'War Horse' might be an example of a recent film that I thought was worth watching. I liked the way that it demonstrated the real horror that goes with war. I believe something good can be gleaned from that. 'Luther' was definitely a good film worth a Christian's time, as was the Christian film 'The Radicals' about the Anabaptist leader Michael Sattler.
 
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I agree there are some great exceptions; It's a Wonderful Life, Remember the Titans, The Mission, Mr. Holland's Opus, Father of the Bride, Dead Poets Society...
 
Makes me think of the term, 'network programming'.

Also, the scripture that says, 'satan is the prince of the power of the air'.
 
I agree that we should be careful as to what kind of trash we watch on TV. I myself like films about detectives, mistery, who´s done it type and so on. We are in this world but we are not of this world.
I also believe that if you are a strong, convinced, matured christian little can affect your faith ( as far as watching films is concerned).
Here in Spain we do not have many christian films as such only at Christmas, Easter time etc when the old catalogue of pictures come out year after year. Spain being a religious country most TV films we see are about catholic dogmas or catholic inspired films. So it is a novelty to see a film like Luther which I have see more than 6 times!!. Blessings Julio191
 
We are in this world but we are not of this world.

I was about to post this in “beautiful things” thread, but somehow it sounds very familiar, although I couldn’t say right now what Biblical verse it resonates to. Although I'm pretty sure it's Paul.


Spain being a religious country most TV films we see are about catholic dogmas or catholic inspired films.

Well, I don’t think that’s bad. On the contrary.
 
I agree that we should be careful as to what kind of trash we watch on TV. I myself like films about detectives, mistery, who´s done it type and so on. We are in this world but we are not of this world.
I also believe that if you are a strong, convinced, matured christian little can affect your faith ( as far as watching films is concerned).
Here in Spain we do not have many christian films as such only at Christmas, Easter time etc when the old catalogue of pictures come out year after year. Spain being a religious country most TV films we see are about catholic dogmas or catholic inspired films. So it is a novelty to see a film like Luther which I have see more than 6 times!!. Blessings Julio191

Despite Spain's rich Christian history and architecture, sadly Spain has become increasingly non-theistic and even atheistic. My wife's family is from Madrid. According to her cousins (maybe you can vouch for this), many people there sort of see the Churches and history as sort of nothing more than a novelty, but that's it. It's apparently becoming more and more like this in Italy too.
 
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