Entertainment for me. That said, the films I find most entertaining are the ones that contain art and social commentary, while avoiding commerce and propoganda. My expectations vary depending on the information i have about the film.
My basic requirement for film or any artform is similar to a phrase Sonny Crockett had on his answering machine on the old Miami Vice tv show. He said “hey, this is Crockett, tell me something I don’t already know.”
Entertainment. On my DVD shelf : Bergman, Spielberg, Kurosawa, Hollywood musicals, Godard, Westerns, Tarkovsky, Ed Wood, B and Z Horror, film noir……
Entertainment primarily. Enlightenment secondarily.
It’s all about entertainment. And enlightenment I find entertaining.
Danny, please don’t do it… I know life may seem pointless from time to time, but it is full of surprises and good things… and you’re gonna end up dying anyway.
In my opinion, film is mostly about discovery; it’s a way to see and experience things that may not be possible for you as a person or in reality in general. It is also a manner of therapy in that it helps you to forget your problems or identify them with those of the on screen persona.
the point of watching a film varies from person to person.
for some people it is a entertaining value.
for others it is a way to look at their lives and how that is going.
and for others…
I have no clue….
Entertainment, first and foremost. The kind of entertainment I require varies depending on my mood. For example, after a long and stressful day at work, I have no qualms about heading out to the local video store and renting some fluffy and mindless comedy; I don’t need to be enlightened at that point… don’t think my brain could handle it anyway. I just need something to distract me for a while, to numb my buzzing thoughts. Other days, when I have too much stuff to prepare for work or need to do something I find abominably tedious like tidying, I’ll try to pick something more thought-provoking. At least then I can make the argument to myself that my time was well-spent doing something worthwhile, not wholly wasted with meaningless filler.
To learn how to pick locks and hotwire cars. At least that was what one of our neighbors used to say.
For me, to reflect on life.. In my opinion the best films are those that are personal to you, or where you learn something about yourself.
Moderated
Wanting to create a mood or certain feeling. Or attempting to feel that.
Entertainment above all things.
But I’m easily entertained, the movies I like tend to be the ones that can make a connection with me… like Donnie Darko :)
Escape
Probably some weird fetishistic stimuli.
Oh yeah… and entertainment too.
information, growth and the like
I watch films to look at life from different perspectives.
It’s pointless.
But there’s nothing wrong with that.
“I love baseball. You know, it doesn’t have to mean anything. It’s just very beautiful to watch.”
—Woody Allen
There’s a point to it. In the very least it’s entertaining, or else no one would watch them.
For me movies are similar to art, music, and reading a good book, a means to escape from the confines of time and space – ie, more or less the same as meditation.
They can also enlighten and entertain, make social comments, and present almost inlimited fantasies, however absurd.
(Unfortunately some people are unable to accept that movies are just movies and not an invitation to re-enact suffering in real life.)
Film is life.
In preparation for each viewing session, sit comfortably. Let your attention move effortlessly, without strain, first to your body then to your breath. Simply inhale and exhale naturally. Follow your breath in this innocent, watchful way for a while. Notice any spots where there’s tension or holding. As you grow aware of them, let your breath travel into these spots. To release tension you may experiment with “breathing into” any part of your body that feels strained. Never force your breath.
Your gentle attention is sufficient to help you become more present and balanced, as it spontaneously deepens and corrects your breathing if it is constricted. Experience your condition without inner criticizing or comment. If you notice yourself judging or narrating, simply listen to the tone of your inner dialog as you come back to your breath. Lay judgments and worries consciously aside.
As soon as you are calm and centered, start watching the movie. Most deeper insights arrive when you pay attention to the story and to yourself. While viewing, bring your inner attention to a holistic bodily awareness (felt sense). This means you are aware of “all of you” — head, heart, belly, etc. Once in a while you might notice your breathing from an inner vantage point — from your subtle, always-present intuitive core. Observe how the movie images, ideas, conversations and characters affect your breath. Don’t analyze anything while you are watching. Be fully present with your experience.
Afterwards reflect on the following:
Do you remember whether your breathing changed throughout the movie? Could this be an indication that something threw you off balance? In all likelihood, what affects you in the film is similar to whatever unbalances you in your daily life.
Ask yourself: If a part of the film that moved you (positively or negatively) had been one of your dreams, how would you have understood the symbolism in it?
Notice what you liked and what you didn’t like or even hated about the movie. Which characters or actions seemed especially attractive or unattractive to you? Did you identify with one or several characters?
Were there one or several characters in the movie that modeled behavior that you would like to emulate? Did they develop certain strengths or other capacities that you would like to develop as well?
Notice whether any aspect of the film was especially hard to watch. Could this be related to something that you might have repressed (“shadow”)? Uncovering repressed aspects of our psyche can free up positive qualities and uncover our more whole and authentic self
Did you experience something that connected you to your inner wisdom or higher self as you watched the film?
It helps to write down your answers.
If some of the mentioned guidelines turn out to be useful, you might consider using them not only in “reel life” but also adapt them to “real life” because they are intended to make you become a better observer.
To make the lifelong process of death somewhat less of an immediate concern.
Unless you’re watching a movie about that.
Pure Joy!!! and the satisfaction of knowing that I am one among the many to have watched that particular movie (good/bad).
I think Vivek’s right. It’s just about the enjoyment of watching a film. I think that’s the only thing we can all agree on.
so other people know you watched it.
Entertainment? That word has various connotations.
For example I’m not sure if I would call a film like Brokeback Mountain entertaining.
I watch movies for growth. Call it enlightenment if you want.
I love the artform. But anymore, I only want to see something I have never seen before…some kind of combination of elements that never occured to me.
Escapism perhaps, or maybe I think of it as the form of art I admire most. Sometimes watching certain films can be a form of relaxation or maybe even therapy.
My personal nut: So I can see, at the conclusion (or during), if I can discern the reason that the filmmaker felt compelled to make the damn thing. It can be something as deranged as “The Driller Killer”, or as sublime as “L’Intrus”. I’m looking for trace elements which lead back to the filmmaker. I need to see the Why. Something which says to me, this is why I sweated this film.
Danny Indio
What’s the point of watching a film (i.e. long-form theatrically released features, past or present)?
I know this is a seemingly obvious and very open-ended question that could be the subject of a book but I’m still interested in seeing the diversity of people’s opinions.
Are you trying to learn something or experience something or forget something? Does it matter what kind of film you’re watching?
Is film a work of art, entertainment, social commentary, commerce, propaganda, or of some or all of the above? And if so, how does that influence why you watch it and what you get out of it?
How do your perceptions and mental processes shift as you watch a film? Is that out of your control?
How do your expectations affect what you watch? And what if you started to watch a Jim Carrey “Ace Ventura-like” comedy and it turned into a Bergmanesque-type drama – would you “enjoy” the film or “hate” it for upsetting your expectations?
What does it mean to “enjoy” or “hate” a film?
Feel free to comment on all or any or none of these questions.