This just in

[enemyofperfect]

So according to some article about Pacific Rim, you aren't supposed to laugh at action scenes? I feel so confused now. Like, how else do you enjoy them?

I mean, okay, there are some I appreciate on a purely aesthetic level, and occasionally one will make me feel actually tense, but -- seriously, I am so confused right now! What else are over-the-top action films for? I thought they were trying to make you laugh with incredulous delight!

Apparently I'm even worse at watching movies than I thought.

Comments

[giandujakiss]

Yeah, that was my reaction - I laughed at them but I still enjoyed the movie.

[catharsis_logs]

Yeah! I think laughing during an intense adrenaline shot is completely appropriate. It's that or scream like a banshee(which I accidentally did during a particular scene in The Wolverine). And then there's hysterical laughter, which I also have done multiple times on carnival rides.

Plus, no one can dictate how you react to something. Especially after it's been released to consumers. If they wanted everyone to react in exactly the same way they should never have released it. (which would have been very disappointing)

Okay, reading the article I'm inclined to say that the author is a jerk. This might be mean of me but he sounds like your typical 'action movie bro'. (I also happen to be one of those annoying people in the audience who is particularly (guiltily) vocal during intense scenes and scenes of foreshadowing. It drives my sister crazy but it's how I release my excitement these days so it's hard to keep it inside.) I also don't 'approve'(lol) of people telling other people how they're supposed to react, or to exclude anyone because they might 'ruin your experience.' If you wanna go watch a movie with someone go watch a movie with someone. Chances are, if you're friends with them, you'll both(or all) have semi-the-same reaction.

[enemyofperfect]

I totally agree that there is no wrong emotion to feel in response to a film (or any work of art), although it's fascinating to me to think that I might be even more of an outlier here than I thought. But yeah, I agree both that you can't control an audience's reactions, and that it's to be hoped that many creators will be able to find a way to be comfortable with that fact, because that way, we get more art to enjoy. :D Which sort of ties back into our discussion of anxiety and creativity...

But sticking to movie-watching for the moment, I do also think it's fair for people to make choices about what kind of viewing experience they want, and trying to find people with compatible preferences, instead of trusting that their overall compatibility as friends will ensure that their wishes will overlap in this specific area. Like, it totally shouldn't be about there being good or bad ways of watching something -- it's not! But if a friend of mine wants to make small talk with the TV on for background noise, and I want to watch a particular show carefully enough to make sure I don't miss anything, we're probably both going to feel frustrated if we try watching television together, because we have such different goals, right? And if you prefer to watch movies with people who aren't going to glare and shush you when you're reacting in a way that's natural for you, that's every bit as fair.

...Hee, and now my reaction to an article about how to watch and enjoy stuff without analyzing it a ton has turned into my analyzing the very act of watching and enjoying things. If it wasn't there already.

I'm okay with this!