I watched 28 Weeks Later a while back, and it truly represents a break from the usual kinds of movies I watch. You see, I hardly ever watch horror. Since almost all the ones nowadays are so cliched, that if you watched one you watched them all. Which was why I only watched 28 Weeks Later due to a good impression I had with its predecessor, 28 Days Later. Not that it was that good. It was just kind of refreshing, and certainly entertaining.
Then again, it does descend into visual nihilism. That is, there is
nothing else to expect but more blood, decapitation and what have you. It might prove entertaining, but it certainly brings one no good. This is what I've come to conclude.
I hardly, for example, ever watch comedy either. Of the Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler et. al. kind (and almost all of them fall into one category or the other). I dislike them. No, I loathe them. Yes, they make me laugh. But they leave a bad, bad aftertaste. Forgive my language, but crap don't taste good. On the other hand, some of them are sweet fluff. But too much cotton candy ruins the teeth.
But I'm a huge fan of (decent) action movies. Give me Transformers anytime. I lap it all up, eagerly. Lovely, they are. I get delighted by visual feasts, certainly. Even if they serve up no useful purpose, but entertainment.
So, how do I balance it all? The truth is, I console myself by writing reviews. Take for example, anime. I'm very particular. I shun the usual stuff everyone watch- like Naruto or Bleach. If an anime series does not impress me in its first episode, then it goes down the drain (or, as is usually the case, the recycle bin).
So, I have waded through a fair share of often fluffy (and sometimes, downright crappy) stuff. But all for a noble end, that is, to write a review, and warn others away. If anyone listens.
Is there a line I ought to draw? I do think so. I may not be that conservative when it comes to this sort of stuff, but I still hold a small candle to the views of, say Focus on the Family. Some shows I should not be watching (and to that end, I regretted watching them). And some, no one should. Even liberals like Roger Ebert agree that shows like Rob Schneider's are utter garbage. If not due to moral reservations, then due to the plain fact that some shows are not worth your time. Indeed, they are a waste of your time, and your life. Still, crap is crap is crap.
While everything is permissible (in a sense) not everything is beneficial. And considering the abundance of media we have today, there surely are some not too beneficial ones out there. And we as Christians, even more so, human beings who are endowed with reason, ought to shun them.
Then again, it does descend into visual nihilism. That is, there is
nothing else to expect but more blood, decapitation and what have you. It might prove entertaining, but it certainly brings one no good. This is what I've come to conclude.
I hardly, for example, ever watch comedy either. Of the Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler et. al. kind (and almost all of them fall into one category or the other). I dislike them. No, I loathe them. Yes, they make me laugh. But they leave a bad, bad aftertaste. Forgive my language, but crap don't taste good. On the other hand, some of them are sweet fluff. But too much cotton candy ruins the teeth.
But I'm a huge fan of (decent) action movies. Give me Transformers anytime. I lap it all up, eagerly. Lovely, they are. I get delighted by visual feasts, certainly. Even if they serve up no useful purpose, but entertainment.
So, how do I balance it all? The truth is, I console myself by writing reviews. Take for example, anime. I'm very particular. I shun the usual stuff everyone watch- like Naruto or Bleach. If an anime series does not impress me in its first episode, then it goes down the drain (or, as is usually the case, the recycle bin).
So, I have waded through a fair share of often fluffy (and sometimes, downright crappy) stuff. But all for a noble end, that is, to write a review, and warn others away. If anyone listens.
Is there a line I ought to draw? I do think so. I may not be that conservative when it comes to this sort of stuff, but I still hold a small candle to the views of, say Focus on the Family. Some shows I should not be watching (and to that end, I regretted watching them). And some, no one should. Even liberals like Roger Ebert agree that shows like Rob Schneider's are utter garbage. If not due to moral reservations, then due to the plain fact that some shows are not worth your time. Indeed, they are a waste of your time, and your life. Still, crap is crap is crap.
While everything is permissible (in a sense) not everything is beneficial. And considering the abundance of media we have today, there surely are some not too beneficial ones out there. And we as Christians, even more so, human beings who are endowed with reason, ought to shun them.
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