Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Movie Talk
Reload this Page >

Movies that criticize Television

Movie Talk A Discussion area for everything movie related including films In The Theaters

Movies that criticize Television

Old 07-28-12, 10:59 PM
  #1  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Thread Starter
 
PatD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,287
Likes: 0
Received 156 Likes on 96 Posts
Movies that criticize Television

Every seen a film that at its core is a criticism of the dangers of television. I've been watching this interesting sub-genre of movies:

A Face in the Crowd
Network
Scrooged
Natural Born Killers
Bamboozled

Does anyone know of any other films of movies that criticize television? It's just an interesting phenomenon of what is essentially one medium slamming a very similar medium for dangerous banality--which is pretty ironic if one has taken a look at the state of mainstream movies in the last, say, 12 years.
Old 07-28-12, 11:26 PM
  #2  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Earth ....
Posts: 5,383
Received 69 Likes on 58 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

The Truman Show
EdTV
Old 07-28-12, 11:27 PM
  #3  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Mondo Kane's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 11,654
Received 112 Likes on 100 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

It's been ages since I've seen it, but Pass The Ammo (w/ Tim Curry and Bill Paxton) might qualify (Even though the televangelists are kinda extinct nowdays)
Old 07-28-12, 11:36 PM
  #4  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

What was that movie with Demi Moore and David Duchovny? Meet the Johnsons or something?

Oh and Videodrome.
Old 07-28-12, 11:37 PM
  #5  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Hazel Motes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 7,496
Received 395 Likes on 264 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Room 666-Wim Wenders
Old 07-28-12, 11:38 PM
  #6  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Earth ....
Posts: 5,383
Received 69 Likes on 58 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Originally Posted by Supermallet
What was that movie with Demi Moore and David Duchovny? Meet the Johnsons or something?

Oh and Videodrome.
The Joneses ... that had to do with commercialism.
Old 07-28-12, 11:47 PM
  #7  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
dhmac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Kissimmee, Florida
Posts: 7,422
Received 67 Likes on 58 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

The main character in Drugstore Cowboy (played by Matt Dillon) constantly slammed the younger generation because of television. He called them "TV Babies" because he thought growing up watching TV warped their minds. (The movie was set in the early 1970s, so apparently his character could remember a time before television was ubiquitous.)
Old 07-29-12, 12:13 AM
  #8  
Inane Thread Master, 2018 TOTY
 
OldBoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Are any of us really anywhere?
Posts: 49,230
Received 878 Likes on 743 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Old 07-29-12, 12:25 AM
  #9  
DVD Talk Godfather
 
inri222's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 50,673
Received 182 Likes on 120 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Old 07-29-12, 12:28 AM
  #10  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Marysville, WA
Posts: 1,244
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Poltergeist?
The Running Man?
Old 07-29-12, 07:22 AM
  #11  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Ash Ketchum's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 12,615
Received 274 Likes on 209 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

THE TWONKY (1953) by Arch Oboler:

Old 07-29-12, 07:41 AM
  #12  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Rex Power Colt-Robot Man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,033
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Originally Posted by Supermallet
What was that movie with Demi Moore and David Duchovny? Meet the Johnsons or something?

Oh and Videodrome.
Yes to Videodrome. Its a good one to watch with the kids.
Old 07-29-12, 12:19 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 688
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) which features (among other jabs) a scene where Tony Randall addresses "TV fans" and the screen goes from color CinemaScope to a small rounded square in black and white with a variety of video problems.
Old 07-29-12, 01:14 PM
  #14  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Stay Tuned with John Ritter and Pam Dawber. Would that qualify?
Old 07-29-12, 03:02 PM
  #15  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Jules Winfield's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: wandering the earth like Caine in the Kung-Fu
Posts: 19,937
Likes: 0
Received 13 Likes on 5 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

The TV Set is another one. A writer writes a pilot that is drama based and I think its partially based on his experience. During the filming of it though, it's dumbed down and made into a comedy. It's an amusing funny and not really ha-ha funny but I liked it.
Old 07-29-12, 03:06 PM
  #16  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Jules Winfield's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: wandering the earth like Caine in the Kung-Fu
Posts: 19,937
Likes: 0
Received 13 Likes on 5 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Originally Posted by Supermallet
What was that movie with Demi Moore and David Duchovny? Meet the Johnsons or something?
Duchovny is in The TV set also. That man must deep down inside hate TV.
Old 07-29-12, 05:44 PM
  #17  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Re: Movies that criticize Television

I don't know if it criticizes TV as a medium, but Mad City is about a TV reporter behaving unethically.
Old 07-29-12, 07:20 PM
  #18  
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

When it pertains to how television devalues the news, then Network and Good Night, and Good Luck are the best--and too great movies in their own right.

__________________________

www.film-matters.net
Old 07-29-12, 09:01 PM
  #19  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Paul_SD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Hiking the Sisyphian trail
Posts: 8,682
Received 72 Likes on 55 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Haven't seen it in a while, but I'm pretty sure there is an implied criticism of the effects of TV and TV news in Dog Day Afternoon
Old 07-29-12, 09:19 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: long island, ny
Posts: 650
Received 13 Likes on 10 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Cable Guy
Old 07-29-12, 09:40 PM
  #21  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 2,146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

The Ring
V/H/S
Old 07-29-12, 10:00 PM
  #22  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: The Appian Way by way of Birmingham, AL
Posts: 2,171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Broadcast News
Old 07-30-12, 08:25 AM
  #23  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Charlie Goose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,195
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

A Thousand Clowns with Jason Robards.
Old 07-30-12, 09:25 AM
  #24  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,674
Received 644 Likes on 444 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

Being There
Wag the Dog
Old 07-30-12, 05:58 PM
  #25  
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Formerly known as "Solid Snake PAC"/Denton, Tx
Posts: 39,239
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Re: Movies that criticize Television

All I could think of was Videodrome and Network.

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.