GenPion

I have a question: Why do the two of you continue to argue in this thread? Both of you raised valid points yet neither of you see eye to eye or are willing to agree with the other. I think that is clear. Why push it any farther? In any case, I agree that life is sometimes boring. I know my life is. I'm not afraid to say that. I watch movies, on some level, just to fill a void. Most people do. Two hours of entertainment can make the rest of an otherwise uneventful day filled with work seem somewhat worthwhile. It's not pathetic or sad that I'm saying this either. There are moments in my life that would work as 'blockbuster material' or at the very least an interesting indie flick, or like said - a TV mini-series. Would I want to watch it though? No, Not really... As for life being edited, also true. As for film's (no matter how fictional or unrealistic they may seem) also being capable of showing signs of familiarity - of real life? Also true. I agree with both of you.

Brack

I made another paragraph, but whatever.

I thought I did. What haven't I answered exactly?

Dialogue for one. The actual act of having sex is better than watching it on film, I'll give you that, but the actual act itself looks better if done by professionals than amateurs.

news, docs, etc., stuff where all you can see is what's given to you.

You can having boring parts of your life and not be bored. I like showering, but it's not exactly interesting.

I like to be entertained, what's wrong with that? I find that I can learn a lot more from seeing movies or reading books sometimes than I ever can from real life things. At least I can enjoy a movie or a book, whereas worrying about real life stuff ALL OF THE TIME doesn't really do me any good. Sometimes you need a break from it all, even if your life is peachy. A movie is one of the best ways for me to do that. And it's not the only reason why I watch movies.

I'm glad you somehow missed the trailers, commercials, banner links that advertised the movie. I found them to be unavoidable.

You'd be mistaken.

Yakuza Bengoshi

Is this a rhetorical question? If not, explain your interest in this question, and I'll provide a response.

I love my work, my wife and friends, and my hobbies. I can't recall the last time I was bored. I don't think of films as filling a void, but rather as an interest vying for my limited time. If I saw my life the way you describe seeing yours, I think I'd start self-medicating, but I'm glad you feel otherwise about your life. Honestly.

You wouldn't want to watch it because you're living it, or because you don't like stories about "average" people?

Did we both say that? Then I agree with both of us too.

Brack

Correct, sorry I missed this earlier.

Brack

The fact that you don't have a single boring moment in your life bores me.

Yakuza Bengoshi

Brack, so as to spare GenPion, let's agree to disagree, though I'm not really sure exactly what it is we disagree about.

Oh, and as to how I avoided Click, I don't watch TV (ever); I don't go to movies that would have that as a trailer; and, I don't click on banners for films like that.

Brack

You don't have to click on the banner ads these days. Videos just pop up on IMDB.

Trevor

Not since ten years ago when they invented pop-up blockers and the like.

The Bus

You know, there's good stuff on TV and widely-distributed movies too.

Brack

pop-up blockers don't block everything. technically those videos on IMDB aren't pop-up ads.

Yakuza Bengoshi

No doubt. I just prefer to go with Netflix or streaming video for content I don't want to buy or see in the theater. It's not a dig against all television content, just a personal preference.

Trevor

That's why I said "and the like".

Brack

the like? how do you do that? I use Firefox, but it doesn't get everything.

Goat3001

I'm with Brack on this whole discussion. I love my life but there are times that aren't 100% fun. For me, fun is any time I can be with my friends, doing whatever it is we want to do. That can't always happen. The other times are when I put on movies, watch TV, go on the internet etc. They keep me entertained and keep me from getting bored. All film is for me is entertainment. Whether the movie is Transformers or Citizen Kane, I am watching it to be entertained. I can appreciate art and I can appreciate learning something when I watch a movie. However, if the art and lessons don't keep me entertained for 2 hours I'm not going to bother watching it.

Also, if I take the most fun part of my life (a 4 day vacation at the beach with friends) it would not come close to being an entertaining movie/tv show. Even if edited to the best parts. Simply because there was no plot, drama or conflict. The best moments of my life usually lack drama. Take the most stressful moments of my life that is filled with drama and it wouldn't be anything special either since they are mostly problems that everyone faces.

visitor Q

Either way (life sucks or it doesn't) I think that people watch films for either (or all) .... entertainment, knowledge, diversion, introspection .... etc.

I personally watch films for all the above reasoning. Transformers (for example) can be watched just for the sheer enjoyment ......... effects, home theater quality (audio), what have you. Anything else (script, acting, cinematography) with respect to a film such as Transformers is just a bonus.

Though I can spin up film such as Vibrator which is a slice of life dramatic struggle about a "what and who am I type of" film. From there I can analyze as much as I would like, for better or worse. It's all about the type of film. Is it a meaningless action/sci-fi film or an all accompanying one where some practical logic and understanding is necessary?

If you (OP) can't decipher the difference then I'm not sure there's an hope. There are so many films available which should suit just about any taste .. that I can not understand why some level of enjoyment could be attained .... even if it were for only a small number of films. I mean shit, forget Hollywood, my bread and butter is contemporary and classical Japanese films. And I'll revert back to my original question ........ give us examples of the films that you have a problem with. I'd like to better understand your dilemma ...

whoopdido

A 100% real movie would simply be a so called fictional movie that shows what real people do on a regular basis. More than likely there wouldn't be any witty banter. There wouldn't be too many cool things that happened, etc. Obviously, real life is not like the movies because we, as human beings, don't have writers writing lines for us and directors telling us how to act.

For example today I got up, showered and my roommate and I drove about an hour to look at a building I'm thinking about buying. On the way home we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. When we got back he took a shower and I putzed around on the computer for a while. Then we watched the Packer game. After that we watched the New England game. When that was over we watched a little bit of Terminator 2 on tv and he went to bed. After he went to bed I got on the computer and am now posting in this thread.

Yesterday I got up, went to work, came home, took a shower, went to watch a high school basketball game and after that met some people out a bar, had some drinks and talked about things I can't remember today.

That was my weekend. I didn't find it boring in the least because I wanted to do everything I that ended up doing, but can you imagine what that would look like on film?

When I watch a movie I don't want to see things that I do on a daily basis. I want to see robots blowing stuff up or I want to see morons getting themselves into ridiculous situations while saying something funny, or I want to see what it was like fighting in World War II, or I want to see somebody with more "skills" than I have pick up a woman, do something to lose her and then in the final 5 minutes of the movie win her back.

Movies have always been an escape from reality for people.

Goat3001

Yes. I agree. My point is that if I'm spending my free time doing it then it must entertain (as in, not make me bored) me to some degree. So even if I'm watching for knowledge, diversion or introspection it has to entertain me at the same time otherwise I wouldn't watch it.

Watching mine or someone elses life daily routine on film would most probably bore me. Right now, I'm watching Boiler Room. I'm a stockbroker and its always a good time to watch the movie and compare it to work. Its incredibly similar except for the major plot point. Its the plot point that makes the film a film. There is no plot at my job. Its just a job. No one wants to watch someone do it on film.