Can anyone remember or point me to a quote in either the Watchtower or Awake where they spoke adversely about some of the violent scenes in the original Blade Runner film.
Thanks
Blade Runner mentioned in the Watchtower
by ThomasCovenant 32 Replies latest jw friends
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blownaway
Never heard of them using a particular movie. Did a quick search of JW library and nothing came up.
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jp1692
As I recall, there was one of those famous (or infamous) WT-esque drawings that anyone that had seen the movie would recognize, but no direct reference.
As always, there’s no good way to admit you recognize the reference without giving away that you’d seen it—unless you joined the religion like the previous week!
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slimboyfat
Watchtower was always good at subtweeting songs or movies it didn’t like, before Twitter was even a thing.
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JW_Rogue
They never mentioned movies by name but they sure did do a good job letting kids (and their parents) know that Harry Potter is a no-no, LOTR...forget about it, and watching Twilight is like inviting the devil over for a cup of tea.
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ttdtt
no.
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AverageJoe1
I know the one you mean and I remember it. Looking for it now and copying references to other films they mentioned too.
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john.prestor
jp1962, I'm particularly "fond" of an illustration I saw in one Watchtower Study Edition magazine that was blatantly Master Chief and the Arbiter from the Halo franchise, except instead of the Arbiter holding a sword, his arm was a sword...
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AverageJoe1
Here it is. All date formats are publication symbol, year, day, month.
G84 08/04 p.13 & 14
BLADERUNNER, STAR TREK 2
“THE movie also contains scenes of grisly sadism that are perhaps unequalled in recent popular entertainment.” One “artificial human slowly crushes the skull of his human creator.” Another character is shot in the torso. “We see her violently writhing and dying.” Then one of the principal characters “is shown putting his finger in the wound and licking her blood.”
These descriptions are taken from a New York Times article that asked whether this type of film violence is a socially destructive element. Regarding the film Blade Runner, it stated: “The vivid depiction of gore, and the plot emphasis on aggressive behavior, seems to raise to a new level a trend evident in many recent mass-audience science-fiction or fantasy movies that attract large youthful followings.” Herein lies the danger —the younger generation is being brainwashed with gratuitous, or unnecessary, violence.
The article went on to state: “Psychologists interviewed emphasized the harmful effects of vividly depicted aggression. ‘Gratuitous bloodshed and violence is dangerous,’ said the Blade Runner’s director. ‘I think it does inspire violence. Children must be affected by it. It’s inevitable.’”
Another director, Nicholas Meyer, “agrees that many movies are too gory. ‘Lots of movies are gratuitously violent. They pander to audiences —certainly, it’s a form of pornography.’” Then he was asked if he was concerned that children might be disturbed by the scorpion scene or by the sight of the bloody corpses in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. His answer? “It’s a PG [Parental Guidance] movie. I never thought that either ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Time after Time’ should be seen by young children. . . . You can’t blame the film maker for the parents who don’t heed the rating system.”
G92 08/11 p.6
BASIC INSTINCT
Financially, one of the year’s biggest hits was a movie called Basic Instinct. Judging by the reviews, this title puts it mildly. The film opens with an explicit sex scene during which the woman stabs her tied- up lover repeatedly with an ice pick, spattering gore all over herself.
G90 22/12 p.28
DIE HARD 2
“If you have the impression that movies today are bloodier and more brutal than ever in the past, and that their body counts are skyrocketing,” noted The New York Times, “you are absolutely right.” Modern technology and new plastic substances enable movie producers to add shocking realism to violent scenes. Some of the more popular films include hundreds of violent deaths. As an example, the newspaper mentioned the film Die Hard 2 in which over 260 people were violently put to death, including one man who was stabbed in the brain through his eye socket and another who was sucked into a jet engine. According to the same article, a good number of these films are “the sort of action-adventure movies that have come to dominate today’s market.”
G85 08/12 p.8
STAR TREK
Many in today’s world have clearly gone overboard in their devotion to science- fiction books and movies. Science- fiction clubs and conventions have proliferated. According to Time magazine, Star Trek fans on five continents have devoted themselves to learning the fictitious language Klingon, which was featured in Star Trek TV shows and movies. Such extreme behavior does not harmonize with the Bible’s counsel at 1 Peter 1:13: “Keep your senses completely [“keep balanced,” footnote].”
G93 08/03 p.29
JAWS, INDIANA JONES
Effect of Violent Movies
In an interview by the Brazilian magazine Veja, film director Steven Spielberg was asked about the effect that violence in entertainment may have on viewers. Said Spielberg: “Watching violence in movies or in TV programs stimulates the spectators to imitate what they see much more than if seen live or on TV news. In movies, violence is filmed with perfect illumination, spectacular scenery, and in slow motion, making it even romantic. However, in the news, the public has a much better perception of how horrible violence can be, and it is used with objectives that do not exist in the movies.” Spielberg adds that so far he has not permitted his young son to watch some of his well-known movies (Jaws, the Indiana Jones series) because of the amount of blood and violence shown.
G83 08/07 p.27
ET
Interestingly, many have noted parallels in the story to that of the life of Jesus Christ. Said Professor Albert E. Millar, Jr.: “I think the thing that struck me most was the idea of the capacity to heal, and then when E.T. died and was resurrected.” We have in E.T., then, an enchanting Messiahlike figure that gives momentary emotional release to our need for a true friend with powers greater than ours. Therein lies the movie’s great appeal.
Despite its seemingly Christian message, however, the movie subtly condones youthful misbehavior. In an early scene we find youths playing “Dungeons and Dragons” in a smoke-filled room with a lighted cigarette on the table. Later on, when E.T. gets drunk sampling beer, and Elliott in telepathic sympathy feels the effects, it is all portrayed as something cute. Further, some of the language used by these children is gross profanity. This, along with the supernatural aspects of the movie, has bothered many Christians.
Whether parents or their children see this movie is, of course, a matter of personal choice. But because of the movie’s great popularity, let us not forget that it becomes an effective vehicle for sugarcoating youthful conduct that is definitely wrong.
E.T. may be a skillfully constructed and highly entertaining movie. But it provides no substitute for our True Friend, Jesus Christ, who saves us from this dying, wicked world. After all, E.T. is make-believe. Christ is reality.
W83 15/07 p.31
THE EXORCIST
Some years ago Roxanne went to see the movie The Exorcist, which spawned a host of imitations. She says: “The movie had a terrifying effect on me. I had to leave before it was over because I was afraid I would be sick to my stomach and felt like fainting. For about two months after seeing the movie, I continued to be terrified and would have nightmares. I wouldn’t go anywhere alone, would watch over my shoulder all the time and was even afraid to wash my hair for fear something would be hovering over me.” Another woman, who saw the same movie on television, later cut out her four-year-old daughter’s heart because she believed the girl was demonized.
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Still Totally ADD
The only reason the Borg hated Star Trek was because their future was more realistic than the Borg. Still Totally ADD