Sex and Violence In Film

This kind of article would have been good for my dissertation last year detailing a discussion between whether sex and violence in cinema should be deemed taboo. Sex columnist Tracey Clark-Flory details the scepticism between classification in America; stricter rules towards taboos against sex in film yet less stricter rules against sex and violence.

It seems like the public can't accept the visualisation of pleasure in humans. Perhaps porn is responsible for this; though porn is created in order to arouse it's audience, where as in film sex is used to represent. I made the point within my essay, why does there have to be so much control over the consequences in film? I mean we see murder scenes, drug taking, torture within film and television and only age warnings come about that (have they missed that ideas towards impending violence on others could occur?!); but when it comes to sex on our screens any element seems to be shunned just incase the audience gets any pleasure from it themselves. There seems to be a concern with self control, or even how much control such societies can have over us in order to avoid risk taking responsibility themselves for our actions. Does it all come from paranoia and issues (like the extreme procedures towards health and safety as well) caused by angry members of the public? I admire how Tracey ends her words:

'Sometimes I really have to wonder who we're most trying to protect by restricting sexual imagery.'

She is right! I do wonder whether those in control of viewing such material are more concerned about the consequences towards going against the social norm? I say lets give it a go and see what happens. Surely you would rather the audience have a larger knowledge of sexual pleasure, than sexual pain and physcial violence caused! I don't see any shame in that.

Wiggle your big toe

Sat on your arse thinking, I should do this, I have that to be getting on with...but you feel too tired to do it. That voice in your head spinning around saying, come on now, get on with it, you know you have too...

It's times like these I always think of Kill Bill Volume One, when Uma Thurman is sitting in the 'Pussy Wagon' trying to get her comatosed legs to come back to life. Sometimes I feel like that about myself when my motivation starts to fizzle. It can be a very frustrating feeling as I am one to just get things sorted. I think when one does become slightly sluggish towards the usual norms, clearly there is something else going on in the background! Sort it out, sort it out, sort it out!

A state of static is caused. One cannot move in all the uncertainty in trying to work it out, where does this feeling come from? We go round and round punishing ourselves, until we get answers. I still believe that what makes us most sick are ourselves.

Beginners

Salon reviews the film 'Beginners', I was curious to this film to begin with though now I am very keen to watch it, and even go to the cinema to view. Yes, I know it seems weird for me to say that, but for someone who gets restless even with the thought of watching tv-cinemas can seem a tiny bit daunting.

I love the review, the following points I really take to heart. I have selected a few quotes which I think fit in nicely with perspective:

'Beginning with death, the end of an individual's life, has a peculiar elegance, in that it reminds us that human life is not primarily a question of individuals, and that places and objects and memories and threads of consciousness connect us across generations.'

'Hal was a museum curator, and he's right of course: Those things do fit together in some mysterious pattern. Allow yourself to see them in the right way, and they're beautiful.'

Film Found!

Coming from a documentary background, this is pretty cool. More films have been discovered, it's amazing they still work after so many years of being hidden away!

Putting the message across

I have a background in documentary film and here is a link a film I made relevant to the postings I have made today.

http://www.vimeo.com/12487891

then password:

cancergene

Any feedback would be truly appreciated. The film was made to kick those up the arse who were scared of the topic, for people to become less scared and to check themselves out instead of sticking their heads in the sand. We wanted to represent cancer in a different light and show that making jokes isn't a bad thing. There are so many sides to everything, the film making process was a grace as so much was learned about the subjects; the process of taking part in the film also helped them with their experiences as well. Time is precious, so lets not waste it.