As a child i was always fascinated with watching and studying movies of all genres of different periods and particularly paid attention to movies that focused on character studies or had complex premises because i always wanted to understand more about the complicated nature of life and relationships. In way it sort of an escapism from dealing my own problems and occasionally my mind does warp myself into wishing i lived in such a world as opposed to living in the real world, in which i always feel alone, unwanted and plain gloomy. My friend came up with this theory that i probably i used movies as a way to deal with lonely childhood all throughout life instead of facing them head on as a defense mechanism. But at the same time it could merely mean i have a deep rooted passion for it and my loneliness could come from something else but it really got me thinking whether it is possible watching too many movies has emotionally dampened me to the point it feels like i'm living in two separate universes instead of just the one. Sorry if i was rambling a bit since this is kinda of a complicated story
That's a very interesting theory, and I will look into it. My uncle has always loved movies of all kinds (he even made a couple short films), but he's always been very cheerful. Perhaps he is lonely on the inside, as well. The fine line between the real world and fantasy has always been kind of blurry for me. I spend a lot of time online, and I even make friends. Are my new friends part of the real world or just some fantasy because I'll never meet them? So, in a nutshell, I think I get what you're saying.
no. And l agree with what Rivers said above. There is such thing as just being seperated from the world. l think any time a person withdraws it's quick to be labeled as depression. Movies are NOT my thing, but l have had always had an obsession with music and television. And books. l was just a kid who liked to reflect on things away from people when l had the chance, god forbid lol.
Perhaps I know how that feels, at some extent. I'm used to watch an awfully amount of Anime, by awful, I mean sometimes 4 to 6 hours straight in the same day, specially now that I'm still on vacations. I don't do that for really long periods of time, most often for a week or less, then a 2 or 3 months pause between.. Still, I agree its kinda an obsession... For real, sometimes I just feel lonely or think too much, so I plug my "drug" on, and then here I go ...watching 2 or 3 series entirely, worth several hours, in a week or less. I think its good to "go away" for a while, we all need it one time or another! I guess that applies to gaming as well. Those times we go away from reality, because is so easy, you just need to press a button. On my view, You may have a passion for movies, and they may also be a defensive thing. Still, you shouldn't let that become a harmful addiction (physically and emotionally), and remember that you will eventually face whatever you are running from, using this "reality distortion" as driver, in your case, the Movies. Personally, I don't find distractions to be harmful if used wisely. A book, a game, a movie, instead of using those to "run away" from real life issues, use them to recover and then face whats bothering you, because then you'll be free from whatever was bothering you. I... I'm still asking myself about what I just wrote XD, what a strange glimpse of inspiration I just had. I hope you take something useful out of it, I hope I made some sense as well o.e Anyways, stay good! *Hugs*!
I watch at least one movie a day. I have my problems, but I don't think movies help me hide them. Personally, I think you truly just have a passion for film much like I do.
Thanks for the replies everyone and combine with the fact i feel really regretful for taking electrical engineering in university and not majoring in a course that i'm truly good/passionate about like film studies or chemistry, having a hard time living in a homophobic society and understanding more about myself, my mother's mental illness along with my already track record of bad relationships with almost everyone.....i feel like i've become over-reliant on watching movies almost as if it's like it some kind of an addiction. But an up side to that is my knowledge in film studies has greatly enhanced at the same time and i do write private movie reviews on my laptop. I think i should start a blog someday
Meh. I actually almost get a little insulted when people hint that movie-geeks and filmfanatics are anti-social and lonely/depressed. Or the phrase "people who don`t have a life". I have been a movie/TV-fanatic since I was little. It started when I was four and fell in love with the movie The Little Mermaid. My mum says I saw it every day, for a year. However, I have also had a fine social life and though I did suffer a depression in my early twenties that got pretty bad, I would not say that I have a depressive personality. That depression had very specific causes. I just always had the interest, was a dreamer and loved the thought of living an action-packed life, see other places, travel galaxies, be a secret agent, all these things! I loved the adrenalin feeling when watching a really suspenseful movie, or crying to a movie that makes you an emotional mess because it`s so damned tragic. That`s what appeals to it for me. Real life does not last for 2 hours, because then my days at work would not be so dreadfully long, lol. Real life also can be boring. You wait in line, take a bus, etc. You go to sleep, eat. There are a lot of fun and cool things to do, and I enjoy those, and particularly with friends. However, watching a movie with a good friend is double the fun of watching it alone. And it`s a lot more fun to watch some episodes of a series, than balancing my budget for a month, lol! :lol:
The whole escapism argument is a farce. If anything, movies make you think MORE about life and society and people because they're so inextricably linked to culture. I was obsessed with movies and TV as a child but I feel like they were my salvation, because the TV was my only friend. Without them I probably would have perished. Now I study Film Studies and I'm well on my way to doing a PhD. There's nothing wrong with having a passion for film. Any loneliness is a separate issue I think. But it's OK to find comfort in films.
I think it`s an individual thing, because I don`t feel the same way about it, nor agree with it being a farce. Albeit I can totally see it being that way for a lot of people. Personally, I have never felt of it as a salvation, more like the opportunity to live myself into a different world, and a different life. One with action and adventure. I have fun when I watch something exciting. It`s not about escaping my job or my bills, just having a little break from it. I would find life a prison cell if I didn`t have series, movies, books, etc. Maybe I could get the same kind of thrill in real life, do paragliding or something, but I am not really the type of person who enjoys high risk sport. I bungee-jumped once, and it was almost a traumatic experience. Nor would I ever actually want to be in a gun-fight. When it`s on TV, it`s safe :icon_wink Which make a difference.
