Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Western Guy
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by Western Guy »

I may come across as Mr. Prude but I really don't understand people who flock to weekend movies that celebrate gratuitous violence and/or explicit language. Horror films, in particular, are notorious for this - and that's a sad state of today's world. Not talking about something like THE WOLF MAN, which was kinda fun - I mean sadistic trash like WOLF CREEK, EDEN LAKE, LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, the endless SAW franchise (keep seein' them, producers are only too happy to keep makin' 'em) or the execrable (literally) HUMAN CENTIPEDE films - movies that, forgive me, cater to the lowest common denominator in human nature.

Dare I go further and say: Crap.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I don't think you're anymore prudish than the majority of us here. I don't even know of these films you mention and I'm glad not to. I'm the woman who is not completely happy with the kids watching the Simpsons, I know on the whole it is pretty funny but there's something that doesn't sit quite right with how I'd like my children to behave. Chris loves the Simpsons, I am made to feel the prude about my disapproval, so I just leave them to it. I do realise that it's incredibly popular and the writing can be really witty but sometimes I don't think the creators think of the children who might be watching the programme. I don't want Joe to be Bart or emulate Bart although Libby is somewhat of a Liza. I think after that rant I am the most prudish on the board.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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JackFavell
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by JackFavell »

The Simpsons simply is not made for kids. It's a great show, but it's an adult show, the fact that it's in cartoon format leads some parents to think it's OK for kids to watch but it isn't. Even worse is The Family Guy which is awful in my opinion, but no one should be letting their kids watch these shows until they are old enough to understand the deeper sarcasm and satire that these shows have at their core. That means some kids who are bright might get the humor at 12 or so, some not until later. I was a precocious kid, and I understood far more than some of my peers, but some innuendo went way over my head, because I was sheltered.

As much of a prude as I am, and we all are, I don't think watching something on TV is going to cause someone to become crazy. It's either an imbalance or a lifestyle situation, where violence is a way of life or condoned in the household. It might tip the balance, but the problems are far deeper than what we watch on TV. I do agree that the glut of violent products and mass media is subtly encouraging to people who already have mental health issues.
Western Guy
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by Western Guy »

I used to enjoy THE SIMPSONS but the show has really become too tired. FAMILY GUY . . . well, depends on one's sensibilities. It certainly pushes the envelope, often to jaw-dropping extremes. Definitely neither show should be watched by young kids, both teach(if that's the proper word) completely screwed-up values. Makes me think back to the chauvinistic attitude of an earlier more adult-geared cartoon: THE FLINTSTONES. Made over 50 years ago (hard to believe). I recall one particular episode where Fred refers to Wilma as a "knucklehead". That must have raised some eyebrows back in the day.

Contemporary cartoons aside, what really troubles me are these police procedural shows. The days of the subtlety of DRAGNET are long gone. Now virtually every cop show deals with a deranged serial killer or some other disturbed sociopath with no respect for human life or a person's dignity and often we're subjected to his/her sadistic torture techniques that are only slightly less graphic than one might see at a movie theater. It's weird: There still seems to be a lid on the useage of explicit language in the 7-10 pm time slot (CST) but no real censorship on horrific violence and intense situations.

Unless strict parental control is enforced - and in most cases, it ain't the way it used to be, folks - kids can be exposed to this sort of thing at the flick of a switch and turn of the dial. Here's a brutalized body splayed open in all its gory glory on an autopsy slab, kiddies: Goodnight and pleasant dreams.

I admit I shudder.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I odon't know what laws there are in the States but here there is a watershed at 9pm, before that you can't show anything that isn't suitable for children. The Simpsons goes out at 6pm, right after dinner, it's a nightly ritual. I don't have any problems with family Guy because it is broadcast at 11pm, the kids can't watch it. The area gets very blurred though, many of the soap operas are early evening in in my opinion have storylines designed to shock and not suitable for children, I only watched one soap the good, old, reliable Coronation Street, then they sexed it up to match the other soaps. So we don't watch soaps. The TV is not a nursemaid but it's nice to know that you can cook tea or do some laundry without having to vet TV before the watershed. News broadcasts can be tricky and my kids like to watch the news. With The Simpsons they watch with their Dad and he sees no problem, probably thinks I'm a bit uptight about things like that, like I am about swearing, another bugbear, can't remember which thread we left that old chestnut on.

TV is but a small part of the violence that children can learn about in society. There's also the humiliation dished out on talent shows and X Factor, another set of programmes we don't watch.

I don't know what to make about the violence in computer games, we hear about the cartoon characters in the old cartoons but the violence was never committed by people, they were animals and pretend. The computer games are violent and the player plays as a person and playing them causes the endorphins to rise and get the game players worked up but do they desensitise the person to violence in real life? There's also the isolation of playing computer games, Chris teaches teens and he's told me of boys who are playing the games well into the night, not moving to eat. It can't be good, I can only think that the gaming industry must pay big to our political parties for us to have legislated against some of the more violent games.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
RedRiver
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by RedRiver »

I may come across as Mr. Prude

You could be a Batman villain!

I used to enjoy THE SIMPSONS but the show has really become too tired

That's true of almost all long running TV. My beloved DICK VAN DYKE SHOW only ran for about five seasons. Hence, every episode was 100%. Had it stretched for five more, what might it have become? SEINFELD has, and deserves, tremendous respect. But you couldn't tell it from the forced, awkward look of the later shows. TV executives rarely ask my advice. If they did, I would day, "Do five years, then get the hell out of there!"

It's either an imbalance or a lifestyle situation, where violence is a way of life or condoned in the household

My parents weren't saints, but they taught me to be a decent person. Now I'm not a saint. But I'm a decent person.
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CineMaven
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by CineMaven »

[color=#4040BF]RedRiver[/color] wrote:My parents weren't saints, but they taught me to be a decent person. Now I'm not a saint. But I'm a decent person.
Oh yeah? I need references!
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Western Guy
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by Western Guy »

Maybe Mr. Prune might be a more effective name.

You're right about long-running television programs. How many episodes of THE HONEYMOONERS were produced, and as with THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, all were gems. Seinfeld was smart, though he closed production on his program only about a year after he and his co-stars were signed to a mega-dollar deal which makes one wonder: Why not hang out for a while longer. From what I recall, Jerry wanted to quit while still on a high, plus he really wanted to return to his stand-up (which, IMO, ain't really that funny - his supporting players really were the ones who gave me the most laugh). Love SEINFELD and again felt that nearly all of the episodes during its run were great, such that I cannot pick out a fave, though the Lawrence Tierney show may be the one.

If I had to pick one long-running program that was consistently good (my opinion) it would be MASH. That and COLUMBO are my all-time favorite shows; own the DVDs of both but still watch the reruns on TV and just never get tired of them.

Personal preference: I do enjoy the Col. Potter episodes more than the shows with Henry Blake.

Now I ask myself: How did I get onto this topic?
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by Rita Hayworth »

I prefer Col Potter MASH over Lt. Col Blake MASH any day of the week.

On a lighter note: I love Cheers ... only when it had Shelley Long ... not that dreadful Kristie Alley. I stopped watching Cheers when Long left the show ... literally.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by charliechaplinfan »

We do digress all over the place. I'm afraid that what you are describing is going to happen to Downton, it's so fast paced that I don't know where it can go, perhap another series after 3 but from here I'm not sure.

Frazier would be the programme I'd cite as running out of steam, at it's peak it was the funniest thing out there and I still laugh out loud at the reruns but that last series shouldn't have happened.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Western Guy
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by Western Guy »

Alison, I soooo agree with you about "Cheers" and almost included it as among the few long-running shows with staying power . . . 'til I remembered how much I did not like the Kirstie Alley episodes. Oh, of course there were some good ones, but only the shows that didn't focus on her neurotic love life, of which, unfortunately, there were too many.
RedRiver
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by RedRiver »

Oh yeah? I need references!

My attorney, Mr. Mason, will be in touch.
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JackFavell
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by JackFavell »

I have to step in here and give a shout out to Henry Blake. I really loved MacLean Stevenson. I am much more fond of the Trapper/Henry episodes than the BJ/Col. Potter episodes. That being said, the series had to grow and change, and I love Henry Morgan, it's just that it's like comparing two different shows.

I think Everyone Loves Raymond was a classic show, it never fails to make me laugh out loud and is another show where they decided to end on a high.

But best show of all time will always be Dick Van Dyke.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by charliechaplinfan »

Never saw the Dick van Dyke show, we do get American shows over here but I guess when he was on prime time was the time when we were limited to 3 channels. I can hardly believe it now but when I grew up in the 1970s we had 3 channels and they were off for most of the day, they switched on at lunchtime for news and a childrens programme, then they were off until school home time and played constantly until 11 or 12 at night when the TV shut down to the sound of the national anthem. Children today have so many things available to them I don't think they are allowed to be bored like I was, I'd watch the test card sometimes waiting for programmes to start. Was it ever the same in America and Canada?
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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knitwit45
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Re: Crime on film and the Criminals that inspired the writing.

Post by knitwit45 »

Absolutely! But this was in the mid 50's. the tv did not come on until 4:30, that test pattern was on for a while, allowed the tv to "warm up". Then it was Howdy Doody time!!. A wildly popular puppet show. I much preferred Kukla Fran and Ollie. We were so excited when we got our THIRD channel, and when UHF channels came along, there was much discussion over whether or not to buy an antenna for reception.
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