Do you go to the theatre?

[kevinmiller]

What do you guys think about the movie theatre? I was always taught that the main reasons Christians didn't go was because (a) it was the appearance of evil and (b) we were supporting Hollywood. But to me it seems like we could be buying pornographic DVD's from Wal-Mart as well as we could be watching a bad movie at the theatre and that we spend more money supporting Hollywood buying movies from Wal-Mart than the theatre. Your thoughts?

[Larry02]

Last movie I saw at the theater was JAWS when it came out. A long time ago.

[Will]

Once in a while. If I have the time and the money and somebody to go with. And normally just in the afternoon for the matinee so I don't have to put up with the crowds.

Not much lonelier than a single guy sitting in a theater watching a movie all by himself. Unless he's the only one at the theater(happened to me once).

[Will]

[quote="kevinmiller"]
What do you guys think about the movie theatre? I was always taught that the main reasons Christians didn't go was because we were supporting Hollywood. But to me it seems like we could be buying pornographic DVD's from Wal-Mart as well as we could be watching a bad movie at the theatre and that we spend more money supporting Hollywood buying movies from Wal-Mart than the theatre. Your thoughts?
[/quote]

For some reason, this kind of reasoning makes me think of something like a Catholic ceremony where the priest sanctifies an object(or house).

"Thou art clean O Movie! Sanctified through the use of the VCR/DVD player!"

[anime4christ]

Don't watch a lot of movies and don't ever remember going to a theater.

[Anon]

We don't go to the theater or use Blockbuster...

I figure that just because we watch some things on tv doesn't mean its just okay to do it all. Its good to have a line drawn...in history the "theater" has always been a sign of worldliness. I know at ours around here, its where the teens go hang out and sometimes make out. Plus there's really nothing that comes out that's worth seeing and its a waste of money. And yes, it is a poor testimony because nobody knows what you are there to see.

But that's just our decisions.

I will point out that its poor reasoning to say "Well its not bad to wear clothes, so I might as well wear whatever the world does"...."Its not bad to watch some movies, so I might as well do whatever the world does as long as the movie is clean" (most of the time "clean" is in the eye of the beholder anyhow...)

[bibletotingunslinger]

I will go just to check out one that gets my eye(Passion of the Christ) etc, but I have to hide my identity, I am an outspoken Hater of Hollywood.

Speaking of movies, "Left Behind" Series, remember them refering to us as "Haters",, ok, they win, I am a hater of evil.

[Alen]

I go fairly regularly, probably around once a month, maybe more if several good movies come out.

It all depends on your stance on movies, if you're against Hollywood, yet rent the DVDs, I think that's very very hypocritical.

However if you do watch Hollywood movies, then getting them on DVD has some advantages over watching it in the cinema, as in you can skip the inappropriate scenes in the film. Though nothing really beats the cinema experience IMHO.

-Alen

[kevinmiller]

The Nativity Story was the first I had seen since my grandmother took me to to see the Lion King years ago when I was little. I plan on going if a clean movie comes out because there isn't anything else fun to do with friends. And I don't see any real difference in going to see the movie for $7 then buying it from Wal-Mart for $15 when it comes out on DVD.

[Anon]

I just don't like the questionable testimony going to the theater has...

Plus most shows that come out are no good...I am even picky about Disney anymore, many of them are full of rock music. I like to be able to buy a dvd and watch it with the kids, or at least be around to turn it off if it gets questionable.

[Junebugwv]

I grew up going to movies and in high school I went every week. When I went to an independent Bible college, we were not allowed to go and I never asked why. It took about a year for me to notice that my thought life really changed for the better when the worldly entertainment was replaced with Scripture.

We are very conservative and particular in what we buy in VCR or DVDs so it isn't "movies" in general that I am concerned with, it is the desensitizing that goes on when you go to a movie and get bombarded with trashy previews.

[BroJesse]

The advantage DVDs have over the theatre are these:

1. you don't to sit there and listen to all the foul language of the people around you, neither do you have to put up with anybody's inappropriate behaviour that may be modelled for your children.

2. You don't have to watch all the advertisements and trailers which may be strategically shown before that movie to entice and to tease. This is true even if the movie you are going to watch is soemthing neutral.

With DVDs, there's still a need to filter out some stuff. What I do in the case of something for the kids is to convert the DVD to something that can then be edited and snip out stuff. Often the music needs to be turned down or muted altogether and our kids are used to that so they don't complain.

I've been to the local public library (yes, we get videos there) and do rent stuff, but it's mostly documentaries and things of historical interest.

This year, I stepped into a movie theatre for the first time in a very long while only so that I could review The Da Vinci Code movie and then make a comparison with the book version as I was going to deal with this head on.

[Guest Guest]

I haven't gone for the longest time simply because I didn't care to, but my husband really wants me to go. So I will probably go with him some time. He doesn't want us to do it when we have kids and since I'm pregnant I guess we'd better do it soon. The theatre is in the town where the midwife is so we could probably make a day of it.

Katy-Anne

[kevinmiller]

Nice signature! :D

[Guest Guest]

Thanks Kevin, I thought so too!

Katy-Anne