Why "Movie Guilt" is a Wasted Emotion
There’s a reason that I have never made a list of films I would never ever watch: There are very few. It’s not that I don’t have standards for what entertains me, it’s that I only discredit films from my viewing that unnerve me. (At present my main barred films are Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom, Hostel, and A Serbian Film) I have seen some of the worst films of all time, and even made a list of my personal least favorite films on this blog. Still, there are very few films I have ever said no to. I will watch almost anything. Three hour silent film? Yes. Horribly under-budgeted and terribly dubbed children’s film? Sure. Andy Warhol avant-garde slog? You betcha. Why do I lack standards? It is because I believe that every film teaches you something different, and standards vary for everyone. This is why I personally hate it when people succumb to the dreaded movie guilt.
Movie Guilt arises when you watch or read content that you have dubbed intellectually inferior or has no cultural worth. It is an attitude that many of my friends carry around, and generally colors our conversations when I talk about what I’ve been watching or reading. Besides the fact that I am a writer who must watch and read a lot of content to have something to write about, I’m also personally obsessed with entertainment in general. I keep a record of every movie I watch, in multiple spreadsheets no less! If anyone wants to rank themselves next to me in quantity alone they will fall short, and that’s just an honest fact. What people with movie guilt don’t seem to understand is that art is not a challenge, or an intellectual test that has to be passed. Art is supposed to enhance life, whether by entertaining us, or educating us, or even inspiring us. For this reason movie guilt is a pointless feeling, because if you are living to be your best self, there is no need for guilt.
Just a taste of some of the bad films I willingly watched. 20th Century Fox, Summit Entertainment, and Universal Pictures
From the general standpoint of a critic, it’s also a little insulting when people denigrate certain kinds of films as lower than others. Genre films are often seen as “less than” dramas and thrillers, even though genre conventions are always being subverted, and there are many examples of subtle nuance throughout their storylines. Just look at Mad Max: Fury Road, which won six Oscars, but is also technically a sci-fi film, i.e. a genre film. The story followed the exploits of a strong female character in a lead role. It dealt with women’s issues, such as human trafficking and sexual assault in a smart, innovative way. If it didn’t have such prestige and critical acclaim attached to it, it could have been brushed off as yet another simple action film. Historically genre films haven’t been too lucky at the Oscars. Looking back at the beginning of the Academy’s reign, films such as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and The Day the Earth Stood Still weren’t even nominated for Best Picture, though their content dealt with things like class systems and world peace.
Many films have become lost gems in the critical mass of cinematic history, including Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. It was reviled on its release, and forgotten until its lapsed copyright lent to overplay on network television during the Christmas season. Classic comedies such as Clue and Scrooged were also hated by critics, but are now cult staples that most people enjoy. If you only look only at what the consensus says, you may miss out on something undeniably wonderful. Just because Clue isn’t Lawrence of Arabia or Woman in the Dunes doesn’t mean that you’re shortchanging yourself, or that you are culturally illiterate. It just means that you value different cultural milieus, and that’s okay. It’s okay to like Sandra Bullock romantic comedies and Lars von Trier. As long as you enjoy it, it’s a relevant film.
How can you not love some campy Tim Curry? Paramount Pictures
In conclusion, I think we can call agree that guilt is a wasted emotion, much like shame: it’s good in small doses, as it makes us an empathetic people, but if it interferes with your life, it’s useless and ridiculous. Watch what you want. If you like the serial quality and dramatic storytelling of television more, go for it. If that copy of War and Peace is staring you down, but re-watching Billy Madison feels right in that moment, go for it. Do what makes you happy, because life is short and there’s little time to sit through something just because someone else told you to.
