Movies you've walked out of (and more)

[Jamie McDaniel]

This thread's topic is: Have you ever walked out of a movie, a political speech, an anti-gay sermon, etc.?

I can't remember the last time I walked out of a movie, but that's what I did last night. Evidently there is a large enough market for visual depictions of the most grotesque of ways that our fellow human beings can meet death that a movie called Final Destination 3 is made. Three, mind you. This isn't a fluke, but rather a sequel to a sequel.

My boyfriend was excited to get a friday night off from the hospital and so, after a nice dinner, he picked the movie. It was the late show, so the obnoxious movie-goer factor was a notch higher anyhow. After the previews, we're at a high-school graduation party held at a theme park. (Incidently, pride-nights and gay-days at theme parks are lots of fun.) A painfully long roller coaster ride goes all wrong and everyone gets killed -- everyone that is, except the people in the back who got off because one of the girls saw everything in her mind just before it happened and freaked out.

Well, like a spurned and woefully immature lover, death feels soooooooo cheated. Thus begins the story of how death stalks the young survivors. The gore is delivered in spades to a bloodthirty audience, who after two sequels, is more than prepared to clap and cheer for the very best of executions.

I can sit through a bad movie even if it is a waste of my time. Miserable films that exist only to glorify violence? No way.

"That's it. I'm leaving now," I whispered to my boyfriend after the applause quieted down for the latest kill.

"What?"

"I'm walking out of this piece of $&?% movie right now." I had to make sure my sweetie knew I was serious.

He later said I needed to lighten up, to which I went into my spill about how I feel most of the world's issues are actually just symptoms of the real cancer -- humanity's long slavery to a master called violence.

He humphed and stated we can only see G-rated movies from now on. I told him to be serious, that I don't think I'm easily shocked by violence, but that I'm not going to be a part of the supply/demand market that wants "entertainment" such as that.

So, what things have you walked out of?

[Zerbie]

You're tougher than me Jamie. Ya wouldn't even get me IN the theater to see that - I've seen previews for that one & found just the previews horrific. It says something - not sure what, but definitely NOT good - about our society that this premise is so attractive to so many people.

I have in my life walked out on 2 movies, both times because of the blood and guts factor. One, I was a little girl, and somehow got mommy to take me to a flick called Beastmaster (anyone remember that?) because I liked the premise of a man who spoke the language of animals. But it was a blood & guts type movie which I can't handle now, let alone at 7 or whatever I was at the time. The other movie was the new Twilight Zone movie which came out when I was in my teens. I went with a friend, the 2 of us were die-hard fans of the original TV show with Rod Serling and went expecting something along those lines. WE got another exercise in blood & guts, so walked out near the beginning.

AS far as walking out of speeches and the like, twice I wanted to but didn't have the courage. The first, I was 18 and a frosh in college at an all female campus, and I went - scared outta my mind - to check out a speech on lesbian rights given by one of the deans who was a real left-wing feminist type. TO my horror, in her very very very long speech she did little else but rant against men. Saying men are the problem in women's lives. I told myself she must mean sexist homophobic men. Then she actually had the audacity to rail against gay men and say gay men are what's wrong with the gay rights movement and why it hasn't come far enough, and how dare gay men say they are oppressed because they aren't. It was the early 90s - had she spent the entire previous AIDS - panic decade in a box???? Oh yeah - she spent it on campus with a couple hundred lesbians writing papers about why men were a problem, so essentially, yes she HAD spent the 80s in a box. And when she railed against gay men, all those cute little baby dyke activists cheered. I thought, what the hell is this?? This is like a hate group. Actually re-questioned my sexual orientation again after that experience, because I thought those women were modelling what I should be like. What a crying shame! Anyway, I wanted to storm out, but I kept fearing what those insane wimmin would think! I was very young and insecure at the time. Sat there til there was a break, then slipped off into the dark.

Another time I nearly got up and walked out of a church service when the pastor named homosexuals as one of the world's problems. My difficulty? I was there just for that Sunday, as a professional ringer to augment the choir, substituting for a colleague whose regular job it was. I was being paid, AND I was essentially representing someone else. Nevertheless when I heard the pastor say what he did, I started to collect my music and my bag and shifted in my chair as if to get up - from right there behind his pulpit too since the choir was in front and visible to everyone! - before it occurred to me that the church might be furious with my colleague for sending a substitute who not only didn't fulfill the obligation but made a scene. So I scowled through the rest of the service, grabbed the money, and never subbed there again afterward.

[NonLemming]

I walked out of the movie "Moon River Junction" back in the 80's or 90's because it was unbearably slow and walked out of a baptist church's sermon in SC as a guest because the homophobic comments and direction became unbearable. Luckily, I was in the 2nd pew next to the wall so the silent exit spoke volumes.

That's it, I think.

[Bluestars399]

I walked out of the movie, "Saw 2." My boyfriend at the time wanted to see it. It is a sick, disgusting movie. I don't understand why people are entertained by seeing displays of people dying in gruesome ways over and over with absolutely no artistic expression or deeper meaning. I was disgusted and had to walk out.

[Jennifer5]

There have been many times where all I wanted to do was leave. I go to a conservative school and every time the teacher brings up the 'gay lifestyle' I just want to leave. My mom keeps telling me that with things like this it's a good lesson to learn... She said you will always have to deal with similar situations so you might as well learn now. As for church sevices those are also uncountable... I've only ever been to a couple enjoyable church services.

[Zerbie]

Oh Jennifer, I'm sorry you have to sit through that!!! It's a mixed bag - your mom has a point about learning to deal with things, but when all you can do is sit and listen? What's the point?

I think this points up a problem we have with schools contributing to homophobia. When I taught in a private high school, I was the only teacher to ever - ever! - tell my kids not to use the word f*g or to talk about stomping f*gs in the classroom. It constantly caused a scene with the kids telling me I was wrong to ask them to stop (using as support the fact that other teachers allowed them to speak that way) and it even caused a scene at the faculty meetings.
Is your school religious-based? Wow! I'm sorry you have to sit there and listen to all those distortions on a regular basis. It would take a toll on me to hear it that often. You're very tough to get through all that.

[Jennifer5]

The truth is it's hard to listen to them say it time after time... but I love the people... they're good people, they're nice people... there are just some things that they don't understand.... I wish they could but I don't know how to show them what I mean when I say there the same as everyone else.... but they say it's not the people it's their 'lifestyle'......................... I know there's that phrase again.

[SolInvictus]

The film 8MM starring Nicolas Cage - the film, as I learned as the fim continued, was about "snuff" and a murder mystery. The "snuff" (correct word?) was sex blended in with violence as one character rapes & abuses a woman, which is recorded & shown to subscribers. It crossed the line, in my view, and I left. It was, essentially, a sadistic film.

Yes, I have walked out of anti-gay sermons (too many). Living in a conservative community, hatred is an affluent substance. Fortunantly, I plan to move to a liberal town in the next few months.

Unfortunantly, cultures have watched "violence as entertainment" for centuries. The best example is the gladitorial games of Ancient Rome, and then public executions of prisoners afterwards in medieval & etc. times.

[SolInvictus]

Originally Posted by Zerbie

Oh Jennifer, I'm sorry you have to sit through that!!! It's a mixed bag - your mom has a point about learning to deal with things, but when all you can do is sit and listen? What's the point?

I think this points up a problem we have with schools contributing to homophobia. When I taught in a private high school, I was the only teacher to ever - ever! - tell my kids not to use the word f*g or to talk about stomping f*gs in the classroom. It constantly caused a scene with the kids telling me I was wrong to ask them to stop (using as support the fact that other teachers allowed them to speak that way) and it even caused a scene at the faculty meetings.
Is your school religious-based? Wow! I'm sorry you have to sit there and listen to all those distortions on a regular basis. It would take a toll on me to hear it that often. You're very tough to get through all that.

Hey Zerbie: me too. As a substitute, I have told & written up students for offensive name calling towards other classmates. This was in a public school system, and agreed: homophobia needs to be prevented in the schools too.

[morningrob]

I walked out of the movie Jury Duty- don't even ask why I went to a Pauly Shore movie

[pnggrad79]

I didn't walk out of a sermon that said that prayer should be allowed in school and because it wasn't they said is the reason why our schools are failing. It made me mad, so I went to my college class the next day and told my professor I wanted to write my term paper on prayer in schools, and why I am against it. He liked it,and I wrote it. It basically said that I was a devout Christian, and didn't want the state to issue me a prayer that I was mandated to pray. I said it sounded like a police state to do that, and that is NOT what America is all about. I said that prayer was a private, precious conversation between me and my God, and I wanted it left alone, sacred, special and secret. I didn't want anyone, or any government to hand to me an ambiguous prayer to a higher power that could be Buddha, or the Hare Krishna for all I knew. I knew of several students who were either Hindu or Muslim and to be forced to pray a Christian prayer would be offensive to them. I said it simply was not right, and constitutionally incorrect to mandate prayer in schools. I brought the paper to my pastor who was not thrilled and from then on, I was not looked at like a conformist. I wonder what he would say now that I have come out as a lesbian? Hmmm...

[Zerbie]

See? - PNG, I cannot for the life of me see why a pastor would WANT the prayers that he holds sacred mandated and mumbled resentfully by people who do not hold them sacred also. It dilutes the very power of worship to do so. Sorry that pastor couldn't understand. What a journey it must have been for you!