Movie Violence

Community Larp discussion
#1

There is so much violence in movies these days that I believe we get desensitized to it. People charging around with machine guns and grenades are so common that we no longer even wince when someone catches a bullet between the eyes. So the question is, what acts of movie volence still make you wince?

I’m a big favorite of the edge of a shovel struck firmly into the shins. I think banging shins is something most people have done and so the pain is so much more familiar to them. Whereas grenades and bullets are hopefully less familiar.

#2

Less familiar but more on the “Urgh I can’t believe I’m watching this while eating” side of things, was the CSI I watched last night where a guy went into a wood chipper. They had to draw a chalk outline on a big table and sort through what was essentially mincemeat, trying to figure out which bit went where and looking for evidence of cause of death … I assume just in case there was another cause first, since “woodchipper” was pretty comprehensive. I’ve never been so glad we don’t have HD TV.

#3

I think our reaction is based on the portrayal of violence.

If its very Hollywood then its glossy and the impact seems minor. The good guy gets scratched up and kills 100 bad guys no worries. These don’t hold the same appeal for me anymore.

This can be true of other action too. The violence potrayed in Lord of the RIngs was simply part of the story but was well treated in some scenes, such as the wounding of Frodo, the treatment of Gollum by the rangers etc.

If its horrific and in part realistic, such as in Saving Private Ryan, with people dying horifically from a single bullet and the wounded screaming, then its traumatic enough to mean something.

Lately I have found violence (even implied violence) involving children has become highly traumatic for me. Programs like SVU or CSI involving children have become deeply disturbing to me. I call this “New Dad syndrome”.

#4

It may just be me but with movie violence, I’m fine…but watching medical documentaries or those plastic surgery shows make me squeem.

I figure for me I can seperate movie violence which I know is fake and real people being realy cut and grossness. I’ll watch “SAW” or “Band of Brothers” but I’m staying away from “Extreme Makeover: Face Edition”.

#5

Oh, anything to do with eyes. Argh!!! I HATE it when eyes get poked out, or squished or, yeah, anything to do with eyes. /cringe

#6

Amen to that. I don’t think it goes away either. I can’t watch stuff with kids being hurt, I have to leave the room or turn it off.

#7

Amen to that. I don’t think it goes away either. I can’t watch stuff with kids being hurt, I have to leave the room or turn it off.[/quote]

I stand with you both on this, I feel the same way.

#8

My mum works in childcare, and I have lent a hand at the centers she’s worked at on man an occasion. I’m no dad or anything, but I can kinda sympathize.

#9

By the way, this thread wasn’t just random. I’m taking notes for how best to hurt people in larps to get a reaction… :smiling_imp:

#10

Planning to build a larpsafe woodchipper? :smiley:

#11

…three inches of foam :smiley:

#12

Hmmm, interesting.
Personally, what I find scariest isn’t blood and guts and gore, but rather the intent behind it. People getting gutted in battle, or undergoing surgery doesn’t get me squeamish, but a well done torture scene can be very effective in that sense. It would also work better in a larp, because you don’t need to phys rep massive injuries. I see the ‘hurting children’ thing as linked to that, in a way. Reasons for hurting adults are not the same as reasons for hurting children, and the latter can never be honourable.
The only exception to this would be neck injuries. I can’t bear anyone touching my throat, and the thought of strangulation or throat slitting is something I find profoundly disturbing. It makes me want to curl up and hide.

#13

So, if I can extend the question a little. Aside from unweildy implements of destruction, like wood chippers, what weapons are seen as being scary? Katanas, axes and long swords already litter our games, so they’re all a bit ho hum. Cutthroat razors I see as a possibility, except that we normally discourage any kind of close physical contact and especially contact to the neck area, so fitting someone out with a Sicilian necktie is probably out of the question.

I remember looking at Bryn’s war hammer and thinking “NASTY!!!” (with all caps and exclamation points) But that’s the only weapon I’ve seen around for a while that got that reaction from me.

#14

hand tools come to mind, ball peen hammer to th back of the hands ala vegas style always makes me cringe, or screw drivers. the idea of facing some one with a blade is less scary than facing some one with a screw driver and the nerve to use it.

these are just a couple of ideas that come to mind.

#15

Personnally, its not what the weapon is, but what the weapon was made of/the origin of the weapon and who is weilding it. For instance compare a average burglar holding a knife to the joker holding a knife. Just the knowledge of the jokers background makes the weapon scarier. If that knife was made from hardened intestines, that would be another level.

#16

Hmm nasty larp weapons. Theres some good stuff on Atliers Nemesis that is nice and spikey, rusty or bloody that makes me think, thats nasty. But at the same time I always think - wow thats cool looking.

Jagged and rusty and bloody cleaver like weapons evoke feeling of nastiness. Spikey handguards, pommel spikes etc. Add in glow in dark paint and maybe an embedded shrieker (like what is in nerf balls) and you could in theory increase the nasty level of a weapon.

On top of that, a matching costume would increase the impact. A friar in a simple robe, splattered in blood, with a massive spiked maul, and an insanely zealous grin would be nasty. Possibly nastier than a demon holding the same weapon (because we expect that).

#17

Piano wire, or similar garrotting mechanisms
Possibly not something you could use safely in a larp though…

#18

Where I have seen throat cutting in combat larps, it usually involves symbollically reaching around from behind the victim and cutting across the upper torso (as in KS and other Hamilton larps). It makes it potentially more difficult to achieve than a regular throat cut too… abilities that instantly drop or kill a character are difficult things to have in larp because they can ruin the essence of the game if players abuse it. Particularly if there is any PK’ing in said game.

#19

Yeah - all good points, but I’m less worried about the combat effectiveness of said weapons, so much as the stomach turning potential. Huge axes that do 4 damage are effective, but they don’t make the players lose their lunch.

On the other hand, having someone stab a cork screw through the back of a hand. Cutting a finger off with a cigar cutter or branding them with a red hot poker (e.g. “Angels and Demons”) is nasty. Even if it’s not very effective from a combat point of view.

#20

It wasn’t really my point, I was just saying throat cutting weapons are hard to implement in a safe way.