I highly reccomend reading movie reeviws with a deep grain of salt-the secular media tell us that mainstream producers and directors "struggle" to ensure that a film is rated "R" to allow for circulation and distrubution purposes. That means just enough ( but not a lot ) pritzus is cut so that the film won't get an NC-17, which is what we called X in the old days. PG-13 today or a TV show rated MA-14 also walk the same "tightwalk" but the so-called family hour on TV has all but vanished-even and especially on network TV.

thank-you everyone for sharing your experiences and views about movies. there seems to be a big connection between watching for entertainment and lust.
though i don't know if every here sees a direct connection. what do you think

I just watch lots of documentaries -- mostly about military and wildlife.

i think that one has to be majorly disciplined to do just that.

Yeah-but even so channel surfing during commercials can be a trigger.

You know what I do? If I want to watch a movie, I first check out the "Parent's Guide" on IMDB. It lists all the inappropriate content. I also like to watch movies but I like to check them out before even more.

Look at it this way-the reviews are Lhavdil and lmoshul, like deciphering Phsat in Tosfos or in a comment of R Akiva Eiger-the ratings only mention the obvious, but you have to read between the lines and realize that what are called movies either by Hollywood, European directors and "independent cinema" really are quite inappropriate for any Shomer Torah UMitzvos today-the language, violence and pritzus just are not what, how, and where one should be spending one's spare time-Al acgas vKamah VKamah for mosy TV.

thank you for your comment.
unfortunately for me, it is the easiest way to numb the pain, although i pay for it big time afterwards

Missed you, Lavi.

Welcome back!

ineedchizuk wrote:


thanks buddy.

btw, i am going through a major ajustment in my life, and it really brings out all kinds of challenges. one thing that is really difficult for me to get over, is to break my movie habit, which i use , when i feel in the dumps. sometimes i think "i'm getting over this" and i don't watch for a long time, but when i get really down....
and so far i haven't fallen in lust, but i can hear my evil side planning for attacks the whole time.

movies !? they are great ! i love watching them from beginning to end . But just the kind called Looneytunes remember bugs bunny ? other than those B"H i dont watch anything else .

newaction wrote:


jealous of you.

lavi wrote:


i feel for you.

when i was really depressed, upset with my marriage and heavy into my addiction, I used to see 4-5 movies a week. BH, I dont watch almost any now and the funny thing is, I dont really miss them....EXCEPT when I'm watching TV and an ad for one comes out. Its amazing how ignorance is such bliss. When my wife drags me to one every so often, its amazing how i'll be interested in every preview. but a little while later, the interest fades, BH.

lust, porn, movies, alcohol, drugs, sports, etc...to me, theyre all just distractions. some pleasurable, some not, but they all accomplish the same thing. To temporarily help me ignore whatever pain I'm feeling. More and more, I'm finding the only real way to deal with the pain is surrendering it to Hashem. Getting close to Him takes away the pain for real.

May you find comfort in His arms and He give you the strength and serenity to deal with the tzuris in your life.

I have to admit that i binged 3 movies on Saturday night. My tapsic on movies ended and i just went straight for the TV after shabbos. Movies are not good for us because not only can they be gateway to porn but they have untznieus girls and possibly even worse. They also waste sooo much time! Also, the concept and values in the movies completely conflict to Yiddishkeit.

To be honest, the real reason we watch movies is to see naked girls. We need to be honest with ourselves EVEN if we do end up watching. The worst thing is to dismiss the fact that we have a problem and we are doing something wrong.

dms. i appreciate your honesty. but for me action is also a major pull.
metal. i don't think think just surrendering is gonna do the trick.
i heard from (c.d.?) that pain is a sign that something is wrong, and think one has to get busy with sticky internal issues, in order to resolve his pain.
many times it has been mentioned that we have resentments deep inside and these give us a "license" to act up.