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Exploitation of a Psychological Phenomenon and Its Victims

posted 9 years ago by imajestr
7 replies | jump to latest

This movie doesn't seem to know what it is. On the one hand, the filmmakers seem sympathetic to the people suffering under this condition, but at the end of the day, it's just an exploitation of their distress.

Whether or not you believe in demons or ghosts or whatever, the people interviewed are actually suffering, and the filmmakers, for most of the film, seem to be on their side. Then we get discussion of how this disorder could spread through suggestion--by exposure to the ideas within the film. So, at the end of the day, all the filmmakers care about is a cheap scare, but if you've ever suffered sleep paralysis of night terrors, a film like this could actually be quite damaging, which seems to go against the film's supposed intentions. In other words, exploitation of victims, and potential creation of new ones.

Is it the goal of the film to make more people suffer? If so, *beep* this film and the people who made it. They clearly don't care about the people being interviewed. Would you take this type of approach when discussing other disorders, like schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder or depression? All the filmmakers have managed to do is take someone's genuinely distressing problems and turn around wearing a mask and shout: "OOGA BOOGA!"

Way to go, A-holes.

[–] benman46 9 years ago

During the film it was revealed that the director also suffers from sleep paralysis, which makes you whole rant redundant.
Way to go, a-hole.

[–] imajestr 9 years ago

How does that make my point redundant? You may want to look up what that word means before resorting to childish insults.

And if you watch it again and listen closely, the director only mentions having an episode when he was a kid. That doesn't mean he actually suffers from the same condition today. He may have just been curious about it having experienced it once, and found a bunch of people whose stories he could exploit.

And even if he were actively suffering from sleep paralysis, would that make it right to try to spread the condition? He'd still be a douchebag IMO.

[–] benman46 9 years ago

Redundant an insult? Since when? Trying to spread the condition?

[–] imajestr 9 years ago

You don't read much, do you?

[–] benman46 9 years ago

I do, lots.

[–] imajestr 9 years ago

[–] Tin_ear 9 years ago

The participants volunteered. If they were retarded or had dementia I might see your point. And I don't think anyone can prove there is or ever was an epidemic of sleep paralysis with exception of one or two theoretically possible cases. The disingenuousness of the filmmakers to state that the condition was wildly contagious kind of annoyed me. They were being over-dramatic. It's funny but I assumed a lot of the subjects were paranoid and held a grudge against scientists for telling them to stop whining and get over it for so many years. Just because they are the victims doesn't make them infallible on the subject.

And, really, dude, the point of documentaries is obviously to spread information. If you remember shrinks turned them away because the science wasn't good enough to explain the condition yet. The subjects in the doc and their families assumed they were insane until they saw other representations of their illness reflected in movies. You should have paid more attention to that part.