What's the thing when people can't suspend disbelief when reading/watching fictional works?

GomezAddams said:
Suspension of disbelief and suspension of logic are two different things. I'll happily do plenty of the former, but not so much the latter.

Interstellar is a good example. I'll happily suspend my disbelief and accept that the United States has become a wasteland inhabited by technophobes. But I can't accept that the new NASA launches a Saturn V size rocket from their main office building. Worse, while the crew ship requires a Saturn V size rocket to escape earth, the shuttle, which is only slightly smaller, quite easily launches from the other planets it visits - no booster required. There are lots of other examples in this movie, but I'm getting nauseous reliving the details.
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True, but I'm good with suspending either if I like a story (regardless of the medium).

And speaking of suspension of logic, at least 62 million Americans did that very thing on Election Day. Not that they necessarily should have voted for Hillary, but voting for Trump showed a total lack of basic logic. Logic is not a strong point of the average person (or at least citizen of the U.S.). Most people are lacking in many knowledge areas enough not to notice or care about inconsistencies in much of anything, let alone entertainment.

My dad has worked in film/tv/video production for most of his life and disengages whatever mechanism that he uses for work when watching movies and tv shows, otherwise he wouldn't be able to enjoy anything outside of sports. He's also quite literate and does the same for books. He can find and breakdown all of the issues, but that brings him no pleasure.

And that's another aspect...for some people finding the problems with a story is what brings them pleasure. They'd probably walk away from a great movie or book that was without plot or factual background problem almost completely dissatisfied.
 
I'm usually more thrown by well known actors so that you can't even remember the character's name....

"Then Brad Pitt told Tom Cruise that Christopher Walkin had the keys to the hideout.". :embarrassed:
 
I can't watch sports most sports movies because I'm constantly going "that would never happen" or I nitpick fake looking uniforms or whatever. Other then that I have a high BS tolerance when it comes to entertainment.
 
Good fiction writing is about creating a world. So if something fantastical happens in a world where it's established that it happens there, then that works for me. When a work breaks its own rules, then that takes me out of it.
 
I started reading a mystery that takes place in the 1940s or 50s; it was a pretty straight-forward mystery. Except, it seems this guy had a cabinet that would deliver items from the future, like DVD players and such. Oh, and clues. He'd open the closet and some needed clue was in it. I can suspend disbelief, but if the detective gets clues by magic, there is no real detecting going on and I will also suspend reading. :embarrassed:
 
Gary Blanchard said:
I started reading a mystery that takes place in the 1940s or 50s; it was a pretty straight-forward mystery. Except, it seems this guy had a cabinet that would deliver items from the future, like DVD players and such. Oh, and clues. He'd open the closet and some needed clue was in it. I can suspend disbelief, but if the detective gets clues by magic, there is no real detecting going on and I will also suspend reading. :embarrassed:
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Was it a blue closet that said 'Police public call Box' on it?
 
I have a hard time watching 'historical' movies where they obviously use anachronistic items.

For instance there is a movie out there about the Alamo where the defenders in the movie are using Colt SAA revolvers (1873+) and Winchester lever action repeaters (again, 1873+).

messedup0
 
Peen Simmons said:
And then suddenly, like a dog barking on a moonless night, Dogsinotpalc's mom appeared to explain that he was dropped on his head as a child...explaining a number of his current foibles.
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I ate lead paint. What's your excuse?
 
Jbird said:
I have a hard time watching 'historical' movies where they obviously use anachronistic items.

For instance there is a movie out there about the Alamo where the defenders in the movie are using Colt SAA revolvers (1873+) and Winchester lever action repeaters (again, 1873+).

messedup0
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Did they meet in the basement?
 
Jbird said:
I have a hard time watching 'historical' movies where they obviously use anachronistic items.

For instance there is a movie out there about the Alamo where the defenders in the movie are using Colt SAA revolvers (1873+) and Winchester lever action repeaters (again, 1873+).

messedup0
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Or what about "the Buddy Holly story" where Gary Busey is obviously playing a 1970s strat with the big headstock


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smurfco said:
Or what about "the Buddy Holly story" where Gary Busey is obviously playing a 1970s strat with the big headstock


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A friend of mine is a gun enthusiast (not a nutjob). He said "Quigley Down Under" (Tom Selleck) used guns historically accurate for the period portrayed.
 
Depends if the story is supposed to be totally bullshit or not, like Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Of course they're just making cheap entertainment.

My wife can't even turn it off for Marvel series viewings. I'm like "Geez, Daredevil is a superhero..... it's not supposed to be real, at least they show him recovering for a little bit.....let me enjoy this"
 
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LeftyTom said:
A friend of mine is a gun enthusiast (not a nutjob). He said "Quigley Down Under" (Tom Selleck) used guns historically accurate for the period portrayed.
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Yeah, good film making includes good props people and continuity departments (making sure everything's in the right place, the cigarettes are smoked at an even pace, glasses empty accordingly, food disappears from plates, hair is the same, etc. That stuff bothers me more as a lazy film making, but the suspension of disbelief and logic are fine...as long as the movie's good, e.g.: the Buddy Holly Story. Great flick, but someone didn't have an eye for detail.
 
Jbird said:
I have a hard time watching 'historical' movies where they obviously use anachronistic items.

For instance there is a movie out there about the Alamo where the defenders in the movie are using Colt SAA revolvers (1873+) and Winchester lever action repeaters (again, 1873+)

messedup0
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yea....that kind of thing will get my attention and a comment. it's not like i will stop watching, but i WILL notice things like that.

also......shooting key pads on secure entry doors does NOT make the door pop open. that makes the door impossible to open.

a lot of the "csi" type shows have tons of issues, i still like them, but i also pick them apart.
 
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