The Sound Board

Ashermusic wrote: ↑Dec 13, 2025 12:57 pm Can quality shows have so much graphic violence for you to the point where you feel kind of sorry after you watch?

“Peaky Blinders” ran for six seasons and a film is coming out and it has been widely praised as one of the best shows in years. I hadn’t seen it until yesterday, when I watched the first two episodes, and this morning when I started to watch another.

It’s as good as advertised, especially Cillian Murphy, but jeez, I felt kind of sickened by it and I don’t think I want to watch more.

Any of you react that way to that kind of show, quality though it may be?

I’ve never liked gratuitous or graphic violence, Jay. I even struggle with violence that has an educational aspect, as it did in Band of Brothers.

I typically watch TV to escape from stress rather than embrace it. As a result, (American) football and the news are usually the most violent things I watch.

Best,

Geoff

Ashermusic wrote: ↑Dec 13, 2025 12:57 pm Can quality shows have so much graphic violence for you to the point where you feel kind of sorry after you watch?

“Peaky Blinders” ran for six seasons and a film is coming out and it has been widely praised as one of the best shows in years. I hadn’t seen it until yesterday, when I watched the first two episodes, and this morning when I started to watch another.

It’s as good as advertised, especially Cillian Murphy, but jeez, I felt kind of sickened by it and I don’t think I want to watch more.

Any of you react that way to that kind of show, quality though it may be?

Like Geoff I have a really low tolerance for graphic violence, I can't stand it. A few shows I've made it through, I guess Breaking Bad would be one example, but I so nearly bailed after the 2nd or 3rd episode - I think I'd heard that the violence was infrequent and so it turned out to be (in fact I I'm not sure Season Two had any at all). Sometimes it's vital that it is in there - American History X or All Quiet On The Western Front just two film examples, but I've noticed even though I think both are excellent and the violence was right, I can never bring myself to re-watch them.

I've never done Peaky Blinders, unsurprisingly.

In most of Tarantino’s films, the violence is not only gratuitous, it’s gleeful. However, it’s so over the top that it crosses over into the comedic. The fight scene in “Kill Bill” that featured the Crazy 88’s is a prime example- lots of hacked off limbs, all of them deliberately spurting gallons of blood that spray everywhere-it’s ridiculous but left me feeling sort of queasy.

Peaky Blinders, Deadwood-these were period series in violent times and incredibly well written. All of Scorsese’s Mafia oeuvre, The Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now by Coppola, fantastic films regardless of violence, great writing, amazing cinematography.

Some films that include psychological as well as physical violence are too hard for me.
Two I can think of-“Hostel “and “Funny Games.” Couldn’t make it through either.

Peaky Blinders is, in my opinion, can’t miss entertainment regardless of violence. Fantastic drawing of characters, great acting, great writing, amazing sets, interesting material about ethnicities.