Why do we love films so much? All around the world, we have Film stars and famous directors and all kinds of people dedicated to making films who we throw money at, begging for more.  And it’s not just films, we do the same with books and music and all forms of art, really.

So why do we do this? What is so important about art that we admire and get a little turned on by those who make it?

Film (and all art, but I’m here to talk about film) allows us to pay for something that we can’t pay for in any other way. Film gives us a way to buy emotions. You know that episode of Doctor Who with the cat-guy and the cars stuck with all the smoke, and the world got addicted to the patches that gave you emotions in a condensed drug and everyone died? Well, film is the prettier cousin of those patches who’s less likely to kill you. I’m aware that if you haven’t seen that episode, or don’t watch Doctor Who in general, then you have no idea what I just said, but really that’s just incentive to go watch Doctor who, right?

Basically, films allow you go get emotions in a condensed form without having to actually live through a certain event, and we get to pick and choose which emotions we want. That’s why we love it so much.

(There’s other reasons too, but you try and articulate it and see how easy it is.)

Film is your drug and I am your dealer. Let’s get high.

– Magpie