A bad choice of film
Back in my youth I had fancied a particular girl for an absolute age. I finally plucked up the courage to ask her to go to the cinema with me on a date. Much to my surprise and delight she said yes.

I was scanning through the cinema listings for the films showing at the local indie cinema. I spotted a film called 'Irreversible'. 'French language revenge thriller' is all the blurb said. Great, I thought, it is a revenge thriller, which i'll like and she studies French at Uni so she'll think I'm being thoughtful.

For those of you that haven't seen the film, it is 97 minutes of a man graphically having his face smashed in with a fire extinguisher, plenty of gay sex scenes and possibly the longest, most harrowing rape scene ever committed to film.

We sat through the whole thing. Me too embarrassed to say anything or suggest we left, her presumably too terrified to say anything in case I decided to take her home and wear her skin as a jumper.

We left the auditorium in silence and in the foyer of the cinema she said in a small, scared voice 'Did you know it was going to be like that?'. I apologised and explained I didn't.

She never spoke to me again and spent a good 18 months avoiding me when I saw her on campus.
( Anthropos Was making beer on, Fri 18 Oct 2013, 16:09, 4 replies)

Ha!
That's a truly terrible film. I once took a girl to see That Thing You Do - not a particularly upsetting film, but 2hrs that neither of us will ever get back.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 18 Oct 2013, 16:48, closed)

Woah!
Having seen the film I can understand. I don't think I've ever seen a more desolate, violent film.
I watched Crash with some friends, one of whom was a girl I fancied, and that was just mildly odd.
I don't think this post can be understood by anyone who has not watched Irreversible, ten-minute-uninterrupted-shot-violent-anal-rape-schene and all.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Fri 18 Oct 2013, 18:29, closed)

You win
Irreversible is probably the most unblinkingly dreadful first date film I've seen. I think about 1/3 of the cinema left partway through.

As a film and as a director's gimmick, it actually worked quite powerfully. We usually turn away and glamorise violence in the movies. Can't be said Irreversible did either.
( 0nyx, Fri 18 Oct 2013, 19:14, closed)

I think you're wrong
The movie is violent and unpleasant and depressing, but not without artistic value.

Which makes it the perfect ice breaker. There's no need to make small talk after that. You go straight to a bar, order several drinks, passionately illustrate how lucky you both are for being alive and healthy - yet - then go home for sex.
(randomset, Mon 21 Oct 2013, 0:59, closed)