This month’s Film Night is here. This is the fourth such evening I’ve hosted for our members, and if you’d like to watch along with us, you’re welcome to be my guest.
I’ve chosen this movie because it’s a milestone in a genre of cinema we might call our own: the stories of isolated, online urban men… seeking connection in an unforgiving grey world.
A client once told me this was the condition of the Sigma Male.
So, for this film, think Taxi Driver, but with more emphasis on sex. (Actually, all the emphasis on the sex.)
As I said earlier, this month’s film is a slice of Amorati public service for two reasons:
1. If you’re looking to build skill in seduction, there is no clearer, more efficient model than the protagonist in this. This is the sub-communication masterclass, par excellence.
You will come face to face with what it means to have the power to seduce.
2. If parts of you are at odds with the whole seduction thing, and the archetype of the ‘nighttime seducer’ in general, this will clarify.
You will explore the hidden motivations you (still) have regarding seduction, and how unresolved pain in the subconscious can perpetuate disconnect, suffering, and compulsion.
Any good, artistic film shows us the outer manifestations of its protagonist, and how they stem from his inner motivations. The seducer archetype always has questionable intentions… until they’re clarified, healed and accepted, and re-oriented by the sublime.
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This film was recommended to me by Zan when I first joined the Amorati. We only studied two or three of the early clips. When I watched the second half of the movie back home, I couldn’t remember what happened.
Back then, I was only interested in more women, hotter women, and faster. I was still under the compulsion.
I didn’t think too hard about the consequences of my ‘seducing’ until they started stacking up, and I looked at those consequences in the face. Sometimes, by the end of the next day, I’d feel empty; having had one woman open to me, my mind would then dream of the next. On a few occasions, I saw the sheer gap between our expectations, and I burned with guilt and shame. This wasn’t all the time. Often, we truly had fun; other times, we were just as complicit in our use of each other.
But when the romance of the encounter became absent, it was when I had strayed far from my heart.
Things are now different. I have brought my seduction out of the shadows, and know what it means to share my ‘whole self’ with her. But as I reflect on all this before pressing ‘send’, I realise how sensitive this topic might be for some of you. This discussion might cut our community in half.
A question I’m often asked by clients: is it worth the strange karma to master the ‘dark arts’? Do I have to rack up all that experience?
That’s just one of the themes we’ll explore.
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Shame
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How to Participate in this Film Night:
Shame is a portrait of a seducer and his subsequent unraveling.
Watching this might be a hard bit of work. You get some seduction pleasure at the beginning, but any film that promises to rummage through a man’s shame won’t be easy to watch.
As I said, when I first saw Shame, I blanked out for the second half of the film. I simply wasn’t ready to absorb its deeper meanings. So I’m curious, first of all, about your reaction to the movie, and to my analyses. And whether you’re able to stay the length.
To join the Film Night fully:
First, find Shame on your favourite streaming service. It’s recent, and easy to track down.
Second, watch the movie anytime between now and Sunday. Watch the film alone, ideally in a private space where you won’t be interrupted—by yourself, your phone, or by anyone else. (You can share this with a date… but this particular film, with its deep themes of modern masculinity, is better enjoyed alone.)
Finally, our gathering on Sunday is a reflection call about Shame. You’ll have the chance to discuss with other men, and I will talk you through a number of significant clips—both the action, and the psychology.
But to be prepared, you’ll need to watch the film first.
To join us for the live Film Night reflection call, click here.
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We meet on Sunday, Nov 17th, at 6pm Bucharest, 11am Eastern.
Schedule 3 hours to join us for the full call. The time will flash by.
(The session will be recorded, but do what you can to join us live—sharing your insights is a worthwhile part of the process.)
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I’ll be back in two days with some reflection questions.
Enjoy this month’s film, and think about it lots…
(It’s tight: there’s something in every scene!)
~ Jordan
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