Migraine News Network | RainGem |: I can has "I is Legend", srsly

Monday

I can has "I is Legend", srsly

Lots of action, some jerky camera work, explosions and gunfire. That's a type of movie that's guaranteed to give migraine people a mother of a headache.

So what do we do when a movie like "I am Legend" (or whatever is the latest at the time you are reading this, my gentle readers; be it "Iron Man", "Speed Racer", "Indiana Jones and the early bird special" or any other flash-bung-head-hurters) comes out on the DVD? Tough it out, load up on meds and sleep-watch it or skip it altogether?

You probably already passed on "I am Legend" while it was in theaters but it is going to catch up with you. It has Will Smith, a dog (german sheppard, good choice) and bunch of zombies. If not you, someone in your household will want to watch it. Even if you successfully manage to skip through this one, they'll get you with the next blockbuster.

There are a couple of things that we could try to make the experience go "smoother" and hopefully less painful.

First, we'll adjust the TV screen.

A movie like that is easier to watch on an old-fashioned tube TVs. Due to the phosphorous coating of the screen, there's less rip and tear, especially during "jerky" scenes. For those unlucky bastage that have large-screen LCD or plasma HDTVs, here's a checklist to reduce the jerkiness:

If you can play it in Blu-Ray format (requires Blu-Ray DVD player!), don't be a scrooge and choose that over a regular DVD. The more bits are sent to the telly, the better the picture quality is. As a result, the transitions between scenes are smoother.
Press "Menu" or "Setup" button on the TV remote and use arrow buttons to scroll to "Picture" or "Screen" section of the menu (whatever you've got, it should be there somewhere). Reduce Contrast and Sharpness a little bit, it should help to smooth fast-moving sequences and produce more "movie-like" experience.
While you are there, reduce Color Saturation; if it's set too high, the colors might "leak" and the picture will have more after-effects. Migraine people have been known to have better color perception than most "normals". If it applies to you, there's no reason to overload your brain with extra-bright colors.
If you have a separate "Black Color" adjustment, use it. It will help to produce a more "natural" image so that your eyes won't try too hard to decipher those dark spots.

Same applies to smaller LCD's and tube TVs as well. Just because your TV doesn't cover the entire wall, doesn't mean the picture on it cannot be tweaked a little.

Also, don't forget to leave a bit of ambient light in the room. Not only because it's a movie about zombies - it will help to smooth out the images on the TV and reduce the possibility of you getting a migraine while watching it.

Secondly, lets play with the sound.

There's going to be some explosions (Bass) and some high-pitch noises, like bullets flying, etc. (Treble). Those two might need to be adjusted as to not have too much sonic impact on your sensitive ears and at the same time provide the sound clarity that would allow you to leave the volume on as low level as possible.

You can use a movie DVD or a CD (most DVD players will play CDs) that you know well so that you can clearly distinguish the adjustments you made.

If the sound is coming from TV speakers, the TV remote is once again the tool you need. Press "Menu" or "Setup" button on it for some sort of menu should pop-up. Use arrow buttons to get to the "Sound" menu. That's where you'll find the Bass and Treble. The important thing to remember is that they are tied together - reducing one might increase another. Play with them until you find a balance that sounds good to you.
If the sound is coming from big speakers next or around the TV, chances are there's an amplifier that controls the sound. This one is trickier but not all is lost. Most of them do have little knobs on the front panel that are either conveniently labeled "Bass and Treble" or say "Tone Mode" or something silly like that. If there's no knobs on that amp, get someone who can operate the remote for it and threaten them to get into amplifier's built-in menu and make necessary adjustment.
On a related note - have you ever tried to use headphones for TV listening? You really should - they block outside sounds and the sound quality and clarity is way better than most TV speakers can reproduce. As a result, you can keep the volume relatively low and still hear every single thing. Majority of TVs and amplifiers have a special jack for headphones built in. If yours does as well, borrow a pair of cans from someone and give them a listen - you might actually like it.

Lastly, you might consider having a "wingman" for watching a potentially scary movie.

Kittens or puppies are the best choice. They are soft, warm and squishy.
If you must go with a human, apply generous amount of duct tape over his/hers mouth so that he/she does not start talking during the most interesting scenes, making you try and listen to two things at once thus triggering a migraine attack.
If no living things are available, a blanky or a fluffy pillow will do just as fine.

Now, you should be prepared. Only one thing remains to be seen - and that is whether you actually want to watch it. Every one says it's great but you still have that lingering doubt... Here's a trailer to help you make that decision: