I Saw The Tv Glow (Scenes that match/Foreshadowing and scenes I like)

[@therealsilly]

im just gonna yap here for a minute cause im lowkey obsessed but one thing i rlly rlly liked was how lifeless everything in the background seemed so lifeless and fake, like how monotone and neutral the colors were, how we never even see isabels "family", how people seem to walk with no direction, and esp at the end where shes screaming for help and everyone around her is just standing there, frozen and silent. even how her 'highschool' was named 'void high'. just a really cool detail i love lol

[@greenlucien]

@@therealsilly WHOA i didnt even notice that i definitely have to rewatch and look for all that cos omg!!!! this film has so many amazing details in it

[@LunarLiIy]

that and her father is actually barely ever seen in good lighting. as if she barely ever knew him. He was always off-screen or barely illuminated by street lamps or the TV. Isabel's father's only single line in the entire movie is "Isnt that a show for girls?" in a derogatory manner in reference the The Pink Opaque.

[@no-lifenoah7861]

@@LunarLiIy Fun fact, during the scene where he's watching the old black and white reruns his face is painted solid white

[@fourth_wall_broken3550]

Fun fact! The school they go to is called Void High. Void High School -> VHS

[@oh.sorry.dont.mind.meeeee]

and the mascot? Vultures

[@HiimAnni]

God, that scene in the bathroom is genuinely my favourite part of the whole movie The song from the start faintly playing in the back is the cherry on top

[@Imanmagnet00]

Remember guys. This movie is special because someone described how terrifying it is to feel different and at war with yourself. While it's 100% a metaphor for fear of living life without transitioning, it's a message that can apply everyone that's ever felt different or too scared to be who they feel like. There's always time to live life the way you want

[@LunarLiIy]

I love this movie and how all the colors have an intention to them. Especially during Isabel's birthday mental breakdown. The entire room was blue, in the opening shot it zoomed in on the word "boy" highlighted in blue on the birthday boy's hat. Anytime blue is around it's always negative. But whenever pink is around is when Isabel is genuinely happy or feeling like herself. They call midnight!isabel's pink dress "magical". and during the hallway scene you can see Isabel turning onto a pink hallway instead of the blue hallway. She was also wearing a pink sweater when she talked to Maddy on the bleachers. Even the name "The Pink Opaque" is a reference to 1) the human body in how our flesh is pink and opaque. Can't see the inside from the outside and vice versa. 2) The whole pink theme with Isabel. I think this movie is extremely detailed and very well made. As an autistic transfem myself I can really relate to Isabel and how it feels to try and force away the idea of being transgender due to how stigmatized it is for AMAB people to transition. Being so ostracized from a young age due to autism makes you desperately want to fit in with societal norms. That thought process leads you to denying your gender identity and instead forcing yourself to live in a body that you hate. The movie overall gave me a similar feeling to the "Bottom of the World" movie. Which is another movie I recommend to those that like this movie. It's a bit cheesier and older but it has the same dream-like feel to it as I Saw The TV Glow. Anyways I'm Lily and thanks for coming to my TED Talk !! :D

[@no-lifenoah7861]

I've heard a lot of people describe it as "Trans _Videodrome"_ so maybe you'd like to check that one out sometime too

[@mousebones226]

The scene where Owen/Isabel cuts themself open and all the things from the past are still in there got me so bad when I watched this movie.

[@Kazooples]

I could talk for days about how much this movie moved me symbolically, but I want to talk about the breathing. Isabel’s rattling breaths terrify me. I have something wrong with me, I don’t know what yet, but sometimes my nose will block completely in my sleep, and it’s like my body forgets I can breathe through my mouth, I’ll be suffocating and get out rattled gasps, exactly like Isabel, and even though I’m dreaming, I still just.. don’t wake up until it’s really bad, I lay there half suffocating for what feels like an hour but is probably minutes at most. It’s terrifying, and this movie gave me so much more anxiety because of that. The symbolism of suffocating by repressing your true self mixed with the actual sounds of suffocating is something I won’t forget. Edit: incase anyone thinks it, yes I’m wondering if it’s sleep apnea, don’t worry about that tho, just wanted to share the experience.

[@marckiezeender]

Another connection: "it feels like someone took a shovel and dug out my insides" -> "They cut out her heart" also: "do you ever feel like the memories get jumbled up" -> scenes from Pink Opaque with mn!isabel and mn!maddy's bodies instead of their P.O. bodies. and... "do you remember it as something more" -> scene with mn!isabel wearing po!isabel's magic dress and exploring her identity with tara watching. Implied to be an experience/journey they shared together in addition to just watching the show.

[@greenlucien]

@@marckiezeender omgg....

[@marckiezeender]

@@greenlucien aaaaa this movie!

[@worldender88]

thanks for making this. there's no going back once you've seen this movie. ill never recover

[@turtlemcpurtle9665]

7:19 just realized they’re sitting the same way they do in the show (Maddy on the left Isabel on the right)

[@descent1667]

something i noticed on rewatch recently -- when isabel encounters the downed power lines with the scattered episode guide pages, i believe she picks up a page that says "season 6, episode 1: escape from the midnight realm." with all the other stuff about the season 6 premiere, i thought that was really interesting!! (as if maybe we're watching that season 6 premiere)

[@marckiezeender]

The movie definitely is supposed to be S6E1 of The Pink Opaque. It's even structured like a Pink Opaque episode, complete with the required 2 musical numbers at Double Lunch.

[@reeveswaterz767]

What broke me most in the movie was the "I'm dying right now" scene. I watched this movie when I was on the brink of going back to the closet after I cut off a transphobic friend. I didnt know how to explain to my friends that I felt like I was dying when I was actually not.

[@ollieroberts9584]

omg thank you SO MUCH for this. i’ve watched this movie seven times, but there are things that i still didn’t pick up on. also, i’m making an I Saw The TV Glow mix for my drag, and this gave me all of the impactful quotes that i needed 💖😭

[@Therianpaws-]

Where did you watch it?

[@mjolnair]

I saw an article saying that Jane is thinking of a potential sequel saying she would be open to approaching the story again from a different perspective, maybe it will focus on Maddy?

[@greenlucien]

ooo that would be awesome! i dont know how i would feel fully about a squeal but seeing the film from maddys perspective instead would be so interesting...

[@oh.sorry.dont.mind.meeeee]

​​@@greenlucienactually there's an interview where Jane talks about how their first movie and this movie are part of a Trilogy. it's not a direct sequel it'll just be the end of the trilogy of these three movies. but they won't have the same characters just the same way that the first movie didn't have the same as the second. meaning it's more thematic I think. I don't know 😅 you should look up the interview. ❤✌️

[@AmaiMagnus]

I hope there's a sequel soon. I've become more invested in this movie than I thought I would

[@benjaminharris9392]

cried 4 times during this video

[@ephemerald5]

I LOVE THIS MOVIE SO SO MUCH. I’m writing a paper about it for my film class. it’s so beautifully shot and the performances from justice smith and brigette lundy-paine were PHENOMENAL

[@Derpyinch]

Love the video and how you saw so many similarities in this movie! Also, I find it interesting that at 5:07, his window looks like a coffin. Subtle details like this are amazing. Heck, movies that set such a strong vibe like this one are incredible!

[@MrJeffrey938]

I watched several analyses; this is my favorite video on "I Saw The Tv Glow". So concise and straightforward.

[@greenlucien]

@@MrJeffrey938 omg thank you 😭🫶

[@MrJeffrey938]

@@greenlucien Thank you.

[@puella9632]

I'm glad people are still talking about this movie!! Carpe diem

[@aarons.6309]

thank you for compiling this! absolutely brilliant compare and contrasting you've done here, really great job. glad to find someone else who's equally autistic about this movie!

[@greenlucien]

@@aarons.6309 thank you!!!

[@freshcupofangst]

I watched this movie yesterday and god it ruined me but also I loved it so much

[@greenlucien]

@@freshcupofangst me too 😭😭 i dont think ill ever be the same

[@holeecoree]

Im autistic too, and have ADHD, and im closeted trans, this movie hit me like a truck, it got under my skin, I cried, when i watched, after, one day after, It is in my mind, and the, still have time, the owen scene where he screams, and cries, I feel like this so many times, no movie get that effect on me, like this one did

[@jouga]

as a fellow autistic gender non conforming person I think you're well within your right to wish people use the name isabel and she/her pronouns and I'll happily respect that under your video as this is a fictional character! but I will say the film itself quite deeply dives into the fact that she herself chooses to stick to her deadname and masc pronouns, and why. No matter what we believe to be right for someone else, and no matter what we think we know about a person, if they themselves specifically don't ask to be referred to another way, in the same way she actually tells maddy not to use 'that name' (even if this is a state of denial), I think personally that it is our responsibility to respect that : ] It's not necessarily the comfortable or happy ending we'd like for her, but it's the realistic one. Myself personally I've been sticking to the gender neutral they/them pronouns just out of comfort but also respect for the fact that no matter what, Isabel verbally made a request to be referred to as [deadname & pronouns]. I hope this doesn't come across as rude or aggressive in any way, if anything it's just my own austitic need to share my view on something I feel passionately about! I still very much respect yours. Have a lovely day and thank you for the video, I enjoyed it!

[@estherscholz8400]

Isabel never asks Tara to call her or not call her anything, it's Tara who says "that's not my name" when Isabel calls them Maddy.

[@lili.annawilliams9852]

I GET YOU

[@valis14]

Really liked the video... not so sure about the warning label/disclaimer. Sleepaway camp is such a Jewish-American experience, I wondered if Schoenbrun was Jewish and sure enough, I came across an interview with Richard Kelly (Director of DONNIE DARKO) in Interview and mentions growing up Jewish.

[@oh.sorry.dont.mind.meeeee]

heads up, I believe Jane goes by they/them. ✌️❤️

[@emmabennett7699]

Literally 💀 I'm Jewish and went to camp. And so did my mother. It's a whole thing with us.

[@Bowtiewashere]

Shoenbrun is jewish from what I see! 1/6/25

[@blinkfilms1]

you get it you get me

[@Mothmanistheman]

who is show isabel and who is midnight isabel? sorry just confused

[@greenlucien]

@@Mothmanistheman show Isabel is the one in the tv show the pink opaque and midnight Isabel is the main character in "reality"

[@Mothmanistheman]

@@greenlucien oh ok

[@2010lilliana]

Ngl i kinda see Maddy as just a crazy person who watched her favorite show so much,she completely thought she was in the show itself

[@broistyping]

please learn what an allegory is or stop talking about movies forever you complete walnut

[@MisterTechnologic]

The end is supposed to prove that isn’t the case

[@bakercat2108]

Then you missed the point of the movie

[@tjenadonn6158]

The film's director and screenwriter, who themself is nonbinary, explicitly said that it's about the trans experience.

[@no-lifenoah7861]

I mean you can see it in whatever way you want to, but I personally don't like imagining it that way because it makes the film less deep-to-my-bones *scary* for me. If maddy's just crazy, and the pink opaque is just a show, than Owen's just having a really bad day on normal earth. he's not in Hell the way the "pink opaque is real" angle makes it out to be, and that makes the movie less good (to me). Although you bringing that up does make me think that the movie being non-explicit on the "is it real or is it in his head" question makes it better. If you're right, than Owen just had 20 years of his life vanish for no good reason. Scary stuff

[@danoleary7308]

i think it’s kinda stupid that you’re asking us to not “deadname” owen, and to instead refer to him as “isabelle”. first of all, “isabelle” is a metaphor, one that owen consistently rejects for the entire runtime of the film. if this were a real person, who is in denial about being trans, would you insist on calling them by what YOU think their preferred pronouns are? Also, these are fictional characters we’re talking about here. owen’s not gonna be reading the comments like “ugh they deadnamed me”, so we don’t have to worry about them getting triggered or anything. listen, this film poses many questions about identity and gender, but allows them to be open for us to discuss, without giving us a solid answer. you coming right out the gate with “the answer”, saying “isabelle is her name and don’t you dare refer to her as anything else” totally undermines the entire point of this very healthy and intellectually driven discussion regarding this film.

[@greenlucien]

@@danoleary7308 man 😭😭 you did NOT have to comment 😭😭 also i made this video for ME i call her isabel because thats who she is to me! idgaf if you think different dont comment???? 😭😭 just keep it to youself???

[@danoleary7308]

@@greenlucien you’re right and i’m sorry. i don’t know why i came out swinging. this film is literally meant to be a beacon of relatable expressionism to trans people, or for anyone feeling dysphoric or dissociative. However, I do stand by what I said to an extent. I think that initiating a conversation with rules about what language we use to have the conversation is immediately putting restraints on how we can discuss this art. I think I just wanted to point out that there’s a difference between respecting someone’s gender identity, and “respecting” a fictional character’s rejected metaphorical alter persona.

[@bakercat2108]

I whole lot of yapping yet you said nothing

[@danoleary7308]

@@bakercat2108 did you just self report illiteracy

[@Queentism-cv3vi]

​​@@danoleary7308no offense but I think ur kinda missing the point when it comes to respecting trans people if ur just using preferred pronouns as to not upset them if they see it however I can't confidently say thats actually how u behave so again no offense. Keep in mind I don't have a solid answer to this either but when I'm using pronouns its because I actually see them as aligning with the gender those pronouns represent to them. Im sure there's a bigger convo to be had about respecting people even when u don't think they pass or whatever. Also I get what u mean with "owen" not accepting herself and therefore we should use whatever pronouns she would want but the fact is that regardless of what she identifies as, literally speaking she isn't trans in the movie Canon. Its all metaphorical and the actual character is Isabel and a woman. So I don't think its really deadnaming her to call her owen but just literally wrong. Only time I'd call her owen is as to not spoil the movie or just for clarity when speaking about the context of the character Isabel. Gen mean no ill will and just kinda wanted to discuss this. I'm also an autistic pre hrt t girl for context lol