Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I rather suddenly thought that there must be someone, somewhere, in the vast Imperium who is producing film and plays. What sort of films play in the odeons of hive cities?
Even if it is constant, 24/7 propaganda, there surely must be some amount of variety. child-friendly programming about proper Imperium-approved behaviour, news coverage of the ongoing war with vox-over, perhaps. Romantic dramas about couples joining the Astra Militarum and giving their lives and love for the Imperium.

A few have been mentioned in the Ciaphas Vaine and Shiria Calpurnia series.

You get something akin to medieval "mystery" plays (bits of imperial theology and mythology dumbed down to the 'boo hiss' pantomime crowd), and at least one "tv war drama" called 'Attack Run', following a Gothic War Fury squadron.

Pretty sure the Ravenor books mention operas and operettas, including one about the Ultramarines.

With the way the Imperium is, anything satirical or thought-provoking has a low chance of making it past the censors (unless it's so subtle that basically no one will get it anyway).

I could imagine imperial comedies revolving entirely on how stupid orks are.

 Tiennos wrote:
With the way the Imperium is, anything satirical or thought-provoking has a low chance of making it past the censors (unless it's so subtle that basically no one will get it anyway).

I could imagine imperial comedies revolving entirely on how stupid orks are.

I could see satire about various noble families of a planet allowed, as long as there's nothing targeted at the planetary rulers or larger Imperium agencies/workings. I highly doubt the rulers of Hive City A are going to care if local playwrights, artists, and filmmakers make fun of the rulers of rival Hive City B.

Oh, now I'm seeing Ghazgkull running around being chased by Marines to the strains of the Benny Hill theme

Oh, we also technically have confirmation movies exist in the Imperium thanks to the explanation of the Movie Marines rules from WD #300.

 Platuan4th wrote:

 Tiennos wrote:
With the way the Imperium is, anything satirical or thought-provoking has a low chance of making it past the censors (unless it's so subtle that basically no one will get it anyway).

I could imagine imperial comedies revolving entirely on how stupid orks are.

I could see satire about various noble families of a planet allowed, as long as there's nothing targeted at the planetary rulers or larger Imperium agencies/workings. I highly doubt the rulers of Hive City A are going to care if local playwrights, artists, and filmmakers make fun of the rulers of rival Hive City B.

That's fair. Actually, there must be noble houses who hire entertainers specifically to make fun of rival noble houses.

It’s an extremely good bet that the imperium makes good use of films. Both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany utilized film because it was one the easiest ways to spread said propaganda too the masses. Half the time the audience even enjoyed the content. In more modern terms, it is used by the US military. Uncle Sam will give you all the toys and props you want as long as they approve of the script.

Providing imperial centric films would be an easy way to provide mass entertainment for low educated masses of workers while constantly driving the imperial message home. It would probably be a lot of works about heroic fights against aliens to heart warming children’s stories where a dog save’s a child from the evil clutches of the Tau. There’s probably a lot of triumph of the will stuff too.

The real question is do the orks have cinemas?

 Tiennos wrote:

 Platuan4th wrote:

 Tiennos wrote:
With the way the Imperium is, anything satirical or thought-provoking has a low chance of making it past the censors (unless it's so subtle that basically no one will get it anyway).

I could imagine imperial comedies revolving entirely on how stupid orks are.

I could see satire about various noble families of a planet allowed, as long as there's nothing targeted at the planetary rulers or larger Imperium agencies/workings. I highly doubt the rulers of Hive City A are going to care if local playwrights, artists, and filmmakers make fun of the rulers of rival Hive City B.

That's fair. Actually, there must be noble houses who hire entertainers specifically to make fun of rival noble houses.

The rulers of city B may well.care a lot though, and can probably just hire some assassins to sort the problem out. Satirist Is probably quite a dangerous profession in the grim darkness of the far future...

According to Faith and Fury, the Emperor's Children still listen to the Maraviglia.