Movies to Work To

When I am working, I usually like listening to something. Often I just open iTunes and play music, which works in most cases. Sometimes, however, I like to turn on the TV.

When I have the TV on while working, I follow a few basic ground rules. I rarely watch TV shows, unless it is a DVD with a play all option. The best for this purpose tend to be shows set in a workplace, such as The West Wing and Newsradio. I won't work during a TV show that I have never seen, as it is far too distracting. I rarely watch sports while working, which usually isn't an issue considering I rarely watch sports except for football.

Most often when I have the TV on, it is to play a movie. Whether in real time on cable, on the DVR, or on a DVD, movies are the best fit for work-watching. I always watch a movie that I have seen before, especially if I have seen it multiple times. Trying to work while a movie I want to see is on is impossible, as I will either fail to get the work done or completely miss the movie.

Some movies work better than others in getting me to work. The three Lord of the Rings films are a good fit, although I don't own a copy of them, so I only use them when at my parents' house. Movies such as Glory and Gettysburg also tend to work. However, I've found the two best films to use are Pirates of Silicon Valley and WarGames. I guess it is because both movies deal with computers, and the former deals specifically with successfully starting a business. Considering how productive I've been while watching Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy hack into WOPR, I probably should buy it on DVD. Of course, it might then lose its magic.