(Newser)
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New York and Moviefone point to a fascinating 1995 study brought back into the spotlight by Smithsonian: The study found that the saddest movie clip of all time may very well be from a poorly-reviewed 1979 boxing movie. Two scientists set out to find the... More »
(Newser)
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New York and Moviefone point to a fascinating 1995 study brought back into the spotlight by Smithsonian: The study found that the saddest movie clip of all time may very well be from a poorly-reviewed 1979 boxing movie. Two scientists set out to find the best film scenes to elicit specific emotional responses, from sadness to anger, and found that The Champ's depiction of a heartbroken 9-year-old Ricky Schroder did the trick when it came to depressing people. The clip has been used over and over in the past 16 years, in various experiments related to sadness (for example, it helped to determine that sad people are more likely to spend money).
Other results from the 1995 study included the clips most likely to inspire disgust (an amputation scene), contentment (a beach scene), and fear (The Shining and Silence of the Lambs). Second to The Champ for sadness? The death of Bambi's mom. Click to see the clip found to be most amusing. Less »
