The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

well that makes sense then

yeah, that was pretty bad ass

You have maintained some of your credibility then

i did, but he didn't really stand out to me too much and wasn't too memorable probably because he didn't do or say much

That's one of the reasons I like him so much. He's just the quite, get out of my way kind of character.

idk. i've heard Chronicles is awful, so if i disliked Pitch Black i don't know if i should even bother
it's in the queue, but don't know if i'll get to it or not.
i'll read up on the story and see if it's interesting or piques my interest

It's a VERY different film than Pitch Black, so its possible you would have more luck with it, but its also possible that you would dislike it just as much

I prefer Chronicles myself.

[two40]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

idk. i've heard Chronicles is awful, so if i disliked Pitch Black i don't know if i should even bother
it's in the queue, but don't know if i'll get to it or not.
i'll read up on the story and see if it's interesting or piques my interest

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's a solid action flick.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by two40

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's a solid action flick.

I'm kind of in the middle of others here in regards to Pitch Black. I didn't like it as much as some people here, but I also didn't hate it. I am really looking forward to finally watching Chronicles of Riddick though. That's more my style than Pitch Black.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Antichrist

Let me start with this, I abandoned seeking themes and watched it as a literal work. Meaning, I took what was on screen as "it is what it is" and nothing deeper. After watching the bonus material and interviews with Von Trier and Dafoe, I am glad I did that.

I guess this is where we'll differ = context. Watching this as a literal work (a.k.a. "it is what it is") seems to be off, IMO. And I don't think this has anything to do with seeking themes. It merely has to do with finding the right lens through which to watch the film, before any themes are determined.

It seems as though you've chosen a physical/literal/rational/scientific/psychological context. Within that context, I think all of your analysis is very thorough and accurate. Heck, I may choose that context on my next viewing But for now, on my first viewing, I went with a different one.

However, in my initial viewing (I haven't watched the extras or watched any interviews) I can't imagine that this is the intended context, and instead that a metaphysical/intuitive/spiritual/theological context was intended. THere are just way too many intentional roadblocks preventing any other context, such that if your context was intended, this was the biggest directional misdirection of intent in the history of cinema. I won't go into them all here as they've been discussed ad nauseum (Title of film, Eden, "he" and "she" = intentional omission of names, study of women being inherently evil, imagery, etc). The likelihood of a non-literal context far outweighs a literal context, IMO.

However, because of that, the title is all wrong. God is here? God abandoned us? Satan rules? NONE of that is depicted anywhere in the movie other than the in the ramblings and writings of a mentally disturbed woman. Its never projected as a reality.

Excuse me??

True. Within your chosen context. But "the title is wrong"? what do you mean "is wrong"? If by "is wrong" you mean it does not lend itself to interpretation within your chosen context, then I'd have to disagree with the context, not the title. The title has to have meaning!! Like I said, I need to watch this again, but within the context the title has meaning in which

[Show spoiler]"she" represents an anti-christ - which is defined (oxford) as a false Christ who will come resembling Christ and spread evil on the world. She was sacrificed (burned) as Christ, in a martyr like ceremony at the end. But unlike Christ, who brought an end to sin for mankind, she is the opposite: was sacrified and brought a beginning of sin on mankind, in a (satan-ruled) world where sin is the goal of every person, rather than in our world (where avoidance of sin is the goal)

Is this explicitly in the script? No. However, the "not depicted in the film" standard flows both ways, and I don't see anything depicted in the film about 2 central things that you argue: that (1) she had this

[Show spoiler]"problem" before she read up on the gender-hate stuff, and the gender/theological stuff just made an existing problem worse, and (2) the film is only about one man and one woman. (1) To the contrary: the only "pre-incident" stuff I saw was when she was (a) at Eden, (b) with the Son, (c) writing her PhD dissertation on the gender-hate topic, and (d) putting his shoes on backwards, which arguably caused his fall. What was depicted in the film that she had issues prior to her PhD dissertation? I didn't see any. If it was implied/inferred, I get it, but then we're going beyond the script. regarding #(2): the intentional lack of any character names alone, "He" and "She" by itself makes it more likely that the film is about more than the two human beings on the screen. Again, I don't see anything explicitly stating otherwise? Just weighing the two?

I felt a great deal of empathy for the woman as she

[Show spoiler]slipped farther and farther into her psychosis. As the story unfolds we can see that she was troubled long before the loss of her child. She commits acts in a "Blackout" state similar to an alcoholic, and regrets them when she shifts back to reality.

agreed, within your chosen context. also agreed regarding the

[Show spoiler]"before teh loss of teh child"

, but this was contemporaneous with

[Show spoiler]her PhD study/research of women being evil, so the problem was arguably caused by this

I found the realism of the Mans failure to help her very well portrayed. A therapist can NOT treat a spouse effectively. He is unable to be objective because he loves, and is in love with the patient.

[Show spoiler]She will only grow to resent (as properly depicted) Him for his "arrogance" as she cant separate therapist from spouse. Treatment is doomed to fail from the onset. This was a HUGE error in judgment on his behalf, and the consequences were grave indeed. Could she have recovered with treatment from a different Mental Health Professional? We'll never know.

again, agree 100% within the literal/rational/psychological context. within the metaphysical/intuitive/spiritual/theological context, the whole issue of "helping her" is itself the problem, regardless of who is doing it.

[Show spoiler]"help her" = she has a "problem" = she is a problem = reinforces her gender self-hate = accelerate her incarnation into the ANtichrist = sin leashed on the world = Satan's world flourishes.

Some viewers may see the film as mysogynistic, but in reality it is far from it. It depicts the woman as

[Show spoiler]suffering at the hands of a mental illness. Suffering to a degree the audience cant begin to comprehend. Some forms of insanity are painless for the patient because they have no idea that they are mad. In Her case, she was well aware of the fact that she was slipping farther and farther away from reality and moving towards a dark and evil place. The anguish and anxiety would be tremendous, unbearable. Hence the self destructive behavior. Anything to escape the guilt and pain. Anything, a fleeting orgasm, a punch in the face, anything strong enough to take her mind away from where it want to go. Anything to stop being pulled towards that dark place. She is very aware of how troubled she is and fears abandonment. Can you imagine living that way.

Again, agree with your context. Here is my bottom line: I'd agree with this context if the film was titled "Camp Guilt", took place at a setting near Lake Erie, and didn't have the theological references. Otherwise, I'd be all about a secular context.

The other tragedy we witness unfolding is His.

[Show spoiler]We watch as a good man tries to do the right thing. To save his wife from a complete and irreversible breakdown. In the process of failing, he comes to realize that there were many warning signs of her demise well before the event that is commonly believed to trigger it. He feels guilt for missing all those signs. He feels guilt for the death of his son. He feels guilt for not helping her earlier. In a final act caused by overwhelming fear, rage, desperation, horror, passion and guilt, he terminates her life. He will now return to a life racked with tremendous guilt for all eternity. Tragedy.

Yes, within that context. However, within the spiritual context,

[Show spoiler]she is asking for "help", but that "help" involves being sacrificed. To be burned, smacked, etc., all reinforces her negative gender self-image, and hence (sick as it seems) is being sought out by her, by trying to illicit violent reactions in him against her. Thus she becomes the sacrificed Antichrist in a Satan world where sin is rewarded, and absence from sin is scorned, a 180 from our world. "He" may feel like crap after killing her. He may feel guilt, etc. But that's the point! This is a world where sin is the goal. He gets an A+

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Diesel

It's a VERY different film than Pitch Black, so its possible you would have more luck with it, but its also possible that you would dislike it just as much

I prefer Chronicles myself.

Originally Posted by two40

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's a solid action flick.

Originally Posted by killowertz

I'm kind of in the middle of others here in regards to Pitch Black. I didn't like it as much as some people here, but I also didn't hate it. I am really looking forward to finally watching Chronicles of Riddick though. That's more my style than Pitch Black.

hmm... definitely gonna keep it in the queue then!
seems like a lot of people enjoy it - and even prefer it over Pitch Black! so i'll give it a shot

and i may have seen a scene or two here or there.
i had an old gf who only owned Chronicles, The Mummy, Aladdin and Failure to Launch, so she would connnnnnnnstantly play these four in an endless cycle. i didn't really watch Chronicles because i knew it was a sequel, but i remember some scenes in a ship - and a lot of orange and black for the color.

[tbizzle]

Squid, surf and disturbed, good points from all of you in your discussion and I've enjoyed reading it.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Squid, surf and disturbed, good points from all of you in your discussion and I've enjoyed reading it.

i was gonna say something like this, but this is how it went in my head...

"Squid, surf and disturbed, way too many points from all of you in your massively endless discussion and i've been annoyed and injured my index finger by having to scroll for hours to get past all of it"

[two40]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i was gonna say something like this, but this is how it went in my head...

"Squid, surf and disturbed way too many points from all of you in your massively endless discussion and i've been annoyed and injured my index finger by having to scroll for hours to get past all of it"

say what now? what happened? can someone give me a recap?

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by two40

say what now? what happened? can someone give me a recap?

squid and disturbed were having a very detailed, interesting conversation on the themes and whatnot of Antichrist and then lastly surf came in and dropped some knowledge as well.

tbizzle thanked them for their input, i told them to stop because they took up too much space that i had to scroll past

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Pitch Black Special Edition: Unrated Director's Cut


1.5/5

holy crappola bro!

I can promise you that in 2000, this was the shizit! Because of that impact it had on me, I still love it. However, I still really enjoy it, plus the DTS-HD on the blu rocks!

I agree that the acting isn't A+, but what really struck me was how you said there was "no atmosphere"? I loved the atmosphere, from the opening shots of the surface of the

[Show spoiler]planet

to the whole

[Show spoiler]eclipse

scenery, to the

[Show spoiler]dark hole caves places<--forgot their name? where the monster thingies live

. What was it about the atmosphere you didn't like? Just overall yucky?

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

"Squid, surf and disturbed, way too many points from all of you in your massively endless discussion and i've been annoyed and injured my index finger by having to scroll for hours to get past all of it"

pleaaaase...don't lump me in with those two yoko's...at least I can keep my points brief and single-posted

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

As Good as it Gets.

nice one!

plus Al came up with American History X!

Two was right -- there are a few "Gran Torino"-ish films out there already!

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

hmm... definitely gonna keep it in the queue then!
seems like a lot of people enjoy it - and even prefer it over Pitch Black! so i'll give it a shot

and i may have seen a scene or two here or there.
i had an old gf who only owned Chronicles, The Mummy, Aladdin and Failure to Launch, so she would connnnnnnnstantly play these four in an endless cycle. i didn't really watch Chronicles because i knew it was a sequel, but i remember some scenes in a ship - and a lot of orange and black for the color.

Don't come complaining to us if you don't like it

[Show spoiler]

There's some blue in there too, but that's basically it

Originally Posted by surfdude12

holy crappola bro!

I can promise you that in 2000, this was the shizit! Because of that impact it had on me, I still love it. However, I still really enjoy it, plus the DTS-HD on the blu rocks!

I agree that the acting isn't A+, but what really struck me was how you said there was "no atmosphere"? I loved the atmosphere, from the opening shots of the surface of the

[Show spoiler]planet

to the whole

[Show spoiler]eclipse

scenery, to the

[Show spoiler]dark hole caves places<--forgot their name? where the monster thingies live

. What was it about the atmosphere you didn't like? Just overall yucky?

[Show spoiler]Monster thingies

Is that a technical term Surf?

Originally Posted by surfdude12

pleaaaase...don't lump me in with those two yoko's...at least I can keep my points brief and single-posted

[Show spoiler]

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

holy crappola bro!

I can promise you that in 2000, this was the shizit! Because of that impact it had on me, I still love it. However, I still really enjoy it, plus the DTS-HD on the blu rocks!

I agree that the acting isn't A+, but what really struck me was how you said there was "no atmosphere"? I loved the atmosphere, from the opening shots of the surface of the

[Show spoiler]planet

to the whole

[Show spoiler]eclipse

scenery, to the

[Show spoiler]dark hole caves places<--forgot their name? where the monster thingies live

. What was it about the atmosphere you didn't like? Just overall yucky?

yeah, just wasn't for me i guess. but since it's not necessarily the genre i love and / or enjoy the most, it shouldn't be too surprising i didn't like it, but the score was a hell of a lot lower than i ever anticipated!

as for the atmosphere, it just felt like there was none there!
the ship felt like any old ship (take almost any ship except the Alien ship), and the planet was boring and plain. had no real life or pizzazz to it. had no kick. and wasn't eerie. the three suns thing was neat, but something was very much lacking. and the acting wasn't able to mask that so it wasn't a hindrance. just blah for me

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

pleaaaase...don't lump me in with those two yoko's...at least I can keep my points brief and single-posted

i do apologize surf, you are always to make quick points in one solid, well rounded post (unlike the other two who go on and on and on...)

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Don't come complaining to us if you don't like it

[Show spoiler]

i'll make sure not to

[Show spoiler]Monster thingies

Is that a technical term Surf?

i didn't even notice this wonderful term being used by one of our resident geniuses!

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Diesel

[Show spoiler]Monster thingies

Is that a technical term Surf?

Dang it -- DIesel reads everything!!! Especially posts on Diesel films!!

[tbizzle]

Pi - 4/5

I really liked the look and feel of this film, and the score complimented it very well. I was diggin the camera movement and the constant use of interesting angles, at times providing a clostrophobic, itchy, chaotic feel. The acting was fine, but I was mainly concentrating on the style. The pacing was kinda slow but overall I enjoyed it, but it's gonna be a while before I see it again. Definitely recommend this one, it's a trippy film.

[two40]

Inception (2010)

Not one to be left out of my social circle, I made it a priority to watch Inception. Like wow. It blew my mind. I'm not sure what happened exactly but it was awesome. There were these dreams and people were stealing them. Lots of action for the family. At least like 50 people die which is a bit low but still good. And there were all these layers, like in a cake. Oh, speaking of cakes, I've been learning to cook recently. Experimenting with food is so much fun. One of the tastiest cakes is Tiramisu. If you haven't tried it before, please do yourself a favour and add these ingredients to your shopping list:

3/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
1½ cup of strongly brewed espresso
500g mascarpone cheese
4 tablespoon of icing or superfine castor sugar
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or essence
½ cup of lightly whipped cream
260g of savoiardi (thin sponge finger biscuits)
20g of cocoa powder

The cheese is very important so make sure you get mascarpone. Once you have all of the above, just dive in. Don't be afraid. Cooking is very easy and oh so satisfying when you taste something that you've created. Baking is a bit harder than other types of cooking but don't let that put you off. It just means you have to pay closer attention to the instructions and follow them accurately. So let's start shall we?

Combine ½ cup of the baileys irish cream and the expresso in a shallow dish. Set aside.

Mix the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and the remaining Baileys irish cream, until it's well combined and smooth. Then fold in the lightly whipped cream until combined. Cover and refrigerate.

Dip half the sponge fingers biscuit into the coffee and irish cream mixture and place them in a single layer on the bottom of a 2 litre ceramic dish.

Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits and dust with cocoa powder. Dip the remaining biscuits in the coffee and Irish cream mixture. Then lay it on top. Then spread the remaing mascapone mixture on top of the biscuits. Dust with cocoa powder and refrigerate. For best results refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

Decorate with whipped cream, strawberries and wafer biscuits. With any remaining coffee and irish cream mixture, add it to a glass full of ice.

Easy no? Give it a go and you'll open up a world of taste sensations with no end of experimentation. It will turn in to a life passion and you will ultimately eat better, impress friends and family and experience tastes unlike anything you can find in a microwave dinner.

Oh, the movie was pretty good too.

3/5

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by two40

Inception (2010)

[Show spoiler]
Not one to be left out of my social circle, I made it a priority to watch Inception. Like wow. It blew my mind. I'm not sure what happened exactly but it was awesome. There were these dreams and people were stealing them. Lots of action for the family. At least like 50 people die which is a bit low but still good. And there were all these layers, like in a cake. Oh, speaking of cakes, I've been learning to cook recently. Experimenting with food is so much fun. One of the tastiest cakes is Tiramisu. If you haven't tried it before, please do yourself a favour and add these ingredients to your shopping list:

3/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
1½ cup of strongly brewed espresso
500g mascarpone cheese
4 tablespoon of icing or superfine castor sugar
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or essence
½ cup of lightly whipped cream
260g of savoiardi (thin sponge finger biscuits)
20g of cocoa powder

The cheese is very important so make sure you get mascarpone. Once you have all of the above, just dive in. Don't be afraid. Cooking is very easy and oh so satisfying when you taste something that you've created. Baking is a bit harder than other types of cooking but don't let that put you off. It just means you have to pay closer attention to the instructions and follow them accurately. So let's start shall we?

Combine ½ cup of the baileys irish cream and the expresso in a shallow dish. Set aside.

Mix the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and the remaining Baileys irish cream, until it's well combined and smooth. Then fold in the lightly whipped cream until combined. Cover and refrigerate.

Dip half the sponge fingers biscuit into the coffee and irish cream mixture and place them in a single layer on the bottom of a 2 litre ceramic dish.

Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits and dust with cocoa powder. Dip the remaining biscuits in the coffee and Irish cream mixture. Then lay it on top. Then spread the remaing mascapone mixture on top of the biscuits. Dust with cocoa powder and refrigerate. For best results refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

Decorate with whipped cream, strawberries and wafer biscuits. With any remaining coffee and irish cream mixture, add it to a glass full of ice.

Easy no? Give it a go and you'll open up a world of taste sensations with no end of experimentation. It will turn in to a life passion and you will ultimately eat better, impress friends and family and experience tastes unlike anything you can find in a microwave dinner.

Oh, the movie was pretty good too.

3/5

With a meager 3/5 rating, I get the feeling that this cake is all sweetness and cheese...

Dang it, you're like the third or fourth person on here who's been dissapointed with the highly-rated "Inception." Maybe I should cancel my blind-order...