Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Analog Scott (A) on July 09, 2005 at 15:11:38

In Reply to: I see some of your points, but only in regard to stylistic issues & not at all with your second assessment. posted by Audiophilander on July 8, 2005 at 23:10:12:

"I will agree that Spielberg used some of his familiar tricks to rev-up suspense in the cellar scene. The hide and seek routine is nothing new in this kind of Spielberg film; it's even reaching the point of being cliche` because it's so predictable. Regrettably, the H&S stunt was employed with the same stylistic flourishes and excesses that he's used in earlier films (i.e., Raptors in the kitchen in Jurassic Park, spider-bots in Minority Report, etc.)."

So I guess these things are less aggrevating to you than me. nothing wrong with that but I'll get back to that aggrevation later.

'OTOH, the terra farming angle was new, and the use of human ash and blood as fertilizer was a very dark, scary idea brought off quite effectively, I thought."

OK I saw this differently. It seemed to me that the insineration (spelling?) was there for shock value. the blood as fetilizer looked like a selfconflicting twist. I thought it was illogical to destroy a valuable commodity. So you saw a duel purpose. I Think it's a stretch but maybe you saw something I missed there. Anyways I sw it as a bit forced. You can find the same darkness in your garden variety horror film without it feeling forced.

"I was also impressed and more than a little shocked by the very effective creepiness of the "floaters" in the stream sequence and the "human/rat-catcher" sequence.'

didn't it seem way too staged? I thought it did. i like a good shock but soooo many of them in movies are cheats. I have reached a point where cheats just drive me up the wall. I think it is a cheap substitute for well thought out scares with substance. i really admire movies like the Sixth sense where everything was very carefully considered and no cheats were used yet the emotional intent of each scene was preserved.

"On the second point you mentioned I completely differ with your impressions: Tim Robbins character, Harlan Ogilvy, seemed a little off from the start and got progressively creepy. When the aliens investigated the basement and Harlan's warped plans became clear, Tom Cruise's character had to adjust rapidly, from fearful prey to protective father, as Robbin's character seemed the greater threat. After all, Harlan's irrational actions would've eventually lead to everyone's deaths at the hands of the invaders."

I didn't think his plans were warped at all. think about it, without fighting back some how some way the people of earth were doomed without a miracle (lucky earth got one in the end). What bothered me was that he simply turned stupid and was bent on getting caught. The funny thing is, his irrational behavior was putting TC and child in greater danger (nothing a spare boot couldn't fix) but it was his first action, a very rational one, that saved their asses in the first place. that transformation simply felt forced and staged.

Now here's what really burns me up about this movie. you mentioned things being cliche. i think the movie is mostly a string of cliches. All the ridiculous near death escapes, running from falling bridges, swimming from sinking ships, running from fireballs. I'm just sick of this crap. I watched Jaws again over the weekend. What a brilliant movie. It drives me nuts that someone can make movies that good and then end up making things like War of the Worlds. Of course one can find improbablities even in Jaws but nothing of the order of magnitude of todays action movies. NO MORE RUNNING FROM FIRE BALLS PLEASE!!!