SF films that make you go 'Umm...what?'
POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Monday, March 23, 2009 16:54
VIEWED: 8336
PAGE 4 of 7
Quote:Three DEFINITELY weird-ass ones.
Originally posted by 22Claws:
I just finished Sunshine. It was pretty wacky. Also, I'll say Event Horizen and The Black Hole
The laughing Chrisisall
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by Rhyianan:Quote:
Originally posted by BigRichard:Quote:
Originally posted by Rhyianan:
The Fountain (speaking of drug trips, this movie makes little to no sense, but it's visually beautiful)
and it helps to read the graphic novel
There's my problem, I don't do graphic novels. Since the age of 7, I prefer my reading material to be sans pictures, unless it was a Graeme Base book. I do like the movie, and I do own the dvd, it just doesn't make sense.
You forgot the "to me" at the end. Made sense to me, and I havn't even read the graphic novel.
"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by BigRichard:
ah, see, I said it 'helps', but it's not necessary. It's just an amazing book, that is structured slightly differently and allows it to be clearer. I read the novel after I understood the film, and, while it helped to clarify it a bit better, I already understood.
Plus the art is astonishing.
If I recall, the GN was based on the version of the movie that got scuttled at the last minute (If you didn't already know, the movie almost got made a year earlier, with a much larger budget and Brad pitt in the lead - when Pitt bailed, 2 weeks before shooting started, the whole thing collapsed). The structural and story differences are due to the changes made in the script to bring the budget down to a lower level.
"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by rallem:
I really liked the book “Starship Troopers," but can I ask you how does the Government in Robert Heinlein's story remind you of Libertarianism? I really liked the idea of only people who served being allowed to vote and everyone else getting every other right afforded a citizen, but from what I remember that is not what made up Libertarianism.
You ask a complicated question that brings with it a complicated answer. It's not really the focus of this thread but I'll answer in as simple terms possible that will no doubt read long.
There are 2 values to a libertarian. Economic freedom and personal freedom. In the USA we often see these values expressed on two polarized spectrums...for the sake of simplicity I'll define them as "the left" and "the right". On the right are a set of belief systems that produce a system of economic freedom. On the left are values that promote personal freedom. The lie told to the american people year to year is that one of these 2 represents a correct philosophy and the other is a fraud. But the truth is that they both suck. "The Right" often seeks to squash personal freedoms of the citizenry through vehicles like religon and moral controls. The Left seeks to prevent economic freedom by installing socialistic controls.
A true libertarian in america should seek out the moral philosophies of thinkers like Jefferson and Madison. Citizens should pursue happiness in whatever form or fashon they see fit so long as they do not infringe the pursuit of another's happiness nor violate the rights of anothers life or liberty.
The reason Starship Troopers exists in the libertarian library is that of it's many essays, one is economic freedom. Characters attack Karl Marx (as a "pompous fraud"), the labor theory of value ("All the work one cares to add will not turn a mud pie into an apple tart..."), and Plato's The Republic ("ant-like communism" and "weird in the extreme"). Where people become confused is in it's focus on Meritocracy, which is a form of political structure (a "cracy") not a philosophy (an "ism"). I think that is where you might be getting off track. Think of it this way. The government of the novel is a "Libertarian Meritocracy" with much of the book's political focus being on the "Meritocracy" portion.
For a book that focuses totally on economic freedom read Atlas Shrugged. I'm currently halfway through my second reading of that book. It seems very important to me in these new pro-Obama socialistic days.
But to end on the topic of the tread's focus...the movie angered me. There was no focus at all on political discourse with the one rare nod at the beginning when rico's teacher asks rico "Tell me the moral difference, if any, between the citizen and the civilian" Rico answers: "The difference lies in the field of civic virtue. A citizen accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic, of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life. The civilian does not." The instructor replies: "Yes, those are indeed the exact words from the text. But do you understand it? Do you believe it?"
The rest of the film was guns, bugs, and CGI. They wisely waited until Heinlein was dead to produce it.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:That was the most interesting part of the flick. I could have done with more political analysis and less Robocop-rip-off dark humour.
Originally posted by bluesuncompanyman:
the movie angered me. There was no focus at all on political discourse with the one rare nod at the beginning when rico's teacher asks rico "Tell me the moral difference, if any, between the citizen and the civilian" Rico answers: "The difference lies in the field of civic virtue. A citizen accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic, of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life. The civilian does not." The instructor replies: "Yes, those are indeed the exact words from the text. But do you understand it? Do you believe it?"
The rest of the film was guns, bugs, and CGI. They wisely waited until Heinlein was dead to produce it.
The laughing Chrisisall
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Sci-Fi films that make me got... Ummm What?
The Matrix - I still don't fully understand it. I know I like it, but really, understand it... Not so much.
My Science Project - This is one strange yet enjoyable little 80's film
The Monster From Green Hell. Truly low budget bizarre stuff. Around about 2/3 in it goes to colour, ten minutes later it's black and white again... No explanations!
2001 - I don't get it, like it or hate it.. I just... Oh look! An eagle!!
In the Mouth of Madness. Now I love John Carpenter films, I love his style, humour and sense of pace, but this one I just didn't understand at all, and I most definitely said... "Ummm What?"
The Soldier Daft!
Star Trek Can't remember the number, may be 5, where they meet God or something....
Pulse Just happened upon this not so long ago... Didn't get it!! Why!!!?!?!!?!?
Urotsukidôjii - the legend of the overfiend Gibli fans beware, this aint no "Kiki's delivery service".... Weeeeird!
A boy and his Dog Strange and twisted.
Dr Cyclops - Eerie, and inconclusive - but enjoyable 50's stuff!
Godzilla vs the Smog Monster In fact most of the Godzilla films, I just can't work out if they fear Godzilla or like him. It's very strange.
Attack of the killer Tomatoes It's just... well... how'd they keep a straight face long enough to finish the film!!!
Retroactive I actually really liked this :D
There ya go...
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
The time paradoxes in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure boggle my mind.
The laughing Chrisisall
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by peacekeeper:
Might not quite fall under the genus of sci-fi, but does anyone remember Jacobs Ladder. Still cant make head nor tale of it, Stoned or otherwise
Ohhh. Classic stuff! But you're right, it's out there smoking the carpet stuff! If it's any consolation I've never been stoned and I was most assuredly alert when watching Jacobs Ladder and I didn't understand it fully either. Oddly enough I thought maybe I shoulda been stoned, or gritted or top soiled... (Sorry not up on the jargon.)
I liked the freaky vibrating creatures though! Kinda like' Wylie Coyote' after he ate the earthquake pills!
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
If I recall, the GN was based on the version of the movie that got scuttled at the last minute (If you didn't already know, the movie almost got made a year earlier, with a much larger budget and Brad pitt in the lead - when Pitt bailed, 2 weeks before shooting started, the whole thing collapsed). The structural and story differences are due to the changes made in the script to bring the budget down to a lower level.
You are correct! This is actually why I bought the GN (other than the amazing art), as I'd heard it was based on his bigger budget and his original vision. I'm actually incredibly glad that it didn't get made in the first place, as I'm not sure Brad Pitt could've done as great a performance as Jackman's, although if anyone could get it out of him, it's Aronofsky.
But yes, the graphic novel is apparently the 'directors cut'. Although to be honest, if you read it, it's not vastly different. Some effects look like they may have changed, and there are a few scenes here or there that are slightly different, and the order of the thing is shifted around slightly, but ultimately it is very similar.
Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
In the Mouth of Madness. Now I love John Carpenter films, I love his style, humour and sense of pace, but this one I just didn't understand at all, and I most definitely said... "Ummm What?"
YES! I'd forgotten about this one. I'm a huge fan of Carpenter (Someone up above said Dark Star? I loved it.) and have loved most of his films, and this was no exception. But I'm fairly sure it ended and I understood about half the movie. I'll have to get around to watching that again, as I seem to remember it being brilliantly made, and being very intriguing, I just didn't quite get it!
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Mine is Primer...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primer_%28film%29
Even though Wikipedia has a timeline chart, here's a more detailed one...
http://neuwanstein.fw.hu/primer_timeline.html
(BTW, I saw Enemy Mine in the theatre opening night and loved it!)
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME