tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post7721615122878237684..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Film Friday: Total Recall (2012)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-68844974007365447672013-10-08T15:41:07.174-04:002013-10-08T15:41:07.174-04:00Amen to thatAmen to thatIndividualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-71497329579022621272013-09-29T13:20:57.132-04:002013-09-29T13:20:57.132-04:00Indi, I think that's been the case with scienc...Indi, I think that's been the case with science fiction for a long time now. What I think has changed though is that they are slapping a sci-fi veneer over "the liberal film" rather than inserting a liberal idea into a science fiction story.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-15015917664720920812013-09-29T13:19:56.697-04:002013-09-29T13:19:56.697-04:00Scott, To me, the movie's biggest sin was that...Scott, To me, the movie's biggest sin was that I honestly couldn't care about anything that happened.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-2221362630962637892013-09-29T04:57:47.509-04:002013-09-29T04:57:47.509-04:00I didn't mind this movie that much mostly beca...I didn't mind this movie that much mostly because I expected it to be really, really bad, so bad that I didn't even want to watch it. I only ended up seeing it at a friends house and with my total lack of any positive expectations I ended up liking it some. I could see the obvious flaws in the movie but it didn't totally suck, light praise I know. <br /><br />Scott.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-37745663963661515892013-09-29T03:40:12.763-04:002013-09-29T03:40:12.763-04:00Works for me .... so long as we understand that po...Works for me .... so long as we understand that political metaphor trumps story line in thee 21st century Hollywood....<br /><br />I have noticed a trend in modern science fiction that the writers are using the genre to mask political statements that matter for today over the true purpose which is to show the effects of future technology on humanity. Science fiction writes are more political pundit than they are futurists.<br /><br />Even well done movies like District 9 center more around trying to make a statement about apartheid than they do trying to show how Aliens with alien thought processes will assimilate into our culture.<br /><br />Compare that to Alien Nation where the focus was not on the affirmative action metaphor but rather how the Aliens differed from us and how we dealt with it.<br /><br />There are dozens of examples. Phillip K Dick dealt with the potential technology and how it would effect human nature. This remake addressed none of those subjects. I think this might be why fantasy literature seems to overtake science fiction in the bookstore. Mindless fight scenes work better with Orcs than robots. Robots by their nature are too cerebral.Individualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-3314801398167970052013-09-28T19:21:48.572-04:002013-09-28T19:21:48.572-04:00Indi, An excellent analysis, though I think you ar...Indi, An excellent analysis, though I think you are perhaps giving too much credit. How about this: the UFB represents Britain/America, the twin evils of the world. Australia represents the third world. Colin Farrell is the usual white protagonist who must save the poor dark people... as only white people can (liberal films always do this). Cohagen is Bush. The world was destroyed because we hate chemical weapons and because it's cool to blow up the world. The fall came from the book, so we better use that to show we can read. The rest is just poor people being oppressed by evil capitalists and things blowing up which is totally cool.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-18502523231813744032013-09-28T18:31:06.429-04:002013-09-28T18:31:06.429-04:00Andrew
The reason the invasion of the colony does...Andrew<br /><br />The reason the invasion of the colony does not make sense to you is that you are worrying about the plot of the story, character development and whether it tells a compelling tale. These things to the liberal that wrote this are merely the unimportant vehicle used as a metaphor to make a political statement.<br /><br />The Colony being in Australia where convicts and Aborigines come from represents the oppressed third world conquered by Britain. A world struggling to find its place. <br /><br />Britain represents the mercantile system of capitalism (never mind the mercantilism was a system of trade controlled by governments and Capitalism as defined by Adam Smith promoted Free Trade and was a criticism of the current Monarchies' economic system). The British thus must express their dominance over this third world and cannot let them have their place in the world or they will lose their place as it's rulers.<br /><br />The chemical war represents the environmental destruction that is wrought by these capitalistic (who act like the mercantile government types capitalists were against in the 1600's but hey we'd have to read a history book to understand that.) who don't know any better.<br /><br />The Fall represents the link to the upper echelon of British society to the third world and it allows the British to have control over the Colony which is why it must be destroyed at the end of the film.<br /><br />The attack is necessary to stop the third world from being the equals of the first world because it is all about who is in charge.<br /><br />So the moral of this film is that big bad old western capitalism destroys the environment and seeks to enslave the third world but the third world can stop this by just breaking off contact. In short Western Society can go to H E double hockey sticks.<br /><br />I am fairly certain these were the rationalizations of the leftists that wrote this plot.Individualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-88654426455038107822013-09-28T14:03:22.506-04:002013-09-28T14:03:22.506-04:00El Gordo, That's a disgusting thought, but you...El Gordo, That's a disgusting thought, but you are absolutely right. If they remade it, they would pack it with stars and then turn it into one giant chase scene with martial arts-style fights and gun fights at every plot point... with the climax taking place atop the airship.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-86815861547946158462013-09-28T14:00:44.014-04:002013-09-28T14:00:44.014-04:00Mycroft, I agree. Paycheck started well enough an...Mycroft, I agree. <i>Paycheck</i> started well enough and it had its moments, but it got mired down in pointless chase scenes.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-7838090578721123592013-09-28T12:11:58.470-04:002013-09-28T12:11:58.470-04:00Scott, that´s what keeps me awake at night: Fear o...Scott, that´s what keeps me awake at night: Fear of a Blade Runner remake. <br /><br />Chances are, it´s won´t be a small guy in a couple of rooms. It´ll be a spinner chase that flattens 18 blocks. Remember the airship with the "Off World" ad? We need a fight on top of it and you know it´s going to crash. The new Deckard? Chris Hemsworth. The new Rachel? Zooey Deschanel (this one´s for you, Andrew). No, seriously: Ellen Page. The new Pris? Olivia Wilde. The new Beatty? Jamie Foxx. <br /><br />And we´ll get a scene introducing Beatty doing the combat model thing. <i>"Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion"?</i> Right. He did that. All those moments will no longer be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to rock´n roll! <br />El Gordonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-62952516187018137772013-09-28T11:02:28.921-04:002013-09-28T11:02:28.921-04:00Andrew, watching the movie Paycheck made me angry....Andrew, watching the movie Paycheck made me angry.<br />The movie failed, not because of Ben Affleck, but because John Woo loves chase scenes to the detriment of any drama he's trying to build. Paycheck could have been an excellent movie if:<br />1. put back the deleted scenes that explain why Affleck is willing to have his memory tampered with.<br />2. cut the motorcycle chase scene by 2/3's.<br />3. reshoot the ending so that we don't spend 10 minutes waiting for the ammunition to cook off. This didn't build tension - it was annoying.Mycrofthttp://www.mycrofth4.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-65467041141626149802013-09-27T18:51:42.474-04:002013-09-27T18:51:42.474-04:00Thanks LG! I do my best. :)Thanks LG! I do my best. :)AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-74646908485431907552013-09-27T18:42:50.892-04:002013-09-27T18:42:50.892-04:00AP, way to take one for the team, still saving my ...AP, way to take one for the team, still saving my first 2013 movie dollar for the first 2013 movie worth seeing in a theater. Netflix take me away from here, At least if it's crap there I can click that it was crap and they can steer me away from more crap just like it.Loyal Goatherdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13710850730515818614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-69394405402761372332013-09-27T18:09:16.282-04:002013-09-27T18:09:16.282-04:00Scott, It's funny that most movies would have ...Scott, It's funny that most movies would have been horrible if they had done what they originally planned. How many times have we heard that story that the studio or a budget or simple impossibility saved something like <i>Star Wars</i> from becoming a joke?AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-70025643427295465092013-09-27T17:01:35.065-04:002013-09-27T17:01:35.065-04:00One wonders how Blade Runner would be received now...One wonders how <i>Blade Runner</i> would be received now. Of course, if it were made today, it'd be a completely different movie and not nearly as original as it was (we've had plenty of rip-offs and dystopias, after all!).<br /><br />If you haven't seen it already, check out the <i>Dangerous Days</i> documentary on the <i>Blade Runner</i> Blu-Ray. Like <i>Star Wars</i>, it'd be a completely different movie if their original ideas had gone ahead. (Casting Dustin Hoffman in a small movie that took place in rooms. Ridley Scott, naturally, wanted to know what was outside the rooms.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-88718523148264289262013-09-27T16:34:20.525-04:002013-09-27T16:34:20.525-04:00T-Rav - they even screwed that up. The first movi...T-Rav - they even screwed that up. The first movie did a better job showing off the hot girls especially while fighting. Love those tight pants!Koshcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00552108950848576633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-55570362093895269862013-09-27T16:12:39.614-04:002013-09-27T16:12:39.614-04:00T-Rav, Bingo. LOL! As twisted as it may seem, I ca...T-Rav, Bingo. LOL! As twisted as it may seem, I can see that being one of the selling points when they talked about making this film.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-5645674563079570002013-09-27T16:10:17.728-04:002013-09-27T16:10:17.728-04:00Exhibit 201C in the "Hollywood Is Out Of Idea...Exhibit 201C in the "Hollywood Is Out Of Ideas" Department. Honestly, the only reason I could think of for this movie's creation was they wanted to show two hot girls fighting, and....that's about it.T-Ravhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10861218035729479354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-29994647974899488022013-09-27T15:47:59.084-04:002013-09-27T15:47:59.084-04:00I haven't read that one. I've only read t...I haven't read that one. I've only read three or four of his books and then gave up because I didn't like his writing style at all. I'm frankly amazed that they got <i>Blade Runner</i> out of <i>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep</i>.<br /><br />On the film <i>A Scanner Darkly</i>, I'm not even sure what was going on. It was rather a mess.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-74300055889995423142013-09-27T15:44:38.202-04:002013-09-27T15:44:38.202-04:00Too bad about A Scanner Darkly. The book was inte...Too bad about A Scanner Darkly. The book was interesting. The whole idea of spying on people with a partner but you are also spying on the partner and he is spying on you and you don't even know who your partner is. Couple that with finding out that your mission is to spy on yourself which nobody knew it was you because they have never seen your face. Very convoluted.Koshcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00552108950848576633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-49222125698126365282013-09-27T14:58:02.002-04:002013-09-27T14:58:02.002-04:00Koshcat, I can't explain it either. I wonder ...Koshcat, I can't explain it either. I wonder if the problem isn't "length," as in his ideas really would work best in short films, yet they keep being made into full-length films? I'm not sure.<br /><br />I do agree that the stories themselves are basically pure science fiction with little character building, so they end up needing to be puffed up by adding other genres. And I think it's the choice of what they are mixed with that makes or breaks the films. As you note, <i>Blade Runner</i> is a cop movie and a good one and that really made it work. <i>Minority Report</i> also is a cop movie, but not as good of one, so it doesn't quite work. <i>Imposter</i> is cop film too, but not nearly as good as the other two, and it feels really flat. <i>Scanners</i> is a war movie of sorts and I enjoy it -- I also rank it second after <i>Blade Runner</i>. <i>Total Recall</i> is really an Arnold action movie, so it works well in that context. <i>Total Recall reboot</i> is an Arnold-less action movie and it doesn't work at all. There's a movie called <a rel="nofollow"><i>Paycheck</i></a> with some big names including Ben Affleck and director John Woo, but it ends up being just a chase film and it feels really flat. <i>A Scanner Darkly</i> stunk. It was basically a combination of a slacker film and a Tarantino-knock-off drug dealer film. <i>The Adjustment Bureau</i> was a Matt Damon love story/chase film that just bored me.<br /><br />I know there are more, but I haven't seen them.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-59068104279361180572013-09-27T14:36:00.952-04:002013-09-27T14:36:00.952-04:00Scott, Thanks for the link. I wouldn't have t...Scott, Thanks for the link. I wouldn't have thought movie sound would suffer from the same problems, but I guess I'm not that surprised. And yeah, a ton of films all sound alike these days.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-22451120141484366462013-09-27T14:35:26.032-04:002013-09-27T14:35:26.032-04:00Your statement about transferring Phillip Dick sto...Your statement about transferring Phillip Dick stories into movies is interesting. I don't have a complete answer for you. His stories are fairly shot without tremendous character building but overall the stories are pure science fiction. Completely understanding the character is not as important as the situation he is in. Pure sci fi may come across as a bit flat so it seems that they mix a little different genre in there to liven it up. Blade Runner is scifi but also a mystery/detective/cop movie. Total Recall (Arnie) was a scifi/action movie. Screamers was a scifi/war/mystery/horror movie.<br /><br />Blade Runner and Screamers are the best, followed closely by Total Recall (Arnie). Total Rekall (crappy) is so far away from true scifi I don't think we can blame Dick for it. Minority Report isn't bad but it feels like it is missing something. Still I liked the movie overall. I've read A Scanner Darkly but haven't seen the movie.Koshcathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00552108950848576633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-23196803522293552032013-09-27T14:34:56.777-04:002013-09-27T14:34:56.777-04:00Koshcat, I agree complete! All of your points are...Koshcat, I agree complete! All of your points are excellent. And that's the problem, nobody thought out anything in this film -- they just tossed in some ideas and started shooting. It's utter nonsense throughout, and that filters down to every level and makes the film completely uninteresting.<br /><br />And you're right, Colin looks like he hates being in this movie. He looks angry and grumpy and depressed, like he knows this whole thing stinks but he has no way out.<br /><br />Agreed too on Michael Ironside. His character really helped ground the original and make the whole thing believable. There's no one like that in this film.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-88586798009070429542013-09-27T14:22:37.692-04:002013-09-27T14:22:37.692-04:00P.S. Speaking of originality in Hollywood, the BBC...P.S. Speaking of originality in Hollywood, the BBC did a story about film music today and some composers (especially James Horner) have their horror stories and it all goes back to the same thing: filmmaking by committee, with studio money wonks being given too much say over a process they know nothing about. Plus the use of temp tracks where one movie sounds just like another.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03bfjqv/Sunday_Feature_Sound_of_Cinema_Composing_for_Hollywood/" rel="nofollow">Listen here.</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com