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'the village'

Started by Bico, 03 August, 2004, 12:01:34 AM

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Mr C

It's a good film even when you know the twist.

Anyway, back to signs!

The point I'm trying to make is not whether the aliens are using technology or not, or whether faith is a good thing or not.
It's the fact that they are vulnerable to water.
It would be like humans attacking an alien world with an atmosphere of battery acid. Silly.

But hey, I enjoyed signs up till the end. Plenty of tension.

Art

Also, come to think of it, if you've ever walked through a field of corn on a dewy morning you?d realise that it would be a really shit place for water hating aliens to hide.

Quirkafleeg


I was very tempted to see The Village as I'd quite enjoyed Unbreakable and Signs (although both are flawed). However I recently heard one critic I who I like say that 'the ending doesnt work' and after reading that the box office plunged in the second week when word of mouth go to work I thought I'd give it a miss and spoiler it for myself.

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Well 10 mins research on the web reveals that the twist is 'it's actually modern times'... don't know if there is any further explinations (like why are they doing it? is it an experiement, a prison, what?)
And another review by another critic I rely on totally panned it, so I'll wait for the a telly showing.

Tanky

Signs is worth watching if only for the guy in the alien suit at the kids birthday party. Comedy gold!

ESCUBRIA

If Signs is anti-intellectual, why is there so much debate about it?

Floyd-the-k

unless I`m missing something, the only debate I`ve seen about it has been here, with you on the `it`s misunderstood genius` and everyone else on the `it`s ridiculous/a bit of fun` side.
  Still, it is possible there is a world of interesting debate aroused by `Signs` which I haven`t noticed. That still wouldn`t mean it was not anti-intellectual.

Generally Contrary

We could have a discussion about any object.  Let's say 'pants'.  Now, the discussion *about* pants could be extremely thoughtful and well-reasoned.  That does not mean that pants *themselves* are thoughtful and well-reasoned.

Or let's take the example of book-burning, or the murder of 'intellectuals' under the reign of Pol Pot in Cambodia.  That a great deal of time, study and thought has been expended on events like this do not make the events themselves pro-intellectual.

And the message of Signs was, I contend; do not think.  

In a battlefield of ideas (rather than actions such as book-burning) that message is about as anti-intellecual as you can get.

Link: http://bartlettsbizarrebazaar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bartlett's Bizarre Bazaar


Tordelbach

I was forced to watch Signs very much against my will, and actually quite enjoyed it.  It is a different kind of alien invasion movie, from a much narrower and more limited POV than usual,  and while the water thing was bloody silly in Triffid Movie fashion, the rest of the film was pretty gripping interpersonal stuff.

As for the Shawshank Redemption, this may or may not be a twist movie, but it I find it simply endlessly rewatchable for its stunning performances, signature lighting and crispdialogue.  Bloody gem.

Mr D

Heh, but they do all seem to be 'revelation' movies. Whther you think the ends are twisty or not, M Night is just filling in time till he can spring his surprise on us. Once you have the revelation, then you just kind of feel deflated.

I saw Don't Look Now a while back and I knew the main spoiler beforehand, and it was much more rewarding than Sixth Sense.


Revelation movies I'll accept, yeah. And I think it's a shame because he's actually a talented filmmaker.

But don't get me started on Don't Sodding Look Now...

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After hearing about it for as long as I can remember, I finally watched it. Genuinely creepy and filled with suspense. I overlooked the silly psychic stuff because it actually worked to enhance the atmosphere to a ceertain  extent.

The father finally corners the 'daughter'. What's going to happen? How can this tale possibly end? Just like when watching Ring, an atmosphere has been created where I'm just thinking 'Oh shit.... Please don't let me see her face!'
Then she turns round.
And it's a sodding GNOME! A GNOME!! Midget-dwarf-troll-gnome serial killer woman. What the HELL?? THIS is what I spent my time building up to?

I thought the film itself was beautifully done, and subsequent viewing has unvcovered a lot of subtle touches. But the end.... No! She looked ridiculous!!

paulvonscott

DON'T LOOK NOW


THE SPOILERS


The 'silly psychic stuff' is the real surprise in the movie, not the dwarf.  I found the old woman quite shocking and grotesque, despite knowing it was coming.  Much better than some undead zombie daughter, or a ghost.  The horror and supernatural existed only in the mental realm, the best place for it in my opinion.

But it's only then I pieced together all the information about his sight, the spilled fluid at the start, the feeling he had that something had happened to his daughter, the time he saw his wife even though she had left venice, the two old women and their various mumblings, that I really marvelled at it.  And of course, that if he'd accepted and understood these things, he'd still be alive.

In my opinion, Don't Look Now is in so many ways superior to The Sixth Sense.

Art

You totally need to see "Santa Sangre".

Mr D

I'll agree that it's superior to the Sixth Sense. Like I said, the film itself was superbly crafted. The end spoiled it for me though.

Quirkafleeg

Don't Look Now is in so many ways superior to The Sixth Sense.

Yup plus it's got the very scary stunt where he nearly falls of the scaffolding (scary if you know how it was done... basicaly because of the locations there was no protection)

And 'real' sex...

LARF

I like Signs, I don't think it's crap. It appeals to me on a certain level.

Yes there are bits that you think, uh that's stupid. But there are pieces of pure genius hidden in the plot. I think the reason why I have such an affinity with the film is that I look for signs to guide me in my life, and because of this I instantly related to what the film was trying to say. I can't explain it but it's like an instinctual thing, and you do remember the oddest of things when certain occurances happen during the day and they link in with things in the past, I can't explain it, but this then helps me make decisions. I know it sounds weird but it works for me, it's not blind faith and I don't do it all the time, just when it feels right.

That's why at the end of Signs with the water and the baseball bat I was crying and had goose bumps down my spine because I knew what was being said.


Roundy

I thought 'Sixth Sense' was good and 'unbreakable' was excellent. 'Signs' was just okay, but i will go and see 'the village' then make up my own mind.  As i don't see how you can slate a film before you have seen it (unless Woody Allen was in it or directed it).