Quote from: Ken/Kendra on January 05, 2009, 06:40:54 PM
I liked Black Christmas original, which you don't even really see the main character, except a brief shadowy view, through "its" eyes, and it's crazy sounds.
yes. It's a device that works. It worked flawlessly in the first Alien film. You can't even tell how dated the effects are because there's just nothing to see.
Quote from: Ken/Kendra on January 05, 2009, 06:40:54 PM
Strangers was from the victim's point of view, being chased by "someone" or something. The "strangers" seemed rather ghost-like, and I wasn't sure they were even human.
I thought the same thing. I was thinking of The Others for about the first 30 to 45 minutes of the film.
Quote from: Ken/Kendra on January 05, 2009, 06:40:54 PM
Yes the beginning shows the end with the quick flash of around the house and the 911 call, gave away what was going to happen. Although the end when you think she is dead and she reaches up towards the boy, leaves you thinking she is still alive (maybe he is also).
I did like that. It sort of upended the scene at the beginning. The problem I had at this point was in thinking "why even bother with the scene at the beginning?" Cut it and let's move on. The end with the reach out to the boy was perfectly good and could stand on it's own.
Quote from: Ken/Kendra on January 05, 2009, 06:40:54 PM
A chase scene movie? Definately.
it just felt too long. Pump the adrenaline early, and try to keep it going for over an hour and a half. Not going to happen. about halfway through I was thinking "Enough. Kill 'em already." Imagine my dismay to realize I had 45 more minutes of this.
For my criticism, I still thought it was a decent film. There are a few things that this movie was able to accomplish that many generic slasher movies can't deliver. And those things were done pretty well. But I'm still glad I didn't pay the $10+ to see it in theatres.
Quote from: Ken/Kendra on January 05, 2009, 06:40:54 PM
Speaking of Hannibal. Hannibal Rising bored me to sleep, even though it told me why he killed. And the second movie I only liked the ending. Silence of course, Hannibal wasn't the killer (except when he escaped), that other guy that skinned people was the killer. He created the atmosphere.
I'm trying to think of one, but can't really. Lecter is pretty unlikeable. Have any other "villains" really come to be flawed protagonists later on? In the history of film up to Silence, I think Lecter was possibly the most violent, at least visually depicted on screen. Other flawed protagonists might be thieves, or murderers or whatever, but Lecter
ate people. I'm sure there are villains that we're supposed to side with, but none who violate some of the basic laws of society such as "don't eat people." But in spite of that, I get the sense we're still supposed to be rooting for him. The protrayal of Buffalo Bill as "worse" than Lecter is also interesting. It allows the viewer to admire Lecter without feeling bad. We're teaming up with him to capture someone who's worse.
As an aside to gender, I find it interesting that the thing that makes Buffalo Bill worse than Lecter is his "woman-suit" made of human skin. The fact that his motivation to kill is tied into his gender identity, that it allows him to transgress societal norms wrt gender, is what makes him bad. Or at least very clearly identifies him as bad in a compulsory heterosexual society. Much more bad than Lecter. I could say much more about that, but don't want to stray any more off my original thought.
So, back on track. I feel like Lecter was relegated to a trope by the end of the films in which he appeared. Silence was definitely the best. Come to think of it, the same thing happened to Norman Bates. Always a danger with sequels. There might be more than one way to tell a story, but when you're using the same characters, the same writers, the same director, you're going to get the same story you told the first time.
I think Vexing and I would be great friends. Event Horizon holds a very special place in my heart.
