Snuck off recently to catch Martin Scorcese's impressive Shutter Island.
I reasoned it wasn't going to be M's cup of tea, though now I'm not so sure. It's not the horror film, or the unbearable gore fest, that some of the reviews had led me believe. But it certainly is a thriller.
Leonardo di Caprio stars as a cop sent over to the rocky island to investigate the disappearance of a female murderer from the island's fearsome lunatic asylum. (It's set in 1954, so OK to call it that I hope.)
This dark and mysterious institution is run by Ben Kingsley's Dr Cawley, himself eccentric enough to seem more like one of the inmates. The oppressive atmosphere is deepened by a spectacular hurricane which knocks out the electricity, leaving some of these brutal inmates on the run.
Di Caprio's character also seems to stray across the sanity line occasionally as he endures flashbacks from his experience as a GI who'd helped liberate the Dachau concentration camp at the end of the war.
I can't say too much more without risking giving away some of the plot, but let's just say that as his investigations continue, we start to realise that not all is what it seems. As he asks ever more awkward questions, the sense of danger intensifies, until you begin to secretly urge him to get the hell out of there. The plot spins and slaloms in spectacular style. Like all good thrillers, just as you think you know what's happening, the rug is pulled from under your feet.
Scorcese manages to create a brilliantly ominous and suspenseful atmosphere that has you anxious from start to finish. It's graphic and frequently disturbing, but not excessively so, and there's enough ingenuity thrown in as intellectual balance.
Arguably a little long at 2:20, but still, a highly satisfying, if ultimately rather melancholy, jaunt awaits.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
(08-07-2010, 11:09 PM)Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote: Hmm, must check this one out. Cheers guys.
Just read a review of DiCaprio's latest, Inception.
Looks intriguing to say the least, a mind-bending Sci-Fi-tastic trip.
Will view & report back.
Meanwhile the Swedish language adaptation of Stieg Larsson's Millenium books is drawing critical acclaim. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is now out on DVD (I somehow missed the cinematic release) but I'd urge you to read the book first. Long-winded in places perhaps but Larsson offers a unique insight into life on the alien planet that is Sweden.
Lastly on the film news front there's a delicious rumour that Sir Ridley Scott is set to helm a new Alien series, including a prequel/ origins movie. This, for me, is the stuff of dreams; I can only hope the whispers are true.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(09-07-2010, 11:16 AM)Sweder Wrote: Lastly on the film news front there's a delicious rumour that Sir Ridley Scott is set to helm a new Alien series, including a prequel/ origins movie.
(09-07-2010, 11:16 AM)Sweder Wrote: Lastly on the film news front there's a delicious rumour that Sir Ridley Scott is set to helm a new Alien series, including a prequel/ origins movie.
Apparently not just a rumour. Here's some excerpts from an interview with Ridley Scott about the two-part 3D prequel already in production:
“I sat thinking about the franchise, which now has died on the road somewhere way back and lying in the dust, and thought what I should do is go back… in the first Alien, when John Hurt climbed up and over the top of the rise… there was a massive giant lying in a chair. The chair was either a form of engine or some piece of technology and I always thought no one has ever asked who was the space jockey?”
- The Alien prequel will be broken into two films. The scripts are written and Scott is prepping it now.
- Time frame is way before Alien. Not only will we find out who the Space Jockey is, we’ll find out where his people come from.
- The first Alien was The Old Dark House with 7 people with an unwelcome visitor. Scott loved the script, but it was a very basic screenplay.
-The prequel will go further into the world of terraforming and will focus on the realities of what it takes to leave for another planet. He mentioned the theory of Near Faster-Than-Light travel, which is complete science fiction at the moment; “Mr. Spock stuff” as he called it, rearranging matter essentially, but theoretically possible. “But what we’re allowed to do by movies is to cheat like hell. But I think the closer it is to the truth, the closer it is to the technological feasibility then it becomes that much more interesting. And if it’s a film like the one I’m going to do, then it becomes that much more frightening.”
Scott also mentioned they're going to be exploring Zeta 2 Reticuli, the same system from Alien. Naturally they'd be going back at some point if the prequel leads up to Alien, but from what Scott was saying it seems like this system plays a large role in the prequels.
- On the Space Jockey: “I think beneath that carcass… it’s not a carcass, it’s a suit. Inside the suit is a being.”
Not so sure about the 3D aspect of the film (I'm old fashioned and don't like 3D), but this should be a beauty. According to that fount of all wisdom and knowledge, Wikipedia, the film is slated for release in 2012 and has a working title of Alien Harvest.
(09-07-2010, 11:16 AM)Sweder Wrote: Lastly on the film news front there's a delicious rumour that Sir Ridley Scott is set to helm a new Alien series, including a prequel/ origins movie.
Apparently not just a rumour. Here's some excerpts from an interview with Ridley Scott about the two-part 3D prequel already in production ...
... Not so sure about the 3D aspect of the film (I'm old fashioned and don't like 3D), but this should be a beauty. According to that fount of all wisdom and knowledge, Wikipedia, the film is slated for release in 2012 and has a working title of Alien Harvest.
Hmm, I'm feeling ravenous.
I'm not bothered either way about 3D. Saw Avatar in 3D when it came out - yes it was impressive, but I've since seen it in 'flat' HD and it was still impressive (visually anyway).
I've avoided delving into the web for more on the Alien prequel so far. Following this update I may be embarking on some faster-than-light travel of my own in search of further morsels (especially early rushes).
I've read (and still have) a couple of Dark Horse comic novels (one named 'Alien Harvest') that address the origins of the Space Jockey and a suggested symbiotic relationship with the eponimous xenomorphs. I suspect the script writers will 'borrow' from this. Remember the pre-release buzz over Alien3? With the emerging David Fincher at the helm it should have hit big, yet budgetary restraints and a series of ugly re-hashes (including swinging on-set cuts) lead to the dog's breakfast we ended up with.
Sir Ridley has immense clout and no shortage of studio muscle. Let's hope he gets the job done. Only 18 months to wait ...
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Great news: O'Bannon and Shusett are both on board (Ridley's wing men for the 1979 original). There's quite a buzz on IMDB - I've just signed up for the free 14 day trial for IMDB Pro to harvest (see what I did there?) as much info as I can before pulling the plug.
Very excited about this. Can you tell?
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
