list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Panic Room on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Panic_Room/204905/default.aspx Title: Panic Room
Year: 2002
Director: David Fincher
Plot: A well-regarded spec script by A-list screenwriter David Koepp became this stylish thriller from director David Fincher. Jodie Foster stars as Meg Altman, a single mother of an diabetic preteen daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart). Meg's going through an unhappy divorce that forces her and Sarah to move into a new home. They choose a deluxe New York brownstone that coincidentally boasts an unusual feature: a "panic room," a vault-like hidden space capable of literally sealing itself off from the rest of the building. With its thick steel door on springs, separate ventilation and communications systems, and video monitors linked to cameras mounted throughout the home, the room is an impregnable fortress. It quickly comes in handy when the Altmans' new residence is invaded by a trio of thieves: Junior (Jared Leto), Burnham (Forest Whitaker), and Raoul (Dwight Yoakam). Meg and Sarah are able to secure themselves in the panic room before the robbers can get to them, but it turns out that Sarah's medication is still on the outside, the phone's not yet connected, and the loot the gang's seeking is inside the panic room with them. A cat-and-mouse battle of wits ensues, with Meg trying to outwit their captors over the course of one very long night, as her daughter's health dissipates. Panic Room (2002) co-stars Ann Magnuson, Patrick Bauchau, and Koepp's fellow screenwriter, Andrew Kevin Walker, in a cameo role. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 39
Number of Lists: 36
Number of blog posts: 2
Number of discussion threads: 7
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:30:31 GMTPanic Room2002David FincherA well-regarded spec script by A-list screenwriter <a href="/players/P____97774/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Koepp</a> became this stylish thriller from director <a href="/players/P____89783/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Fincher</a>. <a href="/players/P____90220/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jodie Foster</a> stars as Meg Altman, a single mother of an diabetic preteen daughter, Sarah (<a href="/players/P___297909/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kristen Stewart</a>). Meg's going through an unhappy divorce that forces her and Sarah to move into a new home. They choose a deluxe New York brownstone that coincidentally boasts an unusual feature: a "panic room," a vault-like hidden space capable of literally sealing itself off from the rest of the building. With its thick steel door on springs, separate ventilation and communications systems, and video monitors linked to cameras mounted throughout the home, the room is an impregnable fortress. It quickly comes in handy when the Altmans' new residence is invaded by a trio of thieves: Junior (<a href="/players/P___200349/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jared Leto</a>), Burnham (<a href="/players/P___116578/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Forest Whitaker</a>), and Raoul (<a href="/players/P____78034/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dwight Yoakam</a>). Meg and Sarah are able to secure themselves in the panic room before the robbers can get to them, but it turns out that Sarah's medication is still on the outside, the phone's not yet connected, and the loot the gang's seeking is inside the panic room with them. A cat-and-mouse battle of wits ensues, with Meg trying to outwit their captors over the course of one very long night, as her daughter's health dissipates. Panic Room (2002) co-stars <a href="/players/P____44595/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ann Magnuson</a>, <a href="/players/P_____4592/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Patrick Bauchau</a>, and Koepp's fellow screenwriter, <a href="/players/P___194435/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Andrew Kevin Walker</a>, in a cameo role. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide39Tag Target (>10)36273http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t88237g98nk.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Panic_Room/204905/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_August_3_Home_Invasion/625/43426/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/5/2009 7:30:31 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] Also, I've never seen it, but from what I know about the plot of Panic Room, it sounds applicable too. Has anyone seen it? I find David Fincher to be a capable director, although after seeing The Game I can't say that all of the plots he takes on are that believable. [/quote] When I saw Panic Room in the theater I felt that it was lacking in some sense. It seemed to end on such a low note that made me feel cheated somehow. But after repeat viewings I've grown to reasonable appreciate it. I think the use of digital effects used to make the brownstone feel both enormous yet claustrophobic could have been used a little more sparingly (all the swooping through railings and down vent shafts and through tiny cracks seemed a little too forced and put in just for the sake of showing the advancements in FX).
]]>Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:30:31 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme8/5/2009 7:30:31 PM[quote user="Risselada"] Also, I've never seen it, but from what I know about the plot of Panic Room, it sounds applicable too. Has anyone seen it? I find David Fincher to be a capable director, although after seeing The Game I can't say that all of the plots he takes on are that believable. [/quote] When I saw Panic Room in the theater I felt that it was lacking in some sense. It seemed to end on such a low note that made me feel cheated somehow. But after repeat viewings I've grown to reasonable appreciate it. I think the use of digital effects used to make the brownstone feel both enormous yet claustrophobic could have been used a little more sparingly (all the swooping through railings and down vent shafts and through tiny cracks seemed a little too forced and put in just for the sake of showing the advancements in FX). http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_August_3_Home_Invasion/625/43413/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/5/2009 11:33:00 AM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="Risselada"] Emery, you HAVE seen the personal statement that has always been on my profile haven't you? [/quote] Yes of course I have and I have to admit that I thought of you and your brilliant observations while watching The Collector last week. Pancakes, Emery [/quote] Hah, yeah I just read the synopsis for The Collector! Too bad you say it wasn't that good. The first two Home Alone movies were amongst the most watched in my youth and I still like to put them in around every Christmas. It was actually during one of these Christmas parties watching Home Alone that I shouted out suddenly "Ever seen the movie Straw Dogs?" I guess something about how or when I said it was amusing the the company and they would repeat it around me, so I kind of took it on as my catch phrase. The home invasion parts were of course the centerpieces for the Home Alone movies though and every child's delight. Basically it was like the sillyness of a human cartoon, but with all of the human pain. I'm surprised that you made this the weekly topic this week while you are at the same time running your Michael Haneke marathon and didn't even bring up Funny Games! Now that is a home invasion movie if I ever saw one!! Also, I've never seen it, but from what I know about the plot of Panic Room, it sounds applicable too. Has anyone seen it? I find David Fincher to be a capable director, although after seeing The Game I can't say that all of the plots he takes on are that believable. Anyone ever heard of or seen Lady in a Cage? I haven't but I love the idea of the plot.
]]>Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:33:00 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme8/5/2009 11:33:00 AM[quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="Risselada"] Emery, you HAVE seen the personal statement that has always been on my profile haven't you? [/quote] Yes of course I have and I have to admit that I thought of you and your brilliant observations while watching The Collector last week. Pancakes, Emery [/quote] Hah, yeah I just read the synopsis for The Collector! Too bad you say it wasn't that good. The first two Home Alone movies were amongst the most watched in my youth and I still like to put them in around every Christmas. It was actually during one of these Christmas parties watching Home Alone that I shouted out suddenly "Ever seen the movie Straw Dogs?" I guess something about how or when I said it was amusing the the company and they would repeat it around me, so I kind of took it on as my catch phrase. The home invasion parts were of course the centerpieces for the Home Alone movies though and every child's delight. Basically it was like the sillyness of a human cartoon, but with all of the human pain. I'm surprised that you made this the weekly topic this week while you are at the same time running your Michael Haneke marathon and didn't even bring up Funny Games! Now that is a home invasion movie if I ever saw one!! Also, I've never seen it, but from what I know about the plot of Panic Room, it sounds applicable too. Has anyone seen it? I find David Fincher to be a capable director, although after seeing The Game I can't say that all of the plots he takes on are that believable. Anyone ever heard of or seen Lady in a Cage? I haven't but I love the idea of the plot. http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/12/24/38809.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Reel Thoughts
Post Date: 12/24/2008 10:40:20 AM
Body: The next entry on the ole' Netflix queue is my second of four thrillers and the last in the couplet of David Fincher movies topping the list. I had never seen Panic Room, even despite cable rotation, but was always interested because of a) my fleeting interest in David Fincher and b) the fact that it had stars like Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker in it. I was hoping that these sorts of ingredients put together could make for something that wasn't all bad, even if the premise centers on something that would certainly give me claustrophobia should I be unlucky enough to experience it. I was right, you know. It wasn't all bad. Foster plays Meg Altman, a woman going through a tough divorce and a single mother of a young, diabetic daughter named Sarah (Kristen Stewart). While striking out on their own, Meg purchases a Manhattan brownstone previously owned by an eccentric millionnaire that includes features like an elevator and a small "panic room," a people-sized vault used to hide in the case of, I don't know, weather-related danger or, you know, robberies. It's encased by steel and granite, comes complete with video surveillance of the rest of the house and survival supplies, and becomes the center of this coincidentally titled film. On the first night of residence, three burglars, Burnham (Whitaker), who helped install the panic room when his company was hired to do so; Junior (Jared Leto), who has some interest in the place for personal reasons; and Raoul (Dwight Yoakam), a sadist with a ski mask, break in. They're after loot that happens to be sealed in a safe in the panic room. What follows is a cat-and-mouse battle of wits as Meg fights for her and her daughter's survival from inside the panic room, while the three burglars (with varying degrees of conscience) try to flush them out in order to get their desired target. Hey, I managed to stretch that out to a whole paragraph, but the truth is, Panic Room is thin on plot and extremely contrived. I think Fincher was after making a film in the style of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, but he didn't quite pull it off. The fact that the robbers just happen to strike on Meg and Sarah's first night in the house bothered me. Then, the fact that Sarah just happened to have insulin shock somewhere in the middle of the film seemed too easy. The fact that Meg barely knew how to hook up their phone to a phone jack but then managed to think of intersplicing wires to get signal to the panic room phone (which she also didn't know how to hook up) baffled me. These are just examples of how the story simply felt forced all the way through. Also, while All Movie Guide might have been relieved by the lack of and/or sparsely distributed character development (see below), I found that failure to really provide some background into Meg and Sarah that focused the viewer, such as myself, on them from the get-go resulted in a failure for the viewer, such as myself, to connect with or relate to them in any meaningful way. I didn't want to them to meet their makers, but I also didn't care about them very much either. This is the reason why this film couldn't hold a candle to anything by Hitchcock because all of his films tantalized the viewer with enough information about their main characters to ground them into the main character's psyche and convince us to be scared or nervous right along with them. To Fincher's credit, though, there was some tense and intense moments. I've figured out that his trademark is using the camera in motion to make sweeping shots of locales to paint the picture of size. He did that in Se7en at any rate and in Zodiac to contrast the largesse of San Francisco with the more focused, even intimate nature of the Zodiac murders themselves. Here, he works contrast between the size of this unreal Manhattan home to the shrunken, trapped quality of the panic room. Thus, when the three burglars start to have some success in their attempts to get Meg and Sarah out of the room, I felt those moments intensely. The performances here were also kind of erratic. Jodie Foster was good, as she almost always is, making the most of her scared mom, though, again, without character development, it was hard for me to accept her as the mother of a 12 year old daughter at first, and I didn't really feel the mother-daughter bond all that much the way it was written, since there was a lot of sarcasm volleyed between the two characters. Forest Whitaker was also good, though not great, as Burnham, the robber with a conscience. Jared Leto gave a decidedly eccentric performance as twitchy Junior that served to be more annoying than any kind of scary, and Dwight Yoakam sounded like he was on valium through half the film. His sadistically unhinged Raoul was probably the most scary of the villains, but this country singer was not the right actor for the part, in my opinion. As to production values, there wasn't much to speak of apart from the decent direction and cinematography, with its subdued, grayish hues that worked a feeling of oppression and claustrophobia in me even before Meg sought the safety of the panic room. All in all, though, Panic Room was really a movie about the thrills, not about the art of it all. The trouble is, while I got into it enough to hope that Meg and Sarah wouldn't die, and while I was sort of unsetted by Dwight Yoakam's character, after Panic Room ended in its predictable way, my feelings about the film can best be summarized this way: "meh." It really didn't achieve the thrills that it seemed to aim for, or that I would have expected from this premise. As a result, and I've pondered this one a bit, I feel the film warrants a 6 for being cute but mediocre because it was sort of cute, how the film tried to be something it ultimately never succeeded in being. I felt some intensity and some interest but was ultimately a bit bored and felt the whole thing was an anticlimactically mediocre exercise, punctuated even moreso by the poor excuse of a denouement when the film concludes. As such, I don't think it passes the test. In reading an article about how David Fincher characterized his own work, I read that he saw Panic Room as "a really fine B-movie." That may be true, but with A-list stars and a mainstream production company backing its release, I have to see it as an A-movie that simply wasn't quite up to snuff.
]]>Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:40:20 GMTpippin06Reel Thoughts12/24/2008 10:40:20 AMThe next entry on the ole' Netflix queue is my second of four thrillers and the last in the couplet of David Fincher movies topping the list. I had never seen Panic Room, even despite cable rotation, but was always interested because of a) my fleeting interest in David Fincher and b) the fact that it had stars like Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker in it. I was hoping that these sorts of ingredients put together could make for something that wasn't all bad, even if the premise centers on something that would certainly give me claustrophobia should I be unlucky enough to experience it. I was right, you know. It wasn't all bad. Foster plays Meg Altman, a woman going through a tough divorce and a single mother of a young, diabetic daughter named Sarah (Kristen Stewart). While striking out on their own, Meg purchases a Manhattan brownstone previously owned by an eccentric millionnaire that includes features like an elevator and a small "panic room," a people-sized vault used to hide in the case of, I don't know, weather-related danger or, you know, robberies. It's encased by steel and granite, comes complete with video surveillance of the rest of the house and survival supplies, and becomes the center of this coincidentally titled film. On the first night of residence, three burglars, Burnham (Whitaker), who helped install the panic room when his company was hired to do so; Junior (Jared Leto), who has some interest in the place for personal reasons; and Raoul (Dwight Yoakam), a sadist with a ski mask, break in. They're after loot that happens to be sealed in a safe in the panic room. What follows is a cat-and-mouse battle of wits as Meg fights for her and her daughter's survival from inside the panic room, while the three burglars (with varying degrees of conscience) try to flush them out in order to get their desired target. Hey, I managed to stretch that out to a whole paragraph, but the truth is, Panic Room is thin on plot and extremely contrived. I think Fincher was after making a film in the style of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, but he didn't quite pull it off. The fact that the robbers just happen to strike on Meg and Sarah's first night in the house bothered me. Then, the fact that Sarah just happened to have insulin shock somewhere in the middle of the film seemed too easy. The fact that Meg barely knew how to hook up their phone to a phone jack but then managed to think of intersplicing wires to get signal to the panic room phone (which she also didn't know how to hook up) baffled me. These are just examples of how the story simply felt forced all the way through. Also, while All Movie Guide might have been relieved by the lack of and/or sparsely distributed character development (see below), I found that failure to really provide some background into Meg and Sarah that focused the viewer, such as myself, on them from the get-go resulted in a failure for the viewer, such as myself, to connect with or relate to them in any meaningful way. I didn't want to them to meet their makers, but I also didn't care about them very much either. This is the reason why this film couldn't hold a candle to anything by Hitchcock because all of his films tantalized the viewer with enough information about their main characters to ground them into the main character's psyche and convince us to be scared or nervous right along with them. To Fincher's credit, though, there was some tense and intense moments. I've figured out that his trademark is using the camera in motion to make sweeping shots of locales to paint the picture of size. He did that in Se7en at any rate and in Zodiac to contrast the largesse of San Francisco with the more focused, even intimate nature of the Zodiac murders themselves. Here, he works contrast between the size of this unreal Manhattan home to the shrunken, trapped quality of the panic room. Thus, when the three burglars start to have some success in their attempts to get Meg and Sarah out of the room, I felt those moments intensely. The performances here were also kind of erratic. Jodie Foster was good, as she almost always is, making the most of her scared mom, though, again, without character development, it was hard for me to accept her as the mother of a 12 year old daughter at first, and I didn't really feel the mother-daughter bond all that much the way it was written, since there was a lot of sarcasm volleyed between the two characters. Forest Whitaker was also good, though not great, as Burnham, the robber with a conscience. Jared Leto gave a decidedly eccentric performance as twitchy Junior that served to be more annoying than any kind of scary, and Dwight Yoakam sounded like he was on valium through half the film. His sadistically unhinged Raoul was probably the most scary of the villains, but this country singer was not the right actor for the part, in my opinion. As to production values, there wasn't much to speak of apart from the decent direction and cinematography, with its subdued, grayish hues that worked a feeling of oppression and claustrophobia in me even before Meg sought the safety of the panic room. All in all, though, Panic Room was really a movie about the thrills, not about the art of it all. The trouble is, while I got into it enough to hope that Meg and Sarah wouldn't die, and while I was sort of unsetted by Dwight Yoakam's character, after Panic Room ended in its predictable way, my feelings about the film can best be summarized this way: "meh." It really didn't achieve the thrills that it seemed to aim for, or that I would have expected from this premise. As a result, and I've pondered this one a bit, I feel the film warrants a 6 for being cute but mediocre because it was sort of cute, how the film tried to be something it ultimately never succeeded in being. I felt some intensity and some interest but was ultimately a bit bored and felt the whole thing was an anticlimactically mediocre exercise, punctuated even moreso by the poor excuse of a denouement when the film concludes. As such, I don't think it passes the test. In reading an article about how David Fincher characterized his own work, I read that he saw Panic Room as "a really fine B-movie." That may be true, but with A-list stars and a mainstream production company backing its release, I have to see it as an A-movie that simply wasn't quite up to snuff. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/26/35618.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/26/2008 6:01:20 PM
Body: In the new movie Eagle Eye, three characters participate in a re-creation of the famous crop duster sequence from Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Only the plane from NbN has been replaced with an electrical tower and power lines, and it takes Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan and Anthony Azizi to perform Cary Gran’t part (Azizi also substitutes for the pilot and the farmer, I guess). Such an homage is not surprising coming from director D.J. Caruso, whose last picture, Disturbia, is currently involved in a lawsuit for being an uncredited remake of Hitch’s Rear Window. This time, fortunately, Caruso borrows enough from other films, including Hitch’s second version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, 2001: A Space Odyssey and I, Robot, to keep from being sued by any single party. Eagle Eye will likely also remind audiences of The Dark Knight, if not for the similar cell phone surveillance tactics then for Caruso’s even less capable talent for directing car chases. While Caruso does a good job at allowing his audience to compare him to better filmmakers (yes, even I, Robot’s Alex Proyas), he doesn’t give us the world’s worst redo of the crop duster bit (that is probably this). But he also doesn’t come anywhere close to giving us the best. And for such a famous scene that is so widely studied and imitated, giving us merely another so-so re-creation is very disappointing. After the jump, you’ll find some of my favorite tributes to North by Northwest, mostly paying homage to that one beloved sequence. 10. Seth Rogen as Roger Thornhill, from Vanity Fair magazine I can’t think of many modern actors less like Cary Grant than Seth Rogen, but maybe that’s why I like this photo so much. Just looking at the shadow of Rogen’s gut lets me know that this is more appreciable as parody than reproduction. Also, Thornhill’s out-of-his-element storyline somewhat corresponds to Rogen’s ill-fitting position in Hollywood. 9. North by Northwest Airplane Scene: WoW Version People love re-creating their favorite movie scenes using video game characters, and this isn’t even the best example. So, why do I love it so much? OK, I’ll admit, I don’t actually love it. It’s actually pretty lame. But I wanted to showcase it, because it brings up the idea of a North by Northwest video game, which I think someone should produce, like what was done with The Godfather and Scarface. 8. Ralph Fiennes avoids the crashing plane, from The English Patient (1996) I’m not sure if this was officially meant to reference North by Northwest – the connection isn’t mentioned in either film’s “Movie connections” section on IMDb — but it’s clearly similar. 7. Roger Thornhill in bra and panties, from the photography of Michael Jang Maybe it isn’t actually Roger Thornhill, but Jang’s photos of an underwear-clad female model running from a plane is inspired by North by Northwest, and the woman is substituted for Grant, and well, I couldn’t think of anything else to call it. Anyway, the pics, which you can see at the end of the making-of video above, are nicer to look at than the Rogen picture. Perhaps Vanity Fair should have ripped Jang off and just had an actress re-create the scene for its spread. 6. Opening credit sequence, from Panic Room (2002) Taking a little break from the crop duster copies, here’s a different sort of homage to North by Northwest, specifically Saul Bass’ famous opening credits sequence. It’s only cool, though, if you don’t think about how after 40 years, the computer effects used for Panic Room aren’t actually any better than Bass’ work. 5. Peter re-enacts the crop duster sequence, from Family Guy “North by North Quahog” This image (and the episode it’s from) go even further with the gut thing than the Rogen photo. But not only does this episode feature a parody of the crop duster scene, it pays tribute to much of the plot of North by Northwest (hence the title), including a bit where Peter rescues Lois from Mel Gibson’s home atop Mt. Rushmore. 4. Homer falls under a truck, from The Simpsons “Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment” Family Guy is ok, but nobody pays homage to movie scenes better than the makers of The Simpsons, as you can see on the site Actualidad Simpson, which posted the comparison screenshots above, as well as other movie references from the show. 3. Balloon Travels North by Northwest, from Famous Balloon Movies Oh, what people do with their time now that the internet exists! If you’ve never seen any of the famous balloon movies, which were apparently made by an animator who works for Disney, you must. Consisting of 19 parts, balloons are humorously inserted into films such as Safety Last and The Empire Strikes Back. Though I don’t think I can name a favorite, I really, really love the way Grant looks off at his lost balloon here. 2. Vincent Gallo’s talent, from Arizona Dream (1993) Gallo’s character loves to ape his favorite movie scenes, and during a talent show he hilariously re-enacts the crop duster sequence. Well, he mostly only re-enacts the parts where Cary Grant jumps to the ground. He really should have gotten a 10, don’t you agree? 1. Big Bird, Ernie and Bert, from Follow That Bird (1985) I got crap as a kid for wanting to see this, but I’ve always been a lifelong Muppets fan, and that includes anything associated with Sesame Street. Plus, who knows if I would have also loved North by Northwest so much had I not already seen the spoof of the crop duster sequence in Follow That Bird? Actually, I’m sure I hadn’t even recalled Big Bird narrowly escaping being run down by Ernie and Bert when I first saw NbN. If anything, though, I at least was able to appreciate FTB even more after realizing the connection between the films. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:01:20 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/26/2008 6:01:20 PMIn the new movie Eagle Eye, three characters participate in a re-creation of the famous crop duster sequence from Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Only the plane from NbN has been replaced with an electrical tower and power lines, and it takes Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan and Anthony Azizi to perform Cary Gran’t part (Azizi also substitutes for the pilot and the farmer, I guess). Such an homage is not surprising coming from director D.J. Caruso, whose last picture, Disturbia, is currently involved in a lawsuit for being an uncredited remake of Hitch’s Rear Window. This time, fortunately, Caruso borrows enough from other films, including Hitch’s second version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, 2001: A Space Odyssey and I, Robot, to keep from being sued by any single party. Eagle Eye will likely also remind audiences of The Dark Knight, if not for the similar cell phone surveillance tactics then for Caruso’s even less capable talent for directing car chases. While Caruso does a good job at allowing his audience to compare him to better filmmakers (yes, even I, Robot’s Alex Proyas), he doesn’t give us the world’s worst redo of the crop duster bit (that is probably this). But he also doesn’t come anywhere close to giving us the best. And for such a famous scene that is so widely studied and imitated, giving us merely another so-so re-creation is very disappointing. After the jump, you’ll find some of my favorite tributes to North by Northwest, mostly paying homage to that one beloved sequence. 10. Seth Rogen as Roger Thornhill, from Vanity Fair magazine I can’t think of many modern actors less like Cary Grant than Seth Rogen, but maybe that’s why I like this photo so much. Just looking at the shadow of Rogen’s gut lets me know that this is more appreciable as parody than reproduction. Also, Thornhill’s out-of-his-element storyline somewhat corresponds to Rogen’s ill-fitting position in Hollywood. 9. North by Northwest Airplane Scene: WoW Version People love re-creating their favorite movie scenes using video game characters, and this isn’t even the best example. So, why do I love it so much? OK, I’ll admit, I don’t actually love it. It’s actually pretty lame. But I wanted to showcase it, because it brings up the idea of a North by Northwest video game, which I think someone should produce, like what was done with The Godfather and Scarface. 8. Ralph Fiennes avoids the crashing plane, from The English Patient (1996) I’m not sure if this was officially meant to reference North by Northwest – the connection isn’t mentioned in either film’s “Movie connections” section on IMDb — but it’s clearly similar. 7. Roger Thornhill in bra and panties, from the photography of Michael Jang Maybe it isn’t actually Roger Thornhill, but Jang’s photos of an underwear-clad female model running from a plane is inspired by North by Northwest, and the woman is substituted for Grant, and well, I couldn’t think of anything else to call it. Anyway, the pics, which you can see at the end of the making-of video above, are nicer to look at than the Rogen picture. Perhaps Vanity Fair should have ripped Jang off and just had an actress re-create the scene for its spread. 6. Opening credit sequence, from Panic Room (2002) Taking a little break from the crop duster copies, here’s a different sort of homage to North by Northwest, specifically Saul Bass’ famous opening credits sequence. It’s only cool, though, if you don’t think about how after 40 years, the computer effects used for Panic Room aren’t actually any better than Bass’ work. 5. Peter re-enacts the crop duster sequence, from Family Guy “North by North Quahog” This image (and the episode it’s from) go even further with the gut thing than the Rogen photo. But not only does this episode feature a parody of the crop duster scene, it pays tribute to much of the plot of North by Northwest (hence the title), including a bit where Peter rescues Lois from Mel Gibson’s home atop Mt. Rushmore. 4. Homer falls under a truck, from The Simpsons “Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment” Family Guy is ok, but nobody pays homage to movie scenes better than the makers of The Simpsons, as you can see on the site Actualidad Simpson, which posted the comparison screenshots above, as well as other movie references from the show. 3. Balloon Travels North by Northwest, from Famous Balloon Movies Oh, what people do with their time now that the internet exists! If you’ve never seen any of the famous balloon movies, which were apparently made by an animator who works for Disney, you must. Consisting of 19 parts, balloons are humorously inserted into films such as Safety Last and The Empire Strikes Back. Though I don’t think I can name a favorite, I really, really love the way Grant looks off at his lost balloon here. 2. Vincent Gallo’s talent, from Arizona Dream (1993) Gallo’s character loves to ape his favorite movie scenes, and during a talent show he hilariously re-enacts the crop duster sequence. Well, he mostly only re-enacts the parts where Cary Grant jumps to the ground. He really should have gotten a 10, don’t you agree? 1. Big Bird, Ernie and Bert, from Follow That Bird (1985) I got crap as a kid for wanting to see this, but I’ve always been a lifelong Muppets fan, and that includes anything associated with Sesame Street. Plus, who knows if I would have also loved North by Northwest so much had I not already seen the spoof of the crop duster sequence in Follow That Bird? Actually, I’m sure I hadn’t even recalled Big Bird narrowly escaping being run down by Ernie and Bert when I first saw NbN. If anything, though, I at least was able to appreciate FTB even more after realizing the connection between the films. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/HORROR_MOVIES_101/Re_ZODIAC/222/17593/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Phantasma-gore-ia
Post To: HORROR MOVIES 101
Post Date: 8/8/2007 11:00:02 AM
Body: I'm sure I'm biased to this film because it's the one that permanently vaulted my interest in film in general, but I'm fairly sure that Fincher's flagship work was Panic Room. Moody, atmospheric and nigh-on-noirish, it's a self-contained system, a sure-fire setup for dramatic powder-keg happenings. It's not just the confined, almost claustrophobic environs or the darkly lit, dire ambience, but the predictable unraveling of three individuals united for a sole purpose - the acquisition of money. That purpose alone is a tenuous foundation for teamwork, but when its fulfillment is coupled with numerous and considerable obstacles, you can guarantee the number of shares the booty is divvied into will be getting progressively smaller the further along it goes. ;)If you're into deep gore, drag your bones over to http://www.bloodgutsandgore.com. Please ignore the image difficulties and the lack of updating in about six months (as of 8/8/07) as things have been...interesting and varied over here, plus my connection is such that even accessing my own site now takes eons. I will, rest assured, have superior equipment (satellite internet anyone?) and be able to post the last dozen updates and be back to "normal." ;)
]]>Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:00:02 GMTPhantasma-gore-iaHORROR MOVIES 1018/8/2007 11:00:02 AMI&#39;m sure I&#39;m biased to this film because it&#39;s the one that permanently vaulted my interest in film in general, but I&#39;m fairly sure that Fincher&#39;s flagship work was Panic Room. Moody, atmospheric and nigh-on-noirish, it&#39;s a self-contained system, a sure-fire setup for dramatic powder-keg happenings. It&#39;s not just the confined, almost claustrophobic environs or the darkly lit, dire ambience, but the predictable unraveling of three individuals united for a sole purpose - the acquisition of money. That purpose alone is a tenuous foundation for teamwork, but when its fulfillment is coupled with numerous and considerable obstacles, you can guarantee the number of shares the booty is divvied into will be getting progressively smaller the further along it goes. ;)If you&#39;re into deep gore, drag your bones over to http://www.bloodgutsandgore.com. Please ignore the image difficulties and the lack of updating in about six months (as of 8/8/07) as things have been...interesting and varied over here, plus my connection is such that even accessing my own site now takes eons. I will, rest assured, have superior equipment (satellite internet anyone?) and be able to post the last dozen updates and be back to "normal." ;) http://www.spout.com/groups/Dish_Me_Up_Some/Re_Lindsay_Lohan/332/9928/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lukasblu
Post To: Dish Me Up Some
Post Date: 6/1/2007 5:33:11 PM
Body: How about young female stars (under 21 yrs. old),that are not quite as famous (negative or positive publicity),at least tabloid wise,and yet a great talent in their own humble way;quality thespian without the fuss;In fact taking taking lesser known roles in variety or even riskier subject matter, which makes them a better thespian.the following are movies that i have seen ,i liked,and recommend(this actresses are under 21 when the movies were made and still under 21 today)*jena malone- stepmom,confessions of an american girl,dangerous lives of altar boys,saved*kristen stewart-speak,panic room*evan rachel wood-the upside of anger,pretty persuasion,thirteen,digging to china*camille belle-the ballad of jack and rose*valentina de angelis-off the mapoh yeah,our cute one,just barely a teen(13yrs. old)but i stiil thought i should mention her is(this one is a bit more famous,nothing negative though,at least that i have heard)*dakota fanning- taken (mini-series) ,trapped,man on fire,dreamer inspired by a true story,charlottes webnot all that are in the public eye ae hopeless,like britney, paris,etc..;there are great young ones;not to mention,i have not even started in thespians that are over 21 yrs. old now,or legal age and plays younger roles,or awesome young male actors
]]>Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:33:11 GMTlukasbluDish Me Up Some6/1/2007 5:33:11 PMHow about young female stars (under 21 yrs. old),that are not quite as famous (negative or positive publicity),at least tabloid wise,and yet a great talent in their own humble way;quality thespian without the fuss;In fact taking taking lesser known roles in variety or even riskier subject matter, which makes them a better thespian.the following are movies that i have seen ,i liked,and recommend(this actresses are under 21 when the movies were made and still under 21 today)*jena malone- stepmom,confessions of an american girl,dangerous lives of altar boys,saved*kristen stewart-speak,panic room*evan rachel wood-the upside of anger,pretty persuasion,thirteen,digging to china*camille belle-the ballad of jack and rose*valentina de angelis-off the mapoh yeah,our cute one,just barely a teen(13yrs. old)but i stiil thought i should mention her is(this one is a bit more famous,nothing negative though,at least that i have heard)*dakota fanning- taken (mini-series) ,trapped,man on fire,dreamer inspired by a true story,charlottes webnot all that are in the public eye ae hopeless,like britney, paris,etc..;there are great young ones;not to mention,i have not even started in thespians that are over 21 yrs. old now,or legal age and plays younger roles,or awesome young male actors http://www.spout.com/groups/HORROR_MOVIES_101/Re_Directors/222/5486/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Dr_Gor
Post To: HORROR MOVIES 101
Post Date: 2/14/2007 7:28:11 PM
Body: [quote user="Phantasma-gore-ia"] David Fincher for Fight Club and the movie that drove me to pursue a career in film, Panic Room; Jonathan Demme for his extensive versatility from films like Swimming to Cambodia to, well, everyone knows...; Jan de Bont for his adrenaline-rich action adventures involving unstoppable buses and wild weather. :)For a thrill, you'll visit http://bloodgutsandgore.com, won't you?[/quote] Please excuse my friend Robert for plugging his website every chance he gets... I told him he could do that... and it IS a pretty darn cool website if your a Horror/Gore fan....
]]>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:28:11 GMTDr_GorHORROR MOVIES 1012/14/2007 7:28:11 PM[quote user="Phantasma-gore-ia"] David Fincher for Fight Club and the movie that drove me to pursue a career in film, Panic Room; Jonathan Demme for his extensive versatility from films like Swimming to Cambodia to, well, everyone knows...; Jan de Bont for his adrenaline-rich action adventures involving unstoppable buses and wild weather. :)For a thrill, you&#39;ll visit http://bloodgutsandgore.com, won&#39;t you?[/quote] Please excuse my friend Robert for plugging his website every chance he gets... I told him he could do that... and it IS a pretty darn cool website if your a Horror/Gore fan.... http://www.spout.com/groups/HORROR_MOVIES_101/Re_Directors/222/5470/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Phantasma-gore-ia
Post To: HORROR MOVIES 101
Post Date: 2/14/2007 2:18:35 PM
Body: David Fincher for Fight Club and the movie that drove me to pursue a career in film, Panic Room; Jonathan Demme for his extensive versatility from films like Swimming to Cambodia to, well, everyone knows...; Jan de Bont for his adrenaline-rich action adventures involving unstoppable buses and wild weather. :)For a thrill, you'll visit http://bloodgutsandgore.com, won't you?
]]>Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:18:35 GMTPhantasma-gore-iaHORROR MOVIES 1012/14/2007 2:18:35 PMDavid Fincher for Fight Club and the movie that drove me to pursue a career in film, Panic Room; Jonathan Demme for his extensive versatility from films like Swimming to Cambodia to, well, everyone knows...; Jan de Bont for his adrenaline-rich action adventures involving unstoppable buses and wild weather. :)For a thrill, you&#39;ll visit http://bloodgutsandgore.com, won&#39;t you? http://www.spout.com/groups/Gorrible/Re_What_s_your_idea_of_terror/242/5232/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Phantasma-gore-ia
Post To: Gorrible
Post Date: 2/2/2007 9:56:23 PM
Body: A good point and a qualified response...my own concept of mortal fear is enclosed, locked-in places. Not because of the claustrophobia so much as the potential of having to stay in there because a couple of desperate men are banging on the door to get in, because you're chained there, because your elevator broke down or because the life of a man depends on you and your decision.It's always been a firm opinion that when you restrict someone to a closed space and limit their options, you create much firmer, visceral tension than chasing them with a power tool. The latter is raw fear, in its basest form. There's obviously nothing wrong with this as I have a website devoted to them: http://www.bloodgutsandgore.com. To the point, however, the raw psychological threat of having not so much your body sought after but rather your mind, you're in deeper trouble than before for this reason: your body conceivably can heal, or at least adjust to, say, lost parts. If someone gets in your head, however, you can't escape them and must take them on if you have any chance to live.Plus, it's narratively leaner than a straight horror flick. When you imprison your cast in a room, or even a house, you limit the number of things you can do, the number of places you can go. Consequently, the setting becomes secondary right fast and the central element, the due focus of the movie becomes the characters and their stories. It's pure storytelling when all you have are 6 or 9 people and four walls that never change (except, maybe, in the case of the Cube series.)
]]>Sat, 03 Feb 2007 02:56:23 GMTPhantasma-gore-iaGorrible2/2/2007 9:56:23 PMA good point and a qualified response...my own concept of mortal fear is enclosed, locked-in places. Not because of the claustrophobia so much as the potential of having to stay in there because a couple of desperate men are banging on the door to get in, because you&#39;re chained there, because your elevator broke down or because the life of a man depends on you and your decision.It&#39;s always been a firm opinion that when you restrict someone to a closed space and limit their options, you create much firmer, visceral tension than chasing them with a power tool. The latter is raw fear, in its basest form. There&#39;s obviously nothing wrong with this as I have a website devoted to them: http://www.bloodgutsandgore.com. To the point, however, the raw psychological threat of having not so much your body sought after but rather your mind, you&#39;re in deeper trouble than before for this reason: your body conceivably can heal, or at least adjust to, say, lost parts. If someone gets in your head, however, you can&#39;t escape them and must take them on if you have any chance to live.Plus, it&#39;s narratively leaner than a straight horror flick. When you imprison your cast in a room, or even a house, you limit the number of things you can do, the number of places you can go. Consequently, the setting becomes secondary right fast and the central element, the due focus of the movie becomes the characters and their stories. It&#39;s pure storytelling when all you have are 6 or 9 people and four walls that never change (except, maybe, in the case of the Cube series.) http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Boring/MemberTagFilms.aspxBoring
Number of films tagged: 177

Number of people who tagged: 105

Number of times used: 207

]]>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:44:27 GMT177105207Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Creepy/MemberTagFilms.aspxCreepy
Number of films tagged: 170

Number of people who tagged: 81

Number of times used: 211

]]>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:55:54 GMT17081211Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/intense/MemberTagFilms.aspxintense
Number of films tagged: 162

Number of people who tagged: 81

Number of times used: 249

]]>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:07:45 GMT16281249Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/suspense/MemberTagFilms.aspxsuspense
Number of films tagged: 129

Number of people who tagged: 66

Number of times used: 189

]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:28:43 GMT12966189Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/robbery/MemberTagFilms.aspxrobbery
Number of films tagged: 3798

Number of people who tagged: 42

Number of times used: 103

]]>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:33:51 GMT379842103Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/daughter/MemberTagFilms.aspxdaughter
Number of films tagged: 3658

Number of people who tagged: 40

Number of times used: 138

]]>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:01:02 GMT365840138Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/house/MemberTagFilms.aspxhouse
Number of films tagged: 680

Number of people who tagged: 26

Number of times used: 50

]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:30:19 GMT6802650Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/new-york/MemberTagFilms.aspxnew-york
Number of films tagged: 87

Number of people who tagged: 26

Number of times used: 98

]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:25:46 GMT872698Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/home/MemberTagFilms.aspxhome
Number of films tagged: 844

Number of people who tagged: 23

Number of times used: 35

]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:30:23 GMT8442335Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/trapped/MemberTagFilms.aspxtrapped
Number of films tagged: 436

Number of people who tagged: 22

Number of times used: 41

]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:53:35 GMT4362241Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/tense/MemberTagFilms.aspxtense
Number of films tagged: 18

Number of people who tagged: 13

Number of times used: 18

]]>Mon, 04 May 2009 11:52:47 GMT181318Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/contrived/MemberTagFilms.aspxcontrived
Number of films tagged: 16

Number of people who tagged: 11

Number of times used: 17

]]>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:29:26 GMT161117Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/dissapointing/MemberTagFilms.aspxdissapointing
Number of films tagged: 19

Number of people who tagged: 11

Number of times used: 21

]]>Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:45:50 GMT191121Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hated-it/MemberTagFilms.aspxhated-it
Number of films tagged: 25

Number of people who tagged: 11

Number of times used: 27

]]>Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:01:57 GMT251127Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/help/MemberTagFilms.aspxhelp
Number of films tagged: 1011

Number of people who tagged: 9

Number of times used: 44

]]>Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:02:14 GMT1011944Tag