list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Equilibrium 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/Equilibrium/205212/default.aspx Title: Equilibrium
Year: 2002
Director: Kurt Wimmer
Plot: A man who dares to feel finds his life in danger in this cautionary science fiction drama. In the future, after a Third World War has decimated much of the Earth's population, a new nation known as Libria rises up under the unquestioned leadership of Dupont (Angus MacFadyen). Believing human emotions and their expression were to blame for the failings of past societies, The Father has decreed that all citizens must take a daily dose of Prozia II, a drug which levels out the emotional landscape, and that all forms of creative expression are against the law; violating either regulation can be punished by death. John Preston (Christian Bale) is a Grammaton, an elite law enforcement officer who tracks down and punishes "sense offenders." One day, Preston accidentally fails to take his Prozia II, and for the first time begins experiencing emotions himself. Preston becomes aware of an underground of rebels who refuse to take their medication and have embraced art and literature, and he finds himself becoming infatuated with one of their number, Mary O'Brian (Emily Watson). Equilibrium is the second feature-length directorial effort from Kurt Wimmer, whose screenwriting credits include The Thomas Crown Affair and Sphere. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 32
Number of Lists: 47
Number of blog posts: 10
Number of discussion threads: 4
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:26:31 GMTEquilibrium2002Kurt WimmerA man who dares to feel finds his life in danger in this cautionary science fiction drama. In the future, after a Third World War has decimated much of the Earth's population, a new nation known as Libria rises up under the unquestioned leadership of Dupont (<a href="/players/P____44176/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Angus MacFadyen</a>). Believing human emotions and their expression were to blame for the failings of past societies, The Father has decreed that all citizens must take a daily dose of Prozia II, a drug which levels out the emotional landscape, and that all forms of creative expression are against the law; violating either regulation can be punished by death. John Preston (<a href="/players/P_____3538/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christian Bale</a>) is a Grammaton, an elite law enforcement officer who tracks down and punishes "sense offenders." One day, Preston accidentally fails to take his Prozia II, and for the first time begins experiencing emotions himself. Preston becomes aware of an underground of rebels who refuse to take their medication and have embraced art and literature, and he finds himself becoming infatuated with one of their number, Mary O'Brian (<a href="/players/P___221329/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Emily Watson</a>). Equilibrium is the second feature-length directorial effort from Kurt Wimmer, whose screenwriting credits include <a href=/films/134479/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Thomas Crown Affair</a> and <a href=/films/116287/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Sphere</a>. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide32Tag Target (>10)471043http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t30035fzbz7.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Equilibrium/205212/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/matthewreade/archive/2008/8/26/34422.aspx Post By: matthewreade
Post To: matthewreade Blog
Post Date: 8/26/2008 9:49:31 PM
Body: I've got Equilibrium, No Country for Old Men, and City of Men to watch. Actually, I began watching COM, but as with City of God (2002), it became too violent. I realize that this violence is a reality. It becomes quite intense to soak in. I am hoping to make it through to the end. t.b.c. Okay- City of Men was fascinating--yes, there are multiple guns, and much swearing (and some badly translated subtitles), but the story gives a real impression of life in a shantytown (er, hill) in Rio de Janiero. I'd liken this to the Brazilian version of American Gangster. There's not that much money involved, but it's a matter of respect, family values, pride, legacy. Next.
]]>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:49:31 GMTmatthewreadematthewreade Blog8/26/2008 9:49:31 PMI've got Equilibrium, No Country for Old Men, and City of Men to watch. Actually, I began watching COM, but as with City of God (2002), it became too violent. I realize that this violence is a reality. It becomes quite intense to soak in. I am hoping to make it through to the end. t.b.c. Okay- City of Men was fascinating--yes, there are multiple guns, and much swearing (and some badly translated subtitles), but the story gives a real impression of life in a shantytown (er, hill) in Rio de Janiero. I'd liken this to the Brazilian version of American Gangster. There's not that much money involved, but it's a matter of respect, family values, pride, legacy. Next. http://www.spout.com/blogs/captainryannn/archive/2008/8/11/33880.aspx Post By: CaptainRyannn
Post To: CaptainRyannn Blog
Post Date: 8/11/2008 9:08:45 PM
Body: Titles in bold represent a first time viewing. 346. Magnolia (Anderson, 1999)----------I thought that this was a pretty great collage-type film with the likeness of a more familiar title, Crash. Aside from Julianne Moore's performance, one of the few things I didn't like was the fact that the characters didn't connect with each other other than the bizarre finale at the end of the film. (7.5 / 10) 347. Stuck (Gordon, 2007)----------Based on a true story, stuck follows a wannabe-ghetto woman (Mena Suvari) after she hits a homeless man and drives him into her garage. The acting was terrible, the premise was good though. Towards the end, it began to pick up in terms of entertainment. (6 / 10) 348. Equilibrium (Wimmer, 2002)----------Christian Bale? Sweet. Reviews relating it to The Matrix? Awesome. This is why I initially checked out Equilibrium. The action was pretty sweet but every few minutes, I couldn't help but see a blatant plot-hole. Also, can someone answer me why do the people have dust fly out of them when they get shot? (7 / 10) 349. The New World (Malick, 2005)----------It seems that whenever Malick puts out a new movie, I become less and less interested. To me, Badlands was his best and his vast collection of movies since then have just seemed to have gone downhill. I appreciated the beautiful cinematography and music along with the great acting. But the pacing was just a little too slow for me. (7 / 10) 350. The Terminator (Cameron, 1984)----------It's funny to think that The Terminator, one of the most masculine movies of all time, came from the same guy who made Titanic, one of the most popular love stories of all time. I basically watched this for mere entertainment and it satisfied that. (7 / 10) 351. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Cameron, 1991)----------Again, I just watched this purely for entertainment. I think it did a better job at doing that than the first one. The best thing about watching these movies is just pausing it at certain testosterone-filled moments and thinking, This is the governor of California. (7.5 / 10) 352. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Mostow, 2003)----------This got quite a bit of negative reviews. I wouldn't say that it was especially bad, but rather on par with the first one. The best part was how they ended it. It got me excited for Terminator Salvation. (7 / 10) 353. A Home at the End of the World (Mayer, 2004)----------Although the subject matter may not be something many of us can relate to, the themes definitely are. The overall mood and and portrayals of friendship and love make this worth watching alone. (7 / 10) 354. Undertow (Green, 2004)----------When I first watched this, it was decent. Once I delved into some reviews and analysis' I watched it again and fell in love with it. The story follows two brothers who live with their dad out in the southern forests. Their mysterious uncle comes around and suddenly a game of cat-and-mouse begins. The tone of the film stays consistent and I think that that is it's strongest point along with great performances by Jamie Bell and Josh Lucas. (8 / 10) 355. Antikörper / Antibodies (Alvart, 2005)----------Antibodies is a film that follows closely in the footsteps of The Silence of the Lambs. Our protagonist is a village cop and the antagonist is a serial killer whose finally been caught. The cinematography was good and the acting was average. The basic story-line is something that's been done plenty of times before but the sheer intensity that this takes it to puts Antibodies a little bit above the rest. (7.5 / 10) 356. Cidade de Deus / City of God (Meirelles, 2002)----------I've seen City of God countless times as it is my favorite film along with Once Upon a Time in America. It takes us through two decades in the lives of a handful of children / teenagers in the slums of Rio de Janerio. Most grow up to be hoods and murder and robbery isn't something uncommon in their lives. Our protagonist, Rocket, is an aspiring photographer and just so happens to be there as all of the violence breaks out. If you're okay with subtitles, be sure to check this one out. (10 / 10) 357. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (Hurwitz, 2008)----------The whole 'Escape' part only really lasts about five minutes. The rest of the film is basically slapstick comedy executed in an non-comedic way. (5 / 10) 358. Shotgun Stories (Nichols, 2007)----------I have been looking forward to seeing this one for quite some time. After falling in love with the trailer, I had to see it. There are two sets of step-brothers. Their father just died. One set knew him as a loving man and the other knew him as a violent, neglecting one. A feud erupts between them and their egos don't allow themselves to stop until irreversible damage has been caused. This movie had some of the most real characters I've ever seen portrayed and it was as if I were watching this unfold in real life. (8.5 / 10) 359. My Bodyguard (Bill, 1980)-----------I rented this based off of Roger Ebert's shining review but found it to be just average in comparison to other tough-time-in-high-school films. The main kid is a rich boy who starts going to a public school. The bullys don't like this and pick on him. After getting pushed around he gets the tough-guy bodyguard and they become friends, but not after finding out a few secrets about each other. (6 / 10) 360. Kicking and Screaming (Baumbach, 1995)----------Unlike the 2005 comedy, this one is actually good. But it's not about a children's soccer team, but rather a group of friend who have just graduated from college and don't know what to do next. This has some of the most subtly humorous dialogue I've ever experienced and I couldn't help but laugh virtually the entire way through. The plot really isn't there, there's no character development or twists. This movie basically stands up on the dialogue and it's characters. The friendship that exists reminds me slightly of that of the American Pie trilogy. Great movie. Worthy of its Criterion stamp. (8 / 10) 361. Schizopolis (Soderbergh, 1996)----------What did I just watch? (?? / 10) 362. Children of Men (Cuarón, 2006)----------Featuring probably some of the best camera work and choreography in film in recent years, Children of Men was superb. To be able to shoot such busy scenes all in one shot takes a certain amount of skill. Watching the special features and commentary definitely gave me an idea of how much work went into this. Children of Men takes place about twenty years in the future where women are infertile and no one knows why. Immigrants are killed and the world is in chaos. An immigrant is found bearing a child and Theo (Clive Own) is in charge of getting her to safety. (8 / 10) 363. The Chumscrubber (Posin, 2005)----------Set in a 'Desperate Housewives' kind of neighborhood, shy-boy Dean, through a series of events, is in charge of getting drugs for the popular kids. With an all-star cast, The Chumscrubber is entertaining, dark, and comedic all at the same time. (7.5 / 10)
]]>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:08:45 GMTCaptainRyannnCaptainRyannn Blog8/11/2008 9:08:45 PMTitles in bold represent a first time viewing. 346. Magnolia (Anderson, 1999)----------I thought that this was a pretty great collage-type film with the likeness of a more familiar title, Crash. Aside from Julianne Moore's performance, one of the few things I didn't like was the fact that the characters didn't connect with each other other than the bizarre finale at the end of the film. (7.5 / 10) 347. Stuck (Gordon, 2007)----------Based on a true story, stuck follows a wannabe-ghetto woman (Mena Suvari) after she hits a homeless man and drives him into her garage. The acting was terrible, the premise was good though. Towards the end, it began to pick up in terms of entertainment. (6 / 10) 348. Equilibrium (Wimmer, 2002)----------Christian Bale? Sweet. Reviews relating it to The Matrix? Awesome. This is why I initially checked out Equilibrium. The action was pretty sweet but every few minutes, I couldn't help but see a blatant plot-hole. Also, can someone answer me why do the people have dust fly out of them when they get shot? (7 / 10) 349. The New World (Malick, 2005)----------It seems that whenever Malick puts out a new movie, I become less and less interested. To me, Badlands was his best and his vast collection of movies since then have just seemed to have gone downhill. I appreciated the beautiful cinematography and music along with the great acting. But the pacing was just a little too slow for me. (7 / 10) 350. The Terminator (Cameron, 1984)----------It's funny to think that The Terminator, one of the most masculine movies of all time, came from the same guy who made Titanic, one of the most popular love stories of all time. I basically watched this for mere entertainment and it satisfied that. (7 / 10) 351. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Cameron, 1991)----------Again, I just watched this purely for entertainment. I think it did a better job at doing that than the first one. The best thing about watching these movies is just pausing it at certain testosterone-filled moments and thinking, This is the governor of California. (7.5 / 10) 352. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Mostow, 2003)----------This got quite a bit of negative reviews. I wouldn't say that it was especially bad, but rather on par with the first one. The best part was how they ended it. It got me excited for Terminator Salvation. (7 / 10) 353. A Home at the End of the World (Mayer, 2004)----------Although the subject matter may not be something many of us can relate to, the themes definitely are. The overall mood and and portrayals of friendship and love make this worth watching alone. (7 / 10) 354. Undertow (Green, 2004)----------When I first watched this, it was decent. Once I delved into some reviews and analysis' I watched it again and fell in love with it. The story follows two brothers who live with their dad out in the southern forests. Their mysterious uncle comes around and suddenly a game of cat-and-mouse begins. The tone of the film stays consistent and I think that that is it's strongest point along with great performances by Jamie Bell and Josh Lucas. (8 / 10) 355. Antik&ouml;rper / Antibodies (Alvart, 2005)----------Antibodies is a film that follows closely in the footsteps of The Silence of the Lambs. Our protagonist is a village cop and the antagonist is a serial killer whose finally been caught. The cinematography was good and the acting was average. The basic story-line is something that's been done plenty of times before but the sheer intensity that this takes it to puts Antibodies a little bit above the rest. (7.5 / 10) 356. Cidade de Deus / City of God (Meirelles, 2002)----------I've seen City of God countless times as it is my favorite film along with Once Upon a Time in America. It takes us through two decades in the lives of a handful of children / teenagers in the slums of Rio de Janerio. Most grow up to be hoods and murder and robbery isn't something uncommon in their lives. Our protagonist, Rocket, is an aspiring photographer and just so happens to be there as all of the violence breaks out. If you're okay with subtitles, be sure to check this one out. (10 / 10) 357. Harold &amp; Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (Hurwitz, 2008)----------The whole 'Escape' part only really lasts about five minutes. The rest of the film is basically slapstick comedy executed in an non-comedic way. (5 / 10) 358. Shotgun Stories (Nichols, 2007)----------I have been looking forward to seeing this one for quite some time. After falling in love with the trailer, I had to see it. There are two sets of step-brothers. Their father just died. One set knew him as a loving man and the other knew him as a violent, neglecting one. A feud erupts between them and their egos don't allow themselves to stop until irreversible damage has been caused. This movie had some of the most real characters I've ever seen portrayed and it was as if I were watching this unfold in real life. (8.5 / 10) 359. My Bodyguard (Bill, 1980)-----------I rented this based off of Roger Ebert's shining review but found it to be just average in comparison to other tough-time-in-high-school films. The main kid is a rich boy who starts going to a public school. The bullys don't like this and pick on him. After getting pushed around he gets the tough-guy bodyguard and they become friends, but not after finding out a few secrets about each other. (6 / 10) 360. Kicking and Screaming (Baumbach, 1995)----------Unlike the 2005 comedy, this one is actually good. But it's not about a children's soccer team, but rather a group of friend who have just graduated from college and don't know what to do next. This has some of the most subtly humorous dialogue I've ever experienced and I couldn't help but laugh virtually the entire way through. The plot really isn't there, there's no character development or twists. This movie basically stands up on the dialogue and it's characters. The friendship that exists reminds me slightly of that of the American Pie trilogy. Great movie. Worthy of its Criterion stamp. (8 / 10) 361. Schizopolis (Soderbergh, 1996)----------What did I just watch? (?? / 10) 362. Children of Men (Cuar&oacute;n, 2006)----------Featuring probably some of the best camera work and choreography in film in recent years, Children of Men was superb. To be able to shoot such busy scenes all in one shot takes a certain amount of skill. Watching the special features and commentary definitely gave me an idea of how much work went into this. Children of Men takes place about twenty years in the future where women are infertile and no one knows why. Immigrants are killed and the world is in chaos. An immigrant is found bearing a child and Theo (Clive Own) is in charge of getting her to safety. (8 / 10) 363. The Chumscrubber (Posin, 2005)----------Set in a 'Desperate Housewives' kind of neighborhood, shy-boy Dean, through a series of events, is in charge of getting drugs for the popular kids. With an all-star cast, The Chumscrubber is entertaining, dark, and comedic all at the same time. (7.5 / 10) http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_August_11_The_Secret_Society/625/33832/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/11/2008 1:57:26 AM
Body: This was a last minute decision for a theme, primarily based on an article I just read in on RogerEbert.com about Fritz Lang's 1927 film, Metropolis. By Roger Ebert: It is the most sensational find in recent film history. A nearly-complete print of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" (1927) has been discovered in Buenos Aires, 80 years after it was thought a quarter of the film was lost forever. Called by many the most important of German films, one of the landmarks of silent Expressionism, its plot had several loose ends that will now be repaired. The find was made by Paula Félix-Didier, director of the cinema museum in Buenos Aires. Her story is told in an article in Germany's Zeit magazine, which traces the print from its arrival in Argentina in 1928. It found itself in the collection of a local film critic, who sold it to the National Art Fund in the 1960s, the magazine says. It arrived in the Museo del Cine in 1992. The False Maria. (Enlarge Image) Felix-Didier's ex-husband, director of the museum before the position was taken by his wife, "had heard from the manager of a cinema club, who years before had been surprised by how long a screening of this film had taken. Together, [they] took a look at the film in her archive --and discovered the missing scenes." Their print has been examined by experts in Berlin, where the film had its 1927 premiere. They agree it is authentic. After a restoration, the Murnau Foundation, owner of the rights, will release it to festivals, theaters and DVD. I'm very excited about this one. I really liked the movie but you definately get the feeling that something is missing when you watch it. I was drawn to see this movie about ten years ago when I heard Roger Ebert's audio commentary on the film Dark City. Dark City, pays a great deal of homage to Metropolis and Ebert's commentary explains how Lang's work is commonly thought as the first time a film presented the concept of a "secret society." It really is a fun topic, everthing from The Matrix to Hot Fuzz has dealt with it. So tell me, did The X-Files and Conspiracy Theory change the way you look at things. Or, do you go more for the sci-fi based Equilibrium or Constantine, or even Night Watch. It seems that any movie that tackles this theme scores a few extra points with me.
]]>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:57:26 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme8/11/2008 1:57:26 AM This was a last minute decision for a theme, primarily based on an article I just read in on RogerEbert.com about Fritz Lang's 1927 film, Metropolis. By Roger Ebert: It is the most sensational find in recent film history. A nearly-complete print of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" (1927) has been discovered in Buenos Aires, 80 years after it was thought a quarter of the film was lost forever. Called by many the most important of German films, one of the landmarks of silent Expressionism, its plot had several loose ends that will now be repaired. The find was made by Paula F&eacute;lix-Didier, director of the cinema museum in Buenos Aires. Her story is told in an article in Germany's Zeit magazine, which traces the print from its arrival in Argentina in 1928. It found itself in the collection of a local film critic, who sold it to the National Art Fund in the 1960s, the magazine says. It arrived in the Museo del Cine in 1992. The False Maria. (Enlarge Image) Felix-Didier's ex-husband, director of the museum before the position was taken by his wife, "had heard from the manager of a cinema club, who years before had been surprised by how long a screening of this film had taken. Together, [they] took a look at the film in her archive --and discovered the missing scenes." Their print has been examined by experts in Berlin, where the film had its 1927 premiere. They agree it is authentic. After a restoration, the Murnau Foundation, owner of the rights, will release it to festivals, theaters and DVD. I'm very excited about this one. I really liked the movie but you definately get the feeling that something is missing when you watch it. I was drawn to see this movie about ten years ago when I heard Roger Ebert's audio commentary on the film Dark City. Dark City, pays a great deal of homage to Metropolis and Ebert's commentary explains how Lang's work is commonly thought as the first time a film presented the concept of a "secret society." It really is a fun topic, everthing from The Matrix to Hot Fuzz has dealt with it. So tell me, did The X-Files and Conspiracy Theory change the way you look at things. Or, do you go more for the sci-fi based Equilibrium or Constantine, or even Night Watch. It seems that any movie that tackles this theme scores a few extra points with me. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/4/33522.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/4/2008 3:01:15 PM
Body: It’s funny how out of control a rumor can spin on the web. The Angelina Jolie as Catwoman “news” has to be at the top of the list of most reported unconfirmed rumors ever. And it’s sad that it’s not actually true, because after seeing Jolie in the dominatrix outfit she wears at the beginning of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I’d be perfectly fine seeing her wear another tight black costume for a possible third Christopher Nolan-directed Batman movie. But who instead could play the part, if Jolie is indeed not interested, or not even offered the role (or, obviously, if Catwoman is not in the movie, as screenwriter David Goyer has apparently hinted)? One theory says that Maggie Gyllenhaal will return in the follow-up to The Dark Knight, this time donning a catsuit (Graeme at io9 strongly disputes the idea). Another terrible suggestion is to cast the too-cute Zooey Deschanel as the villainess. A far more interesting recommendation, from Catherine Bray, is Tilda Swinton. But I think the character needs to be a little sexier. Plus, I want to dismiss Bray’s idea on the principle that it’s included in the DenOfGeek list, which consists mostly of the usual hot young actress ideas that probably get thrown around for every casting decision like this. I’m actually shocked that Eva Green wasn’t anyone’s pick, as she’s one of those hot young actresses, and she’s done the “good and bad at the same time” thing in Casino Royale. She was even part of my list until a better candidate edged her out, mostly on the idea that we don’t need to see her replay Vesper Lynd in a Catwoman costume. So, who did make the cut? Check out my 10 favorites, in descending order, after the jump: 10. Halle Berry - She is a good actress, and she was a great sport in accepting her Razzie for playing the character in Catwoman, so wouldn’t it be neat if Nolan gave her a second chance at the part? It certainly fits with the nine lives thing. Plus, with a better script, better direction and, most importantly, a better outfit, the Oscar winner would do a much better job. 9. Cate Blanchett - Another Bob Dylan vs. Bob Dylan showdown! (The Dark Knight’s Christian Bale and Heath Ledger each portrayed Dylan in I’m Not There, as did Blanchett). And Nolan can round out the villain casting with Ben Whishaw as Riddler, Richard Gere as the Penguin and Marcus Carl Franklin as Anarky (or he could be Robin?). Seriously, though, after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I’m not sure we ever need to see her as another blockbuster villain. Besides, there’s other Oscar-caliber actresses who would be more enjoyable. 8. Penélope Cruz - Like this sexy Spanish lady, who I thought of for the role based on her line from Vanilla Sky, “I’ll see you in another life, when we are both cats.” Wait, would that mean Tom Cruise would have to appear as Catman? Hell, I’d deal with that if I got to see Cruz prance around with a tail attached to a form-fitting bodysuit. 7. Maggie Cheung - It’s been 12 years since Cheung wore a tight black catsuit for Assayas’ Irma Vep, but she’d still be damn hot as Catwoman. Unfortunately, she has retired from acting, last appearing in Wong Kar-Wai’s 2046 and Assayas’ Clean back in 2004. 6. Rachel Weisz - Something about her wonky eyes makes me think she’d be a good Catwoman. I can’t quite explain what I mean by that. She did a fine job as an attractive yet ultimately evil character in Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things, so there’s another point for her. 5. Emily Blunt - A well-meaning bitch in The Devil Wears Prada, I’d love to see Blunt do more of the same, only in a catsuit. In a way, she’s like my fill-in for the excluded Eva Green, since I continually mix up their names, and Prada costar Anne Hathaway, who too many people think is as good a choice. 4. Emily Mortimer - Basically my choice for the obscure, indie-cred slot, since I don’t agree with the Deschanel suggestion. Plus, I can see her building off her short stint as the two-faced “Phoebe” on 30 Rock in order to play a terrific villainess. 3. Emily Watson - The last of three candidates named Emily, Watson has always been my favorite love interest for Christian Bale (she’s played opposite “Batman” in Metroland and Equilibrium). Third time’s the charm, I say. 2. Marion Cotillard - I know, I’m probably including too many Oscar nominees and winners in this list, but after Ledger’s performance as The Joker, the role of Catwoman requires talent along with beauty. Besides, Michelle Pfeiffer was nominated for two Academy Awards prior to playing the part in Batman Returns and Halle Berry won an Oscar before giving her Razzie-winning performance in Catowman. So, as the most recent recipient of the Best Actress trophy, the chameleon-like star of La Vie en Rose seems the most appropriate. Oh, and some guy already did a rendering of what she’d look like. 1. Sean Young - The part she always wanted. And what fun it would be for Catwoman to be an older woman. You know, as in a cougar. Which is a kind of cat. There have been crazier ideas — though maybe not crazier actresses. However, Young’s unstable personality should make for an unpredictable and unbeatable performance. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:01:15 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/4/2008 3:01:15 PMIt’s funny how out of control a rumor can spin on the web. The Angelina Jolie as Catwoman “news” has to be at the top of the list of most reported unconfirmed rumors ever. And it’s sad that it’s not actually true, because after seeing Jolie in the dominatrix outfit she wears at the beginning of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I’d be perfectly fine seeing her wear another tight black costume for a possible third Christopher Nolan-directed Batman movie. But who instead could play the part, if Jolie is indeed not interested, or not even offered the role (or, obviously, if Catwoman is not in the movie, as screenwriter David Goyer has apparently hinted)? One theory says that Maggie Gyllenhaal will return in the follow-up to The Dark Knight, this time donning a catsuit (Graeme at io9 strongly disputes the idea). Another terrible suggestion is to cast the too-cute Zooey Deschanel as the villainess. A far more interesting recommendation, from Catherine Bray, is Tilda Swinton. But I think the character needs to be a little sexier. Plus, I want to dismiss Bray’s idea on the principle that it’s included in the DenOfGeek list, which consists mostly of the usual hot young actress ideas that probably get thrown around for every casting decision like this. I’m actually shocked that Eva Green wasn’t anyone’s pick, as she’s one of those hot young actresses, and she’s done the “good and bad at the same time” thing in Casino Royale. She was even part of my list until a better candidate edged her out, mostly on the idea that we don’t need to see her replay Vesper Lynd in a Catwoman costume. So, who did make the cut? Check out my 10 favorites, in descending order, after the jump: 10. Halle Berry - She is a good actress, and she was a great sport in accepting her Razzie for playing the character in Catwoman, so wouldn’t it be neat if Nolan gave her a second chance at the part? It certainly fits with the nine lives thing. Plus, with a better script, better direction and, most importantly, a better outfit, the Oscar winner would do a much better job. 9. Cate Blanchett - Another Bob Dylan vs. Bob Dylan showdown! (The Dark Knight’s Christian Bale and Heath Ledger each portrayed Dylan in I’m Not There, as did Blanchett). And Nolan can round out the villain casting with Ben Whishaw as Riddler, Richard Gere as the Penguin and Marcus Carl Franklin as Anarky (or he could be Robin?). Seriously, though, after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I’m not sure we ever need to see her as another blockbuster villain. Besides, there’s other Oscar-caliber actresses who would be more enjoyable. 8. Penélope Cruz - Like this sexy Spanish lady, who I thought of for the role based on her line from Vanilla Sky, “I’ll see you in another life, when we are both cats.” Wait, would that mean Tom Cruise would have to appear as Catman? Hell, I’d deal with that if I got to see Cruz prance around with a tail attached to a form-fitting bodysuit. 7. Maggie Cheung - It’s been 12 years since Cheung wore a tight black catsuit for Assayas’ Irma Vep, but she’d still be damn hot as Catwoman. Unfortunately, she has retired from acting, last appearing in Wong Kar-Wai’s 2046 and Assayas’ Clean back in 2004. 6. Rachel Weisz - Something about her wonky eyes makes me think she’d be a good Catwoman. I can’t quite explain what I mean by that. She did a fine job as an attractive yet ultimately evil character in Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things, so there’s another point for her. 5. Emily Blunt - A well-meaning bitch in The Devil Wears Prada, I’d love to see Blunt do more of the same, only in a catsuit. In a way, she’s like my fill-in for the excluded Eva Green, since I continually mix up their names, and Prada costar Anne Hathaway, who too many people think is as good a choice. 4. Emily Mortimer - Basically my choice for the obscure, indie-cred slot, since I don’t agree with the Deschanel suggestion. Plus, I can see her building off her short stint as the two-faced “Phoebe” on 30 Rock in order to play a terrific villainess. 3. Emily Watson - The last of three candidates named Emily, Watson has always been my favorite love interest for Christian Bale (she’s played opposite “Batman” in Metroland and Equilibrium). Third time’s the charm, I say. 2. Marion Cotillard - I know, I’m probably including too many Oscar nominees and winners in this list, but after Ledger’s performance as The Joker, the role of Catwoman requires talent along with beauty. Besides, Michelle Pfeiffer was nominated for two Academy Awards prior to playing the part in Batman Returns and Halle Berry won an Oscar before giving her Razzie-winning performance in Catowman. So, as the most recent recipient of the Best Actress trophy, the chameleon-like star of La Vie en Rose seems the most appropriate. Oh, and some guy already did a rendering of what she’d look like. 1. Sean Young - The part she always wanted. And what fun it would be for Catwoman to be an older woman. You know, as in a cougar. Which is a kind of cat. There have been crazier ideas — though maybe not crazier actresses. However, Young’s unstable personality should make for an unpredictable and unbeatable performance. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/23/31570.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/23/2008 6:00:41 PM
Body: When I first saw the trailer for Wanted, I figured it was just another Matrix ripoff. And I’m sure there are many other people who thought the same thing. Of course, some Matrix ripoffs aren’t bad — I absolutely love Kurt Wimmer’s Equilibrium, for example — but most are. Even worse, though, are the parodies of the Matrix’s “bullet time” sequences. Do we really need to see another movie character bend over backwards to avoid a bullet (or milk)? Or another movie character suspended in motion while the camera tracks around him or her? It’s no wonder that until yesterday, I had pretty much dismissed Wanted, because of that Matrix-like bullet time sequence in which Morgan Freeman shoots around a slab of meat to hit an unseen target. Yet as of yesterday, the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes rating was 100% (Anthony Lane’s New Yorker review, posted today, is the first “rotten” one, taking it down to 92%). Now I’m more intrigued. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that that bullet time sequence is there, reminding me of the worst that The Matrix has inspired in the past decade. To remind you, too, I’ve compiled a bunch of clips that should provide you with similar doubt. The Gap “Khaki Swing” Ads - Soon after The Matrix came out and blew our minds with the effect, Gap had to ruin its cool factor real quick by showing just how easily it could be redone and exploited. These commercials also began ruining Louis Prima and the neo-swing movement in general, so it’s especially evil in my mind. Ultraviolet - OK, not so much a parody, but it’s so blatantly a Matrix ripoff that it should be considered such. The buildup of this sequence is so excessively stylized that after watching it I never wanted to see another bullet time sequence ever again. Wing Commander - I never saw this movie, so I don’t know what’s happening in the bullet time sequence with the milk frozen in air (seen in the trailer, above), but any movie featuring a bullet time sequence involving milk is a sure sign of a bad movie (see Kung Pow! Way of the Fist, below) Michael Jordan - Is this an ad? Or is it just another excuse just to use this effect? The Simpsons “New Kids on the Blecch” - This episode featured a very minor Matrix parody with guest stars NSYNC displaying a dance move called “The Matrix”. It would have been just another simple imitation if not for the one guy falling out of place, which is a little funny. (I apologize for making you watch most of this behind-the-scenes feature to get to the sequence) Scary Movie - This one isn’t too bad, either. At first it merely seems like it’s just an imitation, but then the killer throws his back out. Good one. Unfortunately, the Wayans take it a little further and mess up the scene with that lame jig gag. Karate Dog - I’ve already recently shared this awful (or awfully funny?) clip of Jon Voight fighting a talking dog skilled in Kung Fu, and I think it speaks for itself anyway, so just watch. It’s OK if you stop after the first “baby carriage time” gag and don’t get to the other Matrix reference. Nobody ever needs to be subjected to “super lick.” Kung Pow! Enter the Fist - I’m so glad that this clip is presented in widescreen. All the better an homage to a movie that helped popularize the letterbox format of the DVD. Actually that’s about where the respect ends. There are just some things you don’t need to see done with the bullet time effect, and milk blasted out of udders is one of those things. Welcome to Dongmakgol - Is this really bullet time, or just a lot of slow motion and blue screen made to make us think we’re watching bullet time? It’s so ridiculously overdone, I can’t tell. And I don’t care. In a way it looks more like a ripoff of Kung Pow! than The Matrix anyway. Shrek - This one doesn’t even have any additional joke. It’s just an imitative reference and one of the many reasons I find the Shrek movies to be creatively vapid works. Plus, it’s not even as cool as the Matrix’s bullet time sequences because it’s a completely computer-rendered film. This scene could have existed even before The Matrix’s advances with the effect, which technically can be credited to much earlier animated works, including the original Speed Racer TV series. In fact, it now seems as if the Wachowskis were always just trying to make a live-action version of that last shot from the Speed Racer opening. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:00:41 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/23/2008 6:00:41 PM When I first saw the trailer for Wanted, I figured it was just another Matrix ripoff. And I’m sure there are many other people who thought the same thing. Of course, some Matrix ripoffs aren’t bad — I absolutely love Kurt Wimmer’s Equilibrium, for example — but most are. Even worse, though, are the parodies of the Matrix’s “bullet time” sequences. Do we really need to see another movie character bend over backwards to avoid a bullet (or milk)? Or another movie character suspended in motion while the camera tracks around him or her? It’s no wonder that until yesterday, I had pretty much dismissed Wanted, because of that Matrix-like bullet time sequence in which Morgan Freeman shoots around a slab of meat to hit an unseen target. Yet as of yesterday, the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes rating was 100% (Anthony Lane’s New Yorker review, posted today, is the first “rotten” one, taking it down to 92%). Now I’m more intrigued. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that that bullet time sequence is there, reminding me of the worst that The Matrix has inspired in the past decade. To remind you, too, I’ve compiled a bunch of clips that should provide you with similar doubt. The Gap “Khaki Swing” Ads - Soon after The Matrix came out and blew our minds with the effect, Gap had to ruin its cool factor real quick by showing just how easily it could be redone and exploited. These commercials also began ruining Louis Prima and the neo-swing movement in general, so it’s especially evil in my mind. Ultraviolet - OK, not so much a parody, but it’s so blatantly a Matrix ripoff that it should be considered such. The buildup of this sequence is so excessively stylized that after watching it I never wanted to see another bullet time sequence ever again. Wing Commander - I never saw this movie, so I don’t know what’s happening in the bullet time sequence with the milk frozen in air (seen in the trailer, above), but any movie featuring a bullet time sequence involving milk is a sure sign of a bad movie (see Kung Pow! Way of the Fist, below) Michael Jordan - Is this an ad? Or is it just another excuse just to use this effect? The Simpsons “New Kids on the Blecch” - This episode featured a very minor Matrix parody with guest stars NSYNC displaying a dance move called “The Matrix”. It would have been just another simple imitation if not for the one guy falling out of place, which is a little funny. (I apologize for making you watch most of this behind-the-scenes feature to get to the sequence) Scary Movie - This one isn’t too bad, either. At first it merely seems like it’s just an imitation, but then the killer throws his back out. Good one. Unfortunately, the Wayans take it a little further and mess up the scene with that lame jig gag. Karate Dog - I’ve already recently shared this awful (or awfully funny?) clip of Jon Voight fighting a talking dog skilled in Kung Fu, and I think it speaks for itself anyway, so just watch. It’s OK if you stop after the first “baby carriage time” gag and don’t get to the other Matrix reference. Nobody ever needs to be subjected to “super lick.” Kung Pow! Enter the Fist - I’m so glad that this clip is presented in widescreen. All the better an homage to a movie that helped popularize the letterbox format of the DVD. Actually that’s about where the respect ends. There are just some things you don’t need to see done with the bullet time effect, and milk blasted out of udders is one of those things. Welcome to Dongmakgol - Is this really bullet time, or just a lot of slow motion and blue screen made to make us think we’re watching bullet time? It’s so ridiculously overdone, I can’t tell. And I don’t care. In a way it looks more like a ripoff of Kung Pow! than The Matrix anyway. Shrek - This one doesn’t even have any additional joke. It’s just an imitative reference and one of the many reasons I find the Shrek movies to be creatively vapid works. Plus, it’s not even as cool as the Matrix’s bullet time sequences because it’s a completely computer-rendered film. This scene could have existed even before The Matrix’s advances with the effect, which technically can be credited to much earlier animated works, including the original Speed Racer TV series. In fact, it now seems as if the Wachowskis were always just trying to make a live-action version of that last shot from the Speed Racer opening. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/16/27362.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/16/2008 2:02:00 PM
Body: The internet is an evil construct that’s causing us to submissively open our arms to totalitarianism! No, this isn’t another one of my posts about how our society is entering the world of The Matrix. This is the belief and fear of Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of Men in Black, Men in Black II and Wild Wild West, clearly a fan of lighter sci-fi than of the Orwellian sort. Speaking this week at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Vegas, he lashed out against the internet, because of how it’s threatening democracy: Sonnenfeld fears that children today will grow up with “no concept of the right to privacy and in fact not understand the need for it. Because the Facebook generation is not concerned with what people know about them . . . they will have no problem with additional governmental supervision, spying and intervention. They will be thrilled that the Internet will be able to follow their every move. Bonnenfeld’s main issue, of course, may be with his claim that kids are on the internet all day long and may not take a break this summer to go see Space Chimps, which he produced. Or that one day we’ll no longer have the freedom to choose which dumb comedic Will Smith sci-fi movies we go to see. But he does have a point, nonetheless. And the point does in fact support my writings about the plugged in generation and its Matrix-like passivity. There is, however, the other way of looking at the internet, as actor Tim Robbins addressed, also at the NAB Show: “just when we were close to a national news media providing a general consensus on what the truth is,” he added, “along comes the Internets [sic] that allows its users a choice on the kind of news it watches and the YouTube. My God, we’ve got to stop them.” Obviously we’re at a crossroads, where some people are using the force of the internet for good and others are letting it take them over. But for movie fans, the horizon looks mighty cool, with its combination of The Matrix, Star Wars, Spider-Man 3, Equilibrium and other geeky delights (Robbins also claimed: “We are at an abyss as an industry and as a country.” That’s cool, I love The Abyss, too). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:02:00 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/16/2008 2:02:00 PMThe internet is an evil construct that’s causing us to submissively open our arms to totalitarianism! No, this isn’t another one of my posts about how our society is entering the world of The Matrix. This is the belief and fear of Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of Men in Black, Men in Black II and Wild Wild West, clearly a fan of lighter sci-fi than of the Orwellian sort. Speaking this week at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Vegas, he lashed out against the internet, because of how it’s threatening democracy: Sonnenfeld fears that children today will grow up with “no concept of the right to privacy and in fact not understand the need for it. Because the Facebook generation is not concerned with what people know about them . . . they will have no problem with additional governmental supervision, spying and intervention. They will be thrilled that the Internet will be able to follow their every move. Bonnenfeld’s main issue, of course, may be with his claim that kids are on the internet all day long and may not take a break this summer to go see Space Chimps, which he produced. Or that one day we’ll no longer have the freedom to choose which dumb comedic Will Smith sci-fi movies we go to see. But he does have a point, nonetheless. And the point does in fact support my writings about the plugged in generation and its Matrix-like passivity. There is, however, the other way of looking at the internet, as actor Tim Robbins addressed, also at the NAB Show: “just when we were close to a national news media providing a general consensus on what the truth is,” he added, “along comes the Internets [sic] that allows its users a choice on the kind of news it watches and the YouTube. My God, we’ve got to stop them.” Obviously we’re at a crossroads, where some people are using the force of the internet for good and others are letting it take them over. But for movie fans, the horizon looks mighty cool, with its combination of The Matrix, Star Wars, Spider-Man 3, Equilibrium and other geeky delights (Robbins also claimed: “We are at an abyss as an industry and as a country.” That’s cool, I love The Abyss, too). Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/2/12/25048.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/12/2008 4:00:31 PM
Body: Oh, Keanu Reeves, must you continue playing cops? I’d rather you did more Shakespeare, in which you’re actually more believable. But no, after Point Break (I consider FBI agents to be cops) and Speed, you have to go and do Street Kings and try to make us accept you as one of the hardest vice detectives to ever grace the big screen. Want a cookie? Or an Oscar? Even if you do pull off the equivalent of what Ethan Hawke did in Training Day, you’re not going to get the notice of the Academy. The only thing keeping you from being the least likely actor to be taken seriously as a tough undercover officer is the existence of Paul Walker, whose performance in The Fast and the Furious makes you look like Dirty Harry. Speaking of Training Day and The Fast and the Furious, the screenwriter behind those two movies, David Ayer, is the director of Street Kings. Fortunately, he didn’t write this one. The guys who did write it are L.A. Confidential novelist James Ellroy, who also came up with the original story, Equilibrium writer-director Kurt Wimmer and an apparent newcomer named Jamie Moss. Co-starring in the film, some of whom are sure to make Reeves’ acting appear even worse, are Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans (if you saw Sunshine, you know he’s actually a pretty good actor), Common, Jay Mohr, John Corbett, Cedric the Entertainer, The Game and Naomie Harris. OK, enough ragging on Reeves. But despite the appealing names of Ellroy and Whitaker, this still looks like a generic cops-and-gangstas movie. I’d rather just wait for Keanu as Klaatu later this year. Street Kings hits theaters April 11. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:00:31 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/12/2008 4:00:31 PM Oh, Keanu Reeves, must you continue playing cops? I’d rather you did more Shakespeare, in which you’re actually more believable. But no, after Point Break (I consider FBI agents to be cops) and Speed, you have to go and do Street Kings and try to make us accept you as one of the hardest vice detectives to ever grace the big screen. Want a cookie? Or an Oscar? Even if you do pull off the equivalent of what Ethan Hawke did in Training Day, you’re not going to get the notice of the Academy. The only thing keeping you from being the least likely actor to be taken seriously as a tough undercover officer is the existence of Paul Walker, whose performance in The Fast and the Furious makes you look like Dirty Harry. Speaking of Training Day and The Fast and the Furious, the screenwriter behind those two movies, David Ayer, is the director of Street Kings. Fortunately, he didn’t write this one. The guys who did write it are L.A. Confidential novelist James Ellroy, who also came up with the original story, Equilibrium writer-director Kurt Wimmer and an apparent newcomer named Jamie Moss. Co-starring in the film, some of whom are sure to make Reeves’ acting appear even worse, are Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans (if you saw Sunshine, you know he’s actually a pretty good actor), Common, Jay Mohr, John Corbett, Cedric the Entertainer, The Game and Naomie Harris. OK, enough ragging on Reeves. But despite the appealing names of Ellroy and Whitaker, this still looks like a generic cops-and-gangstas movie. I’d rather just wait for Keanu as Klaatu later this year. Street Kings hits theaters April 11. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/mswallack/archive/2008/1/28/24455.aspx Post By: MSWallack
Post To: MSWallack Blog
Post Date: 1/28/2008 1:49:44 PM
Body: I first noticed Equilibrium while walking through Blockbuster one day. The cover of the DVD states, in big bold letters, "Forget About the Matrix". As a fan of The Matrix, this intrigued me. But not enough to make me rent a movie I'd never heard of. I'm usually pretty wary of straight to video movies. Then I saw a brief, positive mention of the movie in (I believe) Entertainment Weekly. So, on somewhat of a whim, I decided to rent Equilibrium. I'm glad -- thrilled even -- that I took the risk. I enjoyed the movie so much, that I promptly went out and purchased the DVD so that I can watch it again and listen to the director's commentary.This is one of those movies where giving much of a description will give away too much of the plot. Thus, I will only offer a few very basic plot notes. The story takes place several hundred years in the future, following a nuclear war. Humanity is now ruled by a semi-mysterious, Hitler-like figure who has decreed that to avoid the wars and other mistakes of humanity's past, the root cause of those mistakes must be eliminated: emotion. Thus, the characters inhabit a world in which the population takes drugs to prevent emotions (think Vulcans, without pointy ears) and "Grammaton Clerics" scour the world to eliminate those guilty of "sense crimes"; that is, those who would dare to experience emotions or the things that might trigger emotions. To that end, music, art, and even pets are forbidden.The movie presents this future in a visually stunning way. The characters all dress in uniform colors, almost all blacks, blues, grays, and whites. Rooms are wholly unadorned (except those hidden quarters of "sense offenders"). In this world, we follow some of the Grammaton Clerics. These men are the elite police force and have honed their gunfighting skills to an extraordinary level. (How they do this is explained midway through the film.) One of these clerics, for reasons explained in the film, stops taking his daily drug ("prozium" -- could that be a plan on "Prozac" and "Valium"?) and begins to feel. The movie follows this cleric as he begins to explore something that he's never had: emotion. Christian Bale's facial expressions as his character begins the transition from non-emotional automaton to thinking, feeling, human are as fascinating (even stunning) as the sets his character occupies. Equilibrium is a very interesting take on a dark and violent future. The choreographed fight scenes (predominantly later in the film) give rise to some of the comparisons to The Matrix. Equilibrium does not rely upon bullet time; however, it makes good use varying camera angles, different speeds of action, and other neat "tricks". One fight scene is very reminiscent of Neo's entrance to the building at the end of The Matrix. Note that the fight scenes are very violent. We see blood spilled. Frequently.The film also offers a number of surprises. There were several times during the film when I thought the story would go a particular way or a particular result would occur, only to be surprised. I like when an intelligent movie can surprise me. Were there plot holes? Sure. But aren't there always?Overall, however, Equilibrium was a very solid example of science fiction film-making. For anyone who enjoyed movies like The Matrix, Minority Report, Gattaca, or Dark City, I strongly recommend Equilibrium. I think it compares very favorably to any of these. For those who prefer movies/books like Brazil or 1984 I can also recommend this film. For anyone looking for a warm, cozy romantic comedy, look elsewhere. I would recommend that children not see this film; I'm afraid that both the themes and the vision of such a dark future would be too much for most children.
]]>Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:49:44 GMTMSWallackMSWallack Blog1/28/2008 1:49:44 PMI first noticed Equilibrium while walking through Blockbuster one day. The cover of the DVD states, in big bold letters, &quot;Forget About the Matrix&quot;. As a fan of The Matrix, this intrigued me. But not enough to make me rent a movie I&#39;d never heard of. I&#39;m usually pretty wary of straight to video movies. Then I saw a brief, positive mention of the movie in (I believe) Entertainment Weekly. So, on somewhat of a whim, I decided to rent Equilibrium. I&#39;m glad -- thrilled even -- that I took the risk. I enjoyed the movie so much, that I promptly went out and purchased the DVD so that I can watch it again and listen to the director&#39;s commentary.This is one of those movies where giving much of a description will give away too much of the plot. Thus, I will only offer a few very basic plot notes. The story takes place several hundred years in the future, following a nuclear war. Humanity is now ruled by a semi-mysterious, Hitler-like figure who has decreed that to avoid the wars and other mistakes of humanity&#39;s past, the root cause of those mistakes must be eliminated: emotion. Thus, the characters inhabit a world in which the population takes drugs to prevent emotions (think Vulcans, without pointy ears) and &quot;Grammaton Clerics&quot; scour the world to eliminate those guilty of &quot;sense crimes&quot;; that is, those who would dare to experience emotions or the things that might trigger emotions. To that end, music, art, and even pets are forbidden.The movie presents this future in a visually stunning way. The characters all dress in uniform colors, almost all blacks, blues, grays, and whites. Rooms are wholly unadorned (except those hidden quarters of &quot;sense offenders&quot;). In this world, we follow some of the Grammaton Clerics. These men are the elite police force and have honed their gunfighting skills to an extraordinary level. (How they do this is explained midway through the film.) One of these clerics, for reasons explained in the film, stops taking his daily drug (&quot;prozium&quot; -- could that be a plan on &quot;Prozac&quot; and &quot;Valium&quot;?) and begins to feel. The movie follows this cleric as he begins to explore something that he&#39;s never had: emotion. Christian Bale&#39;s facial expressions as his character begins the transition from non-emotional automaton to thinking, feeling, human are as fascinating (even stunning) as the sets his character occupies. Equilibrium is a very interesting take on a dark and violent future. The choreographed fight scenes (predominantly later in the film) give rise to some of the comparisons to The Matrix. Equilibrium does not rely upon bullet time; however, it makes good use varying camera angles, different speeds of action, and other neat &quot;tricks&quot;. One fight scene is very reminiscent of Neo&#39;s entrance to the building at the end of The Matrix. Note that the fight scenes are very violent. We see blood spilled. Frequently.The film also offers a number of surprises. There were several times during the film when I thought the story would go a particular way or a particular result would occur, only to be surprised. I like when an intelligent movie can surprise me. Were there plot holes? Sure. But aren&#39;t there always?Overall, however, Equilibrium was a very solid example of science fiction film-making. For anyone who enjoyed movies like The Matrix, Minority Report, Gattaca, or Dark City, I strongly recommend Equilibrium. I think it compares very favorably to any of these. For those who prefer movies/books like Brazil or 1984 I can also recommend this film. For anyone looking for a warm, cozy romantic comedy, look elsewhere. I would recommend that children not see this film; I&#39;m afraid that both the themes and the vision of such a dark future would be too much for most children. http://www.spout.com/blogs/minguswaits/archive/2007/9/9/19592.aspx Post By: minguswaits
Post To: minguswaits Blog
Post Date: 9/9/2007 6:26:17 PM
Body: When I first saw the Matrix, I thought it was incomperable. There was nothing that could stand up to it. Then I saw Matrix 2 and realised that it wasn't just the superman jump at the end of the movie, it was the whole friggen script. I liked the effects and the story idea but the more they talked about it the less I believed it. Then I saw Equilibrium. The only bad thing in this entire movie was the face slash at the end. Well, ok they never really explained the swords really well either. However, the story line works beautifully. How much validation do we really need that A: emotions are evil and cause mankinds problems. (the bhuddists have been saying that for centuries) and B: in the future a martial art will be constructed with hand guns. Of course there will be. From there, you can look at the cinematography (gorgeous), the costumes, (efficient and usable, believeable), the performances (dead on. Taye Diggs only has one emotion right?) even the coreography and the music works perfectly. any minor faults I have with this movie fall to the wayside when I am reminded that beauty is subjective and necessary for our world to exist.
]]>Sun, 09 Sep 2007 22:26:17 GMTminguswaitsminguswaits Blog9/9/2007 6:26:17 PMWhen I first saw the Matrix, I thought it was incomperable. There was nothing that could stand up to it. Then I saw Matrix 2 and realised that it wasn&#39;t just the superman jump at the end of the movie, it was the whole friggen script. I liked the effects and the story idea but the more they talked about it the less I believed it. Then I saw Equilibrium. The only bad thing in this entire movie was the face slash at the end. Well, ok they never really explained the swords really well either. However, the story line works beautifully. How much validation do we really need that A: emotions are evil and cause mankinds problems. (the bhuddists have been saying that for centuries) and B: in the future a martial art will be constructed with hand guns. Of course there will be. From there, you can look at the cinematography (gorgeous), the costumes, (efficient and usable, believeable), the performances (dead on. Taye Diggs only has one emotion right?) even the coreography and the music works perfectly. any minor faults I have with this movie fall to the wayside when I am reminded that beauty is subjective and necessary for our world to exist. http://www.spout.com/blogs/dibot/archive/2007/8/10/17793.aspx Post By: dibot
Post To: dibot Blog
Post Date: 8/10/2007 3:22:00 PM
Body: In Transformers, I found the perfect summer blockbuster. It's Michael Bay ("The Island"), so that means lots of action, not much plot. The robot transformations were really well done. The comedy was fairly entertaining. And Shia LaBeouf ("Disturbia") once again rules. It's not going to change your world, but it's fun fluff.Equilibrium is a more style over substance sci-fi Matrixesque movie. Set in a future Earth ravaged by war, the rulers have decided to eradicate all human emotion. I had quite a bit of trouble accepting the premise, but the action was good. Christian Bale ("Rescue Dawn") stars as a cleric whose job is to find and destroy "sense" offenders. But her hears some poetry and stops taking his meds, and there you go. Instant drama. Good production, good action.Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is my first foray into blacksploitation and I'm not sure I want to go back. The movie follows Sweetback as he has to defend another black man against some cops. Then the rest of the film is him running, having sex, beating and/or killing more cops, running, sex, cops, more running with weird music. I think if it had been about 30 minutes long, it could have been a better film.We've waited six years for Rush Hour 3 and I am glad to have Chris Tucker ("Rush Hour 2") back. The jokes are good and the action fair. I'm just worried that Jackie Chan ("The Myth") is getting too old to some of the amazing stunts he usually pulls. The story is secondary to the chemistry between Tucker and Chan. Not as good as the first, but if you liked the other films, you'll like this one too.
]]>Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:22:00 GMTdibotdibot Blog8/10/2007 3:22:00 PMIn Transformers, I found the perfect summer blockbuster. It&#39;s Michael Bay ("The Island"), so that means lots of action, not much plot. The robot transformations were really well done. The comedy was fairly entertaining. And Shia LaBeouf ("Disturbia") once again rules. It&#39;s not going to change your world, but it&#39;s fun fluff.Equilibrium is a more style over substance sci-fi Matrixesque movie. Set in a future Earth ravaged by war, the rulers have decided to eradicate all human emotion. I had quite a bit of trouble accepting the premise, but the action was good. Christian Bale ("Rescue Dawn") stars as a cleric whose job is to find and destroy "sense" offenders. But her hears some poetry and stops taking his meds, and there you go. Instant drama. Good production, good action.Sweet Sweetback&#39;s Baadasssss Song is my first foray into blacksploitation and I&#39;m not sure I want to go back. The movie follows Sweetback as he has to defend another black man against some cops. Then the rest of the film is him running, having sex, beating and/or killing more cops, running, sex, cops, more running with weird music. I think if it had been about 30 minutes long, it could have been a better film.We&#39;ve waited six years for Rush Hour 3 and I am glad to have Chris Tucker ("Rush Hour 2") back. The jokes are good and the action fair. I&#39;m just worried that Jackie Chan ("The Myth") is getting too old to some of the amazing stunts he usually pulls. The story is secondary to the chemistry between Tucker and Chan. Not as good as the first, but if you liked the other films, you&#39;ll like this one too. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/action/MemberTagFilms.aspxaction
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