list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Day the Earth Stood Still 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/The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still/346735/default.aspx Title: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Year: 2008
Director: Scott Derrickson
Plot: Keanu Reeves tops this adaptation of the seminal 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still with this 20th Century Fox production. Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) helms the story of an alien traveler, Klaatu (Reeves), who heads to Earth along with his bodyguard robot, Gort, to deliver a warning of planetary destruction if the people of the world fail to bring peace to their civilizations. Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, and Kathy Bates co-star in the Ryne Douglas Pearson-penned film. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 27
Number of Lists: 7
Number of blog posts: 13
Number of discussion threads: 5
SpoutRating: 2
]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:22:40 GMTThe Day the Earth Stood Still2008Scott Derrickson<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____59355/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Keanu Reeves</a> tops this adaptation of the seminal 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still with this 20th Century Fox production. Scott Derrickson (<a href="http://www.spout.com/films/254872/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>The Exorcism of Emily Rose</a>) helms the story of an alien traveler, Klaatu (Reeves), who heads to Earth along with his bodyguard robot, Gort, to deliver a warning of planetary destruction if the people of the world fail to bring peace to their civilizations. <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____14510/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jennifer Connelly</a>, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___301544/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jon Hamm</a>, and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P_____4516/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Kathy Bates</a> co-star in the Ryne Douglas Pearson-penned film. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide27Tag Target (>10)71352http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s346735.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Day_the_Earth_Stood_Still/346735/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/laurabot/archive/2009/5/4/42027.aspx Post By: laurabot
Post To: laurabot Blog
Post Date: 5/4/2009 8:30:41 PM
]]>Tue, 05 May 2009 00:30:41 GMTlaurabotlaurabot Blog5/4/2009 8:30:41 PM http://www.spout.com/blogs/gerosimov/archive/2009/4/13/41574.aspx Post By: Gerosimov
Post To: Gerosimov Blog
Post Date: 4/13/2009 6:40:55 AM
Body: If you ignore the obvious product placements, bad dialogue and Jaden Smith, this movie was actually pretty entertaining at times and there were some pretty cool visual moments. Also Keanu Reeves was born to play that role, the only time the fact that he can´t act didn´t matter.
]]>Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:40:55 GMTGerosimovGerosimov Blog4/13/2009 6:40:55 AMIf you ignore the obvious product placements, bad dialogue and Jaden Smith, this movie was actually pretty entertaining at times and there were some pretty cool visual moments. Also Keanu Reeves was born to play that role, the only time the fact that he can&acute;t act didn&acute;t matter. http://www.spout.com/blogs/dibot/archive/2009/1/3/39058.aspx Post By: dibot
Post To: dibot Blog
Post Date: 1/3/2009 10:12:08 PM
Body: I'm never going to get caught up on my reviews. But I'm blaming my husband this time. He got me Roku for Christmas! Now there are too many movies at my fingertips!Enemy Mine is a movie I've been curious about for awhile. I remember it playing in the background of my childhood, but I've never actually watched it until now. And it's interesting, but it hasn't aged that well. Dennis Quaid ("The Express") stars as a soldier who crash lands on a planet with an alien with whom he is at war. Though mortal enemies, they begin to form a bond and learn about each other's cultures. The first half is a really good survival/learning tolerance movie. The second half is terribly cheesy and looses it's effectiveness when Louis Gossett Jr. ("The Perfect Game"), playing the alien, is out of the picture.The Day the Earth Stood Still is another remake that doesn't stack up to the original. Keanu Reeves ("The Lake House") plays the alien sent to Earth to decide whether or not we should be distroyed. And he does an okay job of it. He sometimes seems a little too detached. But the reason this movie is only mediocre does not really lie on Keanu's shoulders. It's the story. I know that when doing a remake, you have to make the film your own, but that doesn't mean taking out the heart of the original and putting nothing back in it's place. And if you've got a giant robot, use it right, people! The effects are amazing. Someone took care of Jennifer Connelly ("Reservation Road") unibrow so that didn't drive me crazy like it usually does. And little Jaden Smith ("The Pursuit of Happyness") is just as adorable as his pops. It's not an awful movie, it's just not very good either.I have a thing for evil kid movies, and the original Village of the Damned is a perfect fix. A village in England is affected by a strange phenomenon where all the residents fall asleep for several hours. After they awaken, all the women turn up pregnant. And when the kids are born, they all have blond hair, strange eyes and powers. At first, the film is just interesting, but then it gets tense as the children grow older. It's more intellectual than explosive. A very good watch.I also have a thing for Stephen King adaptations. I know, there's definitely something wrong with me. I caught Riding the Bullet on Sci-Fi one night, and I'm not sure whether I'm happy or sad about this fact. A college kid in the 60s learns his mother is in the hospital and then tries to hitchhike home to see her. Of course, he sees a lot of crazy things and meets the ghost of David Arquette ("Hamlet 2") who forces him to make a terrible choice. The story is good. It is King after all. But the execution is not that great. Director Mick Garris ("Desperation") is just too in-your-face with the camera and the cutting.When I was young, I loved Dick Tracy. And you know what? It's still good. Oh yeah. Director/star Warren Beatty ("Town and Country") has a commitment to the character that really makes the whole thing work. Plus the color and the sets just feel like the cartoon. And Madonna ("Arthur and the Invisibles") is perfect on the soundtrack and as Breathless Mahoney. Sure, it's a little cheesy. But it's also totally fun. And you won't believe all the big stars covered in make-up.
]]>Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:12:08 GMTdibotdibot Blog1/3/2009 10:12:08 PMI'm never going to get caught up on my reviews. But I'm blaming my husband this time. He got me Roku for Christmas! Now there are too many movies at my fingertips!Enemy Mine is a movie I've been curious about for awhile. I remember it playing in the background of my childhood, but I've never actually watched it until now. And it's interesting, but it hasn't aged that well. Dennis Quaid ("The Express") stars as a soldier who crash lands on a planet with an alien with whom he is at war. Though mortal enemies, they begin to form a bond and learn about each other's cultures. The first half is a really good survival/learning tolerance movie. The second half is terribly cheesy and looses it's effectiveness when Louis Gossett Jr. ("The Perfect Game"), playing the alien, is out of the picture.The Day the Earth Stood Still is another remake that doesn't stack up to the original. Keanu Reeves ("The Lake House") plays the alien sent to Earth to decide whether or not we should be distroyed. And he does an okay job of it. He sometimes seems a little too detached. But the reason this movie is only mediocre does not really lie on Keanu's shoulders. It's the story. I know that when doing a remake, you have to make the film your own, but that doesn't mean taking out the heart of the original and putting nothing back in it's place. And if you've got a giant robot, use it right, people! The effects are amazing. Someone took care of Jennifer Connelly ("Reservation Road") unibrow so that didn't drive me crazy like it usually does. And little Jaden Smith ("The Pursuit of Happyness") is just as adorable as his pops. It's not an awful movie, it's just not very good either.I have a thing for evil kid movies, and the original Village of the Damned is a perfect fix. A village in England is affected by a strange phenomenon where all the residents fall asleep for several hours. After they awaken, all the women turn up pregnant. And when the kids are born, they all have blond hair, strange eyes and powers. At first, the film is just interesting, but then it gets tense as the children grow older. It's more intellectual than explosive. A very good watch.I also have a thing for Stephen King adaptations. I know, there's definitely something wrong with me. I caught Riding the Bullet on Sci-Fi one night, and I'm not sure whether I'm happy or sad about this fact. A college kid in the 60s learns his mother is in the hospital and then tries to hitchhike home to see her. Of course, he sees a lot of crazy things and meets the ghost of David Arquette ("Hamlet 2") who forces him to make a terrible choice. The story is good. It is King after all. But the execution is not that great. Director Mick Garris ("Desperation") is just too in-your-face with the camera and the cutting.When I was young, I loved Dick Tracy. And you know what? It's still good. Oh yeah. Director/star Warren Beatty ("Town and Country") has a commitment to the character that really makes the whole thing work. Plus the color and the sets just feel like the cartoon. And Madonna ("Arthur and the Invisibles") is perfect on the soundtrack and as Breathless Mahoney. Sure, it's a little cheesy. But it's also totally fun. And you won't believe all the big stars covered in make-up. http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/12/24/38798.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 12/24/2008 1:56:51 AM
Body: I was extremely skeptical about the idea of a remake of Robert Wise's 1951 classic The Day the Earth Stood Still for two reasons: A.) The original's success was directly tied to its commentary on the political climate of the 1950's, and would be difficult to replicate today for a variety of reasons and B.) it had Keanu Reeves in the lead role. Of course, I still decided to fork over my hard earned money to see it. To my surprise, the movie was better that I expected, but it's just a shade under a good movie. To describe exactly why new movie doesn't quite work means I'll have to give away some key plot material for both films, so you've been warned. The remake begins as Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) a biologist is "detained" by the U.S. government, who is investigating some strange astrological readings. It turns out that those readings are alien spaceship, which lands in New York City's Central Park. The movie takes forever to get through these scenes, as the scientists and military men discuss what every single audience member knows from the trailer (the original had the scenes to avoid this pointless buildup, as the UFO lands in Washington, D.C. in the first scene). A weird looking alien steps out the spaceship and is shot by a soldier acting without orders. After a giant robot emerges to protect the spacecraft and aid his master, Benson and the other medics rush him to the hospital where he sheds his outer skin and becomes a biological human named Klaatu (Reeves). The Secretary of Defense (Kathy Bates) insists that Klaatu be sedated for questioning, but he easily escapes, with the assistance of Benson, who gives him a placebo instead of the drugs she was ordered to. After he leaves, he enlists her aid in getting around on Earth, and slowly reveals his mission. His original intent was to speak to the world's leaders at the United Nations to warn them of the impending environmental catastrophe to Earth, but after his attack he has decides that humanity is hopeless and must be exterminated. The reasoning is simple: if the planetary rape continues, humanity will destroy itself anyway, so eliminating humans will save the planet and give all the other species a chance to thrive. And this is the biggest difference between the two pictures: in the original, the alien (played brilliantly by Michael Rennie) ceaseless tried to aid humans, even when they did not deserve it, here, Klaatu seems annoyed at humans the whole time. Much of the pleasure of the original involved the fey and somewhat ethereal Rennie relating to human society forming a mentorship to a young boy, but in this picture the kid (Benson's stepson, played by Jaden Smith is annoying) and "fey" and "ethereal" are two words that I do not usually associate with Keanu Reeves. As my friend Tracey Stephens pointed out, the movie also seems a little unsure of whether it wants to be an action thriller or a metaphysical, nearly Solaris like drama, and ends up doing neither very well. Finally, the original had a rather obvious Christ metaphor (though Wise claimed otherwise) that was appropriate. In the remake, the comparisons between Klaatu and Jesus are made more explicit, but are less relevant. The scene where Reeves walks on water is more weird than spiritually moving. But- the movie is not boring and is sort of fun, although that might be a failure as it seems to want to make some deep statement about something. Perhaps if I hadn't seen the original I would have like it more, but I can't really recommend a remake that adds nothing to an acknowledged classic. Nikto! The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
]]>Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:56:51 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog12/24/2008 1:56:51 AM I was extremely skeptical about the idea of a remake of Robert Wise's 1951 classic The Day the Earth Stood Still for two reasons: A.) The original's success was directly tied to its commentary on the political climate of the 1950's, and would be difficult to replicate today for a variety of reasons and B.) it had Keanu Reeves in the lead role. Of course, I still decided to fork over my hard earned money to see it. To my surprise, the movie was better that I expected, but it's just a shade under a good movie. To describe exactly why new movie doesn't quite work means I'll have to give away some key plot material for both films, so you've been warned. The remake begins as Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) a biologist is "detained" by the U.S. government, who is investigating some strange astrological readings. It turns out that those readings are alien spaceship, which lands in New York City's Central Park. The movie takes forever to get through these scenes, as the scientists and military men discuss what every single audience member knows from the trailer (the original had the scenes to avoid this pointless buildup, as the UFO lands in Washington, D.C. in the first scene). A weird looking alien steps out the spaceship and is shot by a soldier acting without orders. After a giant robot emerges to protect the spacecraft and aid his master, Benson and the other medics rush him to the hospital where he sheds his outer skin and becomes a biological human named Klaatu (Reeves). The Secretary of Defense (Kathy Bates) insists that Klaatu be sedated for questioning, but he easily escapes, with the assistance of Benson, who gives him a placebo instead of the drugs she was ordered to. After he leaves, he enlists her aid in getting around on Earth, and slowly reveals his mission. His original intent was to speak to the world's leaders at the United Nations to warn them of the impending environmental catastrophe to Earth, but after his attack he has decides that humanity is hopeless and must be exterminated. The reasoning is simple: if the planetary rape continues, humanity will destroy itself anyway, so eliminating humans will save the planet and give all the other species a chance to thrive. And this is the biggest difference between the two pictures: in the original, the alien (played brilliantly by Michael Rennie) ceaseless tried to aid humans, even when they did not deserve it, here, Klaatu seems annoyed at humans the whole time. Much of the pleasure of the original involved the fey and somewhat ethereal Rennie relating to human society forming a mentorship to a young boy, but in this picture the kid (Benson's stepson, played by Jaden Smith is annoying) and "fey" and "ethereal" are two words that I do not usually associate with Keanu Reeves. As my friend Tracey Stephens pointed out, the movie also seems a little unsure of whether it wants to be an action thriller or a metaphysical, nearly Solaris like drama, and ends up doing neither very well. Finally, the original had a rather obvious Christ metaphor (though Wise claimed otherwise) that was appropriate. In the remake, the comparisons between Klaatu and Jesus are made more explicit, but are less relevant. The scene where Reeves walks on water is more weird than spiritually moving. But- the movie is not boring and is sort of fun, although that might be a failure as it seems to want to make some deep statement about something. Perhaps if I hadn't seen the original I would have like it more, but I can't really recommend a remake that adds nothing to an acknowledged classic. Nikto! The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) http://www.spout.com/blogs/acheisey/archive/2008/12/18/38558.aspx Post By: acheisey
Post To: acheisey Blog
Post Date: 12/18/2008 3:51:51 PM
Body: I loved this movie it took sci-fi to a whole new level. I have never seen the original movie but have seen the cover. We see Keanu Reeves play an alien who takes human form to take control of our world but finds hope in a destructive world. His bodyguard elimates all threats that stand in their way but as the government takes action. They seize the opportunity to capture the bodyguard robot to find away destroy it but fall drasticly. As they experiment the bodyguard robot comes apart as a massive swarm eats everything in sight. So Keanu Reeves character must find away to stop it before it is too late. So he joins the sphere that is in New York central park as the chaos is finally neutrolized. I totally recommand this movie to any Sci-fi fan out there. Plus it is a must see movie to end the year.
]]>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:51:51 GMTacheiseyacheisey Blog12/18/2008 3:51:51 PMI loved this movie it took sci-fi to a whole new level. I have never seen the original movie but have seen the cover. We see Keanu Reeves play an alien who takes human form to take control of our world but finds hope in a destructive world. His bodyguard elimates all threats that stand in their way but as the government takes action. They seize the opportunity to capture the bodyguard robot to find away destroy it but fall drasticly. As they experiment the bodyguard robot comes apart as a massive swarm eats everything in sight. So Keanu Reeves character must find away to stop it before it is too late. So he joins the sphere that is in New York central park as the chaos is finally neutrolized. I totally recommand this movie to any Sci-fi fan out there. Plus it is a must see movie to end the year. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/16/38435.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/16/2008 11:02:39 AM
Body: The Day The Earth Stood Still managed to pull in $30 million dollars this past weekend, which you can mostly attribute to clever marketing, but it’s not a promising number for the much-loathed movie, which is sitting at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes right now. Beyond the wooden acting and the eviscerating of a beloved sci fi classic that most people are talking about, there are some moments in this movie that just make my teeth clench. Moments that are so poorly written, thought out, filmed, and constructed that I just can’t keep myself from venting. Read on to see all five, and just in case it’s not clear enough from the header: there are spoilers below. The Inept U.S. Government Okay, aliens land on our planet, including a spectacular arrival in the middle of Central Park. A huge glowing globe descends from the heavens and out comes a strange alien lifeform, and a ginormous robot with a red, glowing eye and it destroys anything that approaches it with violence. The government swoops in and takes the alien away after he tells the robot to back off. What does the government do with said alien? Oh, nothing much. They simply take him to a room with no windows and no cameras, and leave him alone with a guy armed only with a lie detector. The alien (Keanu Reeves as Klaatu) easily dispatches him, dons his suit, and leaves the facility after deafening everyone with some sort of sonic feedback power. Didn’t it occur to just one person to say “Er, hey wait. We might want to keep this guy under observation. With guns, maybe?” Silicon vs. Silicone There’s a scene in this movie that you’ve seen a million times before: an angry Army general marching down a hallway, asking some sort of lab-coated scientist guy to “Tell me what we’re dealing with.” Half the time that general has a cigar jammed in the corner of his mouth while he growls that out. The Day The Earth Stood Still is no different. This time, the “what we’re dealing with” is the ginormous robot from Central Park, and the lab scientist guy tells the Army guy, “It appears to be some sort of silicone-based life form.” Later we find out that the robot (Gort, in the original. Why couldn’t they tell us his name here?) is made out of billion of tiny nanobots. Which means to say the scientist meant he was a SILICON-based lifeform. Silicon. The stuff that computer chips are made out of. Silicone is the stuff that fake breasts are made out of. Unless Gort is made of out Pamela Anderson’s offcasts, I don’t think this is the message they meant to send. Did no one catch this during filming, post-production, ADR, and screening? Kathy Bates and The Invisible U.S. President Chalk this one up as the inept U.S. Government, part 2. As I mentioned before, it’s pretty much a big deal when aliens land on the Earth, let alone when they put hundreds of globes into orbit circling the planet, threatening devastation at any moment. You would tend to think that people would be concerned about that sort of thing going on. World leaders would be paying attention, upper level government officials around the world would be making plans, figuring out how to deal with the aliens and keep their citizens calm, that sort of thing. Apparently, that’s not what our own president would do. Throughout the entire course of this film, the U.S. President is nowhere to be seen. Kathy Bates plays Secretary of Defense Regina Jackson, and she says, “For all practical purposes, I am the eyes and ears of the President.” Why? Well, because he’s isolated at an undisclosed location. What, no high-tech video phones? No magic iChat video conferencing? No speakerphones, even? You never get to see the face of the President or hear his voice in this entire film, but you do get lots of extreme closeups of Kathy Bates looking concerned. What a bonus. Product Placement I was watching Band of Brothers the other day, and there was a scene featuring some of the guys sitting around a table and drinking sodas in glass bottles. After a few minutes I realized, “Oh, that’s a Coca-Cola bottle.” It wasn’t emblazoned with the words, it just had that iconic shape. That’s product placement on a level that I can deal with. What I can’t deal with is the blatant way the The Day The Earth Stood Still tries to cram it down your throat. Case in point: scientists have been examining the alien body that Klaatu has discarded. Kathy Bates and company march in to inspect their findings. There’s an overhead shot of an enormous Microsoft Surface table, complete with the windows logo in gigantic size, stuck right in the middle of it. I honestly expect to hear the Microsoft startup noise when they activated the thing. Also, in other slightly less obvious scenes, Keanu and company drive up to a McDonald’s, complete with enormous golden arches. Of course, the interior is spotless and filled with happy people. Even James Hong, who Keanu goes to meet, is in a good mood. We also get treated to an extreme close-up of the LG logo on one of the character’s cell phones, just in case you wanted to pick one up for yourself. The Inexplicable Two Keanus This remake differs from the classic original by saying that aliens actually visited our planet long ago, and that they’ve been living among us for decades. This steals the thunder from the title a bit. Which day are they saying the Earth stood still? The day the aliens arrived, or the day the aliens nearly destroyed our entire planet? Both of those sound good for standing still, so which is it? If the aliens have already been here for so long, then maybe the Earth has just been slowly standing still? I’m not sure. In the opening scene, set atop a snowy mountain in 1928, one of the glowing alien spheres comes to Earth. A mountaineer, also played by Keanu Reeves, goes over to investigate it. He’s soon absorbed by it, and then wakes up next to where it was. He’s clearly been changed, but is he now an alien meant to look like the mountain climber it just absorbed? Or is it the same man, spat out like a piece of undigested food? There’s the scene later in the film where Keanu meets with James Hong at McDonald’s, and it is revealed that Hong is an alien as well, and that he’s been living among the humans for 70 years. If you give the 1928 Keanu 10 years to explore, that makes it 1938. 70 years to live among humans, and you’re in 2008. Is James Hong supposed to be Keanu Reeves? Keanu is, and does look slightly, Asian, but him turning into James Hong is a stretch. So what happened to Keanu with Mountain Climbing Action? Is it too much asking for a little bit of explanation here? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:02:39 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/16/2008 11:02:39 AMThe Day The Earth Stood Still managed to pull in $30 million dollars this past weekend, which you can mostly attribute to clever marketing, but it’s not a promising number for the much-loathed movie, which is sitting at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes right now. Beyond the wooden acting and the eviscerating of a beloved sci fi classic that most people are talking about, there are some moments in this movie that just make my teeth clench. Moments that are so poorly written, thought out, filmed, and constructed that I just can’t keep myself from venting. Read on to see all five, and just in case it’s not clear enough from the header: there are spoilers below. The Inept U.S. Government Okay, aliens land on our planet, including a spectacular arrival in the middle of Central Park. A huge glowing globe descends from the heavens and out comes a strange alien lifeform, and a ginormous robot with a red, glowing eye and it destroys anything that approaches it with violence. The government swoops in and takes the alien away after he tells the robot to back off. What does the government do with said alien? Oh, nothing much. They simply take him to a room with no windows and no cameras, and leave him alone with a guy armed only with a lie detector. The alien (Keanu Reeves as Klaatu) easily dispatches him, dons his suit, and leaves the facility after deafening everyone with some sort of sonic feedback power. Didn’t it occur to just one person to say “Er, hey wait. We might want to keep this guy under observation. With guns, maybe?” Silicon vs. Silicone There’s a scene in this movie that you’ve seen a million times before: an angry Army general marching down a hallway, asking some sort of lab-coated scientist guy to “Tell me what we’re dealing with.” Half the time that general has a cigar jammed in the corner of his mouth while he growls that out. The Day The Earth Stood Still is no different. This time, the “what we’re dealing with” is the ginormous robot from Central Park, and the lab scientist guy tells the Army guy, “It appears to be some sort of silicone-based life form.” Later we find out that the robot (Gort, in the original. Why couldn’t they tell us his name here?) is made out of billion of tiny nanobots. Which means to say the scientist meant he was a SILICON-based lifeform. Silicon. The stuff that computer chips are made out of. Silicone is the stuff that fake breasts are made out of. Unless Gort is made of out Pamela Anderson’s offcasts, I don’t think this is the message they meant to send. Did no one catch this during filming, post-production, ADR, and screening? Kathy Bates and The Invisible U.S. President Chalk this one up as the inept U.S. Government, part 2. As I mentioned before, it’s pretty much a big deal when aliens land on the Earth, let alone when they put hundreds of globes into orbit circling the planet, threatening devastation at any moment. You would tend to think that people would be concerned about that sort of thing going on. World leaders would be paying attention, upper level government officials around the world would be making plans, figuring out how to deal with the aliens and keep their citizens calm, that sort of thing. Apparently, that’s not what our own president would do. Throughout the entire course of this film, the U.S. President is nowhere to be seen. Kathy Bates plays Secretary of Defense Regina Jackson, and she says, “For all practical purposes, I am the eyes and ears of the President.” Why? Well, because he’s isolated at an undisclosed location. What, no high-tech video phones? No magic iChat video conferencing? No speakerphones, even? You never get to see the face of the President or hear his voice in this entire film, but you do get lots of extreme closeups of Kathy Bates looking concerned. What a bonus. Product Placement I was watching Band of Brothers the other day, and there was a scene featuring some of the guys sitting around a table and drinking sodas in glass bottles. After a few minutes I realized, “Oh, that’s a Coca-Cola bottle.” It wasn’t emblazoned with the words, it just had that iconic shape. That’s product placement on a level that I can deal with. What I can’t deal with is the blatant way the The Day The Earth Stood Still tries to cram it down your throat. Case in point: scientists have been examining the alien body that Klaatu has discarded. Kathy Bates and company march in to inspect their findings. There’s an overhead shot of an enormous Microsoft Surface table, complete with the windows logo in gigantic size, stuck right in the middle of it. I honestly expect to hear the Microsoft startup noise when they activated the thing. Also, in other slightly less obvious scenes, Keanu and company drive up to a McDonald’s, complete with enormous golden arches. Of course, the interior is spotless and filled with happy people. Even James Hong, who Keanu goes to meet, is in a good mood. We also get treated to an extreme close-up of the LG logo on one of the character’s cell phones, just in case you wanted to pick one up for yourself. The Inexplicable Two Keanus This remake differs from the classic original by saying that aliens actually visited our planet long ago, and that they’ve been living among us for decades. This steals the thunder from the title a bit. Which day are they saying the Earth stood still? The day the aliens arrived, or the day the aliens nearly destroyed our entire planet? Both of those sound good for standing still, so which is it? If the aliens have already been here for so long, then maybe the Earth has just been slowly standing still? I’m not sure. In the opening scene, set atop a snowy mountain in 1928, one of the glowing alien spheres comes to Earth. A mountaineer, also played by Keanu Reeves, goes over to investigate it. He’s soon absorbed by it, and then wakes up next to where it was. He’s clearly been changed, but is he now an alien meant to look like the mountain climber it just absorbed? Or is it the same man, spat out like a piece of undigested food? There’s the scene later in the film where Keanu meets with James Hong at McDonald’s, and it is revealed that Hong is an alien as well, and that he’s been living among the humans for 70 years. If you give the 1928 Keanu 10 years to explore, that makes it 1938. 70 years to live among humans, and you’re in 2008. Is James Hong supposed to be Keanu Reeves? Keanu is, and does look slightly, Asian, but him turning into James Hong is a stretch. So what happened to Keanu with Mountain Climbing Action? Is it too much asking for a little bit of explanation here? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/15/38376.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/15/2008 11:01:04 AM
Body: One of the biggest travesties about the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still is that Jon Hamm only has a bit part in it. Frankly, if he’d played Klaatu, this might have been a movie worth watching. He’s spent the last two years winning our hearts and wardrobes over as Don Draper on AMC’s Mad Men, and he’s worth a lot more than a small part in a science fiction remake. WIth that in mind, here are five classic science fiction remakes that we’d like to see Jon Hamm take the helm in. If he brings along any of his television co-stars, that would bring some bonus points. But his slicked-back hair and calm demeanor don’t need any assistance. Check out the list after the break and hope that someone at a studio somewhere is paying attention. Them! The Them! in the title of this 1954 movie referred to its huge co-stars: enormous, atomic-irradiated ants. And if you think about it, any giant insect is pretty much scary as hell — you thought it was bad enough when they invaded your picnic, just wait until they trample your house. The bonus part of this film is that they track the ant queen to the Los Angeles sewer system, where the climactic battle takes place. Giant ants, Los Angeles, Don Draper. It almost sells itself. Stick Jon Hamm in the Sgt. Ben Peterson role, and you’ve got your remake right there. It’s doubtftul that the LA sewers have changed much since 1954, so between that setting and New Mexico, you could probably come close to a shot-for-shot remake. Are you listening Gus Van Ant? (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) Attack of the 50 Foot Woman Don Draper is such a slick womanizer, he almost exudes some sort of mystical spell that attracts women. The fact that he hasn’t been gunned down yet by an ex-lover seeking vengeance is just a testament to his skills. But whenever it comes, and it always does, payback can be a real bitch. Especially if it comes in the form of a 50 foot tall wife who isn’t happy that you’ve been cheating on her. Jon Hamm as the philandering husband certainly isn’t exactly a stretch, but having him chased by a 50 foot woman who was accidentally irradiated by an alien sure is. The bonus is that this could finally wash the terrible taste of the 1993 Darryl Hannah/Daniel Baldwin remake out of our mouths. Forbidden Planet The only robot Don Draper normally hangs out with on Mad Men is Pete Campbell, but it would be nice to see him with a real automaton of the bleep-bloop variety, complete with blinking lights and a monotone voice. The ironic thing about this movie is that Robbie the Robot is one of the most human characters in it, despite being framed for murder by his human creator. I’m not sure if I’d rather see Jon Hamm in the Commander John J. Adams role, or as the extremely evil Dr. Morbius. After seeing his stint as a drunk James Mason on Saturday Night Live, I’d love to see what he could do as an evil villain. He’s not quite as over the top as James Mason gets in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but he’s close. Plus there’s that whole great plot point with invisible monsters from the id. Freud would have loved it. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Speaking of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, why not add a little testosterone laden Don Draper-ness to the mix? In fact, let’s up the ante: Jon Hamm plays both Captain Nemo and hard-fightin’ sailorman Ned Land. He’s perfect for both roles, even if he does make his Nemo a Mason impression, and think how much the ladies would swoon to see him as Land –– dungarees, white t-shirt with rolled up sleeves, sweating and punching with the best of them. Jon Hamm could easily pull off this dual role, and it could make you forget about the other versions that have appeared over the years. This Island Earth It’s hard for me to remember seeing this film before I saw the Mystery Science Theater take on it, but even though it stars The Professort from Gilligan’s Island in one of the main roles, it’s a real classic of science fiction. Why didn’t they remake this instead of Keanu’s The Day The Earth Said Whoa? It’s actually a tragic story about an alien civilization reaching out to Earth for help, even though there is little we can do. Put Jon Hamm and his leading-man chin in the Dr. Cal Meacham role, and you’ve got some good stuff. After all, he plays a doctor in The Day The Earth…, so why not reward him with a meaty role that gives him more than a scant few minutes of screen time? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:01:04 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/15/2008 11:01:04 AMOne of the biggest travesties about the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still is that Jon Hamm only has a bit part in it. Frankly, if he’d played Klaatu, this might have been a movie worth watching. He’s spent the last two years winning our hearts and wardrobes over as Don Draper on AMC’s Mad Men, and he’s worth a lot more than a small part in a science fiction remake. WIth that in mind, here are five classic science fiction remakes that we’d like to see Jon Hamm take the helm in. If he brings along any of his television co-stars, that would bring some bonus points. But his slicked-back hair and calm demeanor don’t need any assistance. Check out the list after the break and hope that someone at a studio somewhere is paying attention. Them! The Them! in the title of this 1954 movie referred to its huge co-stars: enormous, atomic-irradiated ants. And if you think about it, any giant insect is pretty much scary as hell — you thought it was bad enough when they invaded your picnic, just wait until they trample your house. The bonus part of this film is that they track the ant queen to the Los Angeles sewer system, where the climactic battle takes place. Giant ants, Los Angeles, Don Draper. It almost sells itself. Stick Jon Hamm in the Sgt. Ben Peterson role, and you’ve got your remake right there. It’s doubtftul that the LA sewers have changed much since 1954, so between that setting and New Mexico, you could probably come close to a shot-for-shot remake. Are you listening Gus Van Ant? (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) Attack of the 50 Foot Woman Don Draper is such a slick womanizer, he almost exudes some sort of mystical spell that attracts women. The fact that he hasn’t been gunned down yet by an ex-lover seeking vengeance is just a testament to his skills. But whenever it comes, and it always does, payback can be a real bitch. Especially if it comes in the form of a 50 foot tall wife who isn’t happy that you’ve been cheating on her. Jon Hamm as the philandering husband certainly isn’t exactly a stretch, but having him chased by a 50 foot woman who was accidentally irradiated by an alien sure is. The bonus is that this could finally wash the terrible taste of the 1993 Darryl Hannah/Daniel Baldwin remake out of our mouths. Forbidden Planet The only robot Don Draper normally hangs out with on Mad Men is Pete Campbell, but it would be nice to see him with a real automaton of the bleep-bloop variety, complete with blinking lights and a monotone voice. The ironic thing about this movie is that Robbie the Robot is one of the most human characters in it, despite being framed for murder by his human creator. I’m not sure if I’d rather see Jon Hamm in the Commander John J. Adams role, or as the extremely evil Dr. Morbius. After seeing his stint as a drunk James Mason on Saturday Night Live, I’d love to see what he could do as an evil villain. He’s not quite as over the top as James Mason gets in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but he’s close. Plus there’s that whole great plot point with invisible monsters from the id. Freud would have loved it. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Speaking of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, why not add a little testosterone laden Don Draper-ness to the mix? In fact, let’s up the ante: Jon Hamm plays both Captain Nemo and hard-fightin’ sailorman Ned Land. He’s perfect for both roles, even if he does make his Nemo a Mason impression, and think how much the ladies would swoon to see him as Land –– dungarees, white t-shirt with rolled up sleeves, sweating and punching with the best of them. Jon Hamm could easily pull off this dual role, and it could make you forget about the other versions that have appeared over the years. This Island Earth It’s hard for me to remember seeing this film before I saw the Mystery Science Theater take on it, but even though it stars The Professort from Gilligan’s Island in one of the main roles, it’s a real classic of science fiction. Why didn’t they remake this instead of Keanu’s The Day The Earth Said Whoa? It’s actually a tragic story about an alien civilization reaching out to Earth for help, even though there is little we can do. Put Jon Hamm and his leading-man chin in the Dr. Cal Meacham role, and you’ve got some good stuff. After all, he plays a doctor in The Day The Earth…, so why not reward him with a meaty role that gives him more than a scant few minutes of screen time? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/christhilk/archive/2008/12/12/38332.aspx Post By: ChrisThilk
Post To: ChrisThilk Blog
Post Date: 12/12/2008 7:00:48 PM
Body: My review of the new DVD edition of 1951 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still is contained within my Movie Marketing Madness column covering the remake of the movie. The best part about the appearance of the new movie is that it prompted Fox to re-release the 1951 original. Re-watching the film via a review copy provided to me of the new two-disc special edition, I was struck by just how great this movie is. It’s not epic or intensly personal along the lines of classics like Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind or others along those lines. But it is just a really, really good movie that captures the feelings of the era it was produced in while still remaining relevant to contemporary audiences. In the movie, Klaatu arrives on earth with the robot Gort, landing in a Washington D.C. park. Taken into custody after he’s mistakenly shot by a trigger happy soldier, he explains he has a message of importance to the entire world and rejects attempts by single countries to dominate his presentation. Eventually he escapes the hospital he’s being held at and assumes the identity of Mr. Carpenter, trying to get to know what the citizens of the world are like as opposed to their arrogant and short-sighted rulers. He becomes involved in the lives of a single woman and her young son and through them meets one of the leading scientists of the day, who conveniently lives just down the street, and tries to convey to his colleagues the message he has come with from the other inhabited planets. day-the-earth-stood-still-screenshotEveryone knows the movie was an allegory for the international unrest enveloping the world at the time, the beginning of the Cold War and not long after World War II, and that’s certainly true. But let’s also look at the name Klaatu gives himself: Carpenter. The fact that he comes with a message of peace for the world, is mistrusted and hunted by the authorities, dies and comes back for a short period in order to finish his mission gives him kind of undeniable Christian overtones as well. I had never really caught that until watching it this time and now it’s a notion that I can’t shake. The DVD special edition transfer looks fantastic. I’m by no means an expert in pixels and compression rates or other matters but the picture to my eye was crisp and clean and looked great. The first disc also contains a pair of audio commentary as well as - and this is super cool - an isolated audio track that allows you to listen to the legendary theramin-dominated soundtrack all by itself. Both discs also have between them a handful of documentaries and retrospectives that focus on everything from the movie’s production history to the decoding of the movie’s legendary command phrase to how science fiction films serve as cautionary tales in their respective places in history.        Originally posted on:Chris Thilk
]]>Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:00:48 GMTChrisThilkChrisThilk Blog12/12/2008 7:00:48 PMMy review of the new DVD edition of 1951 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still is contained within my Movie Marketing Madness column covering the remake of the movie. The best part about the appearance of the new movie is that it prompted Fox to re-release the 1951 original. Re-watching the film via a review copy provided to me of the new two-disc special edition, I was struck by just how great this movie is. It’s not epic or intensly personal along the lines of classics like Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind or others along those lines. But it is just a really, really good movie that captures the feelings of the era it was produced in while still remaining relevant to contemporary audiences. In the movie, Klaatu arrives on earth with the robot Gort, landing in a Washington D.C. park. Taken into custody after he’s mistakenly shot by a trigger happy soldier, he explains he has a message of importance to the entire world and rejects attempts by single countries to dominate his presentation. Eventually he escapes the hospital he’s being held at and assumes the identity of Mr. Carpenter, trying to get to know what the citizens of the world are like as opposed to their arrogant and short-sighted rulers. He becomes involved in the lives of a single woman and her young son and through them meets one of the leading scientists of the day, who conveniently lives just down the street, and tries to convey to his colleagues the message he has come with from the other inhabited planets. day-the-earth-stood-still-screenshotEveryone knows the movie was an allegory for the international unrest enveloping the world at the time, the beginning of the Cold War and not long after World War II, and that’s certainly true. But let’s also look at the name Klaatu gives himself: Carpenter. The fact that he comes with a message of peace for the world, is mistrusted and hunted by the authorities, dies and comes back for a short period in order to finish his mission gives him kind of undeniable Christian overtones as well. I had never really caught that until watching it this time and now it’s a notion that I can’t shake. The DVD special edition transfer looks fantastic. I’m by no means an expert in pixels and compression rates or other matters but the picture to my eye was crisp and clean and looked great. The first disc also contains a pair of audio commentary as well as - and this is super cool - an isolated audio track that allows you to listen to the legendary theramin-dominated soundtrack all by itself. Both discs also have between them a handful of documentaries and retrospectives that focus on everything from the movie’s production history to the decoding of the movie’s legendary command phrase to how science fiction films serve as cautionary tales in their respective places in history.        Originally posted on:Chris Thilk http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Re_Time_Travel_Aliens_and_Biopics_New_movies/216/38172/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 12/10/2008 9:35:04 AM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. The Day the Earth Stood Still I'm really excited about this one too. I have a friend playing an army sergeant in the film so even if it sucks I'm gonna have keep my mouth shut and proclaim its brilliance. Ditto about Jennifer Connelly. [/quote] That's awesome merc! By any chance was he in a scene with Jennifer Connelly? Even if he wasn't, that's great. Btw, one of the Spout team (magrebi) was at the press conference I linked to, and he said Connelly was like "a Queen," diplomatic and intelligent and all-around classy.
]]>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:35:04 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon12/10/2008 9:35:04 AM[quote user="mercurial"] [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. The Day the Earth Stood Still I'm really excited about this one too. I have a friend playing an army sergeant in the film so even if it sucks I'm gonna have keep my mouth shut and proclaim its brilliance. Ditto about Jennifer Connelly. [/quote] That's awesome merc! By any chance was he in a scene with Jennifer Connelly? Even if he wasn't, that's great. Btw, one of the Spout team (magrebi) was at the press conference I linked to, and he said Connelly was like "a Queen," diplomatic and intelligent and all-around classy. http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Re_Time_Travel_Aliens_and_Biopics_New_movies/216/38093/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 12/8/2008 8:27:26 PM
Body: [quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. The Day the Earth Stood Still (NEW) -- Read about the press conference with Keanu and Jennifer Connelly. I won't lie, I'm excited for this one! Not only am I nuts about Jennifer Connelly, I also think Keanu could be fantastic at playing a non-human. (Just like how Swarzenegger was always best at playing a robot.) Recast the original, you might win a t-shirt. [/quote] I'm really excited about this one too. I have a friend playing an army sergeant in the film so even if it sucks I'm gonna have keep my mouth shut and proclaim its brilliance. Ditto about Jennifer Connelly.
]]>Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:27:26 GMTmercurialComing Soon12/8/2008 8:27:26 PM[quote user="SkyPilot"] 3. The Day the Earth Stood Still (NEW) -- Read about the press conference with Keanu and Jennifer Connelly. I won't lie, I'm excited for this one! Not only am I nuts about Jennifer Connelly, I also think Keanu could be fantastic at playing a non-human. (Just like how Swarzenegger was always best at playing a robot.) Recast the original, you might win a t-shirt. [/quote] I'm really excited about this one too. I have a friend playing an army sergeant in the film so even if it sucks I'm gonna have keep my mouth shut and proclaim its brilliance. Ditto about Jennifer Connelly. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/death/MemberTagFilms.aspxdeath
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