Movie News, Reviews, & Reactions 2012

[Sletchman]

and on the oh god kill it with fire front we have tonka the movie. seems they are also planning a candy land and risk movie. i would almost say the candyland flick should be a slasher film.

So it's about a mining operation?  That's the only place I've seen those trucks operate.

Lets start a pool:  I'll take "Aliens" for $10 as the films threat.

[Mister Andersen]

Don't forget that they've also made triggered-powered prop-planes back in the day that were more or less the right size for use with A-Team and GI Joe action figures.

I think you could actually get a passably interesting disaster movie going.

[ThunderMonkey]

Don't forget that they've also made triggered-powered prop-planes back in the day that were more or less the right size for use with A-Team and GI Joe action figures.

I think you could actually get a passably interesting disaster movie going.

My favorite game with Tonka trucks was that my brother and I were on opposites of the kitchen and we send the trucks speeding along the ground to crash into each other.

It later evolved into us trying to hit each other with trucks. The only rule: The trucks could not be thrown. It was like air hockey, but with no puck.

[ThunderMonkey]

and on the oh god kill it with fire front we have tonka the movie. seems they are also planning a candy land and risk movie. i would almost say the candyland flick should be a slasher film.

The Risk game should be a contest of sorts between Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Rommel, Genghis Kahn and Stonewall Jackson.

[Crafty_Pat]

and on the oh god kill it with fire front we have tonka the movie. seems they are also planning a candy land and risk movie. i would almost say the candyland flick should be a slasher film.

Alex and I had a good laugh about that last night. Tonka Trucks the movie... Oh the world we live in...

[ThunderMonkey]

It has taken a few days, but I just had my "holy crap" moment from "Prometheus".

(click to show/hide)

In "Bladerunner" Ridley Scott built upon the theme of what it is to be human and how  or what defines that.

Could "Prometheus" be the same? Could it be about rising above our programming or what we were designed to do? And if we do that, then we've exceeded what our creators wanted.

[Crafty_Pat]

It has taken a few days, but I just had my "holy crap" moment from "Prometheus".

(click to show/hide)

In "Bladerunner" Ridley Scott built upon the theme of what it is to be human and how  or what defines that.

Could "Prometheus" be the same? Could it be about rising above our programming or what we were designed to do? And if we do that, then we've exceeded what our creators wanted.

That's certainly part of it, yes. I also recommend you read this and this (NOTE: SPOILERS).

[Sletchman]

It has taken a few days, but I just had my "holy crap" moment from "Prometheus".

(click to show/hide)

In "Bladerunner" Ridley Scott built upon the theme of what it is to be human and how  or what defines that.

Could "Prometheus" be the same? Could it be about rising above our programming or what we were designed to do? And if we do that, then we've exceeded what our creators wanted.

That's certainly part of it, yes. I also recommend you read this and this (NOTE: SPOILERS).

(click to show/hide)

Very interesting reads.  When watching the film during Shaw's self-operation sequence my first thought was how much it paralleled the Prometheus story of myth, but I certainly didn't give it the degree of thought those authors did.  Thanks for the links, Pat.

[Valentina]

It has taken a few days, but I just had my "holy crap" moment from "Prometheus".

(click to show/hide)

In "Bladerunner" Ridley Scott built upon the theme of what it is to be human and how  or what defines that.

Could "Prometheus" be the same? Could it be about rising above our programming or what we were designed to do? And if we do that, then we've exceeded what our creators wanted.

That's certainly part of it, yes. I also recommend you read this and this (NOTE: SPOILERS).

Ahhh, terrific food for thought.
I particularly like the article on the cycle of Sacrifice and Creation. Very insightful, especially so for the biblical parallels and analysis.

[Valentina]

It has taken a few days, but I just had my "holy crap" moment from "Prometheus".

(click to show/hide)

In "Bladerunner" Ridley Scott built upon the theme of what it is to be human and how  or what defines that.

Could "Prometheus" be the same? Could it be about rising above our programming or what we were designed to do? And if we do that, then we've exceeded what our creators wanted.

Oh yeah, definitely.

(click to show/hide)

On that note, one thing I thought curiously intriguing: what did David say to that Engineer he woke? It seemed to me that David strongly resented, if not out right hated, his scornful and woebegotten creators, and would've been completely willing to pick a fight on behalf of Humanity with the Engineers.
He also opens the bulkhead that starts The Running And The Screaming against orders to the contrary.

Whatever else it's a safe bet that David is not governed by the Three Laws. Every other Synthetic afterwards is -probably because of Yutani's caution after the review of just the circumstances that Weyland, his prodigal creation and his Heir Apparent all died in the ass-end of space on some mystery mission.
Clearly something went wrong, and did so with enough wattage to annihilate the entire Weyland line.

I think his interactions with Shaw were colored by that, but tempered by her faith. Shaw's faith held that there was a God who was essentially benevolent. David's Creators are real but far less kinder. His reasoning for  dosing Holloway is to grant her fertility, with the added side-effect of doing something vengeful to Holloway. But at the same it might've somewhat inspiring to him that she still held out faith in denial of all the evidence to the contrary -David himself probably being well in-informed about Humanity's collective glories and greatness even while being mocked for his nature by them who made him.
As someone who's had problems with his parents I can understand the potency of that rage-inducing combinations of frustration.
(digression)
At first I didn't think much of the idea of the Black Slime following it's consumer's intent, but now I see it.
Presuming Holloway wanted to make Shaw pregnant he succeeded -her reaction was that the fetus was unnatural and monstrous, and lo it was...though that's more inductive then deductive.
(/digression)
Holloway however suffers a breakdown that leaves him looking a lot like the Engineer from the beginning scene.
What the hell happened to Fairfield is still a mystery to me.
So David is, while very much propelled by his agenda of wanting to be accepted by his father (his own personal Zeus, heh), is somewhat better dispossessed towards Shaw.
Hmm, but that contradicts his actions about barring her access to surgery.
I can't really answer that. Maybe he wanted to test her (echoes of the book of Job). Maybe he was conflicted about caring about someone besides Weyland? Maybe he thought he "knew best" and wanted Shaw to get the metaphorical "whole gift" he'd given.
I wonder if a big hint about his nature is given in his adoration of that quote of Lawrence of Arabia about "not minding that it hurts"?  He's acclimatizing to the idea that he's going to be harming others and that he'll suffer in return -but it has to be done.
Sort of a Promethean ideal there, as well. Prometheus must've known there'd be a backlash, and that it would be epic, but that was just the price to be paid.
Hmm.
Thoughts?

[Valentina]

Oh, and:

(click to show/hide)

Watch Vickers right before she's crushed: Shaw stumbles and falls, but Vickers keep running. Shaw has the insight to avoid the incoming calamity by adapting and rolling away. Vickers eventually falls as well, but because she didn't help Shaw she both doesn't have anyone to help her nor the insight to roll away. She does have time to plead for help but not enough presence of mind to save herself.
Power snubs Science, and ends up destroying itself.

Hell as long as I'm reaching here's some racial politics:
Vickers and the Captain. She's using him, clearly. He's complicit, obviously, because hey even Bad Theron is Good Theron. Maybe even Better then Good.
But afterwards there's no acknowledgement of it afterwards. Using happened, and that changes nothing in the real power dynamic. He's still a grunt, and she's still Absolutely In Charge. A taste of the sugar, and then it's back to the job.
Reminds me of the Recording Industry.

Anyone else notice that the three unsung heroes were three American minorities? An African, an Asian, and an Indian died for everyone else's greed -the rest of the cast being European/White. Hmm. All working-poor, too.

[Crafty_Pat]

(click to show/hide)

Very interesting reads.  When watching the film during Shaw's self-operation sequence my first thought was how much it paralleled the Prometheus story of myth, but I certainly didn't give it the degree of thought those authors did.  Thanks for the links, Pat.

My pleasure!

[Crafty_Pat]

Django Unchained international trailer: This is much more of what I expect from a Tarantino western.

[Crafty_Pat]

...and you can find another great analysis of Prometheus - that also attempts to tackle many of the issues of plot and character in the film - here.

[ThunderMonkey]

It has taken a few days, but I just had my "holy crap" moment from "Prometheus".

(click to show/hide)

In "Bladerunner" Ridley Scott built upon the theme of what it is to be human and how  or what defines that.

Could "Prometheus" be the same? Could it be about rising above our programming or what we were designed to do? And if we do that, then we've exceeded what our creators wanted.

Oh yeah, definitely.

(click to show/hide)

On that note, one thing I thought curiously intriguing: what did David say to that Engineer he woke? It seemed to me that David strongly resented, if not out right hated, his scornful and woebegotten creators, and would've been completely willing to pick a fight on behalf of Humanity with the Engineers.
He also opens the bulkhead that starts The Running And The Screaming against orders to the contrary.

Whatever else it's a safe bet that David is not governed by the Three Laws. Every other Synthetic afterwards is -probably because of Yutani's caution after the review of just the circumstances that Weyland, his prodigal creation and his Heir Apparent all died in the ass-end of space on some mystery mission.
Clearly something went wrong, and did so with enough wattage to annihilate the entire Weyland line.

I think his interactions with Shaw were colored by that, but tempered by her faith. Shaw's faith held that there was a God who was essentially benevolent. David's Creators are real but far less kinder. His reasoning for  dosing Holloway is to grant her fertility, with the added side-effect of doing something vengeful to Holloway. But at the same it might've somewhat inspiring to him that she still held out faith in denial of all the evidence to the contrary -David himself probably being well in-informed about Humanity's collective glories and greatness even while being mocked for his nature by them who made him.
As someone who's had problems with his parents I can understand the potency of that rage-inducing combinations of frustration.
(digression)
At first I didn't think much of the idea of the Black Slime following it's consumer's intent, but now I see it.
Presuming Holloway wanted to make Shaw pregnant he succeeded -her reaction was that the fetus was unnatural and monstrous, and lo it was...though that's more inductive then deductive.
(/digression)
Holloway however suffers a breakdown that leaves him looking a lot like the Engineer from the beginning scene.
What the hell happened to Fairfield is still a mystery to me.
So David is, while very much propelled by his agenda of wanting to be accepted by his father (his own personal Zeus, heh), is somewhat better dispossessed towards Shaw.
Hmm, but that contradicts his actions about barring her access to surgery.
I can't really answer that. Maybe he wanted to test her (echoes of the book of Job). Maybe he was conflicted about caring about someone besides Weyland? Maybe he thought he "knew best" and wanted Shaw to get the metaphorical "whole gift" he'd given.
I wonder if a big hint about his nature is given in his adoration of that quote of Lawrence of Arabia about "not minding that it hurts"?  He's acclimatizing to the idea that he's going to be harming others and that he'll suffer in return -but it has to be done.
Sort of a Promethean ideal there, as well. Prometheus must've known there'd be a backlash, and that it would be epic, but that was just the price to be paid.
Hmm.
Thoughts?

(click to show/hide)

Actually I think David's motivation is somewhat more grotesque in regards to Shaw's pregnancy. David has a fascination/adoration for Shaw. He probably thought that he was more akin to being the "father" and was perhaps even hoping that he could help parent that little bundle of Cthulhulistic joy. David probably didn't think he was hurting Shaw.