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First review of V FOR VENDETTA's 'premiere' at the BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL!!!
Hey folks, Harry here with our first report from this year's BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL and the first "official" screening of V FOR VENDETTA. Our screening of V FOR VENDETTA at Butt-Numb-A-Thon 7 was a legendary screening that was an "unofficial preview" type of thing. That screening was amazing and magical - and I have to say I'm not the least bit surprised from the love this film apparently is getting from Berlin. It really is that fucking great. Now - here ya go...
Hey Harry, hey Moriarty,
love your site. Checking it every day for scoops or a funny “lets bitch about x-men3”-talkback. Talking about cool news: What about “The whole bloody mess – Kill Bill DvD” or an “E.E.” of King Kong? Any word on that?
Anyway. Thought you might be interested in my point of view of the “Berlinale06”-screening of “V for Vendetta” and on my point for what the “V” stands.
It was held at the “Berlinale-Palast” today which usually is the venue for Berlin`s version of the “Blue Man Group”. Lucky enough to have witnessed the European premiere of “King Kong” in there as well I knew the screen is big and the sound loud which for me makes it quite ok.
The stars were there to introduce and watch!! the movie with the audience. Natalie Portman (hair is growing back) looked cute as expected although while watching her on the red carpet I got the feeling that this woman was a bit shy, lost and not really happy with all this stardom. Jeez, if I could have I would have gone out there, hugged her and protected her from every evil that might come her way!! With my life!! Na I wouldn`t but anyway, give me a shiny knight moment here…but damm I would have hugged her!
Hugo Weaving looked very hairy (full beard!) and really nice while Joel Silver had this “god-i`m-good”-attitude around him.
Before the lights went out a german actor/host welcomed everyone and surprisingly claimed that this screening was a world-premiere! Now…I`m getting a little bit confused here. Don`t you guys say to have had a Butt-a-numb-Thon-screening of this? Was this a different cut? Did they just want to sound all cool and important or what the fuck was that? Perhaps you can spread a bit of magic and find out?
I have read those Butt-a-numb-thon reviews (stopped when it said spoiler) and combined with the trailer I thought I had a slight idea what to expect, cause I don`t know the comic.
In short: “A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally.” There. Thank imdb.com for that.
And for those of you who don`t want to read through the whole thing, here is my
“I don`t know the comic but have seen the movie”-verdict:
It`s good. Really good.
There you have it, lazyboys. Go ahead to do whatever you have to do and when this comes out, go see it. I think you`ll enjoy it.
Still here? Want to hear more. Ok. I don`t want to spoil anything so please be pleased with me giving you only small details. But still please let me try…
The first ten or so minutes are “pure-genius” cinema. They have so much speed, so much drama, so much energy you will be kind of numb, dumbstruck and overwhelmed. Because you haven`t seen something like this in quite a while. I kid you not. I was starting to jiggle after “the concert” (AWESOME!) was over and the “slow” moment begun. I couldn`t resist. I had to. The “introduction” of “V” is in my view “teach that to everyone who wants to make a kickass movie”-material! And one has to wonder how long it took for the Wachowskis to come up with so many “V-words” that actually make sense combined!
After this fantastic intro we get to know the history and the situation of the world this is located. But not all of it. Just a necessary part to get hooked. You`ll have the whole picture in the end, don`t worry. And from that on… you`re on. On for a ride. And let me tell you. It`s not an easy one.
Hell no. And you wanna know why? Because this movie does not push you in a certain direction. This is not “See this? We want you to THINK and believe THIS”. This story tells you a story and lets you decide. It WANTS you to decide. It gives you different aspects. Different views. And it`s up to you to choose which one you want to take. You can take this and compare it to many different times of the world`s political situations. The “Third Reich”? Do it. “Stalinistic-Russia”? Be my guest. For myself, I would lay this on to the history of divided germany. On the “DDR” the “German Democratic Republic”. I think this fits the best. But you could also take “McCarthy-Era-USA” if you want to. Aspects of everything I`ve listed are in this. But to make my point here more easy and to ad another layer here: What would YOU do if you would live in a totalitaristic regime?
And all along the way it also will piss of a lot of people cause it also touches nearly every aspect of our day to day life. Sometimes just a hint. Sometimes by swinging a bat directly at the ones it wants to hurt. Don`t get me wrong. I get it that the producers/makers want to cause controversity. By god, they will!! People will rave and rampage about this movie. They will call it a “frightener”, an open call for anarchy and chaos. Damm, I wouldn`t wonder if some people will say that this movie is anti-islam (considering the “sketch” or is it “stretch”? I mean the “comic-strip” dispute which is happening right now! Some will interpret “the Koran of Stephen Fry Incident” in that kind of way! You know it, I know it).
But for me this movie is in its core about freedom. The freedom of love, of religion, of trust.
Still, THE question the movie is asking is: Does the goal justifies all doing, the means? What would you do? What way would you choose? AND it asks if the way to achieve your goal is an act of terrorism? Or patriotism? Might it even be humanistic? In-humane? Pick yours…
You will be confronted with those questions throughout the movie. I witnessed the beautifull / powerfull, unmercyfull reincarnation, the story of “V” and “Evey”, a story of freeing yourself. For the first it’s the story of freedom through revenge, to defeat the demons of the past as the ultimate goal. For Evey it`s the story of freeing herself from the past to have brighter future. I found my answer to those questions on my way home. I mean I think I knew what I would do. But I was also accompanied by strong images to help me catch it. Make it more clear to myself. Trust me. The sequence of “Evey`s reincarnation” intercut with “V”s and “Valerie”s is pure magic. This “letter” is so goddamm touching…it broke my heart and really made me furious. After that...let me just say…the “concert” is back on, paired with some touching although a bit too sweet moments.
Now for those interested in acting and style of the movie. First of all you can see the Wachowski-influence in this. Whether this is a good or a bad thing I leave up to you. I really liked it although Natalie is going a “bit Neo” after her haircut. The direction is self-assure and never fails. Great work here by Mr. McTeigue (and the Wachowskis!). I could have done without the “Soul Calibur”-effects during the showdown between “V” and “Creedy” but fuck that.
Natalie Portman is brilliant. She brings a very realistic and emotional believable aura to Evey which allows yourself to connect even more to her situation. She is “the” hero. She is the one you identify with. And you will. I mean I did. Ad to that that she does look amazingly hot in a “little-girl”-outfit. I do understand the priest`s lust in that point…and in that only I may ad.
Hugo Weaving: I read about the situation when the actor originally chosen for playing “V” left the production. And I also read about the fact that V`s face is never seen during the movie. So seriously…who cares who plays the guy. It would be of importance when “V” would be mute as well but he isn`t so everything about “V” is about the voice cause the movement can be done by everyone. So I still don`t get what that hustle was about. Whatever. Gladly they brought Hugo in and Hugo is acting through his voice. And I promise you… Hugo rulez!! I don`t want to spoil anything but the way he perceives, intruiges, comforts, shocks is awesome. I go so far as to say that in times when “icons” clash like “AvP” (HERE goes the talkback!) or “SupesVsBatman”, “V” is the only guy to piss of Jack Bauer! And everybody knows that even Supes wears JackBauer-Shorts!!! I am totally serious here. They should put “V” against Jack in 24 Season 6 or from 5x12 on and it would be the first time Jack would worry. Fuck…I would worry about Jack. Or bring on a guy from CNN or BBC`s Hardtalk. They would go down crying!!
Hugo/”V” is THE badass numero uno!!
John Hurt and Stephen Rea do solid work here. They don`t have that much to do but other than getting played and fucked by “V” but still. Good work. Stephen Fry is great. What other would you expect?
Anyway. The movie rocks. I sometimes (and then only for seconds) wished it would be a bit tighter, perhaps a bit more badass, but this is great, awesome cinema!
I left pretty quickly when the movie was over cause the guy next to me really smelled (got to get my own cinema) so I don`t know if the stars were there for a Q&A. Thought if there would be the usual “Oh you guys ruled, what do you think, what do you wear tonight” I wouldn`t miss anything. If I read that Natalie gave the audience smooches I will hit myself hard but what are the chances ey?
Please let me end with the following story of which I know people (if this gets to and on your site) will shake their heads in disbelief although I promise here and now that this is true:
After I fled the smelly guy I decided to walk to my place. To get from Potsdamer Platz to my place I choose to take the “scenic-route” by which I mean pass the “Brandenburger Tor” to “Friedrichsstaße” and on from there.
I was walking through the Gate..looked back through it in direction of “Straße des 17.Juni” and there was….now comes the part I will get smacked about…..a shape formed of melted snow and ice on the ground. A “V”. And I reconsidered what I have just seen and keeping in mind that I prefer to compare the movie to A situation which MIGHT have happened during the “2 germanys” I found an answer to the “V” in “V for Vendetta”.
For me the “V” stands for “Victory”. “Victory” as in remembering the history of my country. “Victory” as in the last “V” in the movie.
“Victory” as in success for the movie itself.
There you have it. “DoubleEm” out….
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... but will this be the 1st Moore adaptation to do justice to it's source? I don't think so.
But I still have my fingers crossed! btw. 1st?! -
It was up one minute then gone the next. Was it because it wasn't a glowing review that it was removed from the front page?
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That "review" was really "great". I can't "wait" for this "movie".
Sorry, I just love when people have little writing quirks. -
That's the same as saying Natalie Portman was quite pretty. Good review. I wish controversity was really a word.
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what god do I pray to to get Paul Greengrass back on watchmen ? that opening flying/falling comedian, it just has to make it to screen
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Just joking i still have hope, hope the brett ratner sods off and fox studios burns down.
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I still can't forget how the evil Wachowski brothers made me think Matrix Reloaded was the coolest stuff ever...
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Hmm.
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He wondered how long it took The watchowski brothers to find all the V words?
They probably looked at the Chapter titles in the comic. seeing as that where they came from. Still Im not sure if that'll work better than the Macbeth Monologue, we shall see. Can't wait! -
Well, I know people think Supes is a little flakey, but that's just wrong! Though, I would have to guess that as V was doing all the wire-fu and romantic prose, Jack would run up the alley wall and break his neck...while having a full heart attack! Then he'd get drunk with Dirty Harry, win at cards against James Bond, punch out Rocky Balboa, nail Ellen Ripley, high-five Spartacus, shoot pool with Luke Jackson, go target shooting with Philip Marlowe, take down a drug cartel with the help of Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and do all that just as a warm up before giving Walker, Texas Ranger a knockout roundhouse to the back of the head as the final blow in an epic showdown!. All in one day. All without sleep. And never having to go to the bathroom. That's just the type of guy Jack Bauer is.
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is that even a word?
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Good review by the way (except the for spelling mistakes) but at least it hasn't spoilt anything for me. I'll read the comic after I've seen the movie but I'm looking forward to this.
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lol, fantastic. :^)
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Harry, hire this guy. I just blew coffee up my nose with that line in this review. DoubleEm, that was pure genius, good to know that the legend of Jack is engulfing the world. Oh, and nice review, too.
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Could someone give me the edited version please?
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sorry for those but english is not my native tongue
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then everyone involved can eat the peanuts out of my shit.
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http://www.aintitcool.com/tb_display.cgi?id=22406 As you can see from the talkback, they didn't just delete the home page link to the review, they deleted the page containing the review. Only the sad, linkless talkback page remains.
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wow!!! me, i would have just grabbed her ass and stuck my tongue down her throat, but i guess a hug would have worked as well.
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except i don't think even the studios would hire someone as gushy as this. he comes across as too stupid to be a plant. also, it'd be better if AICN got someone to review the film who'd read the original comics.
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Right... because it wasn't LONG ENOUGH.
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V dies in the end.
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Just an annoying person with a weak grasp of the English language.
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a lot safer knowing that Harry, looking like Bruce Villanch on Human Growth Hormones, is ready to leap out of the crowd, wrap her in his lard, and fantasize about laying the wood to her while she's dressed as a pre-pubescent girl. I mean, if that's not every little girl's Knight in Shining Armour fantasy, I don't know what is.
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Nice work on the review. I love the mental image of the entire audience lining up to smooch Natalie Portman just as you walk out the door. Don't worry about spelling, that's what editors are for. Looking forward to more reviews.
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for the review. Looking forward to this - big fan of the book. And I'd like to see some of ruder members of this talkback compose a post - let alone a review - in a second language.
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I quote: "Officially helmed by James McTeigue, pic suffers from many of same problems as last two installments of producers Andy and Larry Wachowski's "Matrix" franchise: indigestible dialogue, pacing difficulties and too much pseudo-philosophical info. Plot differs substantially from the written version, which was issued complete as a graphic novel in 1989. Simplified movie version, penned by the Wachowski brothers, gamely tries to retain key plot points that will serve as mass market entertainment, while half-heartedly updating Moore's allegorical digs at Thatcher's Britain in the '80s to reflect current leftist fears about what a future totalitarian state might repress -- not just homosexuality but Islam, too."
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"Helming debutant McTeigue cites in press notes that 1965's "The Battle of Algiers" was one of the film's stylistic inspirations, but evidence here suggests he may be thinking of an entirely imaginary film that bears no relation to that docudrama classic. Perhaps helmer thinks that the trite cutaways in "Vendetta" to stereotypically ordinary Brits roused by V's message bear some likeness to the fervid mix of minor characters in Gillo Pontecorvo's film. In the end, competent but bland craft contributions ensure pic looks less like sci-fi stalwarts "A Clockwork Orange" and "Fahrenheit 451" and more like "Batman Begins" or "Van Helsing."" Yep, that's high fucking praise for ya!!!!
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to pre-release hype
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found a friend with the original g.n. and found recent previews calling "V" - 'timely and relevant' to be 'stupid and banal'. The perspective really seems very, very dated - and the Koran being 'contraband' is antithetical to today's overly p.c. ways. Is 'sychophancy' a word? The world wide pressure to revere said book in spite of it's real time influence seems almost comical. I wasn't raised in 'Thatcher's' England, but I was raised in Carter's America, and, wow, that g.n. seemed, well, preposterous. As source material I think it's a little pretentious and overwrought, but that's based on my bias against how things actually are. It seems to me that conservatism is always painted as the chief offender of freedom, when last I checked, Tipper Gore was head of the PMRC; Liebermann was talking about censoring films and Metallica were pissed about downloading music. Big Brother is here, folks, and he doesn't read anything from the CATO institute. The art for V (the g.n. that I read this weekend) was awesome. I thought the framing and his use of light was incredible, and his work on perspective really turned some of what had become 'cliched' g.n. imagery on its ear. Very stunning visually, but the story seemed way, way dated.
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Why so gleeful for a negative review? Seems like you've made up your mind that you're going to hate it. Or did you also post when the glowing reviews from Vanity Fair, MTV, The Hot Button and Hollywood Reporter came out?
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I thought DoubleEm's review was a lot of fun. Like one of your funky friends you just love to hang out with. I did not care if his english writing was "Good". Like Badtz, I love peoples' writing quicks. I read the Comic few years ago, well before it was announced to be a movie. I thought then it would be a cool movie so I am looking forward to seeing it. The voice in my head of "V"'s voice was almost to the T like Hugo's tone and dramatic speaking style.
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Thanks! (The pitiful spelling chauvinists in this talkback are an embarrassment to themselves.)
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What a gay review...who cares if Weaving has a beard or if Portman's hair is growing back?
So gay... -
is that like the 'grammar racists' or 'punctuation mysogynists'?
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Seems to me that the Wachowski Siblings may have hit another foul ball. I've been hearing a lot of dissenting reviews of VENDETTA lately, Variety, for one. Sounds to me like it's Alan Moore lite; they committed the exact same crime Warners did with CONSTANTINE, namely de-balling that bastard John from the title, a cardinal sin if I've ever heard of one. I hope I'm wrong, and that the Siblings have come up with something just as cool as the original matrix. But watered down Alan Moore has NEVER worked in cinema. In fact, it seems to me that Moore's genius lies in the comic book medium and not in film. -
Seems to me that the Wachowski Siblings may have hit another foul ball. I've been hearing a lot of dissenting reviews of VENDETTA lately, Variety, for one. Sounds to me like it's Alan Moore lite; they committed the exact same crime Warners did with CONSTANTINE, namely de-balling that bastard John from the title, a cardinal sin if I've ever heard of one. I hope I'm wrong, and that the Siblings have come up with something just as cool as the original matrix. But watered down Alan Moore has NEVER worked in cinema. In fact, it seems to me that Moore's genius lies in the comic book medium and not in film. -
i have NOT read the graphic novel so i don`t know if they watered down things
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watered things down
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I'm a mod at AQMB and we have a slew of HQ photos from the event, ---
http://p085.ezboard.com/fbase37sdiscussionfourmnatalieportman.showMessageRange?topicID=8948.topic&start=21&stop=28
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Militia fighters? stop government and powerful nations by any means neccessary? I don't know, maybe I'm a simple person, but no matter how you cut and slice it, no pun intended. When you kidnap someone and murder them by cutting their head off on live TV. That's just wrong and nothing justifies it. If you wanna say their intentions are right to fight off foreign invaders, fine, but they're going about it the wrong way, by holding inocent people hostage and killing them in horrific ways. Is the United States any better? Bombing a country, probably not, but put it this way. If I had to choose between American Government & these Terrorist nutjobs running this world. I'd choose American Government.
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also, superjew Natalie in Berlin w/shaved head speaking about totalitarian regimes. not irony or sarcasm or farce or satire... what is it? oh yeah. creepy.
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If it sucks it sucks but I can't help but be excited for the film. The real question is, can it match the highs of 'League of Gentlemen X"?
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You'd go with the American government, an organization that has supported various independent terrorists for decades? That has installed puppet regimes in countries like Chile and Iraq (who the hell do you think put Saddam in power during the 80's?) and consequently been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people? I wouldn't go with the U.S. or any of the other lunatics that have taken over this asylum called earth
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because that means OTHER people dying. and you gotta live under one regime or another.
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Why don
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"How long it took the Wachoski brothers to string that many V-Words together..." -- Luckily, they didn't have to write this movie. It was already going to be an amazing movie when Alan Moore conceived the art and story in his head. He is brilliant with his dialogues and monologues and as I read the book, I could see the "hero" of V coming out on a big screen. I just hope Hugo does it justice and I don't think of Mr. Anderson the whole time.
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...as a Brit I'd just like to point that out before you go slagging them off. Religion, on the other hand, needs to be shown up for the tired bullshit it's been peddling for the last two millenia. Darwin kicked all our asses good and proper and it's about time the citizens of Earth woke up to that fact. Writing Darwin out of the text-books and replacing it with 'intelligent design' is the biggest threat to modern life we face after global warming and nukes. Though the three are kind-of interlinked I suppose or will be one day when Iran gets a bomb.
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...however, the movie looks great.
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There IS a difference between freedom fighters and terrorists, and one of the big ones is the targeting of innocents. The founding fathers dumped tea into the harbor and declared war on Britain. Don't recall George Washington ever shooting women and children or blowing things up randomly with no care as to whether there are people there. Terrorists generally PREFER those types of targets.
And I don't know about Darwin "kicking anyone's ass". I'm pretty sure he renounced his own research later in life. And I don't think we should take evolutionary theory out of the science books in favor of intelligent design. As big as those books are already, an extra chapter in the book on an equally valid theory won't be too much. Of course, not sure what has that has to do with this movie. Unless you're proposing to set up a totalitarian government that only allows people to believe in evolution and doesn't let different religions practice in peace. In which case, I guess I'd better get my porcelain mask shined up and ready for use. -
Brilliant post. I've been saying for years that organized religion is what will destroy this planet. Intelligent design is an even greater farce than creationism, but America is under the control of born-again nutcases that are perfectly fine with bombing abortion clinics and gay bars.
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I'm not gleeful. I'm just trying to keep the unfettered AICN enthusiasm in check a bit. Harry and Co. are claiming that the film is much more than an action film, so it's a bit sobering to read a review that refers to the film as essentially dumbed-down mass-market entertainment. And considering that the latter two Matrix movies were huge disappointments, and that Alan Moore wants nothing to do with the film, any excitement seems to be entirely misplaced. To me it sounds like another piece of shit that Harry is jonesing for waaaay out of proportion.
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Dude, how can you call Intelligent Design 'an equally valid theory'? Darwin didn't revoke any of his studies. The bloody Galapagos islands are physical proof of his theories... Intelligent design is just a little piece of crap that the religious right pulled out of Rosanne Barr's ass because they're scared that people will finally begin to see that religion is really a sham and that means the won't get people calling in to the '700 club'.
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"is the biggest threat to modern life we face after global warming."
LOL! -
with your global warming globalist regime in place, your fascist corporatist state would quickly be relaized. And all in the name of "saving the planet".
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so many beautiful plants!
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I'd go with the government of Lichtenstein, you never hear of them causing any trouble.
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Terrorism is just a tactic. Why is bombing a village in Pakistan not terrorism? Because you're targeting the 'bad people' and collateral damage is acceptable? Think not. Ban religion, and this world will be a better place :)
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AND they created such an iconic looking character as V. AND that whole idea of-- oh wait. It was all Alan Moore. From a book. Imagine!
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Religion is one of the true enemies of mankind.
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that's so fucking corny and gay. and the sentence preceding it was equally retarded. yes, soldiers during wartime are civilians? wtf? anywho, it's 'semantics'. like you care...
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"Terrorists" is your point of view. That is all. To the established government at the time, yes, America was founded by 'rebels' and/or terrorists. You can split hairs all you want and talk about innocents this and dead kids that, but in the end, the two have a whole fuckload of things in common. No, I don't remember any stories of George Washington sending suicide bombers into churches and daycare centers, but you gotta chage with the times. We're a grittier, harder society and it takes moe to get our attention. That said, in my POV, we'll never win the war in the Middle East, because in order to win the war, you'll have to kill them down down to every last man, woman and child. They're never gonna give up.
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... was pulled until after the film played Berlin. I'll be putting it back up later today. No conspiracy... just a courtesy for Warner Bros.
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Feb 14, 2006 5:21:54 PM CST
Well that solves the mystery of the missing V review.
by theallseeingeye
I was reading it at work when my boss came over for a chat so i closed it in a hurry. Went back to finish it but it had vanished. Was intrigued to read the rest of it because, as far as i could tell, it was no where near as masturbatory as the other reviews that i've read on the movie. I was intrigued to read, what appeared to be, a level headed review with fair criticism; i look forward to reading the end of it.
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The difference between terrorist acts and fighting a war is that soldiers deliberately target other soldiers/military operations/insurgents. Terrorists deliberately target civilians in discos, daycare centers, crowded marketplaces, buses, etc. Therefore, we are not terrorists. Using your logic, every war the U.S. has fought, including the "good ones" in black and white were terrorist acts because of innocent victims caught in the crossfire. Do you consider the Greatest Generation terrorists? Oh, and Chirko, about 80 percent of Americans believe in God. You've had two thousand years to attack the "sham." How's it going?
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Talk backers either luv everything or hate everything.
I just want to see the damned thing regardless.
*feeling a little bit jealous of the BNAT'ers who have seen it already*
PAX -
James Cameron posted it on his website. :)
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that funding terrorists is just as bad as being terrorists. Well America qualifies then.
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is that like recto-criminal? Just kidding! ;-) The answer to your question, Ecto, is "no". "Spelling chauvinist" makes sense to regular people, whereas your "grammar racists" and "punctuation mysogynists" make sense only to regular people on strong drugs or to regular illiterate people. :-)
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Yay. It'd be great. Utter chaos in which Darwin's evolution by natural selection could truly shape. Everyone who could survive Rocket fire, gun shots, Gangs of meth head and wild fires as well as uncontrolled disease would eventually grow up to be the ultimate humans. On second thought I'll take the U.S. gov formed on revolution just like every nation. Not sure how Bombing abortion clinics and gay bars was mentioned, but last I checked those were carried out by groups other than gov. and are technically considered terrorist actions, although ripping an unborn chhild from it's home and dipensing of it (just call it a mistake) seems pretty fucked up to me. Guess some humans didn't evolve into animals with compassion.
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I skimmed the graphic novel after seeing the movie in Austin. Immediately, I noticed the differences. V for Vendetta was different than the graphic novel in terms of plot which helps me understand why Moore doesn't like it. BUT, the idea of how fucked up a society can get when it is controlled by fear, or what could happen when the only legal sexual orientation is heterosexuality, and the only legal religion is christianity, and what madness stems from it. Speaking as soneone who was privilaged enough to be there at BNAT, and although I had just watched "the funny in all the wrong places movie 'drum'", this thing seemed to wake me up after 25+ hours of anticipation for it. Some scenes won't go with all those film purists like *SPOILER* the domino scene that seemed waaaay out of place for me and pointless *SPOILER OVER* or various other things that may not seem logical to those who over analyze it. That's all.
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He hasn't seen it. I don't know if he's read the script. He's pissed (and rightfully so) at the way his work has been fucked up in the past, and even more pissed that people involved in the production said publically that he loved the script. I was afraid that V FOR VENDETTA would be as terrible as LXG or as mediocre as FROM HELL, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Why not see the movie and judge for yourself?
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I just read that the domino scene specifically is one of the ones directed by the Wachowskis on second unit. Their idea, their execution. So far, it seems like one of the film's least-liked moments. Interesting, eh?
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"Adding a superhero to 1984--ripoff!" -- This is in no way a "ripoff," as you call it. It is simply the aspect of writers doing what writers do best - modifying cliches and idioms to fit their own vernacular.
1984 is your quintessential novel about a failed utopia. Ayn Rand wrote about it in Anthem. William Golding wrote about it in Lord of the Flies (that that was more dystopian). Aldous Huxley = Brave New World. Ray Bradbury = Fahrenheit 451. "V for Vendetta" is another look at this world, another take on the failed utopia.
In the end (and this isn't a spoiler, so much as it is a DUH kind of idea), V doesn't end as your quintessential "hero." The book doesn't have a "happy" ending. It just shows what must BE done to achieve a better world.
I, for one, really enjoy his take of dystopia/utopia. Thus ends my dissertation. -
At the age of 59 from lung cancer. SciFi Wire has the confirmation.
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nicely put review as well
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But it's going to have to wait till I get back from Berlin as I'm sick as a dog right now. Suffice it to say, the film really is not all that. And just to placate the plantist partisans, I didn't see it at the Premiere in Potzdamer Platz; I had to go to a cinema called Eurania a little way from the centre. Also, think about V in an apron cooking fried egg on toast and tell me if you think that sounds like the shit??? I will say that Weaving pulls of the voice and physicality brilliantly, Fry is extremely good playing a part in one of the more shocking moments, and Portman is sometimes English rose wooden and sometimes fantastic. It's a sickingly eneven film, the Guy Fawkes addition makes it out to be a weird superhero origin story, and by the end everything is ridiculously over the top. But then what can you expect from a couple of guys who jumped the shark with the Matrix trilogy. It is great to see V in the flesh so to speak and his action scenes are pretty cool on a base level. Hopefull Quint or someone will post my review when I send it on Thursday.
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I am sick as a dog here....Interesting to note that the film makes connections between the sickness that kills so many and brings the facist government to power- very similar to the burning of the Reichstag that helped bring the Nazis to power and as was recently shown, caused by them in the first place. At least this is what my tour guide said.
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i hope so that was the best sci fi movie evar.
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i'm really looking foward to the movie. but i can't believe some of the comments i'm reading on this talkback. organized religion is a threat to humanity? man o man. without religion the world would be safer? could be right on both accounts. religion has caused many deaths. religion is manmade though. spirituality is not. yes, i believe in God. and everything that goes with that belief. and i think its really sad that our society has messed up so bad that people now view a belief in God as silly and even dangerous. i don't believe worshipping God is bad. at least not the God i worship. i'm taught that murder, in ANY form, is wrong. in ANY circumstance. that includes our boys who take the lives of their enemies overseas. that includes judges who convict criminals to death. that includes criminals who kill each other and innocents. that includes women who abort their unborn children at any stage of their pregnancy. that includes people who share my belief but then go against their faith and bomb abortion clinics or homosexual events/churches. i guess what i'm saying is, it isn't faith in God that is so dangerous, its people who misinterpret their beliefs. as for the USA and terrorism, i agree with the above posters who stated that terrorism is defined as the specific targeting of non-military personel for political or religous gains. that is pretty clear. therefore, the USA's independence was gained through rebellion. not terrorism. the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a military strike. therefore, it was not terrorism. yes, there is collateral damage in wars and battles. but it is not intentional and therefore it is not terrorism. i really can't believe any rational person would think what the USA, Britain, China, Japan, the USSR, Russia and France have done in the past or what they are doing now is/was terrorism. it itsn't. by definition. it is/was war. but in the end, life is life. if we as human beings had any sense at all, we would realize just how precious time on this Earth is and we would respect everyone else's individuality, and their beliefs. i don't wish to invade another country full of Muslims and force my beliefs on them or punish them for their beliefs and therefore i want the same respect. i mean, flying planes into my nation's buildings because we don't worship the same way? how can anyone view that as logical or anything but terrorism? sometimes i read and hear some really dumb things and i can't believe some of you live in the same world i do.
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but in a less civilized age. We should know better by now. Most terrorist aren't civilized. Most of the middle is full has uncivilized people. Who live like they lived a hundred years ago, nothing has changed. They're barberic.
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like my penis!
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Yummers.
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A freedom fighter makes his fight against the government/military and never (or rarely) kills civilians on purpose. A terrorist mainly kills civilians and rarely attacks the government/military. The freedom fighter believes that his fight is with the corrupt government and its security forces. A terrorist believes that anyone is a target and that the intended final outcome is more important than the losses inflicted.
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Terroists "someone who uses violence for political resons" clearly that makes the founding fathers umm terrorists....
Sorry -
A freedom fighter and a Terrorist are the same thing, just depends on which side you are, IRA Terrorists to the British gov but the IRA see themselves as Freedom fighters, using bombs to highlight there political views and to try and force the gov to do what they say, much like bin laden and his crowd, Terrorists to us all but themselves and there followers, its not the use of violence against people or soldiers that defines a terrorist/freedom fighter but the fact violence is being used to highlight a policy political or religious
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we should never give in to or support terrorism
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Dunno ? wish i did know the answer, could probably have stopped all the unessasary killing.
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Yeah, we ran all those other independent countries so hard into the ground since then with our taxes and the such... Wait! People within those countries bought KFC franchices because of why? Oh yeah, because they liked the idea of being rich also... Remember, just because it's an American biz it doesn't mean it's OWNED by Americans. Believe it or not, some people in other countries like making money also! But please, keep buying your Anti-Bush or America Is Great T-shirts from the mall outlets or Hot Topics. Your revolution is marketed! But please, spend your money on tickets for V FOR VENDETTA to find out! Because the 'industry' will lead the way! Remember, Abe Lincoln is now gay and as soon as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton die, so will be Martin Luther King and Malcolm X! History is truly wasted on the young. Please, try listening to Old Time Radio on iTunes and you'll hear commercials that pitched the idea of 'We can live with Hitler' from political parties that did not understand what the Hell was actually going down or were just looking for 'power' at the time. We all, on several sides, need to take a step back and regroup. We all have to stop letting the profiteers who hound-call us to a ferver to bring us against each other! We all want to be nice to each other, but I think we all want to smackdown those who would want to hurt the people we are trying to make peace with. At times the Hawks must ignore the Doves to make sure the Doves can fly free. At times the Doves can fly free...but the Hawks watch to make sure they can. Which, in the end...is the V story. V is the Hawk amoungst the Doves who either accept what is going on or choose to ignore it. But the 'state' that V is in is a Facist place. FAR from where any of us on the 'Western' front live... Perhaps this is the reason Alan Moore chose to distance himself from the movie? Being a person that has spoke to Alan on several professional occasions, I would venture 'Yes'. I think he always feared (since so many thought he was a writing 'God') that people would take him too seriously. He is, in the end, a Brit. Darkly funny and seriously funny. And, at all times, knew that he worked in the business of 'writing'! He knows what will tug strings and furrow the feathers. But, he knew that some may think him a serious writer who is near prophet. Just remember...He also wrote stories for Rob Liefeld because Rob threw a TON of money at him! Alan, in the end, is just Alan. Cool. A little odd. But aren't we all?
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Did you forget about:
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Because there's a domino scene in the book, therefore not the Wachowski's idea. Unless of course it's a different domino scene. Ah, the things you can do with them clackers
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I haven't read the entire graphic novel, so I can't say what is there. This scene is basically where "V" constructs hundreds and hundreds of black and red domino pieces and creates a gigantic "V" logo out of them, then he proceeds to knock them all down. It looked cool and all, but just incredibly out of place for me.
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as the specific targeting of non-military personel for politcal and/or religious gain. i didn't make that up, that is what terrorism is, plain and simple. sorry. think about what you're saying. using violence for politcial and/or religious reasons is terrorism? then when the US struck Japan in response to Pearl Harbor it was terrorism? when the US dropped bombs on Al-Queda targets it was terrorism? what the US military is doing right now at this moment in Iraq is terrorism? nope my friend. i'm sorry but that is really stupid thinking. terrorism is not in the mind of the beholder as you keep seem to believe, but clearly defined. as i stated earlier, rational thinking people can see a difference between an Air Force dropping bombs on an enemy military base and civilians seizing control of public mass transportation vehicles only to crash them into heavily civilian populted targets.
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Yes, that scene is in the book. The dialogue is: "You see them? Standing with their numbers on their blank, indifferent faces, Nuremberg in miniature, the ranks of painted, wooden men. Poor dominoes, your pretty empire took so long to build. Now, with a snap of history's fingers... down it goes." Though you don't actually see them fall down. Within the book it is quite effective.
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Sorry, but despite the confusing and overly starstruck review that this mystery reviewer TRIED to write coherently, this movie still looks like a ridiculous pile of crap.
The comic book was beautiful. V's look was creepy and intimidating in it. In this movie, he looks stupid. The Wachowski brothers have proven one thing in the three films that I have seen by them -- regardless of the millions of dollars in SFX they have at their disposal, they can't make a cohesive story to save their lives.
What it amounts to is a bunch of pretty stuff tied together by tons of fecal dialogue and pseudo-philosophical horseshit. It appears that the "existential" BS they tried to pull with the Matrix trilogy (first one had it good, the other two were CRAP) has given way to pseudo-political horseshit.
This reviewer is obviously German and was apparently very starstruck at this screening. The "review" held NOTHING compelling aside from powerful adjectives such as "awesome" and "bad-ass".
The rest of the filler was confusing and generic. There was no real description or characterization of the drama or storyline. What was the point of the movie? "You decide" was all I read.
What? "You decide"?
What was the point? What was the plot? Anything?
Nope. Not a thing. The review gave me about as much as the trailer did. All I can feel out from this review and the volumes of other speculations and information I've read is that this movie is going to be yet another big-budget douchefest like the last two Matrix movies.
Movies with loads of SFX and more "points" to be made than story don't usually do too well. Know why? Because they suck.
What use is a point if there's no way to drive it home? The way you do that is with story.
All I've heard or seen about this is how good the FX are and how "kick-ass" V is.
Yep. Heard the same about "DOOM". -
The discussion of terrorism here is retarded.
Terrorism and freedom fighting are different in that terrorists target the innocent for - you guessed it - TERROR, in order to make their point.
Freedom fighters target the enemy in order to gain freedom. The hijackers that murdered 3000 US citizens on Sept 11, 2001 WERE NOT FREEDOM FIGHTERS. They were mass-murderers attempting to terrify us in order to intimidate and get what they want in the long run.
The early American Revolutionaries did not indiscriminantly murder British citizens. The DDR resistance never indiscriminantly murdered civilians.
Come on. The comparison has never been valid as it has never been introduced or vetted by anyone with even a fourth of a clue. -
God is one thing, religion is another. I believe in God. Not necissarily the Christian, Musilm or Jewish version but I believe in something that I can not explain having some sort of influence on the order of things. Why does me believing in this 'God' have to correspond with me sending money so some retard evangilist can buy a Bentley? Religion is the problem, not the concept of God.
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There's nothing wrong with "religion", and it's not any different than "spirituality". Religion at it's root is just a spiritual belief system. It has nothing to do with any televangelist or the pope or the dalai lama. I've believed in God, followed a certain religion, and gone to church a long time. But I've never once been told by anyone in my religion that I had to follow any decree that was made by some human being. And I've never once sent money to the 700 Club or to some televangelist so he "can buy a Bentley". Religion isn't the problem at all, it's human beings trying to twist religion and God to their own ends. Which is why was so important to the founding fathers of the US to make sure we never had a state decreed government. Whether it's Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, or Darwinism, or your "personal but not part of any recognized religion" belief in God. Everyone should be free to practice the religion of their choice. I think that's part of what this movie is about. And like I said before, if it ever came to the point where my belief system were outlawed, I'd be wearing a porcelain mask and fighting the system alongside V. (Granted, I haven't seen this movie yet and, so I'm not sure whether V is actually a terrorist or not. He could just be a freedom fighter. Since we can't trust the personal definitions of the word "terrorism" offered by some of the people on here....)
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imagine i would have taken the movie apart scene for scene. you`d be happy then or would you bitch about spoilers? as mentioned in the review i have NOT read the graphic novel. so what? sure, i don`t have the comparisment but i don`t try to do so do i? just imagine you d... f... there might be people somewhere out there who don`t know it as i do...and who just might like movies. good ones. seriously, most of you talkback-guys are just here so they can rant about something they haven`t even seen yet. so your voice MIGHT be heard. all i tried was to tell my point of view of a movie i really liked. harry and moriarty thought its worthy. there`s nothing more to it.
BUT more importantly: what the FUCK has this got to do with me being german?
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