Cool News
While I am absolutely against a remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL - There's some pretty badass sh*t going on here!
Hey folks, Harry here... There's some nice looking imagery at play in this trailer - I'm still not really sold yet, because the root of what made THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL wasn't effects imagery or science fiction gadgets unleashed. It was the relationship of Michael Rennie's Klaatu with that awesome little boy and Patricia Neal. It was how human Klaatu was, yet sad for the way our people acted - and I'm not really reading any of that 'human' connection thus far. It seems to not be selling me on the concept, but the spectacle - and I'm interested to see it. That said... Why'd they have to make Gort shiny reflective chrome - I know you can make it so Gort reflects the world around him, but that doesn't mean you should. Flat, dull silver was Gort. They did that so he wouldn't just look like a hood ornament. It also would have made him look solid and less CG. But I do love the shooting multiple jets bit. I'm gonna knock the chip off my shoulder and watch this with the hopes that Keanu has pulled it off, I'm tired of hating these remakes, I'd like to be surprised and be blown away. Let's see.
Readers Talkback
comments powered by Disqus-
+ Expand All
-
test
-
Oct. 30, 2008, 1:57 a.m. CST
Dude sure gets the mileage on the wooden style of acting don't h
by Aloy
Yeah, this looks more like they're using the title as a springboard but might just be an interesting watch.
-
because it is CLEARLY NOT THAT FILM. Using that name is a cynical hackneyed marketing gimmick
-
lets hope thats not finished... as if!
-
Hello, Gort. My, how you've grown.
-
To watch this flick. oly shit, as gigantic, sci-fi, special effects filled extravaganzas go, this looks like it's got all the cogs and whistles. Will be checking out the original as soon as it is released on Blu-Ray. But hot tomatoes...I'll be look seeing this new one too.
-
Never saw the original, and I think THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE sucked ass. But this looks like it could be a seriously-intended sci-fi apocalyptic tale.
-
is it just me or does the "if the human's die the earth survives" line the most ridiculous poorly researched line ever ?( especially to be coming from a supposedly superior species ? Wouldn't they have realized that we can screw things up and kill ourselves off and then in the blink of a geologic eye , the earth would be repopulated with ne life ? Sounds bloody preachy in a not too smart way! Oh wait ! It's hollywood !! never mind , how could I have forgotten !
-
Definitely not getting me excited, but not horrible either. Doubt I'll see it in the theaters, though.
-
remake+Keanu+CGI Gort=epic fail
-
This movie won't get my money.
-
first things first, go get you a copy of the original on DVD I picked mine up at Wal-Mart for $7 and features lots of really good stuff including commentary from Robert Wise adn a documentary<P>secondaly Gort is way too CGI<P>finally, this version does not exisit, I may see this none existent film, but it does not exist, just like Highlander 2
-
Oh gee, how reasonable of you. Downright fucking charitable for you to watch a goddamn movie.<P> Ppppffffffhhhhhttttttthhhhhhpp.........
-
All of the promotion for this film... it looks like it has very little to do with the original...
-
You couldn't pay me to sit through this "remake." It looks atrocious. I love Keanu but he looks like he sleepwalked through this for a paycheck. The CGI, especially on Gort, is not believable for a second. What a sad little movie.
-
an awesome Bernard Herrmann score.
-
I can't tell if that's a compliment to it or not. Personally I think it looks like a badass alien invasion flick.... quite possibly better than Spielberg's WoW (which I thought was lousy, BTW).
-
They don't blow up enough stuff in that trailer. :-P I'll go see it, but it won't be a hair on the ass of the original.
-
That's what separates this from the original. This remake unleashes the invasion the antagonists in the original feared but didn't really get.
-
you have to admit it was good.
-
It's the easiest thing they can do, blow shit up. Story, character, those things are hard.
-
available to peeps outside the US as I'm getting an 'Opps Video not available'. And I was so much looking forward to some Gort action!
-
worked fine for me and i'm in Australia.
-
I mean really, who gives a fuck.. are you that fucking retarded that you have to invest so much in a fucking film whose main purpose is to entertain that when someone mentions remaking said film you positivley have to have a fucking breakdown... ITS A FUCKING FILM!!! hollywood is a business first and foremost and remakes make money so stop whining like a bunch o pussies and just go rent the original ffs... oh and this looks class! more remakes of classic sci-fi originals please, just so i can see everything cgi'd up the wazzoo and listen to the fanbabies rant like fuck!
-
That whoever directed this, can direct. I know the original is sacrosanct but this looks like and has the tone of science fiction novels about the end of the world, such as Greg Bear's Forge of God. And I guarantee you with these actors involved pretty much all the CG splosions in the film are right there in the trailer. If he's taken this atmosphere and actually has a story, then this might be one of those far better than you'd expect movies, which frankly, is what Keanu Reeves is all about. <p> As for the line about the human race dying saving the earth, if he's speaking about the biosphere, there is some factual information by which to come to that conclusion. We are experiencing a wave of mass extinctions that in previous times only occurred due to tramautic climate or geological events. If Mankind vanished tomorrow all other forms of life would flourish. Sad but true... And knowing that does not mean that you have to come to the conclusion mankind is doomed.
-
IF humans all die the Earth will survive but he's not saying the humans WILL die.
-
When alien stuff starts "appearing around the world" it never appears in Canada. Just look at V, ID4, or any number movies where multiple locations around the world are targetted or attacked, Canada is left alone to thrive.
-
(Amendment to my previous subject line). Move fast or lose it.
-
In the same way they lump Canadian gross in the "domestic" gross, they just lump the fate of Canada in with the US by default. You know it to be true.
-
Oct. 30, 2008, 4:06 a.m. CST
That kicked ass I don't care what you fanboys say.
by AllPowerfulWizardOfOz
Looks awesome and I am 100% looking forward to this now. Haters be dammed. I am not one to jump on board the remake train but much like Invasion of The Body Snatchers from the 70s it looks like they will do this movie justice in the 21st century.
-
I hope the teaser trailer will be attached to THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL!
-
I'm tired of Jennifer Connelly being the go-to girl for brainy, brooding, science chick type roles. Let's get some baby weight on her and get her back up on that mechanical rocking horse, stat.
-
Seriously, that was so boring that it was yawn inducing. And even my yawn got bored when it got a look at the screen.
-
Exorcism of Emily Rose was like being smacked over the head with a wet bag of sand. The original's power comes from it's subtlety, it's subversion, and it's character work. This is just bombast and fury with no substance.
-
Jon Hamm would be a better Klaatu than Keanu, they should have switched roles. But then he can actually emote and therefore wouldn't be ALIEN (read: cardboard) enough for Mssr. Derrickson.
-
or they can be Psycho...
-
of the remake done perfectly but fanboys dont even give the movie a chance.. i.e. watch the fucking thing before pissing all over it, until the flick has been seen whats the point of shitting all over it, look at McG's Terminator.. fucksakes, give the guy a break and judge the film when its released, not by the the fact that the dude is called McG or has made some shit flicks beforehand..
-
What is with all the defenders of this film on this talkback?<P>Listen, the original is a classic,one of the best films ever made, a movie that doesn't just entertain but actually has a point and a message behind it. Arthur C Clarke rated this movie above 2001, it's an AFI top 10 movie. It's not some "alien invasion flick" with "lots of explosions" it's a deep thoughtful movie about man's nature<P>and I don't hate all remakes, i think there have been some great remakes (weather it be from an exisiting movie or a movie based on a book that has previously been filmed)<P>the 1930s version of The Wizard of Oz, Ben-Hur, The 10 commandments, Karosawa's various remakes (Magnificant 7, Fistful of dollars) and the ones he did like his takes on Lear (Ran) and McBeth (Throne of blood), I love Mann's version of The Last of the Mochiacans.<P>The best remakes are the ones that capture the spirit of the original source and either improve it wtih better acting, better effects, a different twist (like Throne of Blood in which McBeth really does become a great setting for McBeth)<P>now regarding THIS particular remake, while looking good and having nice effects, DOES NOT APPEAR at least from the trailers, to imporve on the original source, neither one was about "'splosians" and "Alien invasions"
-
I'm not even going to watch that thing. Five minutes of clips from different scenes in a movie is SURELY too much.<p>There's a good chance I'll watch this (even if it's just to see how badly they fucked it up) and the last thing i want to do is a watch a five minute trailer of the movie's greatest hits.
-
Carpenter's Thing was also a accurate adaptation of the source material than the '51 version and was made by a gifted filmmaker at the top of his game.<br><br> There's such a thing as "informed prejudice". If someone makes a string of shitty films that lack any artistic merit (in the case of McG) and has, in the past, tried to make a quick cash-in remake that disrespects the source material and original artists (Spaced) then I can feel safe assuming that his take on an original work by a superior artist is going to be disrespectful and lacking artistic merit.<br><br> Similarly, it's not unreasonable for me jump to the conclusion that a remake of one of the greatest films of all time is going to be crap when it comes from the guy who gave us Exorcism of Emily Rose and Urban Legends: Final Cut.
-
MORE accurate adaptation.
-
oh goody...more eye candy from hollywood...but it aint the original, which was a character driven and message movie, in the guise of a sci fi movie...and please, dont point to the thing and invasion of the body snatchers as proof of anything...those were exceptions to the rule...usually, when classics are remade, they suck ass...and it seems that they will be changing the message to man's refusal to go green...the wingnuts are gonna love this
-
they've silenced the 'Gort isn't in this!' crowd.
-
either its down or overseas users have been screwed again!
-
Pass.
-
seriously, wtf were they thinking? this looks so worthless and boring and bland.there isnt anything redeeming about this movie and it looks like and i hope it does bomb.
-
..but actually, as a huge fan of the original and as one who has seen it in the cinema several times, this version looks promising. At least it's not some dumb piss-take or some teen style cheap ass horror movie. This looks suitably epic considering this is a remake of one of sci-fi's landmark films.
-
wait for it....... wow?
-
and they are great. I believe those shots aren't finished yet, but they are looking quite good. The new trailer is just a compilation of the scenes showed in that TV commercial at FOX with some images of Gort. And just note something: most of what we see probably is at the first quarter of the movie, they are scenes of the army fighting Gort after shooting Klaatu. We see very LITTLE of the real story here and that's why I think it will surprise. We all know a talky trailer would NEVER sell it to the main audience. So, they are showing the action. Plus, there is an article at the Total Film magazine this month and they talk about Gort and how the story changed. For what I read it is the same plot, but they decided to make Klaatu more alien at first and then show how he transforms through the journey here. Scott Derrickson also reveals that Gort is MORE than just a robot and the way he presents his powers invokes a biblical reference (read the article, there are BIG SPOILERS though). All in all, this is shaping out to be quite a good science-fiction movie and God knows for how long we don't have one that is worth it.
-
not a fucking gimmicky use of a classic films name..
-
But it's a little late... nobody cares about the hoax of global warming anymore. They should have done a serious remake of PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE instead. That movie has an awesome premise--aliens resurrect dead to conquer the earth! You can't beat that.
-
Oct. 30, 2008, 7:19 a.m. CST
I know its kinda hard to use the thing as an example of remakes
by bongo123
seeing as its one of the best if not the best horror/scifi movies of all time and like you said is a more accurate reflection of the original book than the first flick, my point is, when a remake is announced the fanboys go apeshit and I cant for the life of me understand why, yes the original is a classic and yes the new one doesn’t look to off captured any of the originals premise but so fucking what, what we do get is a big blockbuster sci-fi flick.. which are badly lacking these days with lots of splosions and cool SFX, now being a popcorn movie fan, thats enough for me, if your some diehard fandick just watch the original and stop holding the remake to the same standards.. hell when I heard they were thinking of remaking the Thing, my fav flick, I couldn’t fucking wait to see it regardless of who the hell directed it, the original will always be the best but at least I’ll get to see an alien run amok in some ice station for an hour and half and hopefully enjoy it, but im not gonna spend my days wishing the director dead or the studio to bankrupt simply cause they decided to remake it... remember these aren’t your kids there messing with, they’re commercial properties that belong to corporations so just deal with it without getting your knickers in a twist as it is after all ONLY A FUCKING MOVIE..
-
Is it soooo difficult to understand that there is no way to bring Earth problems in a movie and don't talk about how men is destructing their own home? For real! Right now the global financial crisis is much more important than atomic bombs! Why would they focuse in the Atomic danger if it isn't anymore the main problem in our planet? And, let's be HONEST, the original wasn't all about relationships, it was the most modern and innovative sci-fi movie of that time, with "incredible" special effects and action scenes, something strong and mindblowing (for the 50s). Do you guy really think that we should repeat Gort in a rubber suit only because some fancy the original to death? Everything changed and I BET that some movie goers of that time were despising the original because it looked too modern and strange!
-
zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz zzzz.....
-
...Keanu Reeves... Nope... ain't gonna happen, the guys a pod-person for cryin' out loud!
-
...than see the original film reissued with a hunch of bullshit "improved" CGI tweaking.
-
with miley cyrus as dorothy and the jonas bros as the scarecrow,lion and tin man. and toto is a talking chihuahua. you heard it here first!
-
For the ones who can't see at the url posted. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX9h3V8hSqo Poor quality but, alas, it is what we have now. I rewatched it and I really like the result. The score seems good too, I liked the metallic sounds in most of scenes. And, for fucking sake, GORT looks GREAT in that final shot!
-
I just watched Diary of the Dead on your recommendation.
-
that would be awesome in the right hands. only have the result be real, scary zombies. not shuffling pale people. and even if a band of survivors manages to eliminate their local zombie threat, they still have aliens up in the sky to worry about. who would work for this one? tim burton would be the old obvious choice but recent burton not so much.<P>or, cobine zombies, aliens, dinosaurs and dracula into a movie like i did with this threadless.com t-shirt design..<P> http://tinyurl.com/smt9o
-
the 1984 version with john hurt was good, but fell apart into suggestion and confusion after winston was caught. i'd like to see it remade. i read it again in the bush administration's call to war, propaganda and censorshipafter 9/11- and it felt televant again.<P>we can never have enough scary government dystopian movies.
-
They're unmanned drones. I don't mind the look of this because let's face it, it's your own fault if you let this tarnish the original movie in your own mind. Just take it for it's own movie. I like that Keanu Reeves is scary in this version. You'd think that someone sent to destroy a world should at least be a little bit scary. ; )
-
The message from the original movie was one of peace. Now, it looks like any other space invader movie, à la ID4... Less explosions and more character developement, please.
-
A truly original plot would feature Keanu Reeves martyring himself at the end.
-
Oct. 30, 2008, 8:36 a.m. CST
This movie looks cool, but what I take offense
by Grammaton Cleric Binks
at is calling it The Day the Earth Stood still. Just because it has Gort, and one sole alien from another planet? In the original the alien came on a peaceful mission. It appears here the aliens need to exterminate the humans to save the planet. Of course this won't happen. There will be an alternate solution. The movie would only be five minutes long. I will see this, but they need to come up with a better name. This is no remake or reimagining by any stretch.
-
This is going to be complete crap....c'mon it's KEANU. His track record has a couple flashes of strength but is otherwise saturated with hammy performances in less-than-stellar movies.
-
We don't lump ourselves in with Americans anymore, at all. We're United Empire Loyalists, under the Queen. And it's clear we'll have to take back those southern colonies, as they're so badly managed. Some we will keep, some we will give back to the Apache and Mexicans. You may kiss my ring.
-
Don Fukkin' Draper!!! Hamm Rules!!
-
had in ACES is atmosphere. The black and white noir lighting and angles. Wise learned well from his editing of Citizen Kane. I think most people forget that Wise was the editor of what some believe is the best American film ever made.<p>As someone stated earlier, nowadays with enough CGI, any half talented director can fill the screen with spectacle and chaos. Look and Cohen and Sommers.
-
You fucked over Chainsaw! You fucked over Chainsaw! You fucked it over man. Bob Burns too. Which was it??? Halloween or your Birthday.... Halloween or your Birthday. You can't even tell that story straight. The first time you said it was halloween, then you said it was your birthday. Google that shit. You'll see what I mean. I actually knew Bob A Burns. you pooor baby is getting fucked. Well hey pal you helped to fuck over the gone with the wind of horror.
-
Right.
-
This never happened in the original? It STOOD STILL. Hence the fucking title. It was supposed to be a warning and a demonstration of power, albeit a subtle one. This looks like fucking ID4. What the hell?
-
I have a feeling that even the awesomeness of Jon Hamm will be lost in this...<p>The guy practically single-handedly hosted the best SNL this season (now that much of an accompishment really), but I think he'll get lost in this.
-
Fucking hell, didnt see that coming. Really looking forward to this now.
-
Probably not, but I remember the "T2" trailer playing up the nuclear blast scene, way back when.
-
The original is one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. Why don't they try remaking BAD films to try to make them better, rather than ruin the memory of classic, timeless films?<p> I give up.
-
That's all I got.
-
Mr. Anderson. We have missed you.
-
Perfect. That's right in his wheelhouse.
-
Pertty cool movie to have come out at the Christmas season..
-
This remake may, in fact, suck ass, but one thing it will NOT be is very similar to the oroginal, and I'm glad. You know why? because we already HAVE the original. I want a remake to take the basic idea of it's original AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT with it. We've seen what shot for shot remakes are all about (Psycho), and no more need be said about that. Plus, this one has Jon Hamm in it. On the other side, it also has that dreadful "Talks to Machines" kid from Heroes, so...
-
Since when an alien invading a planet to tell us "behave or I'll blow out everything" is peaceful? Only because it was black and white and the "atmosphere" was classic? His intention was the same. It was a fucking alien saying to earthlings what they should or shouldn't do! I don't see any difference here, aside the fact that Keanu looks more menacing in the scenes we saw until now. Again, Gort looks bad ass! Period.
-
If you want to make a sci-fi movie, fine. But don't rip off a title from a revered sci-fi classic and make a new fucking movie out of it. Get a damned clue, Hollywood idiots - you can't improve on these films. Stop raping our childhoods/teenage years/adulthood. <p>And yes, Dawn of the Dead falls into this category. You want to make a zombie film? Fine. Don't rip off the title of another film while calling yours a remake when it does not even remotely resemble the original. Jackasses.
-
The original was made just a handful of years following the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It's "alien"'s message to us was that we have implemented a powerful weapon that is seen as a threat to the universe. A technologically superior race that views us as children playing with matches. Klaatu was not a violent being. He was the ambassador/messenger. Gort was the bodyguard, with the potential for harm and violence, if Klaatu's life was theatened. But the basic message was one of worldwide peace. If we are to continue as a species, we must work together as a planet. Again, back in 1951, with WWII just behind us and the Cold War just beginning, that was a pretty radical view. There are diffrences plenty.
-
Did they change that line from the previous trailer? It used to say "If the earth dies, you die. If you die, the earth survives". Now it says "If the earth dies, you die. If the human race dies, the earth survives"
-
You get exactly what you want: your iconic GORT but with a tweak for the 21st century. He's massively tall and is frighteningly efficient at what he does. The original GORT had these qualities, but for a much more infantile moviegoing public. So intead of a transformer-looking megabot, you get exactly what you peed in your panties for: an iconic GORT. And what is your reaction to this?:<p> .<p> WAAAAAA HES TOO SHINY!<p> You are an immeasurable douche.
-
The Day The Earth Stood Still<p>2008<p>The Day Actors Stool Still, in front of CGI to be inserted later
-
He rocked SNL in every single skit. I laughed out loud at Jon Hamm's John Ham. I know it was childish, but I laughed just because of the deadpan yet suave delivery he gave that skit. Any other host (granted the name was the joke) would have seriously failed hard on that show.<p> And sorry for not knowing who the 'newerish' guy is (I watch SNL once every other month by accident), but the Vincent Price impression, while very cartoonish, was very funny. The skit was weak, but Jon Hamm and the guy doing Price both saved that bit.<p> We need to find him a role on Lost, please.
-
First, "Does it have a security code?" Puhleez. The guy can fry peoples brains through the surveillance camera system but he can't handle an electronic lock? Second, why does Gort have to be humanoid? Can't it be something more ominous and intractable like the 2001 Monolith?
-
Yea, when a movie about talking chihuahuas can make 80 million dollars, those early '50s movie goers were sure infantile.
-
Why don't they just re-release the original to theaters? Seriously. I'd go see it again. It's an epic movie that doesn't need to be re-made. It was ahead of it's time then, and it's still relevent today. I'm not against re-makes when they're done right. Dawn of the Dead, and the Thing are good examples. But this, I've got some serious doubts about.
-
I have to agree with Arcadian, Harry. Who gives a fuck?
-
The original film, as great as it is, was more-or-less fascist in its subtext. Turn over the ultimate power to make decisions to the one who can destroy you. The alien race that created Gort gave that elite cadre of robots the ability -- and the authority! -- to "reduce [a] planet to cinders." It's the old "join us or die" ultimatum, which usually accompanies an invasion. At any rate, this... loose... remake looks to be pretty okay. Watching these clips, I got the same vibe I got from reading Greg Bear's apocalyptic invasion novel THE FORGE OF GOD. Not the happiest feeling in the world, but a definite frisson of combined excitement and dread.
-
Roger Ebert said this of Robert Mitchum "He has what many of the great 1930s and 1940s actors who are today's cult heroes had: a capacity to retain and even expand their dignity, their image, their self-possession, even in the midst of the worst possible material. You see Mitchum in bad movies, but you can never spot him being bad." After watching Jon Hamm on SNL, I think he has the same classic resilience.
-
Who gives a shit about how much you liked the original, and who gives a shit that this is a remake? You all whine too much about it as if watching remakes is taboo. This is a new movie using unoriginal concepts, much like every other movie that releases. Shut the fuck up and enjoy it for what it is. Or not. In any case, just shut the fuck up.
-
I always get a kick out of people who sympathise with the earth would be better off without people mindset. Well OK, why don't YOU go jump off a bridge (preferably over the water so at least the marine life can get something to eat out of it) and get the destructo-ball rolling. Oh, it's OTHERS that are the problem. You're OK. Now I get it.
-
Oh yeah! The original was pacifist. So, tell me: with so much technology to blow out the planet, WHY the so much more intelligent aliens didn't just destroy the atomic bombs? Wasn't it the major threat? Why not just catch ALL arms and let us fight with woods and rocks? OK, our developing atomic plans COULD be a threat to other civilizations, but how many centuries would take to us to actually have power to blow up other civilization? And with so much developed technology, how couldn't the aliens just protect themselves from us? The fact is that Klaatu's race was dominated by another race of robots, they didn't learn the lesson, they had to be FORCED by the robots to behave and started to police the universe accord to THEIR conception of security and peace. His attitude was pure and simply fascist. Yes, he gave us a choice: do what WE want or I will come back and destroy everything! See? The original is a classic, but the story has MANY holes and doesn't resist to a deep analysis. BTW, to the person saying Gort is too humanoid, Hell! people were freaking out when there was a rumor he wouldn't look like the original! Others still want a man in a rubber suit! Damn, some people are never happy. WTF?
-
The Earth gotta eat! Oh, D@mN you Mike Bay.
-
The previous trailers for this made it look dodgy, but this one actually grabbed me. I love the original TDTEST, and this is beginning to look like what the original may have looked like had it not been made until today. I think I'll certainly by plunking my $9.00 down opening weekend.
-
It looks like they made Gort 20ft tall. I hope not.
-
if Gort is shiny?? Jeebus Cristos you guys drive my batty sometimes.
-
Oct. 30, 2008, 12:47 p.m. CST
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PART OF THE U.S. PLAN TO SCARE THE AMERICAN
by Wilclas
... from the real benevolent EBEs that are going to reveal themselves to Earth in 2012. Watch out, my north-american friends. Movies are the best propaganda...
-
Every time a remake is made because a built-in audience exists an original idea is probably tossed aside. Nothing that is actually new and groundbreaking gets made. "Sorry, Mr. Roddenberry, we're bringing back Space Patrol with new actors. Nobody wants to see some green guy with ears."
-
Why not just destroy all atomic bombs? Because its the day the EARTH stood still. It was a message to everyone, not just the nuclear nations, that our race, our species, has to potential to be the destroyer of worlds. And remember the time it was made. The nuclear genie was let loose from the lamp, and there were genuine fears of nuclear holocaust. Although the warning was facist in nature, "do what we say, or else", the meaning is that we have to think on a global level, not country against country, government against government.
-
was that movies were really first coming into their own as an entertainment medium during the late 40s and early 50s. Prior to that, it was still very much an experiment. So the expectations for movies were greatly reduced - people accepted some of the worst effects and lighting and direction because it was, to them, the best they had ever seen. Many people felt that the original King Kong was the greatest movie they ever saw (Adolph Hitler's favorite movie btw) but not because it was a tremendous movie, but because it was the greatest visual accomplishment ever in film at that time. Style over substance was spanked on its newborn bottom when King Kong premiered. These people didn't have cell phones and many parts of the US still picked up a landline and said, "sally can you get me Sam at the general store?" and Sally would say, "sure thing dear. See you Sunday" and with a dance of cables and plugs, you'd be wired over to the general store. So to see a space ship and a giant tincan robot that could melt away our defenses, it was phenomenal. They said to each other, "there was an automated man and he made guns dissapear with his eyes!!!!" and ye Olde Kurt Russel was laughing so they all knew it was not only okay, but very very cool.<p> Technology has come a long long way in a short short span of time. We are no longer amazed at the concept of a fax machine (I still remember those first Xerox commercials of someone putting a document on a grey box, and then someone across town opening their grey box and taking out that document. It was sheer wizardry!). We're no longer even fascinated by flying saucers and rocket ships to the moon because we've now already built those things ourselves. Movies and technology were both in their infancy, and thus the expectations of a moviegoing public were 'infantile'<p> I was not trying to insult the tastes of people who enjoy the original DTESS - not at all! I was trying to describe how low the bar was back then compared to how high the bar has been set for science fiction today. As the information age matures, it is no longer dazzled by simple devices. What made Gort so 'iconic' was that he was able to single handedly eliminate mankind one tommygun at a time. Nobody had a robot they could march out to fight Gort. He was superior to all of mankind's technology.<p> So if Gort shows up in the infancy of the 21st century, and hasn't changed since the 40s, we'd laugh because the average SUV could probably destroy him and suffer under 2k worth of repair costs. We have handguns that could fire bullets through a 30 robot chorus line of Gorts. He _HAS_ to upgrade in order to maintain that 'beyond our ability to thwart his will' type of dominance. He needs to be stronger and more deadly than our strategic military forces. A simple brushed aluminum trashcan man isn't going to work. They are FORCED to upgrade him. Initially, he was designed to be a Voltron-style Transformer thing, but they heard the whines and moans and gnashings of braced teeth, and have delivered a Gort inspired by the original - but made him 50 foot tall and made his visor a gatlin-lazer for lack of a better term (and lack of proper spelling Im sure).<p> In the final result which we now see in the latest trailer, we see an effort to make fans happy, while maintaining Gort's awesome (in the old world sense) power and making something we should actually be scared of.
-
...look at the size of that post.
-
The Jon Hamm, not the John Ham. If it feels like ham, don't wipe your ass with it!
-
Stupid keyboard. What I meant to say is that we don't stand a chance in hell in this movie. Even Klaatu seems immensely powerful compared to us. Kind of refreshing in an alien invasion movie. Even the War of the World martians experienced a couple of casualties but it looks like we're dealing with an unstoppable force in this one. Still, how do the aliens expect us to collectively agree to their demands anyway? It's not like we don't second guess eachother all the the time.
-
Spoilers ahead: A peaceful protagonist comes to earth from the heavens to tell people to love one another "or else". While on earth, he causes miraculous things to happen which the world sees as threat. In the end he is killed by the very people he is trying to save. But then he is resurrected long enough to give his final message before journeying back to the heavens.
-
I know I jumped on you there. It just seemed that "infantile" seemed a bit extreme. Yes, effects in genre films pale in comparison in what can be accomplished today. But, there was still some pretty impressive work done back then (or earlier). The visuals in Gone With The Wind, the matte and model work done in Citizen Kane, etc. But the design work does still up well in Earth, even though Gort may look like he's wearing metal Depends.<p>I grew up marvelling over Harryhausens creatures, astounded over 2001, and reaching a "Holy fuck WOW" over Star Wars (which effects kind of look quaint now). I'm wondering what this young generation of film goers will be wow'd by, since almost any image can be visualized on screen. Avatar, perhaps? Or maybe TDK, shows the way that, above all, a compelling story will trump all the visuals man and machine can conjure.
-
because you're a lemming. Ha. I love Romero, but there's no way in hell I'd watch diary.
-
I like Keanu, but that was not the role for him unfortunately. The rest of the cast was incredible, even Michael, no especially Michael Keaton.
-
about Gort. I still wouldn't call this a remake just because of Gort, but if you're going to do a remake it's a pretty decent Gort. Matte finish vs. glossy. Who cares.
-
My Christmas present. This does look cool. Better then any other alien invasion, get your fucking act together or we'll melt your brains movie. ID4 was lame, WOTW 05 sucked(53 version was awesome), Mars Attacks was good for a goofy take on it. The Arrival was the best of any of these. Reeves just reminds me of Neo to much. And you can go wrong with Connelly.
-
with Connelly. Duh!
-
Obviously Keanu is a Scanner. The way he took out the guy interrogating him and the guards was identical to how the Scanners do these things in Cronenberg's film.
-
Another "great" Keanu line. For the life of me, I don't get what people see in this guy. He's destroyed so many moves with potential. Truly..The Matrix was epic DESPITE his best efforts to turn it to shit.
-
David Prowse is Darth Vader.
-
I forget what it was called. His friend commits suicide and everyone at school deals with it and Keanu has this big scene where he talks about life and suicide and "this trip through time and space" and it's totally Bill and Ted!
-
Nuff said.
-
shitty remake or not, I'm still going to see this. It seems like a decent sci-fi movie. And I'm guessing Keanu was cast as irony BECAUSE his wooden acting would fit the alien. Besides, what else is coming out in december, other than the new Punisher?
-
I have a feeling it will be like "Day After Tomorrow II"...well I'll be curious to see what the Tomotometer is on this one. It will make a huge profit anyway because it has aliens and Keanu in it.
-
CG gort.
-
You've gotta be fucking kidding me. Keanu Reeves: Proving once again that even by simply standing still, he's still a shitty actor.
-
Thank you bongo123 and you are not alone. For years now I`v been reading this BS going on in talk backs. This is for fanboys (not to offend you but to make you think) Remakes or movies in general do not need your permission to be made.(I know that hurts) You are not investing any money in these movies. Pay money and watch it or shut the fuck up. If the movie looses 150 million, it is not going to hurt your 401K. Some of us like to take our girlfriends or friends (yes, they do exist) and see something new every few weeks or months. It would be pretty fucking boring if they played “..Earth Stood Still” from 1950 over and over again till end of the world as some of you guys would like. To be brutally honest, original movie had great idea and concept but it is what it is. 1950's movie that looks like shit. Gort looks like the fucking talking garbage can and I'm sure if the had CGI back than they would use it. Not a big fan of CGI but if I had to choose between garbage can look and CGI...well you get the point. government or studios are not going to gather all dvd's and tapes of original and publicy burn them two day before premiere of the new movie. So you can still enjoy your movie in the privacy of your mom's basement. You will spend $30 on bluray of original without hesitation or extended version where they include newer before seen Gort oil changing scene or some shit like that . And my friends that money ultimately goes to make new remakes that you so much hate. We all come here because we like movies but we are to the point were there is no meaning anymore reading talkbacks just because it is a same old BS over and over again. You guys talking shit about every movie that does not feature somebody flying, wearing ridiculous costumes or its not made from some half-ass comic book. Note to management of the site: Just because Stallone agrees to be interviewed by AICN it does not mean we have to stroke his dick. I love Stallone, I grew up with Rambo movies but the last one was bad. I think he can do lot better and we are doing him disservice by being dishonest. Please guys give me some comments !!!!!!!!!
-
From the moment they cast Neo on. Special effects technology has advanced but the art of film making has regressed. Fuck this movie.
-
The effects looks fantastic. Hell Keanu looks like he pulled it off. But... dang. Gort. Making Gort looks REAL using CG should be unquestionably EASY. And yet... voila ! Million of Dollars and Gort looks so cartoony. No weight. C'mon people !
-
Get your eyes checked...it lacks detail and depth..the lighting even looks phony
-
with what herc said.... gort in the trailer is black not reflective chrome...maybe a lil reflective but not chrome....wonder if he watched the rise of the silver surfer trailer by mistake? lol
-
love your post and i totally concur.....i also love how everyone is an expert on dialogue, cgi and camera angles and how there is always an aspiring screenwriter, etc in this room, that could do it better than professionals...and the ones that really get me steamed are the ones that said they took their 5 yr old and they didnt like the movie either ....drives me nuts and makes me think these people got no lives....and in reality they prob dont ... but again ....goood post
-
for 2 reasons. 1. It was a cheap sci-fi B movie. The costume was probably made from spray painted cardboard. And 2. If they had gone with chrome, digital retouching wasn't around then so you would have seen the cameras, lights, crew members etc.. reflecting in the chrome. I for one, am glad they went with chrome in this remake, because that's probably how it was supposed to be anyway! (and the digital retouchers are glad too!) cha-ching!
-
Oct. 31, 2008, 12:23 a.m. CST
Does Gort don a a pair of Metal Pampers in this
by DRACULA_WANTS_THE_AMULET
Remake.<P> Alien Robots gotta shit... <P>God help them if Gort is Dependless. Harry will have his Revenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
Looks like Klatuu arrives late in this one and the Policemen Robots are already in attack mode against the less advanced humans unlike the original where he puts the humans on notice. This could be fun although using Pinocchio, I mean Keanu as the lead is pretty weak. Its an updated version with explosions and fire similar to ID4 and WotW...will be a popcorn movie and less of a thinker as the original was.
-
Good Ol' Resistors and Transistors.
-
...Winds up skidding on his ass for fifty yards in slow motion after his truck dissolves, I'll consider the ticket price money well spent.
-
Oct. 31, 2008, 7:47 a.m. CST
Perfect role for Keanu and this remake does look good
by Space Disc Jockey
Not sure about the look of GORT..I agree he looks too shiny and CG. I'm really sick of these remakes, but this does look interesting. This is a perfect role for Keanu.
-
Oct. 31, 2008, 7:59 a.m. CST
However...enough with fucking remakes, Hollywood! Gosh!
by Space Disc Jockey
While this remake looks good, it fucking bothers me to see more classics being remade. Hollywood has run out of original ideas. Why Hollywood? Why?
-
Oct. 31, 2008, 5:56 p.m. CST
Sadly, things in the world of live theater aren't any different.
by JumpinJehosaphat
When patrons of a theater I worked for a few years back were given the opportunity to tell us what show they'd like to see the next season, 75% wrote in "Oklahoma!". The theater had just done that show the season prior. People love to be told familiar stories, regardless of the medium.
-
Yeah I think Avatar will be interesting.
-
Why do we bitch about remakes? Because for the hundreds of millions of dollars that are spent taking perfectly good genre films (Planet Of The Apes is a perfect example), and goosing them up with state-of-the-art special effects and the latest in make-up and animatronic effects, and then dumbing them down for the greatest mass comsumption, it is taking money away from original scripts and ideas that could be developed. Or adaptations of novels that offer new and different plots and stories. It is lazy filmmaking, and by being indifferent to it, the studios win. No, I'm not delusional to think that my little rant makes a bit of fucking difference to 20th Century Fox, or Warners, or whoever. But by boycotting these films at the box office the studios may get the hint.
-
In general, the public does like to be soothed by the familiar.
Top Talkbacks
- Harry dives into STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS' spoilers to reveal the truth behind the blockbuster we're seeing! -- 275 total posts 150 posts
-
HERCULES ON THE RADIO!!
Learn What Ain’t It Cool’s TV Critic Thinks About STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, Next Week’s HANNIBAL, MAD MEN, GAME OF THRONES, The New Fall Shows And More!! Listen And Call In LIVE Saturday 8pm PT/11pm ET!! -- 220 total posts 105 posts - Nordling Reviews STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS! Spoilers Abound! You Are Warned! -- 1000 total posts 75 posts
- Hey! Fat Face! Here's The New Teaser To ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES! -- 202 total posts 61 posts
- UPDATE The Friday Docback Calls 'The Name of the Doctor'!! DOCTOR WHO's S7 Finale Arrives This Weekend!! Now With Glen's Ultra-Brief, SPOILER FREE MiniReview!! -- 318 total posts 60 posts
-
‘Darkness Will Devour Them All!!’
Sunday Brings Antepenultimate GAME OF THRONES For HBO!! -- 52 total posts 52 posts - Here's A Behind-The-Scenes Look At MAN OF STEEL With New Footage! Also... Is Supergirl In The Prequel Comic? -- 119 total posts 42 posts
-
Ben Affleck Tonight Hosts
SNL’s 38th Season Finale!! -- 51 total posts 18 posts - 1st Trailer for Jean Pierre Jeunet's THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS SPIVET!!! Joy Follows... -- 33 total posts 17 posts
- New PACIFIC RIM Trailer Takes A Battleship Upside The Head Of Every Other Summer Movie Trailer! -- 281 total posts 13 posts