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Monty Cristo Shares His Thoughts (and Those of a Reader) on CHRONICLE
Monty Cristo here, writing by the burning midnight oil.
I saw CHRONICLE this past Wednesday, and have wrestled with my thoughts on how to recommend this film in a way that may not have already been done. Forgive me if you've read a similar opinion already. CHRONICLE is already in theaters, but I think that the film's weekday performance based on word-of-mouth will have a lot to do with how its success is measured, so here is my weekend-of-release review.
CHRONICLE is one of the most refreshing "super powers" movies I've seen in some time, especially relative to franchise pictures that have millions of licensed toys associated with them. I firmly believe it should not be casually labeled a "super hero" movie. Its roots are more firmly in the realm of speculative fiction in a more broad sense, though it owes a healthy amount to the world of comic books.
The story asks "What If...three high schoolers get the power of telekinesis?".
The three guys move things with their minds. To start with, it's solid objects like the camera that's recording them. Eventually they figure out how to make themselves fly by extension. The more they use the powers, the stronger they get.
Andrew comes from an absuive home life. Matt is his cousin who has suppressed his intellect and compassion for the sake of seeming more like a cool "bro" to others. Steve (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS' Michael B Jordan) is the most popular guy in school, who it turns out is nice to everyone (unlike the archetype usually employed on the "popular guy").
I wish there were more Steve in the movie. I liked him and while I wouldn't say that he was underdeveloped, I wanted to know more about why he took such a deep interest in being there for Andrew. We were told at Wednesday's Q&A that there will be a Director's Cut for Blu-ray. Even if they have to do a last-minute reshoot or two, my opinion is that more is better than less.
The three guys become very close. To see them form a bond that is entirely unique to their predicament, something they couldn't ever have with anyone else, is rather remarkable. Inevitably, something bad happens. Then more bad things happen, and as fantastical as the story's conceit (and found footage style) is, the narrative never feels anything but captivating and real throughout.
Not being saddled with the baggage of expectations that comes with a franchise is a major advantage for the film. It can play with the imagery of comic book and speculative fiction at large while at once not being held to the standard of how one tells the origin of the Mind Powers Dude Squad (my self-generated name for the movie's protagonists).
Think of how THE INCREDIBLES played with various FANTASTIC FOUR and James Bond elements, free and clear of being canonically sound with either franchise. SKY HIGH pulled powers and archetypes from both major comic companies, layering them on top of an alternate-universe take on Xavier's School for the Gifted from X-MEN.
CHRONICLE plays with many dynamics from American comics, from Magneto/Xavier to Spider-Man/Uncle Ben to Superman/Luthor to Hulk/Abomination and countless others. It feels familiar, but not so much so that you don't think of the connections until afterward. There may be a number of links one could make that weren't necessarily intended by the writer (Max Landis, with the story generated by director Josh Trank), and instead are informed by one's personal reading.
There's certainly some manga and anime influence. AKIRA being the most notable culprit...and in a way that makes a live action AKIRA remake categorically irrelevant.
The thing that I have read a number of critics complaining about is the found footage narrative style, and it put me off at first too. Then I saw the movie.
Director Trank became rather well-known in 2007 for a found footage-style YouTube short called STABBING AT LEIA'S 22ND BIRTHDAY:
It was inspired, to hear Trank tell it, by the trend of many YouTube videos of the day being from drunken frat party fights. He took a geeky twist on the idea and spun it into viral gold.
Whereas I hope that Trank makes films without the use of the "found footage" look, I think it works here; moreover, I think it's essential to why a big part of the movie works at all. What the aesthetic did for me was place this generationally as being a movie fixed on the navel-gazing, self-important youth culture that is as prevalent today as grunge and flannel were in the mid-90's.
Everyone is a star and a super hero (or villain) in the broadcast network of their own mind these days. It's what YouTube has done to us all.
It's still a weird thing for a kid to carry around a camera at school, but the kid (Andrew in this case) is considered weird more because he's a weird, maladjusted, awkward kid. There's a pretty, popular girl carrying a camera around everywhere too, and she doesn't get much crap from anyone about it.
One could say that the very fact the aesthetic distracts people is conclusive evidence that it's a problem, but consider what the average attention span is like for modern, "connected" human beings.Andrew and his friends recording themselves is just something kids do, whether with their phones or proper cameras.
For Andrew personally, his camera is his echo chamber, his self-audience. Reducing the found footage style here to an aesthetic choice or gimmick is to dismiss an integral part of Andrew's character development. To delete it would be to recompose an entirely different movie.
CHRONICLE's strengths are in its adherence to guiding you into unknown territory while teasing elements of the familiar. See it in a theater and take a group of friends.
I'll leave you with a review I received from reader "Jewbacca":
Hey folks, just got back from the AICN screening of “Chronicle”, the first superhero film of 2012 to hit the big screen. This film also marks the world’s first (I believe) found footage superhero film ever. I think I need to kick this review off by explaining that I’ve developed a pretty high level of ennui for both the “superhero origin” and “found footage” genres. My expectations for this film were not high, at all. I expected an amateurish retelling of Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey” presented via nausea inducing shakey-cam. I was wrong, this film absolutely took my by surprise, and while It didn’t exactly renew my excitement for either genre, I think that it absolutely did something new and unexpected with both of them.
First, let’s discuss the story. Andrew (Dane DeHann) is a high school student with pretty much the worst life that middle-class suburbia has to offer. His mother is dying of a horrible debilitating disease, his out of work father drinks at 7 am and routinely beats him, he has no friends in school and is used as a punching bag by his fellow students as well as a group of neighborhood thugs. Andrew has, as a way of setting up a barrier between him and the world, decided that he is going to videotape everything. The first 15 minutes or so of the film are just Andrew going about his miserable, lonely routine, chronicling every moment on his camera. His cousin Alex (Matt Garetty) convinces him to come with him to a rave, so Andrew reluctantly comes along and it is there that the story kicks into gear. Matt, along with the most popular guy in school, the incredibly charismatic Steve (Michael B. Jordan) have found something outside the party, an unlikely cave in the woods, that the three of them decide to investigate. There is something in this cave, it looks like a huge crystal, perhaps it’s a giant chunk of the Fortress of Solitude, we don’t know, it really doesn’t matter, it’s making a lot of noise and starts to change colors, the earth starts to shake and then we cut to black. The next time the camera turns on it is clear that a few days have passed and that something has changed in these three young men. They’ve developed some telekinetic talents and begin examining the extent of their newfound abilities. I’m not saying another word about what happens next in the story, the trailers give too much away already and, as is the case with most films, I recommend going in as ignorant to the plot as you possibly can.
The fact that the above description may seem too familiar to you is pretty irrelevant, all superhero origins are essentially the same, an ordinary person encounters something extraordinary and is given more power than they know what to do with. It’s what happens when these characters are given this power that makes the film so interesting, and even more than that it is the relationship that develops between these three young men.
What about the gimmick? Does the done-to-death found footage technique work here? Does it bring anything interesting to the story? Yes, it does. There’s no shakey cam here. Director Josh Trank’s father is a renowned Holocaust documentarian, and it is with a documentarian’s eye that this story is filmed. Within the film Andrew has set out to chronicle the story of his life, and Trask finds very creative ways to keep the camera rolling without ever having a character run down the street with a poorly angled camera jostling the audience to the point of near-vomit.
“Chronicle” is an extremely engaging, fun yet intense film throughout. It’s an outstanding directorial debut from Josh Trank, it’s amazing to me that this first time filmmaker is able to shoot an action scene with the pizzazz of Michael Bay, while still keeping the action clearly focused and coherent. If this film does well there’s rumblings that Fox will be handing Trank the reigns for the “Fantastic Four” reboot, personally that’s a film I’d be very interested in seeing, if he had the ability to accomplish this film with 15 million dollars, one can only imagine what he’s capable of achieving with ten times that amount.
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The number of revIews for this movie.
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Trying to get out to see BIG MIRACLE tomorrow.
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Feb 05, 2012 5:09:10 AM CST
Saw this tonight. I thought it was very good. But a couple scenes could have been a lil different **Spoilers**
by mace13
I thought this movie was pretty damn good. I enjoyed it and would recomend it to everyone. But there were a few scenes I felt could have been done a little different that would have made the movie work a little better in certain parts. It was nothing really major. But don't read any further if you haven't seen it yet.
**Spoilers**
I think it would have played out a little better as to why Andrew started filming everything,especially his mistreatment, if it was alluding to him doing something a bit more drastic than just documenting his fathers behavior and etc.,. Such as possibly either commiting suicide or even killing a few of his -
He can only become the great predator AFTER he finds himself superior to everyone. Remember, early on, he wanted peace. He wanted to visit Tibet to learn how to get it. The power got the best of him; he evolved just like we see Tetsuo evolve in Akira. This is Akira done on the big screen. It's like asking us to see Tetsuo wanting to kill the city before he goes crazy. That would ruin everything.
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F**k!! Half of what I wrote in my last post disappeared . I don't know what happened. I'll write it again. Anyway.....
**Spoilers***
I think it would have played out a little better as to why Andrew started filming everything,especially his mistreatment, if it was alluding to him doing something a bit more drastic than just documenting his fathers behavior and etc.,. Such as possibly either planning to commit suicide or even killing a few of his bullies. If it would have just had him say a line of dialogue to the camera alluding to that I think it would have given even more reason as to why the camera was there in the first place. Maybe the movie actually did more of that than what i'm given it credit for. I'll need to rewatch it.
I wasn't real crazy about Andrews attempt at getting the money he needed to pay for his mothers medication. I did like him dressing up in his fathers fireman outfit to protect his identity but his actions going about getting the money was a bit weak. I'm sure he could have easily stolen it from a bank or something else.
Another scene was towards the end when Andrew attacked his father in the hospital and Matthew went to talk to him. Matthew knew something was wrong with Andrew and took his girlfriends silver VW bug to drive to the hosptial. It would have made more sense if he had just flown there like he had been doing at other times in the movie. I can see why the writers had him take the car. That would have been the easiest way to keep the girlfriend with him and show footage from her camera to. But that just wasn't the most logical thing to do considering he could just fly there and completely sidestep all of the police roadblocks.
Overall though it was still a good movie. I look forward to seeing more from the creators.I'll be buying this one on dvd when it comes out.
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He couldn't just fly off. He was trying to hide his powers from everyone. He had to pretend to be normal. No one else knew, and he thought he could keep it that way. And he didn't want her to go, but she forced the issue. Have you ever had a girlfriend? When they insist, they insist!
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**Spoilers Again***
I understand what you're saying. But I don't think it would have ruined anything. It could have still been a kind of cycle for him to go through. It started off showing his life was crap. Beat on by his dad and bullies from school. His mom was dying. He didn't really have any friends other than Matthew whom he still felt distant from. Andrew could have been at the end of his rope and had enough. He could have decided to just end it for himself or possibly himself and others. I think the film could have implied that more and it would have made more sense as to why he was filming everything. But then the thing with the powers happened. Things started changing for the better for him after that. But that was mostly due to Steve and Matthew keeping him in line. If they weren't there to keep him in check he would have used his powers against people almost from the begining. Thats how I saw it. He could now stand up for himself. He now had two other people that he connected with even if it was only because they all had powers. They all three had that one secret that only they shared. They got Andrew to start coming out of his shell. It was like he was given a second chance and because of that he was being a little more forgiving of everyone else at first. Until things started turning to crap for him again. Then he reverted back to how he was. Accept this time he had his powers to back him up. He could still feel that he was superior to them because of that.
I understand what you're saying. I'm a fan of Akira myself. But things in real life aren't as black and white as that. There are a lot of shades of gray in between. Thats where most people fall.
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That's the point!
It's not black/white. "You were a good guy." He was a good guy gone insane due to many factors hitting him at once. That was a part of the point. Just like Tetsuo. It's not b/w, but when people do blow up, it is not with back/forth kind of things but they just blow up. This is exactly what happens. -
**Spoilers**
I think you meant Matthew not Andrew. But anyway, He didn't have to announce to everyone that he needed to go to the hospital to see Andrew and run out the door causing a big scene like he did. He could have easily just excused himself to the bathroom to take care of the nose bleed and use a window or something like he did earlier in the movie. There's such a thing as being discreet you know?
And as far as his girlfriend insisting on going, he knew the situation was going to be dangerous. He just saw on the news where Andrew blew up a section of the hosptial. The last f*****g thing I myself and I think most guys would do is allow our girlfriend to be put in harms way regardless if she was insisting on going or not. Especially since Matthew knew Andrew was losing it and was capable of anything . You see in the movie how that turned out for him. If anything he only gave himself and his powers away by allowing her to go with him. -
I liked your Max Landis father comment. Funny. I've always disliked the guy because of that mess. Did you ever see the footage of him in court when the judgement was ruled in his favor? It was very disrepectful to the victims and their families. At least I thought it was. I hold no grudge against Max for that though.
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Agreed. Thats basically what I was saying about Andrews character in this movie as well. He was already like that at the begining. He didn't turn that way because of his powers getting the better of him as hornorsilk is suggesting. He was already a damaged/fractured person to begin with. The only reason he didn't use them against people sooner than he did was because of Steve and Matthew keeping him in line.
P.S. Remember to take your meds today Creepy. -
Feb 05, 2012 7:19:17 AM CST
Mace13 I was so thankful there was no "You can't come!" scene
by autodidact
One thing that I have come to FUCKING HATE in modern movies is how every single action is opposed in some way by other characters. This is a product of all these cloned-ass fucked growing up going to film school and watching movies... they think "every moment must be mined for tension and conflict". So if a character wants to go somewhere, another character has to try and stop them. If a character wants to open a window, another character probably feels strongly it should be closed, etc..
So I was happy when the girl jumped in the car and Matt didn't try and prevent her from coming.
I think CHRONICLE is being massively overrated... the "character motivation" is laid on so thick... I felt beat over the head with Andrew's put-upon life by the end of the 1st act. -
Naw. He was there to be the Sacrificial Negro who dies protecting the white character. The fact that he was the only black guy in the entire film, and that they killed him off in that fashion, says exactly where they were coming from--probably unconsciously, but there it is. The answer? Either cast him white, or have another black male character somewhere: a cop, a teacher...something.
The commonality of this image is utterly disgusting, and no, I won't shut up about it unless you can mention a single American film, ever, where the imagery went the other way: all the white male characters die, leaving black characters alive. It doesn't exist. We understand instinctively that that would leave white audiences with no one to empathize with. "Chronicle" was a movie by white people, for white people. A shame, because in many ways it was quite well done.
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Thought it was alright. Think I'm totally done with all these found footage films now. Troll Hunter was alright but then it's being made by a Documentarion. This is just some whiney kid I did not give a fuck about and that's a problem for me, I didn't really like the Character and wanted him dead.
I also hate how all these films have to get on with it so the main character has to go completely insane really quickly. I mean given that he has these powers, befriends the coolest kid in school and enjoys popularity at levels he's never come close to, why does he go on the kill crazy ramage he does? Cos he pukes on some bird whilst receiving a blowy, we've all done that and it's funny as fuck. In all fairness he's never had it so good!
And why, given his power, does he not rob a bank or fly to the drug company and nick all the drugs his mum will ever need? That's all I came out of the Cinema thinking.
I was also annoyed with how strict they were throughout the movie with the filming on the cameras but during the fight at the end just reverted back to a normally filmed action film.
I haven't thought about this movie much at all since seeing it as The Grey which I saw the night before really blew me away and I've spent alot more time mulling over that classic instead.
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also AICN please stop pimping this thoroughly mediocre film.
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**Spoilers**
I agree, I hate that to. It seems like there's never a middle ground anymore. One character strongly feels one way about something and the other character strongly feels the opposite. And thus the conflict and most of the plot of the story is laid out from that one thing usually. That is definitely over done. So no argument on that. But I as I said earlier, in this particular scenario,if it were me I would have just had Matthew sneek out of the house and fly to the hospital. It would have made more sense than driving there with his girlfriend in tow. If she could have helped in the situation in some way then okay. But she couldn't. She was just needlessly putting herself in a dangerous situation. If I were Matthew I would not have allowed that no matter who it was. But the writers needed to get her there with the camera so I see why they did it that way.
I know what you're talking about with Andrews home life to. I can see where some of the stuff with Andrews father was a little over the top. Especially some of his reasons for treating Andrew the way he did. And the mother having cancer and all of that. It might have been over done. But it was still nice to see someone obtain powers and practically turn into a super villian with them because of the way their life had been up to that point. I can relate to that better than how most movies portray it with the villian only having one unfortunate incident turning them bad.
This movie isn't perefect but I liked it. I hope it does well. -
I guess people are starving for good movies? Because I saw THE GREY on Thursday and CHRONICLE on Friday and was not very impressed with either one. I mean, CHRONICLE was much better than THE GREY, but it was not an extremely satisfying movie.
It's CLOVERFIELD meets the US version of AKIRA with what was clearly a tiny budget.
I read a lot of these superhero deconstruction comics already, so the story felt way familiar to me. Reminded me of A GOD SOMEWHERE in that it has the same problem of a character going completely nuts with superpowers when it seems like there are much better options, given his new powers (like why did the kid not just use telekinesis to snatch the pills directly from the pharmacist? I know it's not really fair to criticize a movie for the actions of the characters... characters are people and people don't act as you expect them to... but still). -
I thought at least one character would decide to be a hero. I know that Matt is now set to become a hero, and I really hope they make a sequel where he does so.
When they showed Andrew being the one who was gifted with very fine and precise control over his telekinesis, I thought maybe they might make him able to fix his mom's cancer directly... like pull her tumor out or maybe crush each cancer cell individually... and then he'd become some kind of messiah figure who can ward off certain death, and maybe get carried away with the power and influence and that's when his buddy who also has powers needs to step in and chin-check him. -
Hard to see how he could. He had TK. That's it. There is no evidence at all that it would be even remotely as precise as a scalpel, and doctors spend years learning how to wield scalpels so as not to damage surrounding tissue. The point was that he had enormous power, not enormous precision. And then...what does he do? Open her up and look for the tumor? Again, years of medical training. And thousands of dollars worth of equipment to keep her alive as he did. But let's imagine he could. By the time someone is as sick as his mom, it has metasticized. That means a billion individual cancer cells floating around her body. How the hell do you find them? And if you do, and crush one every second, a million seconds is 12 days. The math just doesn't work. How about raise money with TK? He tried, and it didn't work very well. How about going to Vegas? Right. I can just see this 17 year old kid trying to get into the casino.
Nope, bye-bye Moms. -
**Spoilers**
The problem with the pharmacy scene you mentioned was that the pharmacy didn't actually have the medication there. They would have to order it. I remember the pharmicist saying they could have it over nighted. Correct me if i'm remembering that wrong. So that was the writers way of not having him steal the medication directly. But I still didn't like how he went about obtaining the money to buy them either. He should have just put on the fireman outfit and started hitting all of the convenience stores in the area and not killed the neighborhood D-bags.
I read a lot of similiar comics so i'm familiar with that type of story as well. Like I said, this movie wasn't perfect but it was still pretty good. It's much closer to being a perfect adaption of how a superhero comic is supposed to be versus 90% of the ones that get made now. Some things were over done or cliched but I still liked this one.
You have to figure that the older filmakers and Hollywood execs will retire or get phased out eventually and be replaced by people that are more familiar with this type of material because they grew up with it like we have and will be able to translate it to a movie much better. This is already starting to happen. Were getting guys like this Josh Trank, Matthew Vaughn and Edgar Wright and etc.,. showing up on the scene and making some decent super hero movies. They're not perfect. But they're pretty good. Just give it some time and they'll get better. -
I am so over the found footage concept, and all the script wrangling that has to be done to justify having a camera in there. And this movie was good, but could have been so much better. For one, it was way too short, being only 20 minutes longer than en episode of the Sopranos should not count as a moviegoing experience. I agree with others that Andrew could have found much better ways to get the money for the meds than he did. ATMs come to mind first, but there's also Vegas, which he could fly to and be back in a few hours. He would kill at the Roulette wheel.
I can only hope the extended version has more of the stuff I was hoping for. -
Andrew was getting better and more precise. They made a point of showing him being precise with his powers. They also made a point of showing the characters being able to sense each other. Eventually that could develop into being able to "reach out and see" with their TK sort of feeling around the world... at that point you could look inside someone's body and find the tumor.
Surgeons take years learning how to perform surgery because it's an intellectual exercise. Andrew was doing things intuitively for the most part, based on how he can image it in his mind. He wouldn't have to consciously snuff a billion cancer cells one by one... he could probably just imagine snuffing them all out at the same time, if he could sense them.
Aaaanyways.
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Feb 05, 2012 9:44:14 AM CST
When I say I wanted a superhero movie I don't mean I wanted capes villains etc
by autodidact
Just more of the stuff like Matt catching Andrew's dad, that blogger chick, etc. Pretty much just "Bein' Special With Powers" doing anything but going insane and doing AKIRA lite.
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Each of them were connected and balanced each other out....the introvert, the extrovert and the inbetweener. tragedy occured when the extrovert tried to empathize with the introvert without the inbetweener to bridge that vast gap in experience and view point (maybe the racial dynamic was part of that too). the film was tragic on a lot of levels but what I took from it was a message that a power that made you stronger which only 3 people shared didn't bring them closer together, it took them further apart because their life trajectories, lack of real empathy and conflicting personalities were stronger and moved them far more than any shared telekinetic power could....This film was never boring and I hope it connects with people and encourages them to care about other people, even the quiet loners who never admit it but need a listening ear more than others.
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Feb 05, 2012 10:09:12 AM CST
Pretty good movie, not a big fan of these 'found footage' movies but it worked in this case. Not the same impact as Cloverfield but a good movie. Saw Young Adult last night, Charlize Theron is brilliant, AICN should have a review and not just concentrate
by drstrangerlove
...There are some great movies out and coming out in Feb;, Young Adult, Martha Marcy May Marlene, A Dangerous Method, too. Chronicle is good, but a movie of the moment, like most teen movies it'll age pretty quickly.
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Feb 05, 2012 10:39:49 AM CST
It does feel as though AICN has an overabundance of reviews on Chronicle
by alienfanatic
I didn't think the movie was THAT good. It's odd that AICN has been pretty quiet on many fronts lately and then it comes alive for a film that has, in my opinion, significant problems shifting gears around the middle of the film from an origin story to a drama. I had difficulty in accepting the changes that Andrew went through and how it all got resolved, but I do feel that the movie fits Millennials' egocentric approach to social media and so the argument can be made that found footage is the right medium
PS...I must have missed it, but when Alex shows up at Casey's house to apologize, why would THAT footage exist in this film? I mean it does a weird gear-switch from "All Andrewcam" to ...Caseycam? Why? If someone found Alex's film, why would they have spliced in Casey's? Was she even filming or was this some kind of a weird insert? It just seemed illogical to present it that way when, even if Casey's camera was confiscated for the coverage of the final part of the film, that it would be spliced in with the other footage in the middle of the film. Maybe I think too much or maybe it just shows that the director has a bit more to learn about continuity. -
Feb 05, 2012 10:44:30 AM CST
we've seen this movie twenty times already **spoilerish**
by thesymbolist
In the end this just turns into another "teen angst leads to killing spree" movies. Forget found footage being overdone, this exact plot with these same characters only without super powers. There were some nifty visuals but if you think "the black guy gets killed, the abused teen goes nuts and the stable but not overly popular friend has to kill the out of control abused teen" is interesting then I'll be very surprised.
It was a fun. But I left disappointed that they couldn't have done some story I'd seen less often.
Oh...also the scene where the kid mysteriously ejaculated green glowing semen in a big surprise when he's about to lose his virginity....he's 16 he cum all by himself ten times a day. He'd have known it was green and have been more freaked out by that than anything else. -
Chronicle is like The Craft but with guys getting super powers as opposed to girls being witches.
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He threw up on the girl and himself. He didn't ejaculate all over everything. Although I can see how you came to that conclusion. lol
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I think you mean Matthew not Alex. Anyway, There were quite a few scenes in the movie where it showed it from Matthews girlfiends camera. Actually anytime she was shown on screen filming it always showed views from her camera as well. Such as at the rave,when Matthew apologized to her at her house like you mentioned,At the talent show,at Matthews house when he left to confront Andrew at the hospital and then finally the big fight at the end.
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great write-up. reading it, it occurred to me that no one seems to be drawing any parallels between chronicle and carrie. surely, they're there. interesting food for thought.
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Power it the fuck down!
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He didn't ejaculate green cum- he threw up. You could see the vomit on his jacket. It was his first time ever drinking.
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This is why so many of you are confused. This is not found footage. There is nothing in the movie that suggests this was edited after the "event". This is just a movie that is told entirely through the viewpoint of different camera lenses, be they personal camcorders, cell phones, security cams, or news cameras.
That's why it can cut between a blogger's camera and a police car's dashboard cam. -
C'mon. You can't tell me it's not because a certain someone on this site has a personal connection to the director/writer and wants to pimp this product to get as much ticket sales as possible through this site.
If not, then why are other genre/geek movies reviewed once or ignored alltogether?
I'll will bet all the internets that when this is releases on blu it will not only be in Harry's DVD column but will have it's own main page article as well.
OMG YOU THOUGHT CHRONICLE WAS GOOD IN THEATRES, WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE IT ON BLU-RAY!!!!!GIGGLE!!!!!!!
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wow! what an excellent mistake. i can see the wheels in your head turning as you see that part for the first time: "green? why is it green? ...is it radioactive? ..does it hurt? i bet it hurts.."
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I am so tired of all this "Lazy-Ass Filmmaker" found footage crap. Make the actors act, the director direct, and make a complete movie. If the director can't do this then piss-off. I am tired of going to the movies paying good money and seeing shaky-cam. Blair Witch has been done.
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All thanks to The boy's radioactive green man slime.
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Feb 05, 2012 12:42:29 PM CST
Dane DeHaan needs to play Arnie Grape in the remake
by marcel_the_negro_projectionist
And, yeah, fuck this lazy found footage shit! Yeah, yeah, I know, you put the audience into the pov of the characters, blah, blah, blah... but let's get back to traditional narrative. -
And yet you keep paying to go see them?
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I have to assume you just don't understand much about the process. More inexpensive maybe, yes. But lazy? Definitely not.
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Feb 05, 2012 12:51:01 PM CST
Don't forget the influence of The Dark Phoenix Saga
by marcel_the_negro_projectionist
This film is totally rife with that classic.
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Hadnt thought of that.
Honestly by the end... SPOILERS!!!
SPOILERS!!!!
By the end I has kinda hoped Matthew was going to grab an unconscious Andrew and fly him to Tibet where they'd both learn to control their powers. -
Just once again reminds me of how shitty X3 turned out to be. Not even one Phoenix flame up, not even at the end when her power is unleashed. Bullsquash.
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For what it's worth, the director told me after the screening that there was quite a bit more to Steve's character that he was forced to cut by the studio. He actually feels that the cuts shortchange Steve in exactly the way you describe.
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Why would he go through all that trouble to make a pretty cool little video and not get an authentic looking stormtrooper costume? That mask looks like rubber! I mean he couldn't find someone with armor, or get in touch with the 501st? That ruined it for me. Yes I know I'm a geek.
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The site has been generally pretty quiet for a while, and the increased volume just happened to coincide with the release of CHRONICLE. Simple as that. Expect to see more coverage of all types as we're now back to a much larger output.
Why so many reviews of this movie? Almost all the editors saw it and wanted to support it. In the glory days, every editor would have a review posted of every new release they'd seen. Just give us a bit to get ourselves back to speed. -
You made the point I was grasping for, to some extent.
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Like I said above, we're rectifying the volume of reviews and output overall.
Wish we could have produced enough reviews of ONE FOR THE MONEY to match CHRONICLE.
Kidding, but I honestly do get your perspective. Harry did not have a previous relationship in place with the director. Fox screened the movie for him early, and he became very enthusiastic about supporting the film and filmmaker. The rest of us saw and liked the film, that's it. -
Yessss, Dark Phoenix.
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I think I've made a few disconnected points here in some of my ramblings. I don't remember, which one is close to yours?
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I know, right? I wish they'd reshoot it in 3D mocap. (KIDDING)
I cheer the cheapness of it. One working with the resources they have. -
It starts out such that one could think that, but as you say, as it progresses, that certainly isn't the case.
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I haven't seen the movie yet - going to do that in a day or two - but the friends I have that have seen it told me it was basically Jim Shooter's Harbinger mixed with a little Akira (and of course the handicam experience). Is this pretty accurate?
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Feb 05, 2012 2:14:18 PM CST
I need my movie promoted. How much does it cost to but positive reviews from AIC?
by korus1234
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By not being restrained by making this "found footage" with only one camera (the protagonist's), the director was able to find other creative ways to shoot the big action sequence and yet still make it feel intimate and immediate, thrusting the audience into the action through other cameras. I loved the moment when one random witness was shooting the action through his apartment window and suddenly the two fighters came barreling through their floor.
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Feb 05, 2012 2:31:31 PM CST
loved the movie but the but the whole camera perspective thing please needs to just stop
by skiff
cool idea for a film I really like but I would have liked it more with out the camera shit.
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first of all, it's a great little movie and most people are going to enjoy it, especially in the theater
and this movie is the first movie from a director who's about to launch into the A list. and he's a geek director at that.
if there was ever a movie that AICN should be making a big deal out of it is this movie. it's like the anti-Batman and Robin. made on the cheap by a geek who gets it.
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Feb 05, 2012 3:23:36 PM CST
"Chronicle" is Super, man! Go see it faster than a speeding bullet!
by zardoz
I want a sequel! "Chronicles"? Do it! Forget the FF reboot, Josh! That is just more of the same old, same old superhero stuff. This is something better and different and new!
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Feb 05, 2012 3:25:49 PM CST
Also, "Akira" remake is now officially irrelevant and beaten to the punch!
by zardoz
That's exactly what I was thinking after I saw "Chronicle".
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It's classic psychology "abused child as adult" syndrome, i.e., abused child grows up to become abuser. He wasn't an "evil" kid, but his power was too much for him to handle and he goes off the deep end. Great stuff! (For the sequel: what if he's not really dead? Super Villain time!) They can also track down the "Alien" that gave them their powers and discover a far greater menace to Earth that they have to team-up to fight? The other superhero story I was reminded of was Alan Moore's "Miracleman". Some striking similarities there, too...
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Feb 05, 2012 4:26:22 PM CST
Fox: kill the FF re-boot (who gives a shit!) and give us a "Chronicle" sequel. Now!
by zardoz
This is your superhero- "Saw", "Paranormal Activity", found-footage, film-franchise goldmine. (If you do it right!)
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I wish the filmmakers nothing but success. I admire the film, but because of that pesky "kill the only black man" thing, could not enjoy it. Sucked me right out of the film, and I stopped empathizing with the cast.
If they'd had a teacher, or newscaster, or anyone, anyone at all black and male for me to hang a little empathy on, I would have relaxed. As it was...it just felt like they used Steve like a chess piece moved around the board, rather than a human being with hopes and dreams. And certainly, it never occurred to them to think about what it would feel like to be black and see that.
And to see it so damned often. Blaming the studio? Yeah, right.
But...as I said, I wish them no ill, and think they have terrific careers ahead of them.
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I don't pay for shaky cam. I will pay for the full scope of a movie on the big screen. Take your super-8, camcorder, cell-phone what ever perspective and shove it up your ass. If a director can't make a movie for the large screen because he/she can't handle the medium then just go make cell phone movies.
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You - " I am tired of going to the movies paying good money and seeing shaky-cam."
Followed by ... "I don't pay for shaky cam."
Surely you can understand how this was confusing. -
2 hours of the lone survivor meditating in Tibet
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not sure its due to the beers or weed but wow, I may have a heart attack from this movie
PS: this shit was tiiiiight -
Listen up kids.
These movies are one offs. It does not matter how financially successful they are. This has as much chance of getting a sequel as Cloverfield or District 9. In both cases sequels were green lit and then forgotten.
As for the studio forcing the director to cut the black kids scenes, it doesn’t surprise me, FOX after all is the most old school (racist) of the big studios!
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My apologies. My first post was written in frustration of having money wasted in production of good source material delivered through shaky cam. I have not paid to watch a movie made this way. It is a gimmick that should be used only in cell phone movies.
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And is brought to us by a bunch of feminized babies who really need to go sky diving for a few years to get their inner ear functioning again so they can spare me this "Wah it made my widdal tummy spinny and I thought I wud spit up the pear puree my mommy just spoon fed me" shit.
What makes the standard camera conventions right? Nothing. Filmmakers should use whatever tools they think will tell their story best, within the constraints of the tools they have available.
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*SPOILERS**
Andrew had a lot of exposition and development, but the other side of the coin should have been seeing the parallels of Matt's upbringing and family life. Matt seemed to think of Andrew as a burden, it would have been nice to know why, as I am sure it was through family pressure.
The final confrontation between Andrew and his father didn't make much sense. After having his ass handed to him by his son in the basement, it didn't make much sense for his father to confront him the way he did in the hospital. Also, the time that passes between the explosion Andrew causes and the time Matt gets there seemed like a LONG time. It didn't seem right that Andrew would only then come out of the window.
I will admit Steve needed more development, as he came off as a throw-away character simply used to set up the final confrontation between Andrew and Matt, and who ultimately causes Andrew's downfall by attempting to drag him kicking and screaming out of his shell and into popularity. Steve seemed way too prone to force himself into situations. He dragged Andrew to the object, forced them to follow him by diving into the hole, manipulated Andrew into the talent show and the party, barged in during Andrew's first sexual encounter and then wouldn't just turn around and leave when he saw Andrew was upset, forced himself on Andrew when he was wanting to be alone at 5,000 feet, etc. If you want to call a character "flawed" in the movie, I would call Steve that character. -
How in the world did the camera get there to record that?
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It's PG13
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I've seen plenty of shit R rated movies. You're argument is invalid.
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Everytime a highly anticipated action/horror/thriller film announces it's going to be PG13 instead of R, there are a bunch of AICN idiots who pounce on the Talkbacks like meth addicts denied Sudafed at CVS.
The rating of a movie has no bearing on its quality. Unless, of course, you need to see boobies and blood to consider a film "awesome." Which is sad. -
The story seemed "small" to both my brother and I. I guess you could sum it up with the part where they're skipping stones, and Andrew asks the other white guy, "You ever think of doing anything else with these powers except tooling around?" and the other guy is like "Nah, not really."
It's like it was missing another hour's worth of story or side plot.
I still recommend it, just wasn't as jazzed as a lot of the reviews. -
"Night of The Living Dead".... Well, the black guy is at least the last to die.
And I didn't see Steve as the sacrificial black guy, but as the sacrificial ultra-popular, bright-futured, all-american, too-good to die so young character. (A role typically reserved for white guys).
I do agree that we should have gotten more of his character, and more of Michael B. Jordan (Great in Friday Night Lights, BTW). -
...fuck off with your racist theories. I can't stand cunts like you, who turn everything into a fucking conspiracy against the colour of your skin.
It's NOT because you're black that you get nowhere in life. It's 'cos you're a DICK.
Same goes for feminists...FUCK OFF. -
Feb 06, 2012 7:21:05 PM CST
although I usually agree with hipshot regarding blacks in movies
by yourstepdaddy
"killing the only black guy" thing is nonsensical in this case. the character of Steve had to die, irregardless of what race he was, for there to actually be a story here (or for the movie to be what it was supposed to be). sure they couldve kept steve alive and find some other alternative way to get the end we got, but it was better this way...
now if Andrew and Matt WERENT cousins, there would be a better foundation to say "they killed the black guy", because then all 3 of their bonds wouldve been equal. but in this case, Andrew and Matt have a stronger bond, so it would make more sense to have those 2 be the final 2
(in regards to last statement, they couldve technically have Matt died and Steve be the one to stop Andrew, but this is Hollywood...you KNOW they have to stick to formulas as best as they can)
Steve was cool, and he died. it was tragic. him being black didnt change anything (except one part of his dialogue, jokingly reenforcing racial stereotypes) about him. if he was white, it wouldve been the same outcome (minus the racial backlash)
PS: VOTE FOR STEVE MONTGOMERY! -
Chronicle was an amazing ride. I was on the edge of my seat in the final scene. All the pyscho babble over how people would act with these powers discredits an inspiring directorial debut... Oh and I grant you the black guy dying was a bit of a cliche...
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