Cool News
Farmer Bob looks at WHAT LIES BENEATH
Hey folks, Harry here with a review from Farmer Bob regarding WHAT LIES BENEATH... and he really liked the film, in stark comparison to Hatchet Harry's review earlier. This is a common reaction with films. I mean look at Roger Ebert's review of GLADIATOR that he gave 2 Stars. The same rating he gave the steaming pile of shit I DREAMED OF AFRICA. It is absolutely astonishing to me. But when you read his review... you get it, he got bogged down by the art direction and palatte of the film, plus was comparing it directly to SPARTACUS which this film is not EVEN trying to be. In the case of WHAT LIES BENEATH, we have similar divided opinions... Beware of some SPOILERS below...
Harry,
I gotta disagree with Hatchet Harry's review of "What Lies Beneath". While
this film won't win any Academy Awards, it was no steaming pile of shite
like he referred to. I read AICN's review of the script before I went to see
this screening so I was fully expecting to hate this movie. Instead, I came
out entertained and a bit spooked as well!
As Hatchet Harry said the story starts out with Pfeiffer's daughter from a
previous marriage going off to college. She's dealing with the whole
empty-nest syndrome, when the new neighbors next door start fighting, and
the wife disappears. Pfeiffer is convinced that he's murdered her and starts
spying on the husband who is now living alone in the house. Shortly after
strange things start happening around the Pfeiffer-Ford house. You know,
your usual haunting type activities like doors opening on their own,
pictures falling off tables, radios switching on at full blast, bathtubs
filling by themselves, yadda, yadda, yadda. It all works and you could feel
the tension building in the audience.
As far as Pfeiffer becoming an "investigator", who can really blame her? If
some friggin' ghost infested my place I'd do one of two things; get the hell
out or try to figure out who they are and what they want. Pfeiffer chooses
the latter and discovers that the ghost is actually a local girl who turned
up missing several months back. Her curiosity finally causes her to summon
the ghost and in the process actually becomes possessed by it. Ford returns
home and via the previously mentioned inflagrante delecto we see that the
ghost in its former life actually knew him in, well... the Biblical sense.
From here the story did become a bit predictable, but I was having so much
fun that I didn't care!
A few random thoughts on the film:
If you want to see Harrison Ford play a role he normally doesn't play, then
you'll like this movie.
Ford and Pfeiffer work well together and were believable as a couple. They
really have chemistry.
As in your script review, it took awhile for me to stop thinking of
Harrison Ford as "Harrison Ford", but I think this actually works to the
films advantage!
Zemeckis utilizes lots of interesting camera angles that I felt added to the
over all eerie feeling of the film.
There is a bathroom scene towards the end that will either have you
squirming in your seat or laughing out loud. I squirmed and laughed and
squirmed some more!
The ghost scenes were comparable to the ghost scenes from "Sixth Sense".
They weren't as gruesome but were just as scary.
The ghost scenes made all of the chicks(and a few guys)in the crowd scream,
so Zemeckis must be doing something right.
This movie must really mean something to someone because Ford and entourage
were in attendance for Wednesday's screening.
Anyone who know's Robert Zemeckis(Forrest Gump, Back to the Future's, and
Roger Rabbit) know's he likes to do fun movies, which is exactly what he has
here; a murder mystery with some supernatural spookiness thrown in to boot.
So, Harry(Mr. Knowles), you wanted a differing opinion and now you have one.
I went to the movie expecting shite, but instead got a roller coaster ride
of a movie that I really enjoyed even in it's raw form.
So long pardners,
Farmer Bob
-
+ Expand All
-
So in converse, perhaps this one isn't as bad as we've heard.
-
Well, it'd make sense for Dreamworks to order up some damage control ASAP after Hatchet Harry's review, and, aside from acknowledging the inherent predictability of the script, there's nary a caveat in sight. It doesn't really matter for me; the Zemeckis pedigree guarantees my presence on opening weekend, but I'm still befuddled as to why Dreamworks was so hot on this script. Is it simply because Spielberg "suggested" the story? If so, here's a tip: next time Spielberg feels so inclined to farm out one of his ideas, hire a Scott Frank, Lem Dobbs, or Steve Zaillian to bang it out. If, however, their plates are full, give your ol' pal Clarence a call. You'd be surprised what I'll do for a six-figure payday (having fired off an admittedly fat pitch here, any speculation of a sexual nature that follows had better be damn clever.)
-
May 05, 2000 4:20:32 PM CDT
Hmmm. Smells suspiciously of damage control to me. Farmer Bob?
by the tall man
This spin is unconvincing. I guess if it was my flick I'd be in a panic about the first review being so scathing too, but damage control can be an ugly thing.
-
Come on guys! What do you think this is an Oliver Stone flick? I just really like the movie and felt compelled to say so. When I left the review, I like the movie so much that I was going to write in and profess it to be a much better film than anticpated but chose to wait and see if anyone else saw it.
As far as it being predictable towards the end, that's not entirely true. There are some cliche aspects but for the most part it is entirely original.
Let me know if you want to hear more.
-
This may sound kind of like damage control, but I'm not too sure. Maybe it is, maybe it's not, but I'm still not going to lay my $8.50 for it.
-
C'mon! Any clown who ACTUALLY SAID that Cameron Diaz sould be nominated for an Oscar for her work in THE MASK (YES, IT'S TRUE, BOTH HIM AND HIS NOW DECEASED PARTNER) has to be on the take! I think that Ebert has some love for films but this guy (like a lot of other critics) obviously gets kickbacks from producers and/or studios! I have constantly been agape at the films that this guy reccommends and the ones that he tanks. He's not ALWAYS off but when he is it's just so incredibly out in left field that you can't help but think, "Oooops! I guess the producers forgot to slip him some dough!" Ebert is overrrated and needs to start being honest about film again! If he EVER was!
-
Just a thought, but before you accuse Ebert of being on the take, you might want to haver some evidence other than your subjective opinion of his opinions. I would note that Ebert (and the late Siskel who can't sue you) has been openly critical of critics who are too cozy with the studios. Check your newspaper movie ads every Friday...you will never see a quote from an Ebert review in an ad for a film opening that day. Why? Because Ebert doesn't think it's his job to do studio PR. Lucky for you, Ebert probably won't sue you, because it's probably not worth his time to bother with anonymous, baseless garbage. However, this sort of attack would seem to violate this site's policies, and should result in a ban on superhero.
-
......
-
...one can only imagine how far his payola money has really infiltrated the TalkBack universe
-
See? you people thought I was lieing (sp?). There is a crazy scene of Pfeifer grunting & growing a tail (taking a shit).
-
May 05, 2000 9:56:44 PM CDT
"a roller coaster ride of a movie that I really enjoyed even in
by die_harry_die
bullshit. if this guy isn't a plant, i'm fuckin steven spielberg. speaking of which -- hey, kate, git yer ass over here...
-
Uh, hi. Just thought since this web site is viewed by a few people around the world, maybe a little proof reading might be in order.
-
First of all we know that Zemeckis wouldn`t make a movie that has no twists and no sense.
After such a movie like `Contact` he certainly won`t make a hack movie even though I dislike the idea of `Livin dead` Spielberg pitching the story.
Predictability is relative let me remind you that reviewer might be psychic or he likes to hype his wit or he simply got it right,Let`s just wait and see.
God bless -
The week before Saving Private Ryan came out, Ebert gave it a B (which was even printed in Entertainment weekly). 2 weeks later when EVERY critic across the country (practically) gave it an A, his grade magically changed to an A... hmm...
-
I love the article
-
I cast my mind back, back through the years, when S&E were starting out in Chicago at Channel 11 (WTTW Pub TV) in a show called Sneak Previews.
I think I saw that review,and I seem to recall Ebert liking it, and Siskel ditto, though not as much. They compared it to Saturday matinee movie serials, which was accurate.
If they disliked it, what was the forum? Their respective columns in the Tribune (Siskel) or Sun-Times (Ebert)? -
Does anyone know why S&E, in their televised review of Raiders, said the movie was rated 'R'? They corrected themselves in their next episode.
-
Just saw the WLB trailer. Surprised that they showed so much of the plot line -- I almost felt as if I'd seen the movie already. It doesn't look great, it doesn't look lousy. Harrison Ford is really starting to show his age. Re: Ebert. His problem is not his integrity, which I would imagine is genuine in its way -- but his brain. I was ready to love Gladiator because he disliked it, but for once I had to agree with him on much of what he said, and he also gave you a much better sense of what the movie is actually like than those "critics" at Time and Newsweek, for example.
-
Okay, I'm probably missing the point of this site, which is to get any and all information on a flick before it comes out. Maybe even people are trying to give people a better sense of a flick before it's release. BUT COME ON, PEOPLE! Whatever happened to liking actors, liking filmmakers, watching the trailer and deciding for yourselves? Quit trying to come up with the one-liner about a film to maek yourself sound cool. I am a true Ford fan, and like any true fan, I know his last 2 outings have been lackluster. When I heard about WLB, I thought it would tank due to Sixth Sense/Stir of Echoes backlash. The trailer, however, has a possession element that I think will help it. In other words, DECIDE FOR YOURSELF AND QUIT TRYING TO SOUND IMPORTANT (that goes for me, too)!!!
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 439 total posts 159 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 144 total posts 142 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 155 total posts 140 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 55 total posts 45 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 196 total posts 45 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 34 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 127 total posts 32 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 513 total posts 29 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 118 total posts 27 posts