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Cbabbitt Wants To Chime In About NIGHT WATCH...

I say, steady on old boy! by bigtime_charly	Feb 22nd, 2006 05:43:35 AM
It wasn't that bad.
first? by PietjePuk	Feb 22nd, 2006 05:43:46 AM
Could it be?
Couldn't agrree more by Foxman	Feb 22nd, 2006 05:47:57 AM
Pile of overhyped shite
So... by Det. John Kimble	Feb 22nd, 2006 05:48:14 AM
Does he want the director dead? Does he want the director's family dead? Does he want the director's house burned to the ground? Does he want to go there tonight and piss on the ashes?
Just saw it last weekend by minestrone29	Feb 22nd, 2006 06:19:17 AM
This review is pretty harsh, it definitly is a bit confusing but it makes up for things in its quirkyness. The interesting part is it only had a 5 million dollar budget but looks as good as anything coming out of hollywood. Soposedly its going to be a triliogy since the second movie just came out in Russia. The third movie is going to filmed in the US with a major budget.
WTF by Al_Shut	Feb 22nd, 2006 06:42:24 AM
Obviously there are more than one versions of Nightwatch out there, because that didn't sound like the movie I saw. The editing and visual style may be a bit overdone but it isn't nearly as bad as described here, I've seen far worse. It's okay to dislike the movie because of that if you can't stand that style, but if someone stops paying attention, apparently after about 15 minutes, he should be permitted to judge the content of the movie. None of the bad and good others are friends and there just as single bad other (the young vampire) that doesn't dislike the Nightwatch or feels oppressed by them. The whole fucking point of thze movie is that there isn't an easy choice between good and evil and that you are not good just because you call yourself good. Yuo are good only through your actions or at least through good intentions. A message that is not only true but also has a relevance in our present time.
Alternate versions by Kizeesh	Feb 22nd, 2006 07:16:26 AM
There is supposedly a different cut of the film that came out in Russia, one that is closer to the original book. (which I can't find a translated version of anywhere) The story isn't that muddled, and it does make sense, in a very abstract way. Unfortunately what the story doesn't do well is explain how the "laws" of the day and night watches work, nor does it go into any depth about most of the machinations and sucklike of the universe and its inhabitants. As such unless you take it as more of a ride than a thoughtful piece then you will find it confusing and fragmentary.
The russian cut is longer... by ugerhard	Feb 22nd, 2006 07:28:59 AM
and a bit slower paced, but the essential parts of the story are intact in the international version. I enjoyed the hell out of Night Watch. True, when I was watching the russian dvd with a friend of mine, at the beginning we were literally looking at each other and saying WTF every few minutes, but after the story began to make sense. I've read the book since, and things have become even clearer, but still the film stands on its own and the visuals are stunning.
can we get some clarification? by Opinionated	Feb 22nd, 2006 07:43:10 AM
Was that the US or Russian version he watched? I saw the Russian one and didn;t see any weird edits. I also thoroughly enjoyed it for the bit of fun fantasy action that it was.
He's right, this movie sucked by The 12th Monkey	Feb 22nd, 2006 07:48:59 AM
For some reason this movie was released in Puerto Rico last year and I went to see it based on all the hype. Boy what a let down! It IS incomprehensible, the editing and gimmicks the director uses to "tell" his story completely takes you out of the movie. The way it was edited doesnt allow you to follow the story easily, you get lost watching this movie and then comes a point where you just dont care what happens anymore. I cant understand why Tarantino would back this movie up!
NIGHTWATCH MOMMENTS OF GENIUS! by TIMEBANDIT75	Feb 22nd, 2006 07:54:55 AM
WELL ME THINKS HE DIDNT LIKE THE FILM.SIMMER DOWN DUDE. I SAW IT ALMOST 5 MONTHS AGO IN UK. I WAS A LITTLE DISSAPOINTED BUT IT HAD SOME BRILLIANT SCENES AND IMAGES IN THE FILM. THE WAY THEY DID THE SUBTITLES, THE BATTLE ON THE BRIDGE, AND THE PART WITH THE OLD MEDIUM IN THE BEGINING WAS BRILLIANT, IT DID COPY LOTS OF STUFF BUT I FOUND IT MORE REFRESHING THAN 3 FINAL DESTINATION MOVIES OR ANY OTHER "OH LETS MAKE A REMAKE OF A GOOD HORROR FILM THAT CAME OUT 20 YEARS AGO NONSENSE" THAT HOLLYWOOD IS CHURNING OUT AT THE MOMMENT. I THINK WHEN THE OTHER TWO SEQUELS TO NIGHTWATCH ARE RELEASED AND THE TRILOGY IS COMPLETE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AS A COMPLETE PIECE OF WORK THEN IT WILL MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE AND I THINK WILL BECOME A CLASSIC. I DONT THINK THE TRAILER HELPED AS IT MADE THE FILM OUT TO BE SOMTHING ITS NOT. ID LIKE TO WATCH IT AGAIN AS I THINK IT MIGHT BE A GROWER.
hmmmmm..... by occams_razor	Feb 22nd, 2006 08:06:23 AM
Man, I love it when people type in all caps. It just makes me want to read what they are saying and really pay attention because I'm sure what they are saying is intelligent and well thought out.
I for one would be interested to know what movies cb by BrucecampbellsRH	Feb 22nd, 2006 08:52:18 AM
what movies cbabbitt DOES like, other than Rain Man of course. Because I found for every derivative element, Night Watch makes cup for it with 2-3 visuals or ideas we've never seen before. It's also full of dry, Russian humor and Anton is an AMAZING laconic leading man. Syriana is another movie that is frustratingly dense in the beginning and gets clearer as you go along, like NW. Did Cbabbitt hate that too? Go watch Underworld dude.
Hmmm... by Killah_Mate	Feb 22nd, 2006 09:11:04 AM
...I dunno. I can see Cbabbitt's point, but I don't agree. The movie's a bit hyper, but it's tolerable, and I actually like how it pretty much dumps you into a strange world without explaining too much. Why should I know everything there is to know about these people? The movie would lose that weird vibe. Also, I watched the Russian version, and the story was as clear as it needed to be. I didn't for a moment feel that I was missing something I shouldn't have. On the other hand, there were plenty of things I didn't understand, but it was pretty obvious that I wasn't supposed to. It's a trilogy, people. The explanations are coming soon. But I do hope they tone the editing down in the sequels.
2 CENTS by Dataset	Feb 22nd, 2006 09:26:18 AM
I bought this off of eBay last summer. I think it's the Russian cut,115 minutes. I didn't hate it. It left me with hope for the future of the genre flick. I mean, if the Russians can afford a Mac to make passable effects on, then so can others with much better concepts. I mean, come on, don't tell me thst The Matrix would be a hit if it were of the same scope but 1/18th the budget. We should be looking forward to all the great stuff to come in the future of digital cinema. And on the subject of Night Watch, the only english on the dvd case the title and "European box office smash hit" is... "In the style of Blade and Underworld". This is a good hint to keep expectations low. Otherwise, no worse than "Cronos" or "Brotherhood of the Wolf". Illegitimus non carborundum!
A particularly mindless by Stollentroll	Feb 22nd, 2006 10:18:51 AM
The actor who played this part is a slightly retarded drug-addict. Ooo...or a BRILLIANT actor.
Watch vs. Wolf by Killah_Mate	Feb 22nd, 2006 10:54:21 AM
I'm ashamed to admit I haven't seen Cronos, but, although I kinda like Night Watch, there is no way in hell it could ever compare with the perfection that is Brotherhood of the Wolf. I'm sorry, but that movie kicks so much ass, I'm surprised it's even legal in the US. Ditto Blade 2 (but not quite 1). But Night Watch is still far better than Underworld. Also, I respect the fact that it cost six times less than any of these.
I liked it just fine by BitterMan23	Feb 22nd, 2006 11:04:27 AM
It's fun to watch. It's not always coherent, sure, but that's not a damning trait. It's the same arguement I have for Armageddon. Think of the plot (Oil drillers go into space to blow up an asteroid). There is no way to tell that particular story any better than Bay did, since it's a fairly stupid story. Same with Night Watch. Just have fun. I mean COME ON PEOPLE! IT HAD INTERACTIVE SUBTITLES!!!
The worst movie I've seen since "Bangkok Dangerous". by -guyinthebackrow	Feb 22nd, 2006 11:56:27 AM
And that, my friends, is saying something.
Nightwatch by HumanTeam	Feb 22nd, 2006 12:00:28 PM
I saw this last night in DC. it COULD have been better. I really think I would make a great HBO series al la Carnivale. I like the concept of dumping you into a strange world is cool and it IS the first in a series. BUT so were a lot of other movies and they had complete story arcs. This movie had too many obvious sub plot that distracted from the main plot. Anton is an anti hero at the present he is someone you don
I thought it was pretty good by chaos_lite	Feb 22nd, 2006 12:00:54 PM
I thought it was pretty entertaining. I wouldn't say it was knock your sox off amazing, but it was well worth my time and I am very interested to see Day Watch. I thought the main thing was that the human story was very compelling (although I guess the people aren't really considered human) and that the fantasy setting was just a backdrop for that. I think one problem is that we have been inundated with fantasy/horror movies from big budget, Hollywood studios with mandatory witty dialogue and clever plot twists. The reality is that this is a foreign film from a country that does not have a big budget movie industry. I didn't think the world was convoluted at all and was actually pretty simple and straightforward. I think many people will probably complain that it was too simple, but I think that was part of making the human story more compelling because there wasn't too much of just showing off the wacky and crazy creatures. I also like frenetic action, so my preference is the complete opposite on this issue. As long as it is done correctly it is a good way of conveying the energy of the action on the screen and giving the viewer the feeling of being caught in these crazy situations. So pretty everything Cbabbit said I feel the opposite about.
Chillax... just... chillax... by AtomicHyperbole	Feb 22nd, 2006 12:15:18 PM
I feel like I was watching a different film to the reviewer... and probably was as I have the official Russian R5 DVD. I don't remember any of each side being friends other than the neighbour. Sure, NW was sometimes obscure, but not overly derivative as some would have you believe. Using computers and internet as a fortune telling device... the Gloom... the entire fight scene with the vampire... the owl transformation... all endlessly inventive and memorable scenes. The movie also some real wit to the treatment of Moscow with all its corrupt police officers and pushy queues on the train - watching the babushka admonish Anton was comedy gold! Even the introduction was cleverly directed and powerfully framed. The director will be perfect for Red Star as he understands his country's various issues - and no doubt seeing as he squeezed so much out of his palty $4mil budget it'll look intense. At least this film had some depth to it. NW has an excellent "WTF?" factor and anyone who loves to see imagination at work onscreen backed by wit and directorial flair will enjoy it. I hear the sequel is even better and builds on the mythos - it's out on DVD now in Russia (released in the cinema before Christmas, according to my Moscow source).
The power came back on? WTF?! by Gronti	Feb 22nd, 2006 02:12:34 PM
The power came back on, people! Just a few minutes after the power plant went up in a gigantic fireball, the power came back on just to make the ending happier. That alone makes this a very bad movie. Couple that with the awful plot and this movie is outta here!
the original cut is much better! by Obscura	Feb 22nd, 2006 03:43:07 PM
honestly the original russian cut of the film is a LOT different and makes much more sence. typical western movie studios, cutting the film out cos they think we cant handle it. the films practically been rewritten, its that cut up.
product placement by qualigo	Feb 22nd, 2006 04:25:21 PM
Was I the only one who was offended by the blatant product placement of Nokia and i think it was Nescafe or something.....Oh and I thought it was rubbish too.
I would have to say I agree... by Demosthenes2	Feb 22nd, 2006 04:46:07 PM
The storytelling was absurd, particularly the woman character who, I forget what she was called, but with the big glasses, who had the curse put on her, and how that curse was "resolved," if you could call it that. Silly silly. I thought it would be an arty, maybe even Tarkovskyesque film, particularly since the special effects looked so damn creative and un-Hollywood. Was wrong, this was about on par with Underworld. Also silly were the stylized subtitles.
I think the stylized subtitles were ok, interesting. by iamnicksaicnsn	Feb 22nd, 2006 05:57:41 PM
The movie was just aight. Definitely could have been more solid. The overall story was ok though, so hopefully the sequels will be cool. I thought the battle scene was ridiculous. The ancient one, that is. So ok, everything was hyper-realized, but isn't that just the way Russia is right now?
Night Watch is worth seeing. by Hung-Wei Lo	Feb 22nd, 2006 11:36:23 PM
It's not the best movie ever, but what movie is these days? I seem to be the only one who actually enjoyed the incoherent storytelling and confusion throughout the movie. It made me ask myself what the heck was going to happen next, or what could possibly explain what's going on. Fortunately, I felt that they DID make good closure to my questions, which made me enjoy the experience that much more. The complaints people have of the storytelling are the same things that work in other genres, like suspense or thriller. How hard is it to suspend your disbelief and not ask to be spoonfed? Another note -- rough Tony Scott editing? Hardly. I hate Tony Scott's style with a passion. This was not even close to being that bad. Stylized? Of course! It's a freakin' vampire evil/good movie! For those of you who still haven't seen it, and believe there is hype to this movie, I'll tell you what. Don't believe the hype. But also don't dismiss the movie just because a others in this talkback hated it. If you had interest in seeing it before you decided to spoil yourself and read these articles or read the talkbacks, go see it and judge for yourself. I personally am really looking forward to the sequel that is out now, to see where this trilogy is headed.
BTW, the cut I saw did not have these stylized... by Hung-Wei Lo	Feb 22nd, 2006 11:39:07 PM
subtitles that others are talking about. I must've seen the original Russian version then. I guess I'll just have to go watch this in the theaters when it comes to town and see how different and/or annoying the US cut will be.
Saw the Screening in SF by SFLogicNinja	Feb 23rd, 2006 02:13:47 AM
You know what is tiring to me? People who take a movie personally. This movie wasn't the greatest, but I had a good time at the screening. I enjoy a convoluted movie. I like to watch Japanese films. I like Korean films. I watched 2046 for God's sake. Night Watch was a bit overwrought, but I had a blast. The scenes where they go into the 'gloom' are very cool. The characters and their powers gave me a feeling similar to when you're a kid and you make up the rules to your universe. This movie was like that, and I guess I enjoyed it in whole because off that familiar feeling. It was grimy and dirty, too, which I always dig. Anyway, someone give this blowhard a sedative.
Speaking as one who grew up on Light and Darkness by Sepulchrave	Feb 23rd, 2006 02:57:57 AM
..and all that; give this Manachean crap a rest; it's no longer relevant, useful or even interesting. Angels and Devils. Heaven and Hell. The Forces of Good and Evil. Tired bullshit propaganda for thickheads and fascists. Trust the first big modern Russian blockbuster to be this urban racist neo-Nazi junk. I couldn't have exopected less from a racist, sexist, homophobic semi-state kleptocracy run by a KGB agent.
I don't know if the US version is a different cut... by Mr_Sleep001	Feb 23rd, 2006 04:45:03 AM
from the version that was released in the UK last year, but Cbabbitt's experience is different to my own. Yeah the editing is frenetic at times, but its generally used to hint at Anton's unstability, and I think the whole point of the blood drinking sequence is that you feel nauseus. Not saying the films perfect, but I have a problem with reviews that ignore anything redemptive about a film or vice versa when it's a glittering review. There's a lot good about Night Watch and it's far from as bad as the review suggests. And considering the budget it was made on I think they did well. The only bit that I didn't like was Zavulon's computer game bits, which made no sense
Night watch and hmmmmm.....occams_razor by TIMEBANDIT75	Feb 23rd, 2006 07:20:05 AM
Thanks for the sarcasm, with quips like that im suprised you have ability to read at all. thought this was a film site not a grammer or spelling contest.what did u think of the film?
I love this by StovetopStuffin'	Feb 23rd, 2006 09:48:21 AM
Usually when someone hates a movie in a review, the talkbacks are always "hells yeah" and "You suck Mr. Reviewer". But this one is a bit unique in that people are writing with generally coherent statements of their opinions on the film. I also liked this movie, despite some of the flaws, because the story is very interesting, and it's very different in pacing and style (of story, not the look of the film). I'm not sure what the reviewer was expecting, but I do think he might have just been too confused. I was the first time I saw it, but I didn't hate it for it. It made me want to watch it again and again, and now I think I understand most of it. It's very cool and I recommend it highly. I also can't wait to see Daywatch, cause it looks even better than the trailer for Nightwatch did. Partly cause I know who the characters are now.
Night into Day by sunshifter	Feb 23rd, 2006 10:43:00 AM
Maybe Night Watch is best viewed with an open mind, some vodka and the subtitles off. The density of the plot becomes less of a quibble when you can't understand the dialogue! Complaining about this film is like complaining about Moscow if you are from Austin or New York--hey, it has a lot of things you don't understand, and lacks some of the comforts you are used to, but it is majestic in its own right. Not that this will help Cbabbit, but the talkbacks that invoke the need to see the whole trilogy have a point. At the very least, the sequels will give you some payback on your investment in watching the first one. Despite having near-useless Russian language skills, I just saw Day Watch. During the movie of course I was quite conscious of the fact that I couldn't understand the dialogue (though the creepy epic opening sequence was SUBTITLED in Russian, which was actually helpful in sorting out the carnage!). However, after walking out of the theater, it was almost as if the language gap had never existed as I thought about what I had seen...
Explain the truce please by The_Deathticle	Feb 23rd, 2006 11:07:17 AM
I haven't seen this movie, but can someone explain the rules of the "truce" to me? I mean, the Bad Guys aren't allowed to do bad things, right? Does that mean the Good Guys aren't allowed to do good? If the Bad Guys are the only ones being policed, it doesn't really sound like much of a truce. What incentive do the Bad Guys have to go along with this?
There is no explanation by Gronti	Feb 23rd, 2006 01:33:25 PM
Deathticle, welcome to the world of bad storytelling! There are no answers to your questions within the movie.
Vampires in Sviblovo by Jesus Maniloff	Feb 23rd, 2006 07:52:14 PM
Cbabbitt is being angry at his small wit, nothing more. NW ain't the best movie there, but has some nice visuals and is more original than the whole borsht of vampire flicks out there. I didn't see much made of the "choice" thingy in the movie, because there is not that much choice. Not really. The Dark is an easy choice, because "it's easier the extinguish light in oneself, than to illuminate the darkness all around". And the Light isn't that much of a choice either because you can not conquer Darkness, you can merely ration it. What a desperation it must be to act as a Night Watch, where the Light ones license the evil and then enforce the licensing. It's sorta like a vegan buddhist monk overseeing deer hunting in Sheboygan, WI...
Rules of the Truce by Jesus Maniloff	Feb 23rd, 2006 08:10:48 PM
There is no Truce Charter anywhere in the movie, but one can piece things together a bit. From the intro and the legend of the Virgin in particular. The Forces of Darkness were overrunning the city (a city, whatever) when the Light ones gave the battle. Now, the Dark ones came from the Darkness that set over the cursed city (about as detailed story as that of Melkor or Sauron, heh), while the Light ones came from among the denizens of the city. And the battle raged until it became obvious that a) nobody's winning, and b) everybody is gonna perish. So the truce was struck that neither evil, not good can't be commited without approval from the other side. Not an outright prohibition then, but merely a rationing. Example? A yound vampire Larisa (the one who is luring the kid for the kill) wasn't born a vampire, she was actually a human "given" to vampire Andrei as a food by the Night Watch. So she presents this moral dilemma to the Nightwatchman Anton (during the fight on the roof) - he is trying to stop her from feeding on an "unlicensed" kid, but nobody was there for her, when the Nightwatch gave vampire Andrei a permit for her...
Ooh! A Three Volume Treatise on Highlander by Sepulchrave	Feb 24th, 2006 11:22:46 AM
Urgh, here come the crapologists; let's watch them plow layers of pseudo-academic criticism into a thin piece of pop-culture; remember the Matrix; 'Oh my God, his name's NEO which means NEW as in Testament;he's GOD; it's a Christian parable; call St Thomas Aquinas!' So you drop a few loaded names into a SFX wankfest and everyone does a Dan Brown on it. Freze-framing each scene looking for glyphs and signatory colours and religious imagery. It's just a side show designed to make stupid people feel educated; the Celestine Prophecy brigade.

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