The Road-Opens this week

[Rick Marchand]

I don't think I'll see it. IMO, it crosses the line between entertainment and fear mongering.

Sci-Fi/Apocaliptic/SHTF flix like Damnation Alley, Mad Max, ANY Zombie movie, Escape from New York, Running Man, and recently, 2012 give a scenario so far fetched that we can detatch ourselves from it as being a reality. From what I've seen, The Road is working on the fears of folks that really believe this is how it is going to play out.

There are people who will watch this movie and be so moved by it, that they will prepare for it. If you tell someone that everybody wants to hurt them often enough, they will begin to belive it, and eventually, odds are, they will take the first step in making it a reality.

It sucks, because I'm sure there are tonnes of cool scenes... but I just don't agree with the theme of the movie as a whole.

Maybe I'm getting the wrong impression from the trailers... I've done that before. It will be interesting to read reviews.


Rick

 

[August West]

I'm going to see it, I think you have to be able to seperate reality from fantasy. I like a lot of disaster movies 28 days/weeks Later are two of my favorites I hated "I am Legend".

I have not seen one yet that made me change what I do on a day to day basis or what I think, I just watch them like any other movie, for entertainment. Chris

 

[Iboschi]

I don't think I'll see it. IMO, it crosses the line between entertainment and fear mongering.

Sci-Fi/Apocaliptic/SHTF flix like Damnation Alley, Mad Max, ANY Zombie movie, Escape from New York, Running Man, and recently, 2012 give a scenario so far fetched that we can detatch ourselves from it as being a reality. From what I've seen, The Road is working on the fears of folks that really believe this is how it is going to play out.

There are people who will watch this movie and be so moved by it, that they will prepare for it. If you tell someone that everybody wants to hurt them often enough, they will begin to belive it, and eventually, odds are, they will take the first step in making it a reality.

It sucks, because I'm sure there are tonnes of cool scenes... but I just don't agree with the theme of the movie as a whole.

Maybe I'm getting the wrong impression from the trailers... I've done that before. It will be interesting to read reviews.

I saw the movie last night. And I really thought it was a great film. I didn't leave feeling happy, but that isn't the point. Movies are messengers and not always pleasant ones. We, as americans seem to take pleasure in pleasure, rather than thought and awareness. Why should movies be set aside from books in that department? Let us take pleasure in thought.

As for fear mongering, the book doesn't create anything new that hasn't existed for the last 65 years (The Atomic Bomb). We live in an era where issues plague humanity that have never been a concern before. Truth be told, "WE CAN NOW DESTROY ALL LIFE ON EARTH" and whether there is an apocalyptic catalyst or we do it slowly, it is happening. The signs are all around. Weather system changes, thousands of species extinct, a garbage patch the size of the United States in the middle of the Pacific, and general pollution. The ball is rolling downhill so fast. I hope we can stop it.

Fear is a part of our american heritage now, as much as the symbol of George Washington is. Once the Industrial Military Complex got its name, and the Federal Reserve began slapping down paper for gold, it became an interest of those in power to keep the public afraid. Kept America Strong. They had little work to do after they dropped the first A bomb, but realized we need to be reminded often.

In my opinion, this movie brings a light to some of those dark places in our own minds that many of us avoid. The fear. Bring it. Conquer it.

 

[sleevefullofaces]

I don't think I'll see it. IMO, it crosses the line between entertainment and fear mongering.

Sci-Fi/Apocaliptic/SHTF flix like Damnation Alley, Mad Max, ANY Zombie movie, Escape from New York, Running Man, and recently, 2012 give a scenario so far fetched that we can detatch ourselves from it as being a reality. From what I've seen, The Road is working on the fears of folks that really believe this is how it is going to play out.

There are people who will watch this movie and be so moved by it, that they will prepare for it. If you tell someone that everybody wants to hurt them often enough, they will begin to belive it, and eventually, odds are, they will take the first step in making it a reality.

It sucks, because I'm sure there are tonnes of cool scenes... but I just don't agree with the theme of the movie as a whole.

Maybe I'm getting the wrong impression from the trailers... I've done that before. It will be interesting to read reviews.


Rick

The trailers really make the movie out to be something it's not. One of them is made up of at least 50% of footage that is not in the movie.

Neither the book or the movie spells out what has happened to the world. A lot of people assume it's nuclear holocaust (I don't). The movie isn't really about the end of the world as an event but more the end of civilization and the existence of a father and son in the absence of civilization. There are very few "action" scenes in the film.

I didn't really see any "fear mongering" in the movie at all though there are a few parts that are scary. I would highly recommend you see it.

 

[Iboschi]

I would highly recommend you see it.

+1:thumbup:

 

[Rick Marchand]

Well said Iboschi... True in many ways. We have brought it upon ourselves.

However...

I believe that conquering fear is not about defeating the monsters we've conjured up... its about having the strength to NOT create them in the first place. It has to start somewhere.

Do we ALL have dark places in our minds?... what does bringing them to light and defeating them accomplish? Who told us that this was the way to master ourselves? Movies, books? We are conditioned to believe that these "dark" places pre-exist in us. I say BULL$#!T, the act of acknowledging them is what creates them. I have no dark place unless I believe I do.

I'm not saying we have to shelter ourselves from everything... that's unrealistic. Just start filtering out some of the negativity.

Many folks are led to believe that getting a "base tan" will help protect them from the Sun... but the sheer act of tanning, is putting them in danger. Others realize this, use sunblock and cover up with clothing...

I'm just tired of getting burned by Hollywood, I guess.



Rick

 

[Don Rearic]

I think if McCarthy or Penhall, the screenplasy writer, wanted to fear monger, they would have put the global warming in there, but neither did. I don't know where the trailer came from with the tornados breaking out and all of that, but as someone else pointed out, it's not even in the movie. I think the delay in release was because of editing and what they wanted to do with the movie.

And they decided not to make it into something to exploit fear but instead to give people hope. I really don't understand how anyone could read the book and not come across with the idea that it's basically a love story about a father and a son and the loss of the mother and a fight for survival and part of that fight is giving the boy something to fight for beyond himself - "the fire."

 

[Iboschi]

I believe that conquering fear is not about defeating the monsters we've conjured up... its about having the strength to NOT create them in the first place. It has to start somewhere.

Do we ALL have dark places in our minds?... what does bringing them to light and defeating them accomplish? Who told us that this was the way to master ourselves? Movies, books? We are conditioned to believe that these "dark" places pre-exist in us. I say BULL$#!T, the act of acknowledging them is what creates them. I have no dark place unless I believe I do.

I'm not saying we have to shelter ourselves from everything... that's unrealistic. Just start filtering out some of the negativity.

Many folks are led to believe that getting a "base tan" will help protect them from the Sun... but the sheer act of tanning, is putting them in danger. Others realize this, use sunblock and cover up with clothing...

I'm just tired of getting burned by Hollywood, I guess.



Rick

Also well stated! However....

I do not believe that any human mind could stand up to scrutiny other than the mind of a child. I think of those dark places within each of us as a psychological response much like a physical one, cancer. When we are wounded our cells respond and repair the damage. The more this happens the more likely a radical cell is to develop. If you live long enough, you will get cancer. It is a human condition. The dark places in our mind are similar, as we are emotionaly damaged (and we all are), we develop coping mechanisms to deal with the pain, those coping mechanisms are sometimes healthy (like repaired cells) and sometimes they are not (radical cells). Part of what helps us as a species, is sharing that pain and taking solace in the reminder that we are not alone.

LITANY AGAINST FEAR

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

-Frank Herbert

 

[Rick Marchand]

...I really don't understand how anyone could read the book and not come across with the idea that it's basically a love story about a father and a son and the loss of the mother and a fight for survival and part of that fight is giving the boy something to fight for beyond himself - "the fire."

THATS a good review. I'm glad that I'm being proven wrong, here.... cause I really wanna see it!... lol.




ETA...
Iboschi... great post!! Lots of things to think about, thanks.


rick

 

[Don Rearic]

Rick,

I don't know if someone can "enjoy" a movie like this, it's not really "entertainment." But it is very much a love story. Most love stories coming out of Hollyweird are stupid and cause a lot of divorces because people, men and women, think they can change each other. This is very, very different. I have not seen something like this in quite some time.

The book is an interesting study in survival scavenging, just as a sidenote, they could have made the movie about 120+ minutes had they delved into that aspect of the book but they didn't touch on that very much...

 

[JD Mandrell]

OK, now I am officially PO'd!

Local release of "The Road" has now been pushed back to Dec. 18th.

GRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

[Don Rearic]

It doesn't have explosions and tornados and all of the stuff "2012" has. It's probably not going to do very well. I have not even checked to see how much it has made so far. This country is so dumbed down now, if it doesn't blow up or something, it's hard to make any money. That makes their decision to keep it more like the book all that much the better. It will make a lot on DVD as well.

 

[pict]

I really don't understand how anyone could read the book and not come across with the idea that it's basically a love story about a father and a son and the loss of the mother and a fight for survival and part of that fight is giving the boy something to fight for beyond himself - "the fire."

Seriously, that's what I got out of this book. The circumstances are so severe as to reduce humans to worse than animals yet in the midst of this you have a guy whose sole focus is to preserve his son intact and protect him from the worst that's out there. The father has to do this while checking his own slide into the abyss. Its the kids humanity that pulls him back up time and again.

Mac

 

[Iboschi]

I haven't read it. But, after seeing the movie I have a strong desire to read it. I think I'll pick it up soon. If not for this thread, I would probably not have heard of it.

I really don't understand how anyone could read the book and not come across with the idea that it's basically a love story about a father and a son and the loss of the mother and a fight for survival and part of that fight is giving the boy something to fight for beyond himself - "the fire."

I think this embodies the movie most of all. It really is a love story. And despite some opinions, I enjoyed the movie.

 

[Codger_64]

I just bought the book yesterday at Wally-world. Let me read it first then I'll pass it along to someone here.

Codger

 

[SkinnyJoe]

No offense intended, but it seems like a depressing, pessimistic, unrealistic movie. Don't really see the entertainment value, but, to each his own.


Another ammo shortage coming up??

 

[Tye Possum]

I heard about it on some forum I was looking around in and then saw the trailer on youtube. Looked interesting, though I heard the book was really good so I bought it. I started reading it one night, stopped at around 2:00am and finished it the next day, gotta be the fastest I've ever read a book. Maybe it's because it was good so I didn't want to put it down, or maybe it's because it has no chapters (which I found very interesting). Either way, I liked it and I definately want to see the movie, but I'm just gunna wait and rent it.

 

[Zombie Zeke]

The movie didn't do the book any justice.

It was alright but John Hillcoat decided to round off the edges in terms of certain scenes in the book, or just forego them outright making the movie more pallatable to people en masse.

The book is a classic, the movie is not. It's worth seeing on the big screen, just not worth buying imho and if you haven't read the book yet, you may be moved by this flick.

The acting is amazing, the scenery is sparse and true to the book, only the story isn't.

 

[Diomedes Industries]

I think I have the book too - If I do - I can mail it out to someone.

I am going to see the movie tonight.

TF

 

[Diomedes Industries]

The movie didn't do the book any justice.

It was alright but John Hillcoat decided to round off the edges in terms of certain scenes in the book, or just forego them outright making the movie more pallatable to people en masse.

The book is a classic, the movie is not. It's worth seeing on the big screen, just not worth buying imho and if you haven't read the book yet, you may be moved by this flick.

The acting is amazing, the scenery is sparse and true to the book, only the story isn't.

You have summed up the majority of the movie versions of books I have seen - very very few are better than the book.

TF