The Hoard Potato: The Day the Earth Stood Still

[athelind]

quelonzia's favorite movie is the 1951 classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still.

This Saturday, we went to see the 2008 version, starring Keanu Reeves.

Here is her review -- it's sort of our review, since it summarizes our post-cinema conversation.

I may elaborate on this further, if I get motivated -- but hers is so succinct and to the point.

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Comments

[twentythoughts.livejournal.com]

Wait, what? You don't hate it? But all the cool kids hate it!

[zeeth_kyrah]

I saw one TV commercial for it, and when I learned what movie it was for, my immediate reaction was to compare what I saw on TV with the movie I remember - and one word came out: "BULLSHIT." I reminded myself that titles cannot be copywrited. Not the same movie.

I may take a lot of convincing to believe that this movie is even as good as the first with that title. And no, I haven't seen it yet.

[paka.livejournal.com]

Okay, so the question;

The big three things I liked about the original included the idea that the aliens really do come in peace and human fearfulness and saberrattling makes us really obnoxious. Given some recent movies and the way Day the Earth Stood Still lends itself so well to conspiracy, fugitive-on-the-run story, I'm worried that context really got lost. Did it?

The other two things I really liked were theremin music and Gort zappin' stuff. Please tell me there's at least plenty of the latter, though I don't hold out much hope for the former?

[athelind.livejournal.com]

They don't come "in peace", per se. They come to see if we're irredeemably aggressive, and, well, we kinda demonstrate it.

Gort does indeed do his share o' zappin'.

[araquan.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[cpxbrex.livejournal.com]

Similar to Paka's question, and I ask on behalf of my wife . . .

In the original title with that name, hehe, the way the alien gets the attention of the scientist is by correcting his math on a blackboard. It's Adrienne's favorite scene because, as a mathematical physicist, a lot of movie mathematics apparently looks like it's copied out of a basic calculus textbook - and the kind of conversation the alien and the scientist had about the equation felt very real to her. Indeed, I think her comment was, "I'm having some of that problem with the work I'm doing."

Well, is THAT in there?! WE MUST KNOW!

On the other hand, I'm glad you enjoyed the movie. ;)

[athelind.livejournal.com]

There is a very similar scene, yes.

[araquan.livejournal.com]

I almost think it went down a little better in the new one, myself.

[thoughtsdriftby.livejournal.com]

some reading:

http://thenostalgialeague.com/olmag/bates.html

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I knew OF the original short story, and I've even read a '70s Marvel Comics adaptation of it, but I'd never gotten a chance to read the tale itself.

[leonard-arlotte.livejournal.com]

As I mentioned in Quel's journal, I had several people tell me this was a bad movie, solely on the fact that Keanu Reeves was in it.

I hold much more weight in a review from someone who's actually SEEN the flick.

Now I gotta find time to watch my copy of the original, then go see the new one.

(gotta go see Bolt too)

[cugone.livejournal.com]

I saw it this afternoon. It's not a bad movie, just "okay".

What's even MORE scary is Disney is remaking the first Witch Mountain movie with Dwayne Johnson.

The X-Men Origins: Wolverine Trailer is a must see.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

I was 11 when the first movie version of Escape to Witch Mountain came out.

As a big fan of the book, I was gravely disappointed.

The "scary" part of the new movie is that I'm going to have to put up with people griping about how Race to Witch Mountain "ruins" and "dumbs down" a "classic film" that was already a dumbed-down ruin.

See my comments about Alvin and the Chipmunks.