Question:
I've seen the trailer for this and it looks pretty good - put it this way, it's not often you get a "horror" release that's an 18 certificate these days :oh-hum:
I want to go and see it in the cinema with my mate
Has anyone seen it and what did they think?
Saw it at Frightfest a few weeks ago. Actually, I was most suprised by it, expecting it to be very poor. It's an interesting experiment, filmed 100% from the POV of "hidden" cameras, and despite being set in America, it's a British production. Some good use of scares, and a long slow build up to a sudden and disturbing conclusion. Maybe the story is not quite as original as the film-makers would like to think, but well worth a watch. Oh - And it's not getting released in the US. Too controversial for them, it seems1
Is it actors tho or real life people?
Originally posted by Headstar
Is it actors tho or real life people?
Actors
Originally posted by Dagada
Oh - And it's not getting released in the US. Too controversial for them, it seems1
Not getting released here ever? What was the reason cited?
It is creepy and disturbing, but controversial? :confused:
Well it gets released tomorrow (I think) so I'm going to persuade Mrs Flibble that we should go and see it - I'm not expecting mucn, there's too many films built up to be 'distubring' and 'scary' but are just rubbish :(
Hopefully this one will be the exception though :)
I saw it at a directors preview screening last week. Quite a good effort, quite disturbing although I wouldn't say "controversial"
Good premise for a film and well made although I was somewhat disappointed with the final sequence. A few plot holes, too. Truly excellent sound though, and some great visual effects. Recommended - although not a classic.
Originally posted by Mr Flibble
Well it gets released tomorrow (I think) so I'm going to persuade Mrs Flibble that we should go and see it - I'm not expecting mucn, there's too many films built up to be 'distubring' and 'scary' but are just rubbish :(
Hopefully this one will be the exception though :)
well again this was built up. It was ok, the odd good moment, but never really scared me. If u didn't like Blair Witch don't go see it as the mate I was with didn't like it and compared it Blair Witch, although this was more to do with the film style than anything else I think.
I saw Blair Witch about a month before the hype kicked in over here, and really enjoy it - I still do, oneof my favourite DVD's and first purchases too :)
I don't know much about it, so I'll take a read on a few website and get the jist of it, but I think we will end up seeing it. Mind you, Mrs Flib wants to see 'Lilo and Stitch' first I think :(
Right - I've convinced the missus that we should go and see this! Off to Kinaird Park tonight to the UCI for us (again - third week in a row!) Then over to Frankie and Benny's for a cheeky meal after - I love Fridays!!
Are you off to see it tonight yourself Headstar?
Miss Bradford - The reason it's not getting released in the US is due to the supposedly controversial plot twists that occur later on in the film.
Firstly the Actors are supposedly "real" people, as the director didn't advertise for an acting job, but rather a reality TV "big brother" style website. How true this is I am not sure, but the performances they give are for the most part excellent. Later on in the storyline we find the true nature of the website they're on - It's actually a snuff site, and viewers are betting on who gets killed. By the nature of the way it is filmed, the audience are partly implicated into the eventual bloodfest. It seems US studios have deemed this far too much for American audiences to cope with and have effectivly banned it. I have a suspicion that if the ending was not so nihilistic that they might have felt differently. For me, the eventual twist was something of a let down - I'd been excepecting something much more shocking from the writeup, but I still enjoyed the film. It certainly tries something different, and has some exceptionally creepy scenes - Especially the line to camera after the "visitor" has sex with the girl.
I do advise you to see this film with no, or low, expectations, as I did, as you'll enjoy it lots more.
Originally posted by Dagada
Miss Bradford - The reason it's not getting released in the US is due to the supposedly controversial plot twists that occur later on in the film.
Thanks Dagada! I will forever be amazed at my country's hypocrisy and confusing criteria for censorship. Considering WHAT IS shown here, I can't believe that anything in this film would preclude its release. :oh-hum:
Thanks again!
going cinemas tonight and what should i see
Signs or My little eye?
Originally posted by killerdog
going cinemas tonight and what should i see
Signs or My little eye?
If you are a fan of Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense, then see Signs, if not, MY choice would be My Little Eye! :thumbs: :D
i watched my little eye, not bad, a few jumpy bits. seen it all coming though
Originally posted by Dagada
[
I do advise you to see this film with no, or low, expectations, as I did, as you'll enjoy it lots more. [/B]
erm thats sort of impossible. You cant say ok i am not expecting it to be good cause thats what others did and it turned out to be quite good. As that is putting expectation on to it already. Know what i mean:nuts:
btw mr Flibble. why persevere with Kinnard park UCI . Wester Hailes plaza is ten time better. No Frankie and Bennys though.
Could anyone explain why people were having panic attacks though? Without using spoilers?
This got a right kicking from all except Mark Kermode on Late Review last night.
who was having panic attacks, people in cinemas?
If you are planning to go and see this film I would suggest that you just try and sneak in for the last 15mins on your way out from another film.
Seriously, it takes this long before anything slightly interesting happens. The script is so dull, infact I have heard better in 1970's zombie films. The acting is dreadful and it was impossible to form any kind of emotion for any of the characters. And the continuous 'modem dial-up' soundtrack is just plain annoying.
The end sequence is quite good but I would have prefered more of the same throughout the film instead of the incrediably slow build-up. When the credits came it was a more a case of "thank god that's over" than "wow that was good".
I thought it was crud, was looking at my watch every 10 minutes to see how long was left.:oh-hum:
Originally posted by jonathan.e
This got a right kicking from all except Mark Kermode on Late Review last night.
kermode was right.
those other two are just glorified book reviewers.
bonnie greer missed the whole point of the movie. the other guy was content to just make cheap remarks about the soundtrack, which was excellent in aiding the movie, which is what should happen in horror movies.
Hi,
Sorry to say I did not rate this, too predictable.
When will someone actually produce a scary horror flick?
Mike
Well, I missed this due to it being really busy at the restaurant we went to first - doesn't sound like I've missed out on much though! :(
Went to see 'The Bourne Identity' instead - which I really enjoyed actually - well worth seeing :)
i found it disturbing afterwards, i found it, as bizarre as the whole idea was, quite plausible that it could indeed happen.
thats what i found most terrifying. i thought that
the death scene with the cellophane was chilling, very well handled, and it must be the fact that it is shot from a webcam style that makes it so believable. instead of a steadycam shot or a carefully designed and planned shot. its a shot we are used to seeing on tv all the time so to suddenly see someone being killed and the camera not craning around everywhere or whatever, for me at least, made things a lot more shocking.
and its a fear that something like this could happen that made the ideas stay with me after i had left the cinema. there are not many horror movies that have done this to me.
suffice to say i loved it.
Well I was disappointed by it to say the least. I knew nothing about it going in, and from the outset I felt like I was watching a remake of Kolobos. The Halloween 8 trailer came on before it and I wondered why they were showing a trailer for My Little Eye before the film! - this reality TV crap has got to stop.
When nothing is happening....nothing is happening, the film really gets dull at some points. The best bits are few and far between and come in the form of some nicely fast paced editing and the building of weird but very effective sound effects. To me the characters were too obvious stereotypes, and none of them were worth caring about.
2/5
Tedious in the extreme; a relief when the participents start getting knocked off because you don't have to listen to them whine any more. Rather ironic that the same basic idea seems to be the premise of the new Halloween movie.
hmmm...going by all the negative posts about it, I'm not so sure now.....I still think I'll go and see it, as I like to see a film for myself before I make my mind up about it :)
Originally posted by Just Call Me Wanda
The Halloween 8 trailer came on before it and I wondered why they were showing a trailer for My Little Eye before the film!
LOL. Exact same thing that I was thinking as well when they showed that trailer. :nuts:
sorry have to agree....I saw this and whilst it was a decent frightener ...it appears too many people are accepting sub standard thrillers as GOOD movies....I think its an indication of how poor the standard of "scary movies" are nowadays....
look at Halloween, the fog, the exorcist, etc....and learn something all you would be directors !
Yes cheap jumpy moments are effective....btu there also has to be a pschological element .....
I liked this, but not as much as I thought I would. The film seemed compromised between "reality" footage shot via webcams and natural sound and conventional film sequences using such standard techniques as slow motion and music for effect. I thought the film generated a great deal of tension only for most of it to be dissipated towards the end by the film not sticking to its own rules. One scene almost ruined the film for me
the decapitation sequence. Shocking in itself but flawed by use of slow motion.
BTW did anybody think this was barely an 18 cert? The violence wasn't gratuitous, it must have been the sex scene I reckon.....
It's a shame that a film so potentially interesting has so many flaws. The central premise is enticing enough. But the film's flaws really do start to impact on its limited plusses for this viewer. The characters are overlapping cardboard cut-outs, the cast is uninspired and sometimes a bit wooden, director Marc Evans 'cheats' at times and uses atmospheric rumbles and loud rock music on the soundtrack to beef up the tension (which suggests he he has no real faith in his 'reality' format), and at times it's all just a bit desperately nasty. However, on the plus side, the big shocker that comes an hour in and tips the plot on its head is still giving me the creeps and the 4 or 5 set-pieces are real nerve-shredders. The remote house in which the 'participants' are housed is well cast and actually out-acts the wannabe stars. External shots of the snowy wasteland in which it sits do give some sense of frightening isolation
Overall, not great. I'm inclined to be generous because it really gave me the creeps (though I'm prepared for the video/DVD backlash next year when simpletons who watch it in a brightly lit living room on a 21" TV claim it to be "crap" and "not scary". Like they did with 'The Blair Witch Project', with which comparisons have been unfairly made. 'BWP' is a far superior film for many reasons, not least of which is the commendable way in which the viewer's imagination is set to work, and a cast of interesting characters you give a vague toss about.)
I saw this last night and thought is was pretty poor. It took a long time to get going, then the plot just wasnt that gripping.. I left feeling rather unsatified.
I agree it does have some good ideas but all in all it's a rather boring, not paricularly frightening movie.
Although I do wonder why they banned this in the US and not a movie like 8mm which although an entirley different kind of movie still deals with this rather controversial subject matter.
Mark
Saw this last night and have to agree with the negative posts above. Felt Marc Evans 'cheated' by using scored music to add tension to the last act when he had avoided it before (only using music that was playing on stereos etc) especially as I felt the music failed to achieve its aim as it was so anachronistic.
Didn't mind the sound effects stuff but didn't really do much for me. As for the characters themselves, well, as already stated they were hardly more than one-dimensional.
Mind you, I did check out of my kitchen window when I got home to make sure no one was watching me!
pythons - It wasn't banned in America, it just hasn't been given an official release date there yet. Apparently Universal are playing a 'wait and see' game in terms of how it performs at the UK box office.
Their hesitancy to release comes from the woeful test scores American audiences gave it, although considering the test screenings took place two weeks at September 11th, the scores are somewhat of a misrepresentation given the emotional state of the country at the time.
I'm sure the fact that similarly themed (but inferior) films such as the aforementioned Halloween 8 and FearDotCom bombed recently doesn't do MLE any favours which is a shame really as I found it to be one of the more unsettling horror films in recent memory (since the BWP at least IMHO).
Ronan - That is NOT what the director said at Frightfest. He stated that the studio were unwilling to release it due to the controversial aspects of the plot. However, IMDB now states it's been rated by the MPAA as an R.
Originally posted by Dagada
Ronan - That is NOT what the director said at Frightfest. He stated that the studio were unwilling to release it due to the controversial aspects of the plot. However, IMDB now states it's been rated by the MPAA as an R.
That's strange as The Irish Times ran a lengthy interview with Marc Evans two weeks ago in which he spoke about the original test screenings being so poor and the aforementioned approach Universal are taking regarding its US release (Kim Newman also mentions this in Sight and Sound this month).
Well - It could be that the test screenings viewers gave poor feedback about the certain plot element, which led Universal to withold release.... He may have given slightly misleading info at FF, then....
Originally posted by Just Call Me Wanda
The Halloween 8 trailer came on before it and I wondered why they were showing a trailer for My Little Eye before the film!
The exact same thing happened to me! I hate trailers, and don't take my seat till 15 minutes or more after the advertised start time. But the trailers were just starting when I sat down, and when the Halloween trailer came on I thought I'd gone into the wrong screen! Just as I was thinking of getting up to investigate, Michael Myers turned up!
It was certainly a bad way to start a film, having another trailer do the same thing. My Little Eye had some potential (but please, let these movies stop!), but in the end it was a load of old cobblers. Crap twist, didn't really hold true to its own concept, and if you analyse any of it, it falls apart (If you were rich, and got off on this sort of thing, would you be happy to wait 6 months for the action?). And it looked so cheap - hard to believe Blair Witch cost $55,000 and this cost $2,000,000!
Originally posted by McD
The exact same thing happened to me! I hate trailers, and don't take my seat till 15 minutes or more after the advertised start time. But the trailers were just starting when I sat down, and when the Halloween trailer came on I thought I'd gone into the wrong screen! Just as I was thinking of getting up to investigate, Michael Myers turned up!
It was certainly a bad way to start a film, having another trailer do the same thing. My Little Eye had some potential (but please, let these movies stop!), but in the end it was a load of old cobblers. Crap twist, didn't really hold true to its own concept, and if you analyse any of it, it falls apart (If you were rich, and got off on this sort of thing, would you be happy to wait 6 months for the action?). And it looked so cheap - hard to believe Blair Witch cost $55,000 and this cost $2,000,000!
Very much in agreement with McD here. The film had some good ideas, but threw them away needlessly. It reminded me of both "Cube" and of course "BWP".
The acting was atrocious, and when will film-makers once again learn that sometimes "LESS IS MORE". It took an age to build up, and when it did I couldn't give a ragmans' penny about any of the characters.
I quite liked it. But agree it could have been much much better so a bit of a wasted oppurtunity.
Sb
I've just wasted 5 pounds and 2 hours of my life watching this manure. :(
Blair Witch was great. This is not.
Originally posted by McD
The exact same thing happened to me! I hate trailers, and don't take my seat till 15 minutes or more after the advertised start time. But the trailers were just starting when I sat down, and when the Halloween trailer came on I thought I'd gone into the wrong screen! Just as I was thinking of getting up to investigate, Michael Myers turned up!
It was certainly a bad way to start a film, having another trailer do the same thing. My Little Eye had some potential (but please, let these movies stop!), but in the end it was a load of old cobblers. Crap twist, didn't really hold true to its own concept, and if you analyse any of it, it falls apart (If you were rich, and got off on this sort of thing, would you be happy to wait 6 months for the action?). And it looked so cheap - hard to believe Blair Witch cost $55,000 and this cost $2,000,000!
ProgScan in concuring with McD shocker!!
MLE starts out great, but falls victim to its own promise, I figured out what was going to happen in the first 30 minutes..Felt like the scriptwriter ran out of ideas or money, prolly both, in the last third.
Still a lot better than some of the turds floating around the flicks at the mo tho...
Reminded me a little of Cube, as Markman said. Cube's a far better movie though.
I left my watch at home, which is probably just as well as I'd have spent over an hour looking at it. Didn't find the thing scary at all but that's just me.
Disappointed on the whole. Wasn't my choice to go to see it but decided I wouldn't hold that against it. Plenty of plot holes. GF was full of apologies on the way out - but did push the case that it was better than The Haunting (which she also chose)
If it was a student film I'd forgive it (and the cameras on the wall that must be painted hair dryers). Buildup was far too long for a one-plot movie - and the plot twist was obvious from very early on.
IMHO go to see it if your local screen has a "if you didn't like it we give you your money back" policy. Better than a lot of the rubbish out this year but is that really a recommendation?
Plenty of people above disagree though.
What bugs me about this truly awful film is the reviews it has received here.
I don't normally like modern horror films but this was made out to be a genuinely scarey spine chiller, so I thought I'd give it the benefit of doubt and trust the reviewers.Boy was I wrong, the only chill I got was the cinema heating not working.My 2 mates also thought it was crap.All that slow build up for a really unoriginal slasher type ending.
This has been the only film I have ever seriously thought about walking out of early.
Do yourselves a favour and watch a proper horror film like the Omen or the Exorcist instead.
Rant Over.
this film is awful.
it is an attempt to copy blair witch project in a low budget style, using word of mouth for people to go and see it coupled with the old 'people were so scared the fainted while watching it' ploy.
not good.
hallloween resurrection was better and that wasn't that good either
thought i'd bump this up as the DVD rental was released recently..
while the first half works on making you jump with the usual trick of loud noises, by the second half the tension becomes genuine. my only gripes are
i don't know who would be so stupid to agree to such a contest no matter how high the prize, without getting some more information and know it was official.. they don't even know the name of the website before going in.. but that's a minor plot point!
also i felt the ending was too grim, i couldn't imagine it not being that way, because the story wouldn't have ended properly, though it would have made for more of a comfortable viewing the if the girl got away.. but i don't think comfortable was a key word for the filmmakers! ;)
Still well worth watching, and the excellent 5.1 track on the DVD makes it even more worthwhile.. horror films for me have the most effective need for surround sound...
a strong 4/5 film.. couldn't watch it again, but very glad i did see it :thumbs:
tj_director
relating to your spoiler comment about them being stupid. Well, they WERE Americans! ;)
Seriously though I think this is a great little film with a deliciously nasty ending!
I am genuinely disappointed that BAFTA didn't recognise the sound work that went into this film. One of the best mixes of 2002.
Originally posted by Richie
tj_director
relating to your spoiler comment about them being stupid. Well, they WERE Americans! ;)
I am genuinely disappointed that BAFTA didn't recognise the sound work that went into this film. One of the best mixes of 2002.
true, that they were!!
and yeah, sound was really under-rated! the use of camera noise etc.. in building tension was fantastic, among the other tricks :thumbs:
I watched it last week, or tried too ... :norty: inbetween things n stuff ... but to be honest I thought it was pants!!
Heard good reviews about it, n outcome for me : disappointing.
I also thought this was terrible. A complete waste of time.
Watched this last night and gave up about 20 minutes in.
Gave it another go today and was enjoying it ,slightly realistic,using an unknown cast until...
Will Tippen from Alias appears on the screen!!
I want to go and see it in the cinema with my mate
Has anyone seen it and what did they think?
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Saw it at Frightfest a few weeks ago. Actually, I was most suprised by it, expecting it to be very poor. It's an interesting experiment, filmed 100% from the POV of "hidden" cameras, and despite being set in America, it's a British production. Some good use of scares, and a long slow build up to a sudden and disturbing conclusion. Maybe the story is not quite as original as the film-makers would like to think, but well worth a watch. Oh - And it's not getting released in the US. Too controversial for them, it seems1
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Is it actors tho or real life people?
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Originally posted by Headstar
Is it actors tho or real life people?
Actors
Originally posted by Dagada
Oh - And it's not getting released in the US. Too controversial for them, it seems1
Not getting released here ever? What was the reason cited?
It is creepy and disturbing, but controversial? :confused:
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Well it gets released tomorrow (I think) so I'm going to persuade Mrs Flibble that we should go and see it - I'm not expecting mucn, there's too many films built up to be 'distubring' and 'scary' but are just rubbish :(
Hopefully this one will be the exception though :)
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I saw it at a directors preview screening last week. Quite a good effort, quite disturbing although I wouldn't say "controversial"
Good premise for a film and well made although I was somewhat disappointed with the final sequence. A few plot holes, too. Truly excellent sound though, and some great visual effects. Recommended - although not a classic.
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Originally posted by Mr Flibble
Well it gets released tomorrow (I think) so I'm going to persuade Mrs Flibble that we should go and see it - I'm not expecting mucn, there's too many films built up to be 'distubring' and 'scary' but are just rubbish :(
Hopefully this one will be the exception though :)
well again this was built up. It was ok, the odd good moment, but never really scared me. If u didn't like Blair Witch don't go see it as the mate I was with didn't like it and compared it Blair Witch, although this was more to do with the film style than anything else I think.
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I saw Blair Witch about a month before the hype kicked in over here, and really enjoy it - I still do, oneof my favourite DVD's and first purchases too :)
I don't know much about it, so I'll take a read on a few website and get the jist of it, but I think we will end up seeing it. Mind you, Mrs Flib wants to see 'Lilo and Stitch' first I think :(
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Right - I've convinced the missus that we should go and see this! Off to Kinaird Park tonight to the UCI for us (again - third week in a row!) Then over to Frankie and Benny's for a cheeky meal after - I love Fridays!!
Are you off to see it tonight yourself Headstar?
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Miss Bradford - The reason it's not getting released in the US is due to the supposedly controversial plot twists that occur later on in the film.
Firstly the Actors are supposedly "real" people, as the director didn't advertise for an acting job, but rather a reality TV "big brother" style website. How true this is I am not sure, but the performances they give are for the most part excellent. Later on in the storyline we find the true nature of the website they're on - It's actually a snuff site, and viewers are betting on who gets killed. By the nature of the way it is filmed, the audience are partly implicated into the eventual bloodfest. It seems US studios have deemed this far too much for American audiences to cope with and have effectivly banned it. I have a suspicion that if the ending was not so nihilistic that they might have felt differently. For me, the eventual twist was something of a let down - I'd been excepecting something much more shocking from the writeup, but I still enjoyed the film. It certainly tries something different, and has some exceptionally creepy scenes - Especially the line to camera after the "visitor" has sex with the girl.
I do advise you to see this film with no, or low, expectations, as I did, as you'll enjoy it lots more.
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Originally posted by Dagada
Miss Bradford - The reason it's not getting released in the US is due to the supposedly controversial plot twists that occur later on in the film.
Thanks Dagada! I will forever be amazed at my country's hypocrisy and confusing criteria for censorship. Considering WHAT IS shown here, I can't believe that anything in this film would preclude its release. :oh-hum:
Thanks again!
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going cinemas tonight and what should i see
Signs or My little eye?
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Originally posted by killerdog
going cinemas tonight and what should i see
Signs or My little eye?
If you are a fan of Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense, then see Signs, if not, MY choice would be My Little Eye! :thumbs: :D
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i watched my little eye, not bad, a few jumpy bits. seen it all coming though
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Originally posted by Dagada
[
I do advise you to see this film with no, or low, expectations, as I did, as you'll enjoy it lots more. [/B]
erm thats sort of impossible. You cant say ok i am not expecting it to be good cause thats what others did and it turned out to be quite good. As that is putting expectation on to it already. Know what i mean:nuts:
btw mr Flibble. why persevere with Kinnard park UCI . Wester Hailes plaza is ten time better. No Frankie and Bennys though.
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Could anyone explain why people were having panic attacks though? Without using spoilers?
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This got a right kicking from all except Mark Kermode on Late Review last night.
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who was having panic attacks, people in cinemas?
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If you are planning to go and see this film I would suggest that you just try and sneak in for the last 15mins on your way out from another film.
Seriously, it takes this long before anything slightly interesting happens. The script is so dull, infact I have heard better in 1970's zombie films. The acting is dreadful and it was impossible to form any kind of emotion for any of the characters. And the continuous 'modem dial-up' soundtrack is just plain annoying.
The end sequence is quite good but I would have prefered more of the same throughout the film instead of the incrediably slow build-up. When the credits came it was a more a case of "thank god that's over" than "wow that was good".
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I thought it was crud, was looking at my watch every 10 minutes to see how long was left.:oh-hum:
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Originally posted by jonathan.e
This got a right kicking from all except Mark Kermode on Late Review last night.
kermode was right.
those other two are just glorified book reviewers.
bonnie greer missed the whole point of the movie. the other guy was content to just make cheap remarks about the soundtrack, which was excellent in aiding the movie, which is what should happen in horror movies.
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Hi,
Sorry to say I did not rate this, too predictable.
When will someone actually produce a scary horror flick?
Mike
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Well, I missed this due to it being really busy at the restaurant we went to first - doesn't sound like I've missed out on much though! :(
Went to see 'The Bourne Identity' instead - which I really enjoyed actually - well worth seeing :)
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i found it disturbing afterwards, i found it, as bizarre as the whole idea was, quite plausible that it could indeed happen.
thats what i found most terrifying. i thought that
the death scene with the cellophane was chilling, very well handled, and it must be the fact that it is shot from a webcam style that makes it so believable. instead of a steadycam shot or a carefully designed and planned shot. its a shot we are used to seeing on tv all the time so to suddenly see someone being killed and the camera not craning around everywhere or whatever, for me at least, made things a lot more shocking.
and its a fear that something like this could happen that made the ideas stay with me after i had left the cinema. there are not many horror movies that have done this to me.
suffice to say i loved it.
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Well I was disappointed by it to say the least. I knew nothing about it going in, and from the outset I felt like I was watching a remake of Kolobos. The Halloween 8 trailer came on before it and I wondered why they were showing a trailer for My Little Eye before the film! - this reality TV crap has got to stop.
When nothing is happening....nothing is happening, the film really gets dull at some points. The best bits are few and far between and come in the form of some nicely fast paced editing and the building of weird but very effective sound effects. To me the characters were too obvious stereotypes, and none of them were worth caring about.
2/5
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Tedious in the extreme; a relief when the participents start getting knocked off because you don't have to listen to them whine any more. Rather ironic that the same basic idea seems to be the premise of the new Halloween movie.
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hmmm...going by all the negative posts about it, I'm not so sure now.....I still think I'll go and see it, as I like to see a film for myself before I make my mind up about it :)
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Originally posted by Just Call Me Wanda
The Halloween 8 trailer came on before it and I wondered why they were showing a trailer for My Little Eye before the film!
LOL. Exact same thing that I was thinking as well when they showed that trailer. :nuts:
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sorry have to agree....I saw this and whilst it was a decent frightener ...it appears too many people are accepting sub standard thrillers as GOOD movies....I think its an indication of how poor the standard of "scary movies" are nowadays....
look at Halloween, the fog, the exorcist, etc....and learn something all you would be directors !
Yes cheap jumpy moments are effective....btu there also has to be a pschological element .....
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I liked this, but not as much as I thought I would. The film seemed compromised between "reality" footage shot via webcams and natural sound and conventional film sequences using such standard techniques as slow motion and music for effect. I thought the film generated a great deal of tension only for most of it to be dissipated towards the end by the film not sticking to its own rules. One scene almost ruined the film for me
the decapitation sequence. Shocking in itself but flawed by use of slow motion.
BTW did anybody think this was barely an 18 cert? The violence wasn't gratuitous, it must have been the sex scene I reckon.....
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It's a shame that a film so potentially interesting has so many flaws. The central premise is enticing enough. But the film's flaws really do start to impact on its limited plusses for this viewer. The characters are overlapping cardboard cut-outs, the cast is uninspired and sometimes a bit wooden, director Marc Evans 'cheats' at times and uses atmospheric rumbles and loud rock music on the soundtrack to beef up the tension (which suggests he he has no real faith in his 'reality' format), and at times it's all just a bit desperately nasty. However, on the plus side, the big shocker that comes an hour in and tips the plot on its head is still giving me the creeps and the 4 or 5 set-pieces are real nerve-shredders. The remote house in which the 'participants' are housed is well cast and actually out-acts the wannabe stars. External shots of the snowy wasteland in which it sits do give some sense of frightening isolation
Overall, not great. I'm inclined to be generous because it really gave me the creeps (though I'm prepared for the video/DVD backlash next year when simpletons who watch it in a brightly lit living room on a 21" TV claim it to be "crap" and "not scary". Like they did with 'The Blair Witch Project', with which comparisons have been unfairly made. 'BWP' is a far superior film for many reasons, not least of which is the commendable way in which the viewer's imagination is set to work, and a cast of interesting characters you give a vague toss about.)
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I saw this last night and thought is was pretty poor. It took a long time to get going, then the plot just wasnt that gripping.. I left feeling rather unsatified.
I agree it does have some good ideas but all in all it's a rather boring, not paricularly frightening movie.
Although I do wonder why they banned this in the US and not a movie like 8mm which although an entirley different kind of movie still deals with this rather controversial subject matter.
Mark
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Saw this last night and have to agree with the negative posts above. Felt Marc Evans 'cheated' by using scored music to add tension to the last act when he had avoided it before (only using music that was playing on stereos etc) especially as I felt the music failed to achieve its aim as it was so anachronistic.
Didn't mind the sound effects stuff but didn't really do much for me. As for the characters themselves, well, as already stated they were hardly more than one-dimensional.
Mind you, I did check out of my kitchen window when I got home to make sure no one was watching me!
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pythons - It wasn't banned in America, it just hasn't been given an official release date there yet. Apparently Universal are playing a 'wait and see' game in terms of how it performs at the UK box office.
Their hesitancy to release comes from the woeful test scores American audiences gave it, although considering the test screenings took place two weeks at September 11th, the scores are somewhat of a misrepresentation given the emotional state of the country at the time.
I'm sure the fact that similarly themed (but inferior) films such as the aforementioned Halloween 8 and FearDotCom bombed recently doesn't do MLE any favours which is a shame really as I found it to be one of the more unsettling horror films in recent memory (since the BWP at least IMHO).
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Ronan - That is NOT what the director said at Frightfest. He stated that the studio were unwilling to release it due to the controversial aspects of the plot. However, IMDB now states it's been rated by the MPAA as an R.
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Originally posted by Dagada
Ronan - That is NOT what the director said at Frightfest. He stated that the studio were unwilling to release it due to the controversial aspects of the plot. However, IMDB now states it's been rated by the MPAA as an R.
That's strange as The Irish Times ran a lengthy interview with Marc Evans two weeks ago in which he spoke about the original test screenings being so poor and the aforementioned approach Universal are taking regarding its US release (Kim Newman also mentions this in Sight and Sound this month).
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Well - It could be that the test screenings viewers gave poor feedback about the certain plot element, which led Universal to withold release.... He may have given slightly misleading info at FF, then....
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Originally posted by Just Call Me Wanda
The Halloween 8 trailer came on before it and I wondered why they were showing a trailer for My Little Eye before the film!
The exact same thing happened to me! I hate trailers, and don't take my seat till 15 minutes or more after the advertised start time. But the trailers were just starting when I sat down, and when the Halloween trailer came on I thought I'd gone into the wrong screen! Just as I was thinking of getting up to investigate, Michael Myers turned up!
It was certainly a bad way to start a film, having another trailer do the same thing. My Little Eye had some potential (but please, let these movies stop!), but in the end it was a load of old cobblers. Crap twist, didn't really hold true to its own concept, and if you analyse any of it, it falls apart (If you were rich, and got off on this sort of thing, would you be happy to wait 6 months for the action?). And it looked so cheap - hard to believe Blair Witch cost $55,000 and this cost $2,000,000!
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Originally posted by McD
The exact same thing happened to me! I hate trailers, and don't take my seat till 15 minutes or more after the advertised start time. But the trailers were just starting when I sat down, and when the Halloween trailer came on I thought I'd gone into the wrong screen! Just as I was thinking of getting up to investigate, Michael Myers turned up!
It was certainly a bad way to start a film, having another trailer do the same thing. My Little Eye had some potential (but please, let these movies stop!), but in the end it was a load of old cobblers. Crap twist, didn't really hold true to its own concept, and if you analyse any of it, it falls apart (If you were rich, and got off on this sort of thing, would you be happy to wait 6 months for the action?). And it looked so cheap - hard to believe Blair Witch cost $55,000 and this cost $2,000,000!
Very much in agreement with McD here. The film had some good ideas, but threw them away needlessly. It reminded me of both "Cube" and of course "BWP".
The acting was atrocious, and when will film-makers once again learn that sometimes "LESS IS MORE". It took an age to build up, and when it did I couldn't give a ragmans' penny about any of the characters.
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I quite liked it. But agree it could have been much much better so a bit of a wasted oppurtunity.
Sb
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I've just wasted 5 pounds and 2 hours of my life watching this manure. :(
Blair Witch was great. This is not.
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Originally posted by McD
The exact same thing happened to me! I hate trailers, and don't take my seat till 15 minutes or more after the advertised start time. But the trailers were just starting when I sat down, and when the Halloween trailer came on I thought I'd gone into the wrong screen! Just as I was thinking of getting up to investigate, Michael Myers turned up!
It was certainly a bad way to start a film, having another trailer do the same thing. My Little Eye had some potential (but please, let these movies stop!), but in the end it was a load of old cobblers. Crap twist, didn't really hold true to its own concept, and if you analyse any of it, it falls apart (If you were rich, and got off on this sort of thing, would you be happy to wait 6 months for the action?). And it looked so cheap - hard to believe Blair Witch cost $55,000 and this cost $2,000,000!
ProgScan in concuring with McD shocker!!
MLE starts out great, but falls victim to its own promise, I figured out what was going to happen in the first 30 minutes..Felt like the scriptwriter ran out of ideas or money, prolly both, in the last third.
Still a lot better than some of the turds floating around the flicks at the mo tho...
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Reminded me a little of Cube, as Markman said. Cube's a far better movie though.
I left my watch at home, which is probably just as well as I'd have spent over an hour looking at it. Didn't find the thing scary at all but that's just me.
Disappointed on the whole. Wasn't my choice to go to see it but decided I wouldn't hold that against it. Plenty of plot holes. GF was full of apologies on the way out - but did push the case that it was better than The Haunting (which she also chose)
If it was a student film I'd forgive it (and the cameras on the wall that must be painted hair dryers). Buildup was far too long for a one-plot movie - and the plot twist was obvious from very early on.
IMHO go to see it if your local screen has a "if you didn't like it we give you your money back" policy. Better than a lot of the rubbish out this year but is that really a recommendation?
Plenty of people above disagree though.
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What bugs me about this truly awful film is the reviews it has received here.
I don't normally like modern horror films but this was made out to be a genuinely scarey spine chiller, so I thought I'd give it the benefit of doubt and trust the reviewers.Boy was I wrong, the only chill I got was the cinema heating not working.My 2 mates also thought it was crap.All that slow build up for a really unoriginal slasher type ending.
This has been the only film I have ever seriously thought about walking out of early.
Do yourselves a favour and watch a proper horror film like the Omen or the Exorcist instead.
Rant Over.
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this film is awful.
it is an attempt to copy blair witch project in a low budget style, using word of mouth for people to go and see it coupled with the old 'people were so scared the fainted while watching it' ploy.
not good.
hallloween resurrection was better and that wasn't that good either
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thought i'd bump this up as the DVD rental was released recently..
while the first half works on making you jump with the usual trick of loud noises, by the second half the tension becomes genuine. my only gripes are
i don't know who would be so stupid to agree to such a contest no matter how high the prize, without getting some more information and know it was official.. they don't even know the name of the website before going in.. but that's a minor plot point!
also i felt the ending was too grim, i couldn't imagine it not being that way, because the story wouldn't have ended properly, though it would have made for more of a comfortable viewing the if the girl got away.. but i don't think comfortable was a key word for the filmmakers! ;)
Still well worth watching, and the excellent 5.1 track on the DVD makes it even more worthwhile.. horror films for me have the most effective need for surround sound...
a strong 4/5 film.. couldn't watch it again, but very glad i did see it :thumbs:
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tj_director
relating to your spoiler comment about them being stupid. Well, they WERE Americans! ;)
Seriously though I think this is a great little film with a deliciously nasty ending!
I am genuinely disappointed that BAFTA didn't recognise the sound work that went into this film. One of the best mixes of 2002.
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Originally posted by Richie
tj_director
relating to your spoiler comment about them being stupid. Well, they WERE Americans! ;)
I am genuinely disappointed that BAFTA didn't recognise the sound work that went into this film. One of the best mixes of 2002.
true, that they were!!
and yeah, sound was really under-rated! the use of camera noise etc.. in building tension was fantastic, among the other tricks :thumbs:
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I watched it last week, or tried too ... :norty: inbetween things n stuff ... but to be honest I thought it was pants!!
Heard good reviews about it, n outcome for me : disappointing.
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I also thought this was terrible. A complete waste of time.
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Watched this last night and gave up about 20 minutes in.
Gave it another go today and was enjoying it ,slightly realistic,using an unknown cast until...
Will Tippen from Alias appears on the screen!!
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