Question:
After watching Femme Fatale twice in theaters I've revisited Brian de Palma's 2 previous movies on DVD, Mission to Mars and Snake Eyes.
Now I've heard here and there that people don't like these movies, but I really enjoy them, especially Snake Eyes, over and over. Yes, maybe Mission to Mars has some stupid lines, but it's an inspiring sci-fi story beautifuly filmed and set up. Snake Eyes is way better, not as good as Femme Fatale but right up there next to it, with its elaborate long takes which are at the heart of the story, who better to do it than De Palma with different points of view on the same situation, with first person perspective and split screen, etc. I like it a lot, I remember I've enjoyed it in theaters 5 or so years ago and now numerous times on DVD. That 10-15 min 1-take opening sequence in a huge arena, so many people and actors collaborating together on a beautiful cinematic piece, like an orchestra.
What is wrong with these movies that "everyone" hates them? Or do they? Is there anyone who likes them?
They're both very well made films. "Mission Impossible" is the best blockbuster of the nineties for my money and it's packed with brilliant moments, but compared to De Palma's best stuff it's a bit bland. "Snake Eyes" is enormous fun for the first hour and is technically astonishing then it begins to fall apart, largely because having junked the original ending, no-one could think of a better one.
And I thought I was the only one who absolutely loved Snake Eyes. But the stupid lines not to mention the crying alien inside the mountain in Mission to Mars spoil the rest of the film for me, I'm afraid.
I like 'Snake Eyes' very much - as a straightforward thriller it's probably a failure but in terms of the technique and ideas I think its fascinating. 'Mission to Mars' has some excellent sequences, I love the score and it's optimistic conclusion is refreshing - and points towards 'Femme Fatale'
I’ve got nothing against Snake Eyes (especially seeing as it has Carla Gugino :norty: in it) but M2M is dull as hell. Add to that Sinise looking like a pre-op transsexual and you have one strange movie. I would just like to say Lenny that you have the strangest taste in movies of anyone I know. It’s like the good/bad recognition centers in your brain got switched around! ;)
snake eyes had a terrible endin, which i believe was the result of many hasty rewrites and i seem to remember that led to a huge continuity error somewhere but it's been too long since i've seen it to remember what. still quite an enjoyable film though.
mission to mars on the other hand was a big stinker, endlessly dull, devoid of tension, occasional plot holes and a bad cgi ending.
I'm sorry - But the opening section of Snake Eyes is NOT done in one shot. Look carefully and you'll see exactly where the cuts are, cunningly hidden behind people wandering in front of the camera, etc. None the less, De Palma is a good technical director, and Snake Eyes is certainly entertaining fun.
I haven't seen M2M, but snake eyes definately has an appeal about it. I don't really like the snake eyes story too much and the ending definately blew big time. However, there is something about the opening of it that is so grabbing. I guess its the overall direction but theres something about how colourful it is and the screen splitting that just works amazingly.
Seems to be the current fashion here to pick some execrable piece of cinematic awfulness, say it was really quite good and misunderstood then stand back to watch the argument. It's like really lame film trolling...
Mission to Mars... utterly inappropriate soundtrack, laughable plot, fantastically awful CGI and a pile of actors taking things so seriously that they all look they're trying to squeeze out a rock-hard turd that's got stuck in their u-bends. The final half hour looks like an insane cross between Antz and Contact. Laughable dross in every way.
Mission to Mars I quite enjoyed, but I felt DePalma was more a director for hire on this movie and it doesn't serve as a good example of his skills and style. I think it must have suffered from being in the race of the two Mars movies (Red Planet) to hit screens first that year.
Snake Eyes is, like you say Lenny, much more on a par with classic DePalma movies. But for me, it was spoilt by Nicholas Cage - he's an actor I quite enjoy in some movies, but in others he annoys the crap out of me! This was one.
Snake Eyes has 2 cuts in the opening which are seemlessly hidden. I always liked Snake Eyes myself - but the end was re-written, badly at that. Cage even says at the end - "All i can think about was being in that water" - or something like that. The original ending had the storm coming in and flooding the tunnels i believe - which is why the film frequently switches to the outside showing the people in the increasingly bad weather. But for whatever reasons that was scrapped.
Love the shot that Spielberg homaged in Minority Report - The one with the camera moving along the tops of everyone's apartments, showing what they're doing.
Here they are cheap (http://www.ezydvd.com.au/bvstocktake.zml/id=VOXRM:GNoD2).
I thought Snake Eyes was crap, Cage chases the Sinise through the whole movie and gets battered at the end!
as for M2M .... I liked it ;)
Thought that Snake Eyes was ok but liked M2M
the intro to Snake Eyes reminded me of Rope - but then again, everything De Palma does reminds of Hitchcock to some degree. As a huge Hitchcock fan I'm glad someone is at least trying to make intelligent use of the camera with peripheral actors and movement instead of just MTV cutting.
anyway, I liked Snake Eyes, but would really like to see how it would have turned out in its original form.
It is in it's original form funnily enough - however, i believe it was something to do with the special effects of the giant wave/storm - that and a mixture of test audiences disaproving of the climax.
Now I've heard here and there that people don't like these movies, but I really enjoy them, especially Snake Eyes, over and over. Yes, maybe Mission to Mars has some stupid lines, but it's an inspiring sci-fi story beautifuly filmed and set up. Snake Eyes is way better, not as good as Femme Fatale but right up there next to it, with its elaborate long takes which are at the heart of the story, who better to do it than De Palma with different points of view on the same situation, with first person perspective and split screen, etc. I like it a lot, I remember I've enjoyed it in theaters 5 or so years ago and now numerous times on DVD. That 10-15 min 1-take opening sequence in a huge arena, so many people and actors collaborating together on a beautiful cinematic piece, like an orchestra.
What is wrong with these movies that "everyone" hates them? Or do they? Is there anyone who likes them?
Answers:
They're both very well made films. "Mission Impossible" is the best blockbuster of the nineties for my money and it's packed with brilliant moments, but compared to De Palma's best stuff it's a bit bland. "Snake Eyes" is enormous fun for the first hour and is technically astonishing then it begins to fall apart, largely because having junked the original ending, no-one could think of a better one.
Answers:
And I thought I was the only one who absolutely loved Snake Eyes. But the stupid lines not to mention the crying alien inside the mountain in Mission to Mars spoil the rest of the film for me, I'm afraid.
Answers:
I like 'Snake Eyes' very much - as a straightforward thriller it's probably a failure but in terms of the technique and ideas I think its fascinating. 'Mission to Mars' has some excellent sequences, I love the score and it's optimistic conclusion is refreshing - and points towards 'Femme Fatale'
Answers:
I’ve got nothing against Snake Eyes (especially seeing as it has Carla Gugino :norty: in it) but M2M is dull as hell. Add to that Sinise looking like a pre-op transsexual and you have one strange movie. I would just like to say Lenny that you have the strangest taste in movies of anyone I know. It’s like the good/bad recognition centers in your brain got switched around! ;)
Answers:
snake eyes had a terrible endin, which i believe was the result of many hasty rewrites and i seem to remember that led to a huge continuity error somewhere but it's been too long since i've seen it to remember what. still quite an enjoyable film though.
mission to mars on the other hand was a big stinker, endlessly dull, devoid of tension, occasional plot holes and a bad cgi ending.
Answers:
I'm sorry - But the opening section of Snake Eyes is NOT done in one shot. Look carefully and you'll see exactly where the cuts are, cunningly hidden behind people wandering in front of the camera, etc. None the less, De Palma is a good technical director, and Snake Eyes is certainly entertaining fun.
Answers:
I haven't seen M2M, but snake eyes definately has an appeal about it. I don't really like the snake eyes story too much and the ending definately blew big time. However, there is something about the opening of it that is so grabbing. I guess its the overall direction but theres something about how colourful it is and the screen splitting that just works amazingly.
Answers:
Seems to be the current fashion here to pick some execrable piece of cinematic awfulness, say it was really quite good and misunderstood then stand back to watch the argument. It's like really lame film trolling...
Mission to Mars... utterly inappropriate soundtrack, laughable plot, fantastically awful CGI and a pile of actors taking things so seriously that they all look they're trying to squeeze out a rock-hard turd that's got stuck in their u-bends. The final half hour looks like an insane cross between Antz and Contact. Laughable dross in every way.
Answers:
Mission to Mars I quite enjoyed, but I felt DePalma was more a director for hire on this movie and it doesn't serve as a good example of his skills and style. I think it must have suffered from being in the race of the two Mars movies (Red Planet) to hit screens first that year.
Snake Eyes is, like you say Lenny, much more on a par with classic DePalma movies. But for me, it was spoilt by Nicholas Cage - he's an actor I quite enjoy in some movies, but in others he annoys the crap out of me! This was one.
Answers:
Snake Eyes has 2 cuts in the opening which are seemlessly hidden. I always liked Snake Eyes myself - but the end was re-written, badly at that. Cage even says at the end - "All i can think about was being in that water" - or something like that. The original ending had the storm coming in and flooding the tunnels i believe - which is why the film frequently switches to the outside showing the people in the increasingly bad weather. But for whatever reasons that was scrapped.
Love the shot that Spielberg homaged in Minority Report - The one with the camera moving along the tops of everyone's apartments, showing what they're doing.
Answers:
Here they are cheap (http://www.ezydvd.com.au/bvstocktake.zml/id=VOXRM:GNoD2).
Answers:
I thought Snake Eyes was crap, Cage chases the Sinise through the whole movie and gets battered at the end!
as for M2M .... I liked it ;)
Answers:
Thought that Snake Eyes was ok but liked M2M
Answers:
the intro to Snake Eyes reminded me of Rope - but then again, everything De Palma does reminds of Hitchcock to some degree. As a huge Hitchcock fan I'm glad someone is at least trying to make intelligent use of the camera with peripheral actors and movement instead of just MTV cutting.
anyway, I liked Snake Eyes, but would really like to see how it would have turned out in its original form.
Answers:
It is in it's original form funnily enough - however, i believe it was something to do with the special effects of the giant wave/storm - that and a mixture of test audiences disaproving of the climax.
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