[squarejawhero]

Well, I was bound to love it. Hot asian samurai babes, what more could a straight guy want?




Ahem... anyhow... took me a while, but I grabbed the DVD cheap off CD-Wow with a coupon last week. I'd been waiting ages to see this, as I never got around to seeing it on the silver screen for some reason.

What a killer flick. Real cinema. The whole Rourke bit was stunning, really really damn fine action... the acting chops was impressive on all of them, even when the films script veered into noir corniness. It's the kind of visual orgasm that really gets the professional in me excited about new cinema techniques, except unlike the rather plodding Casshern and the horrendously acted Sky Captain, it marries its digital imagery with a winding snake of a narrative, explosive (literally) punchbag violence and snappy dialogue with more deep-throated men than a cheap '70's porn orgy.

A friend told me people walked out of the cinema he was in as they felt sick watching it. Chickens! There was really nothing that could elicit that kind of repsonse in a person... heheh... merely for the very clever way it was handled. I mean, it's pretty f*cking gruesome. But it also marries it to disconcertingly sympathetic characters. Clive Owen's character is the least likeable, but the addition of a reason to care for them makes all the difference to the movie being about crunching violence and playing on each characters individual psychosis and worldview.

I'll never look at Elijah Wood the same way either. One of the more compellingly sinister screen killers for a long time, if only for his complete lack of personality. He's so totally cold that he doesn't even come across as human.

Anyhow, if you haven't seen it, do so. It's like someone taking a sledgehammer to your eyes before reaching a rusty wire into your earholes and twisting slowly.

Well, not quite. But I'm sure one of the characters would oblige if you gave them a reason.

[SakSquash]

I dunno. I mean I don't like comic books, so I'm a little unsure of this. Though, somehow, my sister loved it! So, i'll probably get a netflix subscription when I get back to school and give it a rent.

[squarejawhero]

I've never read them.

You've gotta stop being so cynical, though... give things a chance. Seriously!

[lumi]

Originally Posted by temporaryscars

I dunno. I mean I don't like comic books, so I'm a little unsure of this. Though, somehow, my sister loved it! So, i'll probably get a netflix subscription when I get back to school and give it a rent.

I'm not a comic book person either, but I loved this movie.

[SakSquash]

Originally Posted by squarejawhero

I've never read them.

You've gotta stop being so cynical, though... give things a chance. Seriously!

Not being cynical, I just don't want to drop the money on a movie that I might not like. Just being cautious.

[AFGNCAAP]

This film left me strangely cold. I didn't expect to fall in love with it, but it was below my expectations in that even the technical tricks stopped exciting me early on. I agree with squarejawhero about one thing: the level of violence was rather bearable, and I am usually put off by such things. Maybe because of the unreal black-and-white CGI scenery. And maybe because I had no reason to give a damn about any of the characters. Except Cardigan (Bruce Willis), but even for him

Spoiler:

I hardly shed a tear in the final scene. Perhaps I would if the order of the novellas was different, perhaps I was simply too tired with the movie's "attitude" by then, but when Cardigan shot himself, my only thought was "So I guess now the credits roll".

Come to think of it, the Cardigan's story (including the introduction) was clearly my favourite. There was some humanity shining through special effects in that part.

Also: does post-modern-film-noir-comic-style justify plot inconsistencies?

[squarejawhero]

You'll like it, or my name's not Squarejawhero.

...

Hm...

Seriously, you'll f*cking love it. It's the cinematic equivalent of the most beautiful girl you can imagine, naked, yet punching you repeatedly in the eyes with razor blades. Only instead of it hurting, it's really quite enjoyable.

[squarejawhero]

Originally Posted by AFGNCAAP

Also: does post-modern-film-noir-comic-style justify plot inconsistencies?

Were there any? I didn't spot one.

[AFGNCAAP]

Originally Posted by squarejawhero

Were there any? I didn't spot one.

Okay, maybe "inconsistencies" is too harsh... "curiosities"? I just could have missed something, but...

Spoiler:

When Clive Owen's character drives the bodies out of the city, and his car runs out of gasoline I got an impression that the girls had set him up (and most importantly, that he thinks so). But if it were the case, his coming back to help them afterwards would be completely out of character.

Elijah Wood is an immoral, invisible, ultraswift murderer who leaves no traces and is backed up by the powerful cardinal, and yet they decide to... frame someone for his murders.

The Yellow Bastard is able to pick Nancy's letters before they reach Cardigan, but can't track down their sender? Gimme a break.

And that was a part of a wider problem (though it's a vague gripe, I may just be being anal here), the script changed senator's figure and his connections from omnipotent to not-so, whichever was more convenient.

[bush_monkey]

Honestly, guys." I don't like comic-books?" Are you dismissing an entire art-form altogether? Because that's what comics are: an art-form. And while many are aimed are kids and spotty teenagers, there are so many good adult (as in intelligent and thought-provoking) ones around: Sandman, Maus, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Palestine, stray Bullets, 100 bullets, Preacher, Ghost World, the list goes on...And that's only American/British ones, there's a whole European sub-culture of quality comics as well. But to get back on track: Sin City the movie is fantastic and is based tightly on the comics: There isn't a single line of dialog which isn't taken from the source, and if you read the comics, you will realise how much work has been spent on making everyone look like their comics counterpart, it's unbelievable! Even down to every one of Marvin's bandages on his face. Anyway, to get the full story I strongly suggest everyone who has liked the movie to get the graphics novels. The movie is based on the first 3 and the others give you more back-story to each character. Especially A Dame To Kill For, which shades some light on Clive owen's character's past.

Spoiler:

And no, at no point does Dwight think that the girls have set him up. As for the other inconsistencies, I would just see them more as Deus Ex Machina, devices to make the plot move along. It is a very stylised view of the world after all, so such things are just brushed upon and taken as granted.

[After a brisk nap]

This film depressed me. To see so much dedication, so much talent, so much hard work being put into creating the perfect adaptation of a story that is so hackneyed and adolescent... And by sticking so closely to the source material, never being able to transcend its (extremely obvious) limitations. Rodriguez could do so much more. If he absolutely wanted to make a comic book adaptation, couldn't he have chosen a good one (see bush_monkey's list)?

[lumi]

Originally Posted by bush_monkey

Honestly, guys." I don't like comic-books?" Are you dismissing an entire art-form altogether?

I'm not dismissing it, I'm just not interested in it.

Haven't read any of the comics, so I don't know if they butchered it. But all in all, it was great.

[Talas]

Originally Posted by bush_monkey

Honestly, guys." I don't like comic-books?" Are you dismissing an entire art-form altogether? Because that's what comics are: an art-form. And while many are aimed are kids and spotty teenagers, there are so many good adult (as in intelligent and thought-provoking) ones around: Sandman, Maus, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Palestine, stray Bullets, 100 bullets, Preacher, Ghost World, the list goes on...

I know what you mean, I was on the whole "comics are for kids" thing, but I like to read, so it was natural to finding some awesome graphic novels, the first one I read was Sandman and a couple of weeks later I was the owner of the complete series. And then Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Maus, V for Vendetta, Preacher, Transmetropolitan, Batman: Year One, Hitman, Sin City... and yeah, the list goes on, these are very good reads people.

And for the other part of your post, I agree 100%, I was astounded by how true to the comic books it was. The acting was sort of cheesy but that can be entirely excused by the fact that most, if not all, was line for line from the books themselves.

[Orange Brat]

This is one of the all time greatest films, but I'm waiting on the DVD. They're releasing a loaded special edition with an extended cut of the film later on this year. They filmed all the comic stories, in their entirety, and cut things back for the theatrical run, and it all gets put back in.

[Wormsie]

I really like Sin City, too. But if you basically hate violence and don't see its worth in artistic exporession, then you are not going to like Sin City...

[Kolzig]

Yeah, the movie was great. Absolutely the best movie I've seen so far in 2005. My favourite story was the Marv story of course, Mickey Rourke came back to acting business with a bang!

I've started reading the comic books for the first time and I've got the last one "Hell and Back" and the short story book "Booze, Broads & Bullets" left anymore. The books stories are connected in a nicer way than in the movies.

The next movie is mainly going to be about "A Dame to Kill" so that means Clive Owen is going to play a major part in it (and Mickey Rourke is back as Marv). I've heard stuff that the last book is also going to be in it. And some stuff that Rodriguez and Miller would really want to have Johnny Depp playing a part in it.

Because I've still got two books left, I've been wondering about one thing about Sin City movie. What is the character that Josh Hartnett plays? He isn't in the books.

Spoiler:

Also in the books Becky got a more suitable ending. I think it was stupid to let her die in the hands of Josh Hartnett, also putting her to speak to her mom through a FRIGGING CELL PHONE broke the whole film noir atmosphere of the movie. There was no modern crap in the movie before that scene. It just felt stupid.

I'm not going to buy the dvd that comes out now. I'm waiting for the special edition that comes out in a few months. It has a lot of nice extras on the second dvd.

Also I need to buy Batman and Batman Returns special editions in October, I wonder who would want to buy my regular dvd versions of the two movies?

[squarejawhero]

The DVD cost me about the same as two tickets to see it, which is what it would've cost me if I'd had seen it with my ex on release.

I'll get the special edition. I'm very interested in it from a work angle, so it's taxable.

[Orange Brat]

What is the character that Josh Hartnett plays?

The Employee from "The Customer is Always Right". They simply transplanted him to create a nice bookend.

I had to look that up, since I'm not familiar with the SC books. And, Johnny Depp was at one time attached to play Wallace from whatever story he's in.

You'll also be able to watch the 3 stories in any order you want on the SE version. That includes being able to watch "That Yellow Bastard" without the cut.

Oh, and the first sequel is going to be 2 stories..someone already said "A Dame to Kill" but Rodriguez also said an original story will also be filmed.

[pinkgothic]

I'm extremely hesistant to watch it. The trailers over here are terribly off-putting - bad synchronisation, the so much praised effects appear boring as hell, the narration seems overused and too much of a cliché to even pass as artistic... I was really looking forward to watching this movie - about three months ago! Now that I've seen trailers I'm unsure I want to waste my money on it.

Can someone help me out by telling me the german trailers give a wrong impression? They're really so, so bad. I've troubles imagining a movie so hyped would fall to such a level of "ugh"... is it so, are the trailers like the movie, or is it just a case of stupid trailer choices?