Shared Darkness: Recent Comments

Comment on The Bitter Buddha

Dusty — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:42:19 GMT

I concur with anonymous.

Comment on Oblivion

john — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:39:35 GMT

"... little of the movie gives off the scent or vapor of originality." "When it's not papering over more interesting offshoot questions it raises, its narrative is busy ponderously cycling through clichéd dramatic obstacles on its way to a very familiar stand-off and climax" These are the only real substantive reason why you disliked the movie, now let me make a few comments on them. What movie from any genre from drama, sci-fi, action, or comedy can be largely original. It is virtually impossible to be completely original with most story telling themes as there only just a few key protagonist and antagonist, some say ten other say 12. The point is the will almost always be the same fundamental recurring themes in every movie so it is impossible for any movie not to be "cliche" to some degree. This is just a basic fact with story telling whether it is man vs nature or man vs himself, or Love or triumph over adversity all of these core themes are present in some degree in every movie. Also the are themes that crucial to genres of story telling Romance involve conflicts around love or revenge and love and these themes have been recreated in different ways over and over. The same holds to fro Sci-fi because there is no limitless source of ideas in Sci-fi and most of the good ones have been used to some degree whether aliens attack earth or some highly advanced technology overruns earth it is almost impossible to avoid them in any sci-fi flick, this is a natural given and I would assume most movie reviewers know this but in this case apparently not. The originality comes in arranging these well used themes in sci-fi and adding them intelligently into a compelling story line. We know there is going to be a fight scene in which the hero will probably win we know the humans will put up a desperate fight and eventually win, these are obvious pieces in story telling which by commenting on them in a movie review does not make a movie undesirable, their unavoidable. The sad thing is that by pointing this out in Oblivion you make it sound like a valid criticism which it is not. The weaving of these familiar sci-fi themes which can't be avoided in this genre are put together in a very unique and moving way which captures your attention with a brilliant visual spectacle of a future world and profound dialogue and plot twists which occur in a very uncliched way. For me this was the most original sci-fi movie I have seen in a long time the weaving of the the various sci-fi themes with a visual masterpiece and drama and inner conflict of the characters was brilliant. Add these elements together and you have an unique and original adaption of classic and sci-fi themes into a great story with clear ethical and moral conflicts which are at the heart of every good story drama, comedy or sci- fi

Comment on Oblivion

Suri — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:08:45 GMT

Spot on review. Overall this is a movie to skip, and then maybe spend $2 on renting it from Redbox. I can't recommend wasting your $2 though.

Comment on The Croods

VancouverFilmGirl — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:51:06 GMT

Haha -- funny stuff! :)

Comment on Room 237

Indirapuram — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:29:06 GMT

Really appreciate this post. It’s hard to sort the good from the bad sometimes, but I think you’ve nailed it!

Comment on Love & Honor

Principal Skynyrd — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 18:49:29 GMT

Yeah, this movie was kind of tonally phony... a real simplification of the times -- things going on and the deep feeling attachedd to them. Mostly just wanted to be a (not very believeable) romance, really. Good review.

Comment on The Croods

Emmy — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 22:28:02 GMT

Brilliant!! So right about the 3d effects, they were the best I've seen yet.

Comment on The Bitter Buddha

anonymous — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 07:07:07 GMT

Wow, your review is a joke. Not every documentary has to be bleak and fucking depressing.

Comment on Warm Bodies

DaveA — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:34:51 GMT

I'm no normally a grammar/wtiting troll, but you are criticizing yhe work of lots of people, so...

I was unable to make it beyond the first paragraph of this review. Young love funneled through a prism? You can' funnel anything through a prism. Please Google 'mixed metaphor' and do better next time.

Comment on The ABCs of Death

shirky — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 03:16:22 GMT

Nothing racist about saying more Western voices should have been involved in the anthology, but,honestly Western media dominates enough of the world as it is--I like foreign films just as much as I do American films (I'm American,BTW) and it's cool to see them naming/claiming their own space,too.