The Matrix

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BlueChair
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The Matrix

Post by BlueChair »

Am I the only person who gets nausiated whenever people bring up The Matrix and any of its spin-offs, sequels, and other assorted pariphanelia?

For a while it seemed that anybody who bought a DVD player, picked up The Matrix.

Whenever I have conversations about movies with friends, someone brings up The Matrix, assuming everybody at the table loves it. I of course grow silent and kind of remove myself from the conversation.
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laughingcrow
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Post by laughingcrow »

Hey Blue mate, I thought I was the only one... I fooking hate the Matrix.

I hate any film where the selling point is effects.
I hate the rip-off Led Zeppelin's Kashmir by System of a Down (called Killing in the name) at the end
I hate the way people were those bloody Neo long-leathers now
I hate Keanu Reeves...get a proper name, and you haven't done a good film since Bill and Ted's bogus journey, which was average!
I hate people who think the Matrix is one of the best films ever
I hate the way people think it has a subliminal meaning
I hate this job.
bobster
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Post by bobster »

I can see your points, but I still liked "The Matrix" -- though I have to say that my suspicions that there was less than there met the eye (and most of the good stuff was borrowed from Phillip Dick and others anyhow) were sort of confirmed by the sequel, which I'm sure you guys didn't bother with (no reason to, considering). Still, I'll be there for the final act.

It wasn't all effects, it was also mood and that kind of action choreography is an art in itself.

Also, the Wachowski's first movie, "Bound," wasn't half bad.
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mood swung
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Post by mood swung »

I hate it, too, but not as much as laughingcrow.
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laughingcrow
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Post by laughingcrow »

:lol: ...that was quite a tirade wasn't it!
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spooky girlfriend
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Post by spooky girlfriend »

Crow, man, let me buy you a drink and get some of that stuff off your chest. :wink:
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Post by laughingcrow »

Cheers spooky, I'll have the famous grouse...

and the red pill or the blue pill? :lol:
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noiseradio
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Post by noiseradio »

I really liked the first Matrix. I'm reserving judgement on the 2nd and third ones. I've seen #2, which is a muddled mess so far. But it ends quite abruptly, and the third installment might clear things up. Not holding my breath.
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Boy With A Problem
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Post by Boy With A Problem »

I haven't seen it, because I'm pretty sure I'd hate it.
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Tim(e)
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Post by Tim(e) »

bobster wrote:I can see your points, but I still liked "The Matrix" -- though I have to say that my suspicions that there was less than there met the eye (and most of the good stuff was borrowed from Phillip Dick and others anyhow) were sort of confirmed by the sequel, which I'm sure you guys didn't bother with (no reason to, considering). Still, I'll be there for the final act.

It wasn't all effects, it was also mood and that kind of action choreography is an art in itself.

Also, the Wachowski's first movie, "Bound," wasn't half bad.
I am inclined to agree except on the part about Philip K Dick. I am of the opinion that the Matrix borrowed very heavily from the Mamoru Oshii anime "Ghost in the Shell" as well as the Proyas film "Dark City" and the Philip Jose Farmer penned "Riverworld" series.

I think that it is great eye candy and a lot of fun as long as you remember to check in your brain at the door. The Matrix is a film that unashamedly expolits CGI effects, and that is fine by me - I think a lot of people love to hate this purely because it did become so popular.
cbartal
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Post by cbartal »

I'm with noise. The first one had a terrific original story and contained some innovative action scenes. I never like action scenes, but these were fresh and pointed.

I didn't see 2 cause I heard it was all action. Maybe I'll rent it before 3 comes out. I here EC and Keanu have a Dogstar duet on the soundtrack.
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Post by noiseradio »

I definitely see the similarities with Dark City, but I found that film to be a real disappointment. I think the Matrix made much more out of a very similar premise.
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mood swung
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I'm not from around here but...

Post by mood swung »

It reminded me of The Terminator. 8)
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Lipstick
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Post by Lipstick »

I'll take the red pill.

No the blue pill.

Wait, these are M & M's!
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ragazza
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Post by ragazza »

My real complaint is that now KR is going to become an icon of the pop culture drivel that is now our national heritage.

Kinda like all these smilies. :shock:
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bobster
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Post by bobster »

Tim(e) and R. Ebert notwithstanding, I also didn't care much for "Dark City" -- which also seems to owe a pretty huge debt to Dick and others.

Haven't seen "Ghost" yet (I keep almost seeing it!).... <ay be right about Riverwold, I guess. It's funny, I started to read Farmer's "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" back in the height of my geekhood -- can't remember why I didn't finish. (I enjoyed his Tarzan and Doc Savage meta-books quite a bit, though.)

I guess what I relate to Dick isn't so much the plot as the overall idea, and I'm sure I might be mixing it up in my head a bit with other SF writers of the sixties and seventies, who were dealing with a lot of these ideas. (Harlan Ellison's "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" comes to mind....)
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Post by bambooneedle »

Anybody seen Cube? That's another one that seems to divide opinion... I thought it was good -- very clever.
laughingcrow
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Post by laughingcrow »

Cube was really good, but so screwed up...what was it about? The ending was just bizarre....and I heard they made a second one.

If I was any younger Id have nightmares about that Cube!
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bambooneedle
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Post by bambooneedle »

laughingcrow wrote:Cube was really good, but so screwed up...what was it about?
It was about trying to get out of the cube! Seriously though, I just think it was about all the ironies it showed up as each of the characters' strengths, secrets and politics were revealed. Like the fact that the cop guy, who seemed most able and in charge to start with, ended up being the worst for the group, and vice versa with the 'retard'/autistic guy. Things like that, to which you could make parallels with workplaces and so on. If you tried to guess how it might go, some new thing would come up to contradict your assumptions, so I just found it very interesting.

I also admire the fact that they must have kept costs down, since they didn't have to shoot outside the cube (though some hi-tech effects were involved). It was probably a sense of claustrophobia that turned some people off, that was my ex-girlfriend's complaint.

Check out some fan discussion if you're interested: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/board/nest/869708

It was much better than The Matrix imo.
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Post by Ha' Penny Millionaire »

The first film was entertaining, with an interesting story. As for "Reloaded" (which I saw for the first time last Friday night), I leave you with one word: Thunderdome.
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Post by laughingcrow »

At least Thunderdome had a giant with a dwarf on his back...and Tina Turner!
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

And today's update.. I get an e-mail from my friend Jeff... a mass e-mail at that:

"Hey guys!

November 5th, is the release of the next MATRIX Revolutions. So I propose that either Nov. 5th or 6th, we go on our newly recurring pub night adventures, followed by a trip to the world where the line between man and machine is still unknown.

That's right folks!

Martinis and the Matrix,
Rum and Revolution
So much fun and excitement,
Soak in our own Aqueous Solution

Who's interested? We should buy our tickets much in advance if we are to partake in such an early screening."

All I can say is blah!!! I had to respond with negative commentary :D
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laughingcrow
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Post by laughingcrow »

Blue said:
I had to respond with negative commentary
Nice one Bluey my man! I hope ample amounts of sarcasm were used!

When I was in Phoenix in the summer, they had the matrix (deliberate lower case in Baader-Meinhof style protest) showing on an Imax screen.

:roll:
laughingcrow
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Post by laughingcrow »

After they finished filming the Matrix, the crew used to enjoy hanging out next to Keanu's trailer...

Image
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RedShoes
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Post by RedShoes »

ACK! The Matrix was a <i>category</i> on Jeopordy tonight. Granted, it was a college edition (which featured a guy from my school....heh).

Does this piece of pop culture really deserve a Jeopardy category? :shock:
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