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First look at 'Annihilation' (Ex Machina director, Natalie Portman)

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W

Wollan

Member
Annihilation is the filmatization of the first book with the same name in the Reach trilogy (for now only one movie is planned I believe). Ex Machina director Alex Garland second movie, this time starring Natalie Portman as 'The Biologist'.

I absolutely loved the books. It's a mix between Lovecraftian horror and Stalker Sci-fi. Definitely gave me some real chills but also very fascinating making it a real page turner.
Here's the premise of the first book:
Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In "Annihilation," the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.
The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.
They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding but it's the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.
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Not able to link the photos (mostly nature shots but a few actor shots as well) which can be found here: http://oneperfectshotdb.com/news/first-look-at-alex-garlands-annihilation/

Natalie Portman - The Biologist
Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Psychologist
Gina Rodriguez - The Surveyor?
Tessa Thompson - The Anthropologist?
Oscar Isaac
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
i like all the women in here. most happy about jennifer jason leigh getting a part. really liked her for a while and it was good to see the actress in something substantial again with hateful eight.

pretty cool all female ensemble here. hoping for a dope sci fi/horror with garland behind the helm.
 
R

Ratrat

Member
I hope this movie isnt marketed in away where people will be disappointed.

Either way, I'll try to watch it when it releases.
 
B

Broken Joystick

At least you can talk. Who are you?
13437385_248170862227988_525962063_n.jpg

Premise sounds interesting.
 
W

Wollan

Member
obin_gam said:
A bit of a PSA here:
Ignore the fact there are three books. Just read the first one.
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Nah. I liked all three and I would recommend reading them. Number two is very different sure but it delivered the single most frightening imagery imo and the mystery starts to build again towards the second half of that book and lasts until the whole trilogy is read.
 
R

Ratrat

Member
Corpsepyre said:
What do you mean? Is it a character piece more than a story-based horror/scifi?
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Kinda?
I think it is. There's hints of cosmic horror and just unexplained weirdness. But if its faithful to the book, its going to be incredibly slow. Half the film will be flashbacks about her early life and husband. Its really well written but I'm not sure if it will translate well to film.
 
R

RS4-

Member
Lol fuck, expected a trailer. I gotta get back to reading the book, totally forgot about it. Probably got halfway through.
 
B

Blader

Member
I don't know anything about the book, but that's a killer cast and I loved Ex Machina. I'm all in for this.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
I was incredibly disappointed in the book and I hope they have taken huge liberties with the movie. The book took the worst ideas from the TV show lost and basically made a book out of it. Its just mystery after mystery on top of mystery with nary an answer and a total lack of anything of substance. It uses the lure of a possible answer to throw another amazing and surreal question or odd event your way to appear as if someone is going to culminate from all the strange happenings and goings on.

Worse yet its propped up by some incredibly trite relationship story line which did not work at all because the main character is about as enjoyable to follow as getting a cold and about as deep as a puddle. She's really into her work and her weird and her husband doesn't understand her and they do stupid things because of it. That's about the extent of their relationship.

I'm sorry but the book was a complete mess that went nowhere and played it out like it was so much more than it really was. Even the title is a complete farce as the only thing that was annihilated was my appreciation for the novel as time wore on. I would recommend anyone considering reading take a step back and really reconsider as comparing this to the works of Stalker or a Roadside Picnic are an insult to those works of art.
 
D

Draft

Member
Annihilation delivers in spite of a paper thin premise. First person narration is tricky but it works when the author nails a voice, and the biologist's description of herself and Area X is beautiful prose. There's not much to the plot. It's basically, "what's in the hatch?" The answer is satisfying mostly because it doesn't actually explain anything, but feels personally revelatory for the biologist. Strong first person writing.

Then we get the adventure of Control in the ominously goofy Southern Reach, then a greatest hits with all your old favorites back again. The premise doesn't hold. Things fall apart.

Annihilation is a great book with a couple not so great sequels. Luckily, Annihilation is like The Matrix in that it works better as a self contained story then as the setup for a later stories. I hope the same is true for the adaption. This could be a very good movie, but I'd be disappointed if the ending is too reliant on continuing the story in part two.
 
A

Atrophis

Member
I really like all three books. The second in particular is a lovely bit of paranoia with some PKD style mind fuckery thrown in for good measure. Don't listen to anyone saying don't read all three, they all have something to offer.

I expect this film will be one of the best horror movies made in a long time.
 
A

Adaren

Member
obin_gam said:
A bit of a PSA here:
Ignore the fact there are three books. Just read the first one.
Click to expand...

This is how I feel too. First book was awesome, but the sequels took the series in disappointing directions. The first book is totally standalone though, so you'll get a satisfying experience even if it's the only one you read.
 
L

le.phat

Member
HStallion said:
I was incredibly disappointed in the book and I hope they have taken huge liberties with the movie. The book took the worst ideas from the TV show lost and basically made a book out of it. Its just mystery after mystery on top of mystery with nary an answer and a total lack of anything of substance. It uses the lure of a possible answer to throw another amazing and surreal question or odd event your way to appear as if someone is going to culminate from all the strange happenings and goings on.

Worse yet its propped up by some incredibly trite relationship story line which did not work at all because the main character is about as enjoyable to follow as getting a cold and about as deep as a puddle. She's really into her work and her weird and her husband doesn't understand her and they do stupid things because of it. That's about the extent of their relationship.

I'm sorry but the book was a complete mess that went nowhere and played it out like it was so much more than it really was. Even the title is a complete farce as the only thing that was annihilated was my appreciation for the novel as time wore on. I would recommend anyone considering reading take a step back and really reconsider as comparing this to the works of Stalker or a Roadside Picnic are an insult to those works of art.
Click to expand...

You were hoping to get answers and you didn't and it pisses you off. Got it.
 
H

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
le.phat said:
You were hoping to get answers and you didn't and it pisses you off. Got it.
Click to expand...

Oh fuck off with that. The entire story was a plodding mess about confused and mysterious characters being confused about the mysteries that surround them and pop up every other page. Its just strange happening after surreal event inter spliced with a slice of life drama from a trouble relationship that didn't go anywhere and added even more mystery's to the ones we already have on our plate. Its like cotton candy, you keep eating but it never really fills you up and the sweet taste doesn't last very long on your tongue so you keep eating the candied fluff.

It was well written at points but it was a hollow experience that played to its one strength and never built anything else up. It had no foundation to anything so I never got invested in the goings on which just felt like random nonsense after a while. If they want to make a movie that does not become a meandering mess of people trying to figure out questions that are barely established before the next one pops up to confuse them even more. Also a lot of glowing from inside.
 
C

Carcetti

Member
HStallion said:
I'm sorry but the book was a complete mess that went nowhere and played it out like it was so much more than it really was. Even the title is a complete farce as the only thing that was annihilated was my appreciation for the novel as time wore on. I would recommend anyone considering reading take a step back and really reconsider as comparing this to the works of Stalker or a Roadside Picnic are an insult to those works of art.
Click to expand...

You don't have to be sorry because it's just your opinion of your book and you're entitled to it. Lots of others liked the book and it won several awards so you're probably in the minority, too.
 
IlGialloMondadori

IlGialloMondadori

Member
Atrophis said:
I really like all three books. The second in particular is a lovely bit of paranoia with some PKD style mind fuckery thrown in for good measure. Don't listen to anyone saying don't read all three, they all have something to offer.

I expect this film will be one of the best horror movies made in a long time.
Click to expand...

This. Second and third books were fantastic. Second is a super strange bit of pulp spy fiction filtered through PK Dick and cosmic horror.
 
R

RDreamer

Member
Loved the book and I loved Garland's first shot at directing, so I can't wait for this. No idea how they're going to do it on screen though. The visuals for some of it almost have to be done with Google's deep dream or something.
 
M

Mdk7

Member
I started the first book a few months ago, but thought it was a bit boring and stopped reading it after probably 30 pages.
I should try to give it another go, as the "lovecratftian" classification is always interesting to me.
 
G

Glass Shark

Banned
obin_gam said:
A bit of a PSA here:
Ignore the fact there are three books. Just read the first one.
Click to expand...

I definitely enjoyed the first one the most. The second one kinda lost me towards the end. And I only made it a few chapters into the third, it just didn't grab me.

It will be really interesting to see how this works as a movie. If they can get the atmosphere right then I'll be really excited to check it out.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
I was not expecting the first book to have so many bad reviews on Amazon as well as a lot of Amazon Vine reviews.

:(
 
B

Beaulieu

Member
HStallion said:
Oh fuck off with that. The entire story was a plodding mess about confused and mysterious characters being confused about the mysteries that surround them and pop up every other page. Its just strange happening after surreal event inter spliced with a slice of life drama from a trouble relationship that didn't go anywhere and added even more mystery's to the ones we already have on our plate. Its like cotton candy, you keep eating but it never really fills you up and the sweet taste doesn't last very long on your tongue so you keep eating the candied fluff.

It was well written at points but it was a hollow experience that played to its one strength and never built anything else up. It had no foundation to anything so I never got invested in the goings on which just felt like random nonsense after a while. If they want to make a movie that does not become a meandering mess of people trying to figure out questions that are barely established before the next one pops up to confuse them even more. Also a lot of glowing from inside.
Click to expand...

kind of agree
I dont regret going through the trilogy as it kinda left a mark in me, and I think ill always remember it, but I cant say it was good. I would not recommend it.

Ratrat said:
Wool is better and would make a better movie.
Click to expand...

It would probably make a better movie, but it wasnt a better book...
 
R

Ratrat

Member
Beaulieu said:
It would probably make a better movie, but it wasnt a better book...
Click to expand...
Vandermeer is clearly a better writer. But I enjoyed Wool a hell of a lot more. The mystery slowly unravels in a satisfying way with multiple twists instead of having characters just refuse to talk about things like history or their own effing names for 'reasons'.
 
Vigilant Walrus

Vigilant Walrus

Member
Ex Machina was amazing, and contained one of the best scenes in cinema history. Oscar Issac is incredible. Rarely have a performance made me feel so uneasy and uncomfortable. He was brilliantly intense. It was an oscar worthy performance!

1464190168-giphy-16.gif
 
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