I might be one of few regular gaffers who just hadn't clicked any of the right threads, so I had never heard of the film until I saw the trailer before Sherlock Holmes. My wife and I thought it looked awesome, and planned to check it out. Imagine my surprise when I click on a Book of Eli thread in in the OT and find out that the guy with the Denzel Washington avatar who I recently asked about his new Mac had actually written it. We'll probably see it this weekend.
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Rottenwatch: Book of Eli (GAF meltdown incoming?)
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boredJonathan
Member
Saw it tonight and I really really enjoyed it. I can see why some people have said it starts slow but, in the end, it allowed the film to 'breath'. Looking back over the film those early, slower, scenes were some of my favorite ones.
It definintely didn't come off as preachy either. I talked about this with my girl and she said the same thing - They left it open for debate. To me all of the talk about religion was balanced out by the thinking that it was the cause for the end of the world in the first place. Personally, I have nothing against religion as it does seem to bring comfort and solace to a great many people - but I have a problem when it is used as this divisive with us or against us mentality. The movie didn't seem to come out on one side or the other honestly, and it was very thoughtfully handled.
I don't have any complaints with the 'twist' either. It was done very well, and provided a neat closure for the film.
Really a very good movie. I would highly recommend anyone go check it out. Great action, great cinematography, great direction, great plot, good acting, and holy hell was that soundtrack great.
(Bonus point for Gary - my girl LOVED the film. Like even more than me. And I was the one saying we should go see it. When we got out, I was like 'See! That wasn't bad!' and she said 'Are you fucking kidding me? That was AWESOME!' Gary knows what the women like!)
OH! And I loved the 'A Boy and His Dog' poster in the Orpheum room! Such a great call out!
EDIT: Just realized that the title
Oh, and my theater was packed. I know thats just anecdotal, but the theater was pretty much sold out.
It definintely didn't come off as preachy either. I talked about this with my girl and she said the same thing - They left it open for debate. To me all of the talk about religion was balanced out by the thinking that it was the cause for the end of the world in the first place. Personally, I have nothing against religion as it does seem to bring comfort and solace to a great many people - but I have a problem when it is used as this divisive with us or against us mentality. The movie didn't seem to come out on one side or the other honestly, and it was very thoughtfully handled.
I don't have any complaints with the 'twist' either. It was done very well, and provided a neat closure for the film.
Really a very good movie. I would highly recommend anyone go check it out. Great action, great cinematography, great direction, great plot, good acting, and holy hell was that soundtrack great.
(Bonus point for Gary - my girl LOVED the film. Like even more than me. And I was the one saying we should go see it. When we got out, I was like 'See! That wasn't bad!' and she said 'Are you fucking kidding me? That was AWESOME!' Gary knows what the women like!)
OH! And I loved the 'A Boy and His Dog' poster in the Orpheum room! Such a great call out!
EDIT: Just realized that the title
has a whole second meaning! That's awesome! The plot revolves around Eli's book, but at the end the book was told by Eli, so it becomes (in a way) the Book OF Eli. Outstanding.
Oh, and my theater was packed. I know thats just anecdotal, but the theater was pretty much sold out.
BlackGoku03
Member
Wow, is there any way I can send you a copy to sign for me? Jesus, that'd be the highlight of my very large DVD and Blu Ray collection.Gary Whitta said:Sure
I loved, loved, loved the film. Took my girlfriend to see it as well and she loved it. Going to take my parents to see it next week. Congratulations Gary. I am looking foward to your next project and will continue to support you by seeing your projects and passing the good news.
Again, loved the movie.
Loved the fight scenes.
Loved the nods to other films I also love.
Loved the pacing and feel of the film.
And I loved the fact there wasn't someone explaining what happened to the Earth at the beggining of the film. The information flowed with the story. So many shows and movies lack this.
polyh3dron
Banned
Gary Oldman's sidekick is whistling the panflute melody from the score to Once Upon A Time In America when they're riding in that motorcade.
One of the most funny and profound parts to me was
All in all, well done Gary. My $40 admission (for 2 people) was worth it. The D-BOX stuff was really cool too, I'd highly recommend for people to check it out if they get the chance. I don't know if there are any other theaters aside from the Mann Chinese that do it though.
One of the most funny and profound parts to me was
seeing the mouse eat the cat.
I really did not see the twist coming that Eli was blind, that was pretty cool. For a moment there I thought it was going to end just like Children of Men though and that would have pissed me off, but it was cool how it was a reference to it and the movie kept going.
I really did not see the twist coming that Eli was blind, that was pretty cool. For a moment there I thought it was going to end just like Children of Men though and that would have pissed me off, but it was cool how it was a reference to it and the movie kept going.
All in all, well done Gary. My $40 admission (for 2 people) was worth it. The D-BOX stuff was really cool too, I'd highly recommend for people to check it out if they get the chance. I don't know if there are any other theaters aside from the Mann Chinese that do it though.
polyh3dron
Banned
Red Mercury said:
Yep, it's a sequel to the fucking Bible. It's what happens after revelations as told by Eli, and the story is spread by Solara. Hamlet 2 doesn't have shit on this.
PflargBlarg
Member
Well I said I would post impressions so here we go.
I don't know what the fuck the ratio is about on RT, this movie is awesome. I didn't find it preachy at all, I think it just opened up the Bible for discussion and never came to a conclusion, which is a good thing. The only gripe I have is the ending (which I think is a common theme here). It should have ended
Anyway, very well done Gary. Made me proud to see "Written by Gary Whitta" show up at the end.
Haha, what? I hope you're joking.
I don't know what the fuck the ratio is about on RT, this movie is awesome. I didn't find it preachy at all, I think it just opened up the Bible for discussion and never came to a conclusion, which is a good thing. The only gripe I have is the ending (which I think is a common theme here). It should have ended
right when the 'curator' at Alcatraz slides the freshly printed Bible into the bookshelf. We really didn't need to see Kunis dressing badass and marching off back home. I thought it was pretty cheesy. I think this is born out by the fact that almost everybody in the theatre laughed when it showed her silhouetted as the doors were opening at the end.
I'm on the fence about whether Eli should have died or not. He walked a long long way and rowed half the distance to Alcatraz, and then still lives long enough to speak the entire bible with the gunshot wound, and then he dies after. It just seems too 'convenient' if you know what I mean. It's not that big of a deal though, just something I'm not sure about.
I'm on the fence about whether Eli should have died or not. He walked a long long way and rowed half the distance to Alcatraz, and then still lives long enough to speak the entire bible with the gunshot wound, and then he dies after. It just seems too 'convenient' if you know what I mean. It's not that big of a deal though, just something I'm not sure about.
Anyway, very well done Gary. Made me proud to see "Written by Gary Whitta" show up at the end.
polyh3dron said:
Haha, what? I hope you're joking.
polyh3dron
Banned
Why? It goesWormdundee said:
John III, Jude, Revelation and then Eli. Hence, the Book of Eli.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
So awesome. SO FUCKING AWESOME! I did not see the ending coming but I love the subtle hints at what it is during the movie.
Fucking brilliant, Gary! Hope you are having fun right now as much fun I had tonight with my friends watching the movie. They all loved it!
EDIT: GODDAMN I'M NOT DONE YET!
Right in the beginning of the movie when Eli enters the house with the mouse, you see Eli stumble a little before opening the closet with the dead person. I had a "wait, is he blind?" thought but him getting a bit scare from the body completely took that thought away. I completely forgot about it until the end of the movie. When Eli starts reading the bible in the end, I said to myself "Oh fuck you, Gary! I don't want this 'THE BOOK WAS EMPTY!' ending that every other movie that is stuck escapes with. I thought you had it different!"... and what do you know, it was different! I'm glad it didn't end the way I envisioned and I'm glad there was no happy ending in the movie as they are fucking cliched to death! Oh and the shooting scene is one of the best action sequences I have seen!
Fucking brilliant, Gary! Hope you are having fun right now as much fun I had tonight with my friends watching the movie. They all loved it!
EDIT: GODDAMN I'M NOT DONE YET!
I loved the environment, the cinematography, the way everything was shot. I loved the fact that the whole journey was shown without speeding the damn process (which I hate in movies that just jump to the chase) and I loved the close-ups where required and the vivid and vast wasteland shown in others.
Movie was great. Sent Gary a PM on how well the movie was done because he does deserve praise for this flick.
The twist I think while surprising (or not), keeps the over arching story in balance and is just kind of a moment where all you can do is smirk and say.... "wow...."
People that complained about the pacing of the movie can go take a hike. This movie was paced brilliantly. With the characters having their own personalities, the back story of the war (given the scenery) and little touches of the past in either posters, music or stories is what sold me on this being such a great movie.
Hoping to see it again this weekend!
:lol
The twist I think while surprising (or not), keeps the over arching story in balance and is just kind of a moment where all you can do is smirk and say.... "wow...."
People that complained about the pacing of the movie can go take a hike. This movie was paced brilliantly. With the characters having their own personalities, the back story of the war (given the scenery) and little touches of the past in either posters, music or stories is what sold me on this being such a great movie.
Hoping to see it again this weekend!
Here's to de-throning Avatar!! *CHEERS! GARY!*
Just got back from the last show of the night with two of my friends. Completely sold out.
LOVED LOVED LOVED the movie. Going in, I expected to be at least entertained or accepting it as merely a 'good' movie. With the RT rating not being particularly attractive, I admit I went in with a bit of doubt and uncertainty especially since I had hyped it up to my friends for awhile now. I'll just say that there are two more Gary Whitta fanboys out there now!
I'll go into detail about my experience tomorrow (damn weekend class), but for now, I just want to say the story (Whitta delivered), the performances (Denzel and Oldman delivered), the visuals (beautiful cinematography, Mila Kunis, brutal killings) and the music (almost a Ghosts influenced score, beautifully executed by Atticus Ross) was PERFECTION.
Cheered when the credits rolled -- "Written by Gary Whitta".
A huge congrats to you, Gary. I am really looking forward to any and all of your future projects!
(My friend said he loved it more than Avatar. And he LOVED Avatar.)
LOVED LOVED LOVED the movie. Going in, I expected to be at least entertained or accepting it as merely a 'good' movie. With the RT rating not being particularly attractive, I admit I went in with a bit of doubt and uncertainty especially since I had hyped it up to my friends for awhile now. I'll just say that there are two more Gary Whitta fanboys out there now!
I'll go into detail about my experience tomorrow (damn weekend class), but for now, I just want to say the story (Whitta delivered), the performances (Denzel and Oldman delivered), the visuals (beautiful cinematography, Mila Kunis, brutal killings) and the music (almost a Ghosts influenced score, beautifully executed by Atticus Ross) was PERFECTION.
Cheered when the credits rolled -- "Written by Gary Whitta".
A huge congrats to you, Gary. I am really looking forward to any and all of your future projects!
(My friend said he loved it more than Avatar. And he LOVED Avatar.)
PflargBlarg
Member
hsin said:
Yeah, I think as stories go this is far superior to Avatar. I actually thought the action sequences were better in Eli as well, they were at least more interesting anyway.
Gary Whitta
Member
It's late but just wanted to post that I am so immensely gratified that so many of you seem to have enjoyed the movie and responded to its themes and ideas.
The RT Community score just keeps rising (now up to 86%) and everything I'm hearing anecdotally and on Twitter and actually in theaters (went to a great showing tonight) is telling me that audiences are really responding to and appreciating the movie.
The RT Community score just keeps rising (now up to 86%) and everything I'm hearing anecdotally and on Twitter and actually in theaters (went to a great showing tonight) is telling me that audiences are really responding to and appreciating the movie.
Gary Whitta
Member
Al Green, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?"Panda Bear said:
Mecha_Infantry
Banned
Hopefully I'll get to see the film this weekend, was meant to watch it last night but I got drunk with work people and friends and didn't feel I'll give the film justice.
I am glad of the talk in the film of an iPod working
I am glad of the talk in the film of an iPod working
thesoapster
Member
Thread reminds me of why I very rarely listen to critics (user score/IMDb > critics to me). Will try and see it this weekend.
polyh3dron
Banned
polyh3dron
Banned
I still refuse to believe he was blind, the movie just kinda crumbles for me if I assume he was blind the whole time. I just assume he knows brail, and the fact that he found that the last bible written in brail is both a showing to the importance of the book, the fact that he would learn and read in brail just to be able to use/read it, and another example of Eli's importance on protecting the book. Not only is he physically protecting it with his badassery, but the bible written in brail protects it from outside readers. I'll be more lenient on another gaffer's interpretation that the bible was able to grant him vision/protection, but I cant bring myself to believe he was blind.
edit: spoilers, oops.
RubxQub
ÏÎ¯Î»Ï á¼Î¾ÎµÏÎÎ³Î»Î¿Ï Ïον καί ÏÎµÏ Î´Î¿Î»Ïγον οá½Îº εἰÏÏν
Out of curiosity...cwmartin said:
are you religious in any way? We're dealing with a man who was driven by faith. A man who, through divine intervention, is able to carry out his task of having the Bible put into production once again so that the world can have hope.
How much of Eli's ability to fight and interact seamlessly was his own and how much was given to him through his holy mission...we don't know. I'd argue it doesn't really matter. Whether the answer is 100% his own or 100% his faith, this is a man who was either chosen and protected, or chosen because he could protect himself. He was the only person who could carry out this task, one way or the other.
How much of Eli's ability to fight and interact seamlessly was his own and how much was given to him through his holy mission...we don't know. I'd argue it doesn't really matter. Whether the answer is 100% his own or 100% his faith, this is a man who was either chosen and protected, or chosen because he could protect himself. He was the only person who could carry out this task, one way or the other.
Spoilers I think:Wormdundee said:It should have endedright when the 'curator' at Alcatraz slides the freshly printed Bible into the bookshelf. We really didn't need to see Kunis dressing badass and marching off back home. I thought it was pretty cheesy. I think this is born out by the fact that almost everybody in the theatre laughed when it showed her silhouetted as the doors were opening at the end.
Anyway, very well done Gary. Made me proud to see "Written by Gary Whitta" show up at the end.
I thought the execution was cheesy but the reasoning sound. He told her earlier on that if she didn't like her home sh should stay and change it and that the Bible was words to live by. I can definitely see her following her mentor's creed. I'd only blame Gary if his script called for all the hotness. I like Kunis but her performance was closer to modern day teenager than the medieval adolescent I was expecting once I saw where the story was going lol
edit: not really religious (I'm a discordian on Fridays but whatever) but I believe in the power of religion/the idea of religion on human actions. I can understand him dragging his body west becuase he sees his actions as important. But I'm not believing in miracles or whatever you guys need to belive in to accept that he was
blind all along
Gary Whitta
Member
Holy fuck we beat Avatar yesterday :lol
Snytbaggen
Member
I want to see this movie, but I have no idea when it will be in theatres here in Sweden. Argh.
edit: Okay, according to IMDB it will premiere February 26th here, but I can't find any info elsewhere :/
edit: Okay, according to IMDB it will premiere February 26th here, but I can't find any info elsewhere :/
So true! There are a lot of "rotten" movies I really enjoyed that have pretty good IMDB scores.thesoapster said:Thread reminds me of why I very rarely listen to critics (user score/IMDb > critics to me). Will try and see it this weekend.
IMDb would be much better (as a site) if they had better browse/search functions, though.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Gary Whitta said:
Guzim said:Gary, why did you have toAlso, how didkill off George and MarthaSolara escape from the cave with the water?
I did like the film a lot
The guard was only knocked out and was moving nearly the entire scene there. Presumably he woke up and let her out.
Shrennin
Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
Guzim said:Gary, why did you have toAlso, how didkill off George and MarthaSolara escape from the cave with the water?
Yea,
I really hoped George and Martha would have survived. Anyway, I was also wondering how Solara escaped the cave when the door was locked, but I just assumed she was crafty enough to find another way out that probably was a little bit more inconvenient than using the door (but since it was locked...). Although an official answer would be nice.
Dot50Cal said:
That explains it then. I wasn't too sure about someone else letting her out because I thought she may get caught and sent to Carnegie (because she was in a place that was guarded and the guard was knocked out).
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
On the same note -Guzim said:
How did Eli get out of his room in Carnegie's place? The black guard said he had no idea, he was there the whole night, then he got shot. How did Eli get out?
And Book of Eli beating Avatar is a dream come true.
Gary Whitta
Member
There's pretty much nothing you can say to harsh my mellow right now, so don't even bother :lolSolo said:
Gary Whitta
Member
We shot a scene that shows her using a big wrench to bust open the door and escape, you can see a tiny bit of it in some trailers, but it didn't make the final cut. Maybe it'll be on the Blu-ray.Guzim said:
RubxQub
ÏÎ¯Î»Ï á¼Î¾ÎµÏÎÎ³Î»Î¿Ï Ïον καί ÏÎµÏ Î´Î¿Î»Ïγον οá½Îº εἰÏÏν
You know what was sweet?
My wife was on the phone talking to her family and she mentioned how we were going to see The Book of Eli because I knew the guy who wrote it.
I'm 2 degrees away from Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman according to my wife :lol
Seriously, though. It was really cool to see your name as like the second thing in the ending credits.
My wife was on the phone talking to her family and she mentioned how we were going to see The Book of Eli because I knew the guy who wrote it.
I'm 2 degrees away from Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman according to my wife :lol
Seriously, though. It was really cool to see your name as like the second thing in the ending credits.
My guess is more than a car, less than a house.bud said:
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