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I just finished Labyrinth, that has to be a high point in terms of Alien body horror 
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Apr 20, 2019 14:09
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Sunswipe posted:Some of the problem might be the relative cheapness of CGI special effects. The 80s seems to be a sort of perfect point at which really good special effects are possible, but have to be used with care, so the story has to reflect that. Modern films can have the monster leaping about in full view far more easily and cheaply, so why bother with relatable characters and tight storytelling? Just have the Predator/xenomorph/Thing rampage around for ninety minutes and you've got a movie. It’s criminal how much they covered up the practical effects they did for the thing prequel with shiny looking cheap rear end wet cgi. The movie wasn’t great and nowhere in the same category as the ‘82 film, but that goddamn cgi was a turd.
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Apr 20, 2019 17:16
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Pissed Ape Sexist posted:Yeah, they wanted to make smart sci-fi but bit off more than they could chew. Annihilation (the book) was way more of an existential critique on someone's drive towards self-destruction and rebirth/redemption, and the 'monster' is brilliant and indescribable in a medium where its actions and environment can only be shown briefly. The movie tried to action it up with the shimmer and the bear and the exploding Ventress but it's basically unadaptable. Yeah, they should have went all in with the smart stuff. Make it like 1970s Solaris or poo poo, the remake with Clooney. Something like Moon. Instead they went for a cosmic body horror thing but didn't really pull the trigger on it.
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Apr 20, 2019 18:26
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Sunswipe posted:Some of the problem might be the relative cheapness of CGI special effects. The 80s seems to be a sort of perfect point at which really good special effects are possible, but have to be used with care, so the story has to reflect that. Modern films can have the monster leaping about in full view far more easily and cheaply, so why bother with relatable characters and tight storytelling? Just have the Predator/xenomorph/Thing rampage around for ninety minutes and you've got a movie.
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Apr 20, 2019 18:31
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Got Labyrinth today! I don't think I paid you yet Xeno. What's your pay pal again?
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Apr 20, 2019 20:33
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Pennywise the Frown posted:Got Labyrinth today! xenomrph (at) hotmail (dot) com Thanks, glad you got it!
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Apr 20, 2019 23:28
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Pissed Ape Sexist posted:Yeah, they wanted to make smart sci-fi but bit off more than they could chew. Annihilation (the book) was way more of an existential critique on someone's drive towards self-destruction and rebirth/redemption, and the 'monster' is brilliant and indescribable in a medium where its actions and environment can only be shown briefly. The movie tried to action it up with the shimmer and the bear and the exploding Ventress but it's basically unadaptable. Edge of tomorrow was good imo
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Apr 20, 2019 23:41
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That new World War Z game. Imagine that but with Marines and Aliens.  why does this not exist already
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Apr 20, 2019 23:44
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happyhippy posted:That new World War Z game. Randy Pitchford.
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Apr 21, 2019 00:11
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One thing I’ll always be mad about is that the Colonial Marines multiplayer was actually super good, but by a week after launch there was nobody playing it. IIRC though the 2010 Aliens vs Predator had/has a horde mode thing that was actually pretty solid. Better than the rest of the game for sure.
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Apr 21, 2019 00:35
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Beet Wagon posted:One thing I’ll always be mad about is that the Colonial Marines multiplayer was actually super good, but by a week after launch there was nobody playing it. shout out to me for buying that game day one, sight unseen. a lesson was learned.
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Apr 21, 2019 00:37
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Glenn Quebec posted:Yeah, they should have went all in with the smart stuff. Make it like 1970s Solaris or poo poo, the remake with Clooney. Something like Moon. Instead they went for a cosmic body horror thing but didn't really pull the trigger on it. Holy poo poo, I had no idea they remade Solaris and I'm super intrigued! Gonna check it out on Amazon. Thank you goonbro.
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Apr 21, 2019 00:43
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Lol I preordered it. It did have some value though, like I said the MP was fun for the week it was alive and if nothing else getting drunk and MST3K-ing the campaign with friends was funny.
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Apr 21, 2019 00:43
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sebmojo posted:Edge of tomorrow was good imo Good point, it was fun. I'd posit that the baddies were incidental to the time gimmick but it was a cool concept. What was the other Tom Cruise flick where he was an unwitting clone maintaining a border for alien overlords? It was like Moon meets an Independence Day epilogue.
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Apr 21, 2019 00:49
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Pissed Ape Sexist posted:Good point, it was fun. I'd posit that the baddies were incidental to the time gimmick but it was a cool concept. What was the other Tom Cruise flick where he was an unwitting clone maintaining a border for alien overlords? It was like Moon meets an Independence Day epilogue. oblivion, a movie I forgot about completely until this very post
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Apr 21, 2019 01:01
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Yes! Not the most memorable flick, yeah
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Apr 21, 2019 01:05
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Oblivion was great and I was just going to bring it up when the "what's up with modern action sci-fi" question was raised. Also, Minority Report. So basically the answer here is just put Tom Cruise in action sci-fi, period.
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Apr 21, 2019 01:11
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He's an utter dipshit but bred in a nutrient tank to look good running and seeming competent in physically threatening situations so yeah, the dude can pick a script that plays to his strengths. All glory to Xenu, dude, go nuts. More on topic-- how are you mail-order guys liking Labyrinth? I remember getting it in college and I was blown away by both Plinkett's artwork and the story. Dark Horse always knew how to match up top-tier talent when they had a gem to work with. It's just so drat good.
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Apr 21, 2019 02:14
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ElectricSheep posted:
He's just practising to battle Xenu. Clever, really.
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Apr 21, 2019 02:21
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Lmao I rewatched the ending of Annihilation just in case it was me. No, it's dumb and the CGI stinks. If you like reading I'll always shill for the Revelation Space series, Blindsight and Echopraxia.
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Apr 21, 2019 17:55
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I liked Annihilation quite a bit. The ending was deeply weird and unsettling, the creature's motivations unclear and alien. I didn't have any complaint about the special effects, either, the creatures they made were really cool. I was sold on it as having a kind of Stalker premise, but it provides a lot more thrill/horror than that film. I read the book after watching the movie and thought the movie was better, but it was very different so kind of hard to directly compare. But I'd recommend the movie over the book for sure.
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Apr 21, 2019 23:45
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Beet Wagon posted:Lol I preordered it. It did have some value though, like I said the MP was fun for the week it was alive and if nothing else getting drunk and MST3K-ing the campaign with friends was funny. I played Colonial Marines late last year some time and it wasn't bad. I'm guessing they finally patched the poo poo out of it. I don't recall running into a single bug. Aliens/AvP multiplayer is always really fun so that's unfortunate that it died right away. Does the 2010 AvP have any active MP? I started playing that game after starting this thread but stopped after beating the Marine campaign. Maybe I should just get really drunk and play Alien: Isolation so I don't cry.
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Apr 21, 2019 23:49
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Alien Isolation rules except for Ripley's voice actor, the only thing she gets right is all the death sounds
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Apr 21, 2019 23:54
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Annihilation is good but it’s much more like STALKER the game or even Roadside Picnic the book than it is like Tarkovsky’s Stalker. Let alone 80s monster pics like Alien or Predator or whatever, which it’s absolutely nothing like.
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Apr 22, 2019 00:04
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I wish there were more monsters in Anhillation
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Apr 22, 2019 00:07
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I didn't like Annihilation. I was probably intoxicated when I watched it but it really didn't draw me in that much. The CGI was pretty bad too.
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Apr 22, 2019 00:19
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I;m thinking about thos Aliens
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Apr 22, 2019 00:23
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Random Alien question that I've always wondered about but never found an answer to: Why was the crew of the Nostromo so bummed about having to go back into hypersleep? When Lambert tells them how long they have to go before getting back to Earth, they all collectively sigh and the mood in the room just plummets. At one point, Brett tries to put a joke on it about having to go back "to the ole' freezer-inos" but you can tell he's trying to make light of something. Was there ever any cut scenes or backstory or anything to describe why the crew hates the thought of going back into hypersleep?
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Apr 22, 2019 00:27
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I enjoyed Annihilation a lot (tbf, I was high) but this is the correct answer:Pissed Ape Sexist posted:Annihilation (the book) was way more of an existential critique on someone's drive towards self-destruction and rebirth/redemption, and the 'monster' is brilliant and indescribable in a medium where its actions and environment can only be shown briefly. The movie tried to action it up with the shimmer and the bear and the exploding Ventress but it's basically unadaptable. I wish I had read the book before seeing the film. Also gently caress you guys, Amanda Ripley's voice actor was great in that role.
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Apr 22, 2019 00:27
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null_pointer posted:Random Alien question that I've always wondered about but never found an answer to: Presumably, the longer you sleep, the more boxed sets that will be waiting for you when you wake, with all the spoilers being impossible to avoid.
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Apr 22, 2019 00:38
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null_pointer posted:Random Alien question that I've always wondered about but never found an answer to: Well Burke tells Ripley that the hibernation sickness (?) should wear off after being in hypersleep for 57 years. So I guess we can assume that any amount of time in hypersleep probably isn't pleasant when you wake up. The Marines appear to be reasonably ok when they wake up but I'm not sure how long they were in hypersleep. My guess is that it isn't too bad but also not fun. Maybe waking up with a minor hangover.  Mister Speaker posted:I enjoyed Annihilation a lot (tbf, I was high) Watching movies drunk vs high are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Although lately, I watch 100% of the movies (almost 2 per night) drunk and high. Kinda balances it out. I can really pay attention but I don't have severe mood swings. I get REALLY into movies and get a full range of emotions. I cry a lot during sad films or even films where just a sad thing happens. Titan AE gave me my first existential crisis and I have no idea how. So that's a hint on how movies can affect me. The joys of bipolar. Pennywise the Frown fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Apr 22, 2019 |
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Apr 22, 2019 00:47
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A Strange Aeon posted:I liked Annihilation quite a bit. The ending was deeply weird and unsettling, the creature's motivations unclear and alien. I didn't have any complaint about the special effects, either, the creatures they made were really cool. The alien looked like a loving puddle of gasoline with legs. The most interesting part of the movie was Natalie Portman riding some black guy for 30 seconds then saying it was a mistake
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Apr 22, 2019 00:56
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Glenn Quebec posted:The alien looked like a loving puddle of gasoline with legs. The most interesting part of the movie was Natalie Portman riding some black guy for 30 seconds then saying it was a mistake Someone forgot about the bear
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Apr 22, 2019 01:10
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people sure get heated about annihilation. like i thought the movie was good but you get people absolutely losing their poo poo about it in every possible way.
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Apr 22, 2019 01:43
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null_pointer posted:Random Alien question that I've always wondered about but never found an answer to: I forget where I read this, but IIRC working joes are only paid for time when they are awake and working, and time in the pods is time they are unpaid and their families and home life are slipping away while they sleep. And in a wild tangent, the Annihilation monster is just an alien CNC fabricator from an ancient race that crashed millennia ago and has no input templates to work from. It is terraforming without a goal in mind and cobbling things together, but functioning like a Deep Dream image compiler that 'learns' through pure context. It's sufficiently advanced enough to incorporate instinct and disposition as well as genetics, and proximity to it is directly related to the fidelity of its interpretation of the subject. The movie way, way botches this but the book trilogy makes it an odd, beautiful centerpiece. Anyhoo... terraforming. Like Hadley's Hope. Sorry for the derail. Pissed Ape Sexist fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Apr 22, 2019 |
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Apr 22, 2019 02:21
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I gave Resurrection another watch after many years, and it just oozes late 90s aesthetic which I didn't notice when I first saw it. It was jarring and made it tough to watch. I really only love the first 3. I never disliked 3 as some do, but I do love the first two the most with Alien being my favorite.
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Apr 22, 2019 02:28
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null_pointer posted:Random Alien question that I've always wondered about but never found an answer to: Kane's comment about "feeling dead" should be enough. In-universe, hypersleep is probably like going under anaesthetic, with the side-effects being increasingly harsh relative to time spent in hypersleep. I know that when I woke up after anaesthetic, nothing felt real for a good half-day. I tried walking across the room to "go home" and just wobbled around like a drunk idiot before falling over; that was only after a few hours asleep. I dread to think what days or weeks would have done 
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Apr 22, 2019 03:20
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I liked Annihilation. I like a science-fiction film that doesn't spoon-feed me platitudes like "love conquers all" or "deep down we're all the same" and forces me to think. I thought the visual effects were fine. People seem to have really exacting standards for cgi imagery, but have a huge sloppy tolerance for all the lovely practical effects that littered the films I watched as a kid. It seems like a weird thing to get hung up on. Work harder to suspend your disbelief or something.
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Apr 22, 2019 03:21
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Pissed Ape Sexist posted:I forget where I read this, but IIRC working joes are only paid for time when they are awake and working, and time in the pods is time they are unpaid and their families and home life are slipping away while they sleep. This sounds right to me, and also appropriate to the hypercapitalist hellscape of the distant future.
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Apr 22, 2019 03:24
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I really felt like 3 was a letdown, at least compared to 2. There's only one alien (well, two if you count the gestating queen), Ripley is stuck on a prison planet, the other survivors died from chestbursters, etc. Just bald Ripley dealing with another bunch of idiots. On the other hand, I have a soft spot for Resurrection, perhaps because it was a lot more like Aliens.
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Apr 22, 2019 03:47
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