Who saw Equilibrium?

Hey,

I saw Equilibrium. None of my friends were into it so I actually went alone. I was expecting a lot more. I thought, as a fan boy of fun sci-fi films like that, that I would really get into this film and champion it to other people.

Sadly, it had way too many flaws. I mean, yeah... it was fun and all. But the ending got so cheesy and felt way too much like a comic book. Not to mention, Taye Diggs wasn't a good bad guy.

If I had to pick the stand out scene in the film, it would be the one where Bale first starts to understand what it is to have senses. And he enters that antique room while the music blares and he gets effected.

That was cool. But the film needed more of that style of direction, and less of the "poor-man's-Matrix" style direction that they went with.

Awww, I gotta dissagree with you here, Dennis. First of all, the
action scenes blew the Matrix straight to hell. Equilibrium was
an action movie with depth and character, something never seen
in a long time, which is what makes it so memorable.

i've heard of the movie, i just never saw it in any theaters. i'll just catch it on dvd. i'm sure it won't be long before its released.

Whats up Murderkitchen,

I have been anticipating this film for a long time now, and actually Kurt Whimmer(Director/Writter) and Chuck Palahniuk were on a panel at my school in San Francisco not to long ago, it was a great event...

Anyhow, I'm pretty pissed off about the piss poor marketing of the film, its playing in like -20 theatres around the country, seriously, Its was only playing in a few locations in the entire Bay Area... So I might have to wait until DVD which prolly will get a quick turn around for money... but I want to go see it bad so I might just have to drive far...

Yes i think the film was marketed terriblly too.

But even if it had got good marketing i still dont think it would of done well.

As far as the movie, i want to love it. But its really nothing original (just a mix of F. 451 and 1984 with the futuristic feel of the matrix).

the acting was great, but everything else was either bad or semi ok.

I give it 2 out of 5 stars for effort.

1984. The book was called 1984. But we all know what you meant.

ahahah yah, brain fart.

85s the year i was born

I thoroughly enjoyed because it wasn't hyped to death and hadn't heard peep one way or the other. But yes, the marketing (read: none) really hurt it. It could have pulled 10-12 million with a little bit of advertising. It made less than 2 mil.

The flaws were forgivable, but Sean Bean and Taye Diggs should have swapped roles. But Taye was the man in Go. Jude law would have been a great foil also.

But I don't think I have seen a poor Christian Bale performance. He is one of my favs. I thought it was better than Reighn of Fire but I enjoyed that flick also. Neither adds up to his Pat Bateman however.

Did anybody know that Leonardo was first offered American Pyscho and his asking price ($20 mil) ended up being the entire budget? There is no way he could have pulled it off to that degree to begin with.

Patrick Bateman

It's hip to be square.

I wanted to see Equilibrium, but never actually got the chance to. I'm sure I'll rent it on DVD.

And speaking of American Psycho, I'm reading Glamorama, and last night I read a section was just utterly weird (even for Ellis). Now, it wasn't gruesome, or heavily explicit or whatever. It was just not fun to read. This scene was a three-some between three characters (two guys and a girl, I don't want to know mention who in case someones reading the book and isn't up to that part yet), and it seems to me that Ellis deeply enjoys using the phrase "shoved his tongue into his/her anus" a whole alot. Theres a lot of tongue-shoving-into-anus going on, but it just felt really uncomfortable to read. IDK....It's just the way Ellis writes.

I mean, I just started reading Ellis more recently (after seeing Rules and Psycho), but I never expected to actually feel discomfort and [I]disturbed[/I] by some of the stuff he writes.
I mean, the first half of the book was so happy, so upbeat, do "like, dude"!

I saw Equilibrium opening weekend and thought it was really good. It deserved a wide release and I hope it gets a much longer and better live on dvd. Sure it had its flaws like every other film but the action kicked ass, the effects were good for a $20mil sci-fi film, Bale was pretty good and very believable, and all editing, cinematography, sound, and directing were all tight. I especially liked the last 15 minutes. I didnt see it some of it coming. I defintly suggest everybody see this if they get the chance and im going to buy the dvd the day it comes out.

I saw Equilibrium at the one theater in the area that was playing it and enjoyed it well enough, though it did feel too much like a pastiche of other, better SF works. Still, there was much to like about it.

Hey Leonard S.

I've probably told you about my condition.....

Yes I just finished Glamorama last week. It feels like two books mashed together. The half was great and I love his writting. It is not as dense as Psycho, which is a plus.

I see Bobby Hughes in my head as that Joe millionaire guy. I can imagine him playing that role.

Ellis' graphic tortures and deaths are more disturbing to me than any sex act he could describe, even between two men and a woman.

I loved "Rules" on screen and I am going to pick up the book this weekend.

Ellis and Chuck, in no order, are my favorite writters.

Yeah, same here. And Alex Garland, too. Yeah, I'm 50 pages from finishing it, and I find the second "book"/half to be MUCH more compelling than the first.

I love the obilivity (is that a word?) of Victor, how he is so incredibly naive, almost childlike. I imagined Bobby as sort of like that guy from Saved by The Bell, Zack (lol I actually used to watch that when I was younger...damn the early 90's!). I saw Bentley as like a Ryan Phillipe-like character, and Bruce as the "tough-guy" from fast and the furious (what an awful movie, btw), for some reason. Victor I saw as Kip Pardue (for obvious reasons), and F. Fred Palakon, for some weird reason gave me vibes of Kobayashi from The Usual Suspects (amazing movie), even though I knew he wasnt Indian or even that old. I saw Jamie as Jamie Pressly, and Damien as Vin Diesel (who is set to play him from what I hear).

The violent scenes give off such a bad feeling, its amazing how Ellis manages to do that.

And don't spoil anything, 'cause I still have maybe 50 pages left.

I shant spoil, but let me know what you thought of the end.

I actually prefer the first half as it's easier to follow and not as dark. I appreciate his humor greatly, like Mr. P's.

I cannot say anymore without revealing anything.

Drop me a line when you are finished.

I'll be sure to do that.

And yeah, the first half is utterly hilarious, but wasn't as compelling and strong as the second (still not done =/ I underestimated the amount of pages I had left, I know have 75 left).

I mean, the first half was more "a day in the life," while the second half is an actual, compelling story. You know what I mean?

Anyway, I'm going back to the book now, I'll be sure to tell you what I think at the end....

I thought the end was confusing.

I thought so also. I don't no what to make of it all.

read this (if you finished the book):

...Victor is not envolved n nething more than 3Movies,Random Interviews&ModelShoots.The Terrorist R not real, they R part of 1 of the 3 movies that he is starring in.Victor is n mass confusion cuzz he doesn't read the Script's.That's how come he's caught off gaurd when they kill SamHo.They all have Stunt Doubles, that's how come people think they see him everywhere else.All the People at the house are just american actors. that's Y they stay 2Gether, that's Y they have Bomb stuff, cuzz they actually read the Script & Study.Victor is very important, when he comes up all stressed &Unveils this Conspirasy, Ppl just Humor him or think he's practicing the Script or Trying to just get n2 character b4 the Shoot(Which would Explain the Absence of th Camara Crew n some instances),So they just play along & tell him from their Characters point of view what's going to happen in the Given Movie Victor's Trippin' Bout. Then Victor Trips out even more cuzz ppl just Act like it's no thang(Which would explain Y Every1's all like RU Ok Victor?), but Victor never really reveils that he's scared. He is just thinking there is a Conspiracy against him, but it's only against the Character he is Playin in the Given Film.Just bCause he went back 2the States doesn't mean that the Shooting of the Film is, as we all no, Editor's Play a Key Role in film making. So at the end where Homeboy came out the Curtains, That was just another scene he owed to 1 of those movies. So Victor Ward is just Paraniod.Plus alot of the things don't add up, cause he tell's it in the actual time line it happened. So 4Istance, U shoot a Scene 1st, but in reality, that scene will be 4 the end of the movie. There are Clues & after you read it a few times U will be able to Peice together these 3Movies that He Filmed.The Movies r a Cool Story once put 2gether right. So Victors just Disallusioned USee. He Loses it. That's how Come he feels at peace when he comes back to the States. His job is over. He's Happy. That's what actors do. So essentially, the Story is, a young aspiring actor sent out of the Country to do a Couple movies. That's IT!

(thats from the RulesofAttraction.com Message board, and it sort of ruined the thrill of the book after I finished it...it made it all seem too simple)

i don't think that it was released on a wide basis... hell only one of the "big 6" newspapers even reviewed it. the big 6 being: USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Chicago Sun-Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Washington Post.

Entertainment Weekly gave it a [b]D+[/b] so that's not very good anyway.

See [url=http://www.fandango.com/reviews_fullreview.asp?mv=41104]HERE[/url] for a review from the LA Times... Note, its a bad review.

I missed all that! Jeez. I will need to read it again.

i don't know what to think of that, leonard. i read this interview with Ellis and he had a whole different take on the story.

Yeah, I think this story has two levels. In one, the "movies" are metaphorical, or even what I like to call "methophorical", or a metaphor induced by something, such as drugs or emotional stress, or anything else.

On the other, its much more simple. The guy is just self-centered, careless, and doesn't read scripts. That's simply it. But I'm surprised that Ellis doesn't talk about this second, more simple level.

Maybe even HE looked way into or something....now I'm confused

Equilibrium kicked ass.

yeah...the shoot outs were kick ass. Especially the first one in the dark. Very original!