I was disappointed by Stalker just because I'm a fan of Roadside Picnic, the novel it was based on, and I'd heard the Strugatskys actually did the screenplay adaptation. But while Roadside Picnic is itself kind of diffuse plot-wise, it's a short novel, and a lot more happens in it; Stalker is actually sort of an adaptation of one brief episode in the novel, stretched out to an incredibly long film.
(Solaris is actually a more straightforward adaptation of its source novel, though it puts the story into a more linear sequence and Tarkovsky messed with the ending. Lem hated it because Lem hated almost everything.)
Once Upon A Time In ChinactdMay 6 2012, 04:50:04 UTC
It's a while since I saw that one, but IIRC I also felt I was missing something, and eventually determined that the something was that Wong Fei-Hung's story was popular among Chinese but not so much among those who grew up in Worthington, Ohio.
I just rewatched "Werewolf" recently myself (Stacey had never seen it, and she like horror, so there you go), and feel pretty much the same. It's a terribly fun, goofy movie, and it holds up as long as you don't try to take it out of its place in the 1980s.
The initial transformation scene - especially the music - is stellar.
Concur on _Drive_. The opening sequence had such promise, but it never really went anywhere. I also found myself jarred by the ultraviolence. Where did that come from?! (not that one needs a reason for cinematic ultraviolence)
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(Solaris is actually a more straightforward adaptation of its source novel, though it puts the story into a more linear sequence and Tarkovsky messed with the ending. Lem hated it because Lem hated almost everything.)
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The initial transformation scene - especially the music - is stellar.
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