Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Honestly, I think Kubrick is overrated—I won’t go as far as using any profanity just yet, though...😳

Jessica Gonzalez said:The story behind The Matrix is just incredible, especially considering it was an entirely original script rather than some adaptation of a book, comic, or whatever else. I guess they unfortunately messed up the sequels by leaning too hard into endless action scenes and melodrama just to please the crowds. The original is definitely one of the most unique films of the modern era. I wouldn't say it's the greatest of all time, nor would I call someone silly for not liking it, but it has qualities I really value: originality, a compelling plot, and a believable world. You could argue Inception is an original film, but conceptually, it feels a bit like a second-rate version of The Matrix. They even seemed to borrow the whole "limbo" idea, which feels like a copy of that space between reality and a computer program. 🤦 for both concepts. I suppose the only thing the other film did better was casting, since Keanu Reeves has about as much acting range as a street lamp.

Second-rate? 🤣

Inception mimics The Matrix in almost every way, except for the total number of films in the franchise.

And when you call something a "conceptual copy," I assume you're only saying that because both movies deal with dreams? Even though there are a million fundamental differences—differences that exist right at the very core of the film's concept?

Inception is actually smart. It’s pretty damn original considering how much junk we get lately—endless book adaptations, video game movies, kids' toys, sequels, prequels, spinoffs, you name it. Too bad the mainstream audience killed any chance at a deeper layer because of the visual style. If it wasn't so heavy on the action and explosions, there'd be more room for the brain teaser stuff the script throws at you. I won't make a direct comparison since they aren't the same beast, but The Matrix is the one I respect more. Specifically the first one.

The movie copying the look of The Matrix is Equilibrium, but if you look at the themes, it's basically a retread of THX 1138 or Fahrenheit 451.

Patrick Martin said:How many actual new moments or characters have you even encountered?
I'm talking about new creatures, let alone entirely new vehicles.
And then you have the nerve to lecture me about "quality" when you haven't even noticed the most basic innovations!?

Do you honestly think it's easy to build out brand new worlds and refresh core concepts while simultaneously running high-octane, real-time action and adventure?

It’s a massive undertaking, especially since so many tropes are already totally played out. Ridley basically pulled off the smartest, most logical move possible by opening up an entirely new dimension for the whole saga.
Miller is right on his heels too, delivering exactly the kind of stuff you guys are still whining and obsessing over. ☕

I’m not saying it’s inherently bad, I’m just saying the movies themselves aren't any good. They can make whatever they want as long as it works, but for me? It just doesn't hit.

Eric Fox7 said:Honestly, I think Kubrick is overrated—I won’t go as far as using any profanity just yet, though...😳

Personally, I think he's one of those rare directors—alongside Alfred Hitchcock—who are actually underrated and truly deserve to be ranked among the absolute greats.

Lay out your arguments.

vivideagle7 said:Personally, I think he's one of those rare directors—alongside Alfred Hitchcock—who are actually underrated and truly deserve to be ranked among the absolute greats.

Lay out your arguments.

I just don't feel like it—that's just my take on it.
Honestly, I was practically dying of boredom watching his stuff, with the exception of Radiation and maybe the first ten minutes of Full Metal Jacket.

Maybe his style just doesn't click with me, unlike Alfred's, whom you also brought up.

But I have noticed there are plenty of people out there who feel the exact same way about Stanley Kubrick as I do.

Boredom is basically just an emotional dead zone. It’s what happens when you stop giving a damn about whatever's going down around you, no matter how deep or complex the drama actually is.

Walter Grant5 said:Look, limbo is its own concept. It doesn't belong to those movies.

True, but I guess they both just use it as a plot device because they ran out of better ideas.

Honestly, it’s a bit dull.
Think about how many incredible action sequences they could have squeezed into an Odyssey.
Picture this: a character wielding a laser sword, locked in combat against a drone controlled by HAL 9000.
Or maybe a massive brawl featuring armored apes armed with Claymores, instead of those ridiculous, pointless costumes.
Then there's the finale—an astronaut boarding an Imperial Star Destroyer to annihilate the alien home world using photon torpedoes.
And to spice things up, let's say one of the astronauts is a woman, leading to a heated, intense romantic scene.

Man, what a missed opportunity.

I guess you could say *2001: A Space Odyssey* is really a film defined by its silence. There’s hardly any narration, and you don't have characters just standing around delivering monologues to explain the plot to the audience. Because of that, a lot of things feel left hanging, even though the book goes into much more detail. But maybe that’s actually a strength; the fact that the audience stays a bit confused or even unsettled by this superior, unknown intelligence at the end might be exactly what makes it work. I suppose some people won't care for that, though—it seems like plenty of folks find the movie a bit slow. While the books give you a glimpse into the perspective of that intelligence, the film keeps us completely distanced through those intimidating monoliths.

vivideagle7 said:It’s nowhere near a masterpiece for me. I’m not saying it’s a bad movie—the concept itself is actually pretty solid—but there are so many rough edges. Between the lead actor's performance, the weak emotional beats, and all the clichés, it struggles. Even the ending felt off; you have this potentially great story that just collapses into some silly action sequence at the finish line.

Look, I'm not even going to bring up the fact that it won four Oscars or that it's sitting in the IMDb Top 20 best movies ever—because you can always argue those are subjective ratings, or that it's just "mainstream," or whatever other excuse people use to dismiss them.

But you cannot deny the reality that The Matrix is a Matrix milestone Sci-Fi, and honestly, it's about way more than just the special effects. The story itself left such a massive footprint that the term "Matrix" became shorthand for the total illusion of the world we live in.

Back to the movie itself. That "bullet time" thing? At the time they were filming, it was absolutely groundbreaking stuff—totally unheard of—and since then, it's become a basic standard in thousands of movies released after The Matrix. The style, the vibe, the whole spirit of this film... it's a cult classic for a reason.

If I had to choose between the red pill or the blue pill right now, I’d probably grab the blue one just so I could experience this movie all over again. 🙂

Walter Grant5 said:Boredom is basically just an emotional dead zone. It’s what happens when you stop giving a damn about whatever's going down around you, no matter how deep or complex the drama actually is.

I mean, I guess a director's whole job is to actually hook the audience, right? 🤷

To me, Kubrick's films are about as engaging as a broken record.

I find 2001: A Space Odyssey boring, even if I respect the filmmaking. That said, the rest of Kubrick's filmography keeps me hooked—The Killing is absolutely terrifying, and while Full Metal Jacket is a bit much in the first half, the second half isn't nearly as bad as people claim it is. And honestly, I don't get how anyone could find A Clockwork Orange boring. 🤷

Eric Fox7 said:I mean, I guess a director's whole job is to actually hook the audience, right? 🤷

To me, Kubrick's films are about as engaging as a broken record.

Well, sure, they interest people, but maybe not the ones who mistake slow pacing for being boring.

I find it hard to believe anyone could find Dr. Strangelove dull. The whole movie is just pure genius and fun, much like A Clockwork Orange or Full Metal Jacket. 🤷

But hey, at the end of the day, it’s all about personal taste.

Larry Fox5 said:Look, I'm not even going to bring up the fact that it won four Oscars or that it's sitting in the IMDb Top 20 best movies ever—because you can always argue those are subjective ratings, or that it's just "mainstream," or whatever other excuse people use to dismiss them.

But you cannot deny the reality that The Matrix is a Matrix milestone Sci-Fi, and honestly, it's about way more than just the special effects. The story itself left such a massive footprint that the term "Matrix" became shorthand for the total illusion of the world we live in.

Back to the movie itself. That "bullet time" thing? At the time they were filming, it was absolutely groundbreaking stuff—totally unheard of—and since then, it's become a basic standard in thousands of movies released after The Matrix. The style, the vibe, the whole spirit of this film... it's a cult classic for a reason.

If I had to choose between the red pill or the blue pill right now, I’d probably grab the blue one just so I could experience this movie all over again. 🙂

Like I mentioned, the core concept is everything, but I can't help thinking they could have squeezed an even better film out of that idea. I'm not saying it's a bad movie—not at all—but it definitely could have been much stronger.

For instance, some scenes feel a bit too cheesy. That part with the drill? For me, that sort of thing pulls me out of the experience. It could have been handled better, but I’ll stop there before anyone comes after me. 😁

Matthew Anderson4 said:Glad you're happy about it. Still surprised though—you're telling me someone spending 20 years alone, just stuck with themselves, ends up perfectly zen? Maybe start Googling now instead of waiting.

Believe it or not, you’re the first person to tell me this whole sequence makes perfect sense and is totally expected. Look, I haven't been deep-diving through the comments above where you probably have more people agreeing with you, but seriously—everyone I've talked to about that scene in Interstellar has said it’s anything but realistic. That's why it's so wild to me that in your circle, nobody thinks that scene is even remotely unrealistic (guessing that's why you're surprised). Honestly, I was the one caught off guard when you told me it actually felt logical to you.

There's a massive difference between "waiting years to leave forced isolation" and "choosing to stay isolated for years waiting for someone to come back." The first scenario fits what you described way better... the second one sounds like straight-up sci-fi—like they'd just sit there like a wooden doll without a single emotion left. It's like they realized halfway through they weren't even waiting for anyone, they were just hunting for some Zen god on that spaceship because that's their whole purpose in life. But hey, maybe it helps if you realize I'm no expert on all this Zen enlightenment crap. I'm sure Buddha has his own ways of checking out from the world and turning into a total robot.

Chris Fisher3 said:Believe it or not, you’re the first person to tell me this whole sequence makes perfect sense and is totally expected. Look, I haven't been deep-diving through the comments above where you probably have more people agreeing with you, but seriously—everyone I've talked to about that scene in Interstellar has said it’s anything but realistic. That's why it's so wild to me that in your circle, nobody thinks that scene is even remotely unrealistic (guessing that's why you're surprised). Honestly, I was the one caught off guard when you told me it actually felt logical to you.

There's a massive difference between "waiting years to leave forced isolation" and "choosing to stay isolated for years waiting for someone to come back." The first scenario fits what you described way better... the second one sounds like straight-up sci-fi—like they'd just sit there like a wooden doll without a single emotion left. It's like they realized halfway through they weren't even waiting for anyone, they were just hunting for some Zen god on that spaceship because that's their whole purpose in life. But hey, maybe it helps if you realize I'm no expert on all this Zen enlightenment crap. I'm sure Buddha has his own ways of checking out from the world and turning into a total robot.

Not really writing based on the movie itself, and I haven't discussed that specific scene with anyone until now.

Chris Fisher3 said:Believe it or not, you’re the first person to tell me this whole sequence makes perfect sense and is totally expected. Look, I haven't been deep-diving through the comments above where you probably have more people agreeing with you, but seriously—everyone I've talked to about that scene in Interstellar has said it’s anything but realistic. That's why it's so wild to me that in your circle, nobody thinks that scene is even remotely unrealistic (guessing that's why you're surprised). Honestly, I was the one caught off guard when you told me it actually felt logical to you.

There's a massive difference between "waiting years to leave forced isolation" and "choosing to stay isolated for years waiting for someone to come back." The first scenario fits what you described way better... the second one sounds like straight-up sci-fi—like they'd just sit there like a wooden doll without a single emotion left. It's like they realized halfway through they weren't even waiting for anyone, they were just hunting for some Zen god on that spaceship because that's their whole purpose in life. But hey, maybe it helps if you realize I'm no expert on all this Zen enlightenment crap. I'm sure Buddha has his own ways of checking out from the world and turning into a total robot.

That first scenario in quotes is basically the plot of Oldboy, and that guy definitely wasn't feeling particularly Zen when he got out. Seems like you aren't really accounting for how long 20+ years actually is. He wasn't waiting a few weeks or months; he waited nearly half his life. Would you seriously still be waiting after 20 years? Just standing by a window, staring outside, biting your nails, living in literal anticipation? Wouldn't you try to find God, or some purpose, or just find yourself? Spend your whole life just... waiting? Do you really think that after 20 years without any emotional or social input, you'd still be the same person? You think the guy they left on that ship is the exact same guy who greeted them? Besides, the people he was waiting for were just acquaintances from 20 years ago. If he reacted the way you expect, I'd be worried. That would be weird for someone who spent 20 years completely alone. I get that the scene doesn't click with a Western mindset. If you were talking about it with Indians or Buddhists, they'd probably all tell you it makes total sense.

It feels like people spend way too much energy overanalyzing scenes and theories that probably didn't take the writers more than a few minutes to come up with.

@ Matthew Anderson4
The thing is, that’s not even how the situation works in the movie. Sure, twenty years passed for him, but he knew only a few hours had ticked by for the people on Earth—he knew things probably went sideways and they were scrambling to fix the mess. They were on a mission to save the entire human race, for crying out loud.
If I were in his shoes? I would’ve just carried on with life the second they left, knowing I’d be stuck alone on that ship for years. Yeah, I’d keep the mission in mind because it matters, but I wouldn't be sitting there trembling by the window waiting for them to come back. I’d go to sleep like he did, wake up, check the status, and see what happened. I’d try to find "God" or whatever hell else is out there, or just actually *do* something with my life. I wouldn't spend my whole existence just... waiting. Then again, given how massive the mission was, I guess the weight of it would be in the back of my mind—just hoping I wasn't making everything pointless.
That's just me philosophizing, obviously. How I’d actually react? Who knows. I’d probably die of pure boredom. Or maybe I'd become some legendary StarCraft pro. Who knows. Obviously, I wouldn't be the same person after twenty years—I'm not even the same person after a single year. But reaching that kind of Zen-like calm? I don't know... I'm not ignoring the fact that he was alone for two decades, it's just hard to wrap my head around how anyone actually functions like that in practice.

@ Jessica Gonzalez
Look, we're just playing "what if." Who cares about the screenwriters? ^^

Jessica Gonzalez said:It feels like people spend way too much energy overanalyzing scenes and theories that probably didn't take the writers more than a few minutes to come up with.

I wouldn't say that, though I'm not totally obsessed with the movie myself. It's fun and pretty solid, and definitely makes you think, but it isn't exactly a masterpiece in my eyes. That said, they actually had a scientist from Caltech consulting on it, so they put quite a bit of thought into the plot and certain details...

http://news.sciencemag.org/people/ev...cene-makes-him

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar#Scientific_accuracy