Posts by David Price5

A little bit later. No one could have predicted just how massive Avatar would become... though it's still quite a leap from those Hollywood A-listers who walk away with $20 million per film.

Hasn't the digital restoration of American classics finally kicked off?
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3875977,00.html

It has officially begun. Though I must say, progress is a bit slow.

Here is the plot summary from Hector2.

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Hector 2 shows up having traveled 90 minutes back in time. A scientist tells him the only way to restore normalcy is to let things play out naturally without any interference. The plan is to put Hector 1 into the machine to try and reset everything to "normal." If anything goes wrong and disrupts Hector's entry into the machine, Hector 2 will cease to exist—and perhaps our entire reality will go with him. But Hector 2 faces a dilemma: that version of Hector is currently at his house, living with his wife. Plus, there is still the issue of the maniac with the scissors. Even if Hector 1 disappears, Hector 2 remains a problem.
He decides to take the car to shadow Hector 1, maybe look for his wife, or even spot the person with the scissors. While driving, he runs into a girl and realizes she is the one from the woods. He pulls over, but an unknown assailant strikes him. When he wakes up in the car, he clutches his head and realizes his attacker looked just like him. Once the girl arrives, his suspicions grow. After she pulls out the scissors, he is certain she is the woman with the blades and knows what he has to do. He has to ensure Hector 1 goes into the machine, which means he has to lure the girl into the woods.
He grabs a coat, and the two head into the forest. There, he forces her to take off her shirt so Hector 1 will notice her. After a while, she tries to run, they struggle, and she is knocked unconscious. He strips her clothes and positions her so Hector 1 finds her. He intentionally stabs himself in the arm, then Hector 1 flees. He knows his next move is to scare him using a "peek-a-boo" binoculars trick. It takes four attempts, but he finally succeeds. Hector 1 bolts toward the lab. Hector 2 is nearly finished with his task, but then he hears a woman's scream and realizes
the girl is in trouble.

She has become his biggest complication. Even if Hector 1 vanishes, the identity crisis regarding the masked attacker with the scissors persists. They would eventually track him down because of his injury and fingerprints. He returns home only to find her inside. He tries to convince her to run and tells her not to be afraid. After an accident on the roof, he realizes he accidentally killed his wife. He concludes the only way to save her is to go back in time himself and try to stop it all.

He takes her car, pulls up to the facility, and scares Hector 1 through the window. Once Hector 1 enters the machine, Hector 2 tells the scientist he’s going in too. After a heated argument, the scientist admits that Hector 3 told him to do whatever it takes, but specifically warned Hector 2 not to enter the machine. Hector 2 has no idea what Hector 3 was doing out there. He hasn't met him as Hector 2 or as Hector 1. He realizes that if Hector 3 actually used the machine, then Hector 2 must have successfully entered it; otherwise, Hector 3 wouldn't exist. He searches frantically and finally finds the necessary "battery." He enters the machine and becomes Hector 3.

He gives advice to the scientist and hides behind the machine as Hector 2 exits. Hector 3's goal is to get home as fast as possible, hide, and somehow save his wife's life. He heads down via a golf cart but finds the doors locked. He needs a faster vehicle, so he grabs a red van. He follows Hector 2 and causes a collision. After the crash, he realizes it was all for nothing. Hector 3 is the one who set this whole thing in motion. Everything is predetermined; every move he makes is already set. No matter what he does, he can't prevent his wife's death or escape this time loop. He tells the scientist to stop Hector 2 by any means necessary, knowing it's futile and that Hector 2 will likely hit him with a crowbar for saying it.

He hears the girl screaming and tells her that he, too, is a troubled man. Injured, the girl leads him to a nearby house, only for him to realize she has brought him to his own new home. There, he finds his wife and remembers a detail: she wasn't wearing the red coat. He hides his wife and sets up a ladder. He gives the girl his wife's coat and cuts her hair, effectively sentencing the girl to death. He brings his wife to a lounge chair in the yard, knowing these are their final moments together. Once Hector 2 enters the machine, it's over. The cycle begins again.

A scientist fires up his machine and encounters Hector 3, who insists he must follow orders...)

Terry Mendoza80 said:Another movie just popped into my head. I think Samuel L. Jackson plays a professor in it, but the title escapes me. I can't even find it on IMDb. Does anyone happen to recognize it?

I have it. I recently revisited the film *Coach Carter*. It’s a powerful reminder that discipline often paves the way for success. I remember my own high school coach used to insist on similar standards, and looking back, he was absolutely right.

We completely overlooked Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) :-D..

Now this is what I call having an entrepreneurial mindset! 👋

😍

That’s exactly why UPS always saves the day. 😍

I didn't even say they were on the message boards; I meant they're tucked right in among the comments. User ReviewsimaIt wasn't just me noticing those shortcomings; plenty of others have pointed them out too.

Usually, that same issue was also what caused trouble for "that" group.

Yet, absolutely none of them even touched upon the film's core premise—that temporal loop and the paradox it creates. Not a single soul.

How can you say that? People have pointed out how idiotic or unrealistic certain characters' actions were more than a few times. I even remember seeing it myself. boldao What's the point of all those glowing reviews if they don't actually address the questions being asked? It feels a bit hollow to me. 🤷

As I mentioned before, it's better to focus on the finer details rather than the entire narrative at once. Take a closer look at the main discussion board; you'll find plenty of deep dives into the core concept there. That's where the real answers are hiding. Honestly, it’s quite refreshing to stumble upon a community where people actually engage without constant arguing. :-)

One last question (though I suppose staying on topic is probably best):
Has there ever been an action from Hector that didn't strike you as completely idiotic and devoid of any logic or common sense? 😕

It’s been quite a while since I was last chased down an alley by some masked stranger wielding a pair of heavy-duty shears. 🙂
In my view, most of his actions were actually quite justified given the situation he found himself in. Even that decision to dip into those funds... it makes sense when you look at the circumstances.

That’s all from me. We just need everyone else to catch the movie so we can compare notes and hopefully reach a consensus through the strength of the majority. 🤣)... 😉

Of course. 😍 I suppose this discussion was exactly what they were looking for.

For those who haven't seen it yet, there's a film called The Chronos Crimes (2007). It's worth a watch. 😁

Man, what a day. My power flickered out at least fifteen times today.

rustyscout34 said:I've been scrolling through the boards—mostly people asking questions about time travel—but I also caught several comments that touch on exactly what I was talking about.

I finally took a moment to breathe and combed through all the threads. I couldn't find any of those questions that have been bothering you. Out of all sixty topics, there isn't a single one that matches.

I laid out exactly why I think this movie is complete nonsense. You’re just hiding behind the "majority opinion" because you can't actually counter my points. ☕
Here’s an example (now you’re just going to claim they're all haters, aren't you?). 😂):

Hmm. Should I go ahead and post some positive reviews then? It seems like the issues you keep bringing up aren't even present here, except for that last one.

And this one—the one that resonates most with my own impression— Click.

*Spoilers ahead*
(Hector had absolutely no reason to suspect the deceased woman wasn't his wife. Between her red shirt, that short haircut, and seeing her car parked right out front, everything seemed perfectly normal. )

That makes sense, though I’d say it’s a bit of a long shot.
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I put "maniac" in quotation marks for a reason, because Hector wasn't actually a maniac. He just wanted to get back to his normal life. Finding Hector 3 wasn't strange or impossible, either. After all, Hector 2 didn't drag that woman miles away from the crash site.

It’s not impossible, though I’d say scenario number two is a bit of a long shot.)

I think you might be underestimating that just a little bit. 😉
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(
Quiet, but certainly not silent. Set a movie to the 1h10m mark and just listen—the engine noise isn't nearly as loud as you think. Here's a little something for you. I found the link you were looking for. Hope this helps!)
So, which vehicle is actually being used for the Golf over there? 🤷

I watched and listened to that scene again. The car is actually quite quiet. At that moment, the background score was louder than the engine itself. Honestly, those electric cars aren't surprising at all. I’d much rather take an EV than a gas guzzler over a grassy field like that. Vehicles like these have been standard fare in research labs and institutes for years now.)
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(Well, at the end of the day... she just had a much better shot at escaping before that happened. 🙂
)
(Like I mentioned before, she was just gathering her courage.)

rustyscout34 said:Not quite, my friend. Not at all! In America, we call that being a smooth talker. Common sense is a rare commodity these days. I remember my grandfather used to say that simple logic would get you further than any fancy degree ever could. It’s a shame how often we overlook it.. 🙂

Right after finishing the movie, I headed straight over to the IMDb boards to see what everyone was saying. Someone had even put together a timeline graph. Most of the discussion centered on physics, time travel, fate, and temporal loops—nothing like what you were mentioning. If one person finds an issue that the other 99 viewers didn't care about, they aren't really making a point. To me, that just feels like nitpicking.

*Spoilers ahead*
( Both of you seem to care—as if that were some grand coincidence.

She wasn't just a brunette; she was convincing enough that after a buzz cut, the guy would actually believe she was his wife! That final scene at the house, though—where the third guy cuts her hair and then she falls from the roof—is a bit hard to swallow, if you ask me.
) (
Hector had absolutely no reason to doubt that the deceased woman wasn't his wife. Between her red shirt, the short hair, and seeing her car parked right out front, everything seemed perfectly normal.)
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(
She really didn't have any reason to run from Hector. She had no way of knowing they were actually the same person, and since he was already injured himself, the odds of running straight into two "maniacs" at once were slim. Given his head injury, his disorientation makes sense; it feels like a pretty realistic reaction.

That’s exactly my point! The odds were slim to begin with, yet within a single hour, she ran into two absolute maniacs. The only reason she didn't realize they were the same people is because her head was spinning—honestly, she's just completely out of it. A plot device can be quite useful when crafting a story. I remember once using one to fix a messy draft during a late night in Chicago. It certainly helps keep things moving! I haven't seen any of this since the old days back when Shayman was around!
)(I put "maniac" in quotation marks for a reason—Hector wasn't actually a maniac. He just wanted to get back to his normal life. Finding Hector 3 wasn't some impossible or weird occurrence, either. After all, Hector 2 didn't just drag that woman miles away from the crash site.)
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(Hector knew exactly where that guy was going to stop, so he hit him on purpose just hoping to throw him off his game.

I’m actually thinking of that one scene where the scientist and the second guy are just staring off into the distance, totally oblivious, while the third guy sneaks right behind them in a little golf cart. Here's the shot— Click.. )
(Nothing unusual here. If you were wondering about that, the Volkswagen Golf is actually quite a quiet ride.)

________________________

(When you're running for your life from some maniac in a cloak wielding scissors, you'll say just about anything to survive—even if it sounds foolish or rushed in the moment. That woman's behavior in the woods was perfectly natural. Not all of us are Jack Bauer.

Look, we aren't all Tom Cruise, tearing through tripod alien invasions. You can't just rely on the "majority opinion" to defend a bad take. That scene involving the scarf was so poorly executed that I didn't even bother dwelling on it. It’s common sense: she could have easily bolted ten times over while he was busy staring through binoculars with his back turned just five feet away. )
(
She finally pulled off the win once she found her nerve. She was just waiting for that perfect moment to strike. Speaking of *WOTW*, you’ll have to refresh my memory on that one scene. Did Cruise actually pack a backpack, or did he just pull the pin on the bomb? My main issue with *WOTW* was always the viruses; the whole thing about blowing up the walkers with grenades felt a bit off to me.)

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I agree it's a normal concept, but it's all about the execution. For instance, I might give Trans-Siberian a decent shot—maybe 2/3rd approval—but this kind of sci-fi thriller? No fucking chance! Using determinism as a plot device feels lazy; it’s mostly just there to cater to audiences who don't want to wrap their heads around complex time travel theories or parallel universes. It isn't just my personal taste. Oh well, happy ending, I guess...

To be honest, I wasn't even viewing TS as a standard thriller, but rather specifically as a sci-fi thriller. With this genre, you have to look at the entire narrative arc to grasp the cause-and-effect relationships, rather than obsessing over how it all started, because frankly, it can't be explained. The film simply drops you right into the middle of things, which is really the only way it works.

(By the way, I have one more question:
Who was the first Hector to step into the time machine, and how did he end up there? If you recall the beginning of the movie, Hector is staring into the woods where those fatal events involving a previous Hector are already unfolding. If we assume he was the very first one to go in, how does that work? Who exactly was he looking at in those woods? 🤣)?
)
(We're never going to know because it's a closed time loop involving three identical versions of the same guy. That's just it. It's a cinematic depiction. Physically and logically, it's impossible, so there's no point trying to explain it away. You have to stop looking at the trees and see the whole forest...)

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5...nocrimenes.jpg

redefine As specified by rustyscout34:
The Chronos Crimes (2007) - Just to prevent any spoilers, I'll only say that this is a much weaker blend of sci-fi and thriller than the last one. Time travel remains a fascinating concept to ponder. I often find myself wondering if we will ever truly master it.It feels like this movie takes a massive, mindless detour halfway through, just looping around in circles. In the end, though, everything still leads back to the exact same result.The many-worlds interpretation is quite fascinating. I remember reading about it during a long flight to Chicago, and it truly makes one ponder the infinite possibilities of our existence.Is there anyone else who noticed this? I also have to say, there are some seriously questionable coincidences that just don't add up.The guy is taking photos of that girl from the woods. Then, instead of making a clean getaway from the second guy, she runs straight into the third one. It’s almost like the second guy wore a specifically wrapped bandana just to make sure she didn't stumble right back into him.I am simply observing the scene.When guy number three zooms past guy number two in his car, and then guy number one decides—without much thought, really—to climb into some airtight container filled with strange liquid...The concept of an illicit time machine is truly fascinating. I remember reading about similar theoretical paradoxes during my university days in Chicago.And he even managed to convince a total stranger to go along with it. I mean, how does guy number two actually force a girl from the woods—who's five meters away—to strip just by pointing scissors at her back and watching through binoculars? It's wild. She could have easily just bolted.).

I have to admit, this feels a bit like nitpicking. We're spending entire days dissecting every tiny detail. Some points might be a stretch, but I suppose they count for something. It’s not exactly a coincidence that she felt the need to run from Hector 3. She had no way of knowing they were the same person, especially since he was already injured. Given the odds of stumbling upon two maniacs at once while dealing with a head injury, her reaction seems perfectly reasonable. Hector 3 knew exactly where he’d be standing and struck him intentionally just to throw him off. When you're sprinting through the woods trying to escape a lunatic wielding shears, you'll do whatever it takes—even if it looks impulsive or irrational in the moment. Her behavior in those woods was completely human. We aren't all Jack Bauer.)

rustyscout34 said:I personally feel the whole thing would work much better as a horror film. Honestly, if you cut out those ridiculous plot holes—specifically that need for such massive scale—it would be far more effective. I've always found that a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief makes the journey much more enjoyable. It’s like when I was watching a classic noir film last night; if you overthink the logic, you miss the magic entirely.I simply cannot give this film a passing grade because of its deterministic view of time. No way!

The horror thriller genre is still very much alive. 🙂Given the plot and the core concept, a certain suspension of disbelief is perfectly reasonable. You either buy into the story or you don't. As for that deterministic take on the ending, I suppose it really just comes down to personal taste. If you're looking for a happy ending, we have that return to the future to look forward to.

goldenhound32 said:I mean, what kind of prison is it if there isn't even a surveillance camera?

It wasn't actually a high-security prison. It was more like a pretrial detention facility since the trial hadn't even started yet. Given how outdated that facility looked, having cameras in the solitary wing would have been a luxury. I don't think anyone expected him to upgrade the isolation cells like that.

And check IMDb

He'd be in jail, held for trial. Jails do have solitary cells, special divided cells for special suspects who are either famous or for various reasons should be separated from the rest of the inmate population. Paris Hilton, Robert Blake and O.J. Simpson were in cells like that.

"Prison" is where convicts are sent who have sentences of more than one year. There are state prisons and federal prisons. "Jail" is where suspects are held for trial and sentences of less than one year are served. They are a form of lower security incarceration than prisons. Jail is usually a county lockup, sometimes very large and holding thousands of inmates. Also, local police stations and constabularies (like sheriff's stations and marshall's headquarters) are likely to have one or more holding cells, usually for very temporary use (most likely less than 24hour periods) till the suspect or inmate can be transferred to the county lockup.

northernmoose26 said:If this Butler guy actually intended to get his revenge—and let's be honest, the man clearly has the technical chops to build those kinds of contraptions—he should have operated out of some high-end hotel suite instead of letting himself get hauled off to a cell just to pull it all off from behind bars 😵.

I mean, how do you even manage to dig a tunnel through a solitary confinement unit? Between the structural foundations and the sheer amount of noise those machines would make, there is zero way you could ever dig a tunnel like that by hand 😲.

A federal prosecutor goes and burns an inmate and half the prison along with him 🤷.

Man, this movie really got under my skin because it actually started out strong and had all the ingredients to be a total masterpiece!

He wouldn't be just some common terrorist. His goal wasn't to tear down the entire system; he just wanted to expose the cracks within it. When an inmate in solitary confinement starts mocking you and taking out his rage on the guards, you know something has to change. It’s a clear sign that action is overdue.

How is it even possible to dig a tunnel through solid bedrock? Between the foundation work and the constant roar of the heavy machinery, I can't imagine trying to do that kind of digging by hand. 😲.

He certainly had years upon years to devote himself to that pursuit.

A federal prosecutor just set a prisoner and half the jail on fire. 🤷 .

It might be a bit tougher to prove he actually did it. He could easily just claim Clyde took his own life out of pure guilt or something along those lines.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for the Benefit of the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
Delicious Journeys Across America: A Guide to Making Straight Men Visibly Uncomfortable When Accompanied by a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt (it’s a shame this wasn't my working title).

I recently acquired a vintage 1990 motorcycle that feels almost supernatural. It has this dark, magnetic pull to it that reminds me of an old horror film. I am quite thrilled with the purchase.
I recently revisited Samurai Vampire Bikers from Hell (1992). It was quite a nostalgic trip down memory lane!
I caught a screening of *Blade* recently. It was quite an energetic experience. I remember seeing similar action flicks back in my college days in Chicago, and they always provided such a spirited escape.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) is a masterpiece. It remains a brilliant satire on the Cold War.

Google is a bit too condensed. Perhaps one day we'll finally get our hands on the director's cut...

Well, he can certainly act a bit just for his own enjoyment. After all, everyone needs to pay the bills. I was just looking through his filmography, and it doesn't look like he had much luck back in the 90s (with one notable exception). It really seems like *Congeniality* was his saving grace!

briskhound2 said:And Michael Caine certainly knows how to act. 😁

Has anyone ever doubted that? 😁

Just type that term into YouTube and you'll find the exact clip from the game :-D

Brenda Cooper3 said:Yeah, agreed. That was a bizarrely unnecessary addition. 😲

Just play some FPS games and you'll see how common it actually is. Not even mentioning the teabagging. 😁

road trip through the states