Gothika

So, I finally sat through this absolute garbage yesterday. Anyone else catch it? Honestly, the movie is a total train wreck—just a messy, failed mashup of sixth sense, Stir of Echoes, and every other horror cliché under the sun. The title is probably the only good thing about the whole experience. I’m dying to know if anyone actually liked it, because I was miserable.

I was planning on checking this movie out; those clips look pretty promising, though I honestly can't take the cast seriously for a second..

Boring ☕ A total waste of money (I was actually sitting in the theater...)

Sam James4 said:This movie is pure desperation—a messy mashup of Sixth Sense, Stir of Echoes, and every other horror trope out there.

Depends on who you ask.

I don't think Luc Besson was trying to reinvent the wheel here. It seems more like he was focused on nailing that darker atmosphere and crafting striking scenes that serve as homages to his favorite directors.

[Personally, I caught traces of John Carpenter's best work: Halloween and in In the Mouth of Madness...]

slylynx16 said:It’s not even about that.

I honestly don't think Luc Besson was even trying to reinvent the wheel here; he seemed way more focused on nailing that darker atmosphere and putting together those flashy scenes that are—well, maybe!—kind of an homage to some of his favorite directors.

[For me, I definitely caught vibes from some of the best John Carpenter flicks: Halloween and in In the Mouth of Madness...]

The vibe is dark alright, but the scenes are super predictable and the whole concept is just totally brainless... plus, I haven't seen a finale that stupid in ages... how can you even compare this to In the Mouth of Madness?!
Now Hollywood is gonna spend the next 100,000 years churning out the exact same movies, basically just riding the Ring hype...
The movie is👎 ... Don't bother seeing it in theaters

You really think the director was trying to pay homage to all those horror legends? If he wanted to do that, he should’ve actually acted like one of them—you know, by making actual horror and a plot that doesn't fall apart instantly. Instead, we get second-rate special effects and zero logic. Seriously, you can figure out who the killer is within the first 15 minutes, and the plot holes are big enough to drive a freight train through. Honestly, I’m totally with that critic from Empire who said the creepiest thing about this movie is how modern Hollywood can take a solid premise and turn it into the biggest, most pathetic pile of trash imaginable. And don't even get me started on the ending—how did Chloe Sava just bolt in a taxi right after her treatment? Also, since when does a jury let someone off just because they were possessed by a ghost? It's nonsense, it's ineffective, and it's an insult to anyone's intelligence. As for Halle, she basically proved that winning an Oscar didn't exactly help her pick better projects. And that ending was just stupid... I mean, as a self-proclaimed expert on twisted psyches, how did Mrs. Berry not realize she was living with a complete lunatic?

Pretty predictable, though I'll give it +2 because RDJ is just too cute playing Dr. Image 😉 and that end credits song was actually pretty solid

The rest was just 👎 (I mean, let's be real—Halle Berry's assets alone were enough to keep the guys watching...)

Brian Gonzalez7 said:The atmosphere is dark (...)

Fine, we've reached an agreement on that, over & out.

[I didn't mention any lack of plot twists or originality in my previous post, so I won't bother commenting on that part now.]

how can you even compare it to in In the Mouth of Madness?!

Not at all. Much like how I didn't. The real question, however, is how you manage to conflate noticing an influence with
actually comparing them?!! 😕

Now Hollywood will spend the next 100,000 years churning out the same movies totally inspired by this ring...

I don't think a fairly predictable plot—which, by the way, is hardly debatable—is the fundamental issue here. Whether a lack of certain whimsy (read: stupidity) needed to make it a horror hit in America is still up for debate... But alas! Luc Besson—unlike Wes Craven, for instance—didn't want to (or maybe didn't dare 😁) tackle parodying the horror genre. I'd say that due to a shortage of new & original stories, he "simply" focused on making a film that would help him pivot his career overseas.

And he likely succeeded.

P.S. That last bit also serves as a response to Sam James4's post.

slylynx16, I can tell you two things for sure: David Cronenberg and Mario Bava are absolute legends. Wes Craven is alright, but all these other directors out there trying way too hard to make "good horror" (which usually just means a mediocre thriller) are honestly just total nobodies...
Americans are obsessed with the ring, even though the Japanese version is way better... those guys just keep getting better and better at making incredible movies. Seriously, go find Ichi the Killer, Versus, or Battle Royale and just stay far away from those mindless Hollywood projects... (lately in the US, it feels like rednecks are the big trend—everything from Cabin fans to Wrong Turn type stuff).
Best, Brian Gonzalez7😎

Brian Gonzalez7 said:Go watch Ichi the Killer, Versus, or Battle Royale and just stay away from those mindless Hollywood projects...

Ahem...

04-17-2004 12:36

Pro tip: read the (almost) last paragraph!

Best, [Geez, how I love to brag! 🙄] slylynx16.

slylynx16 said:Ahem...

04-17-2004 12:36

Little hint for you: check out that (fake) last paragraph!

Sending love from [Geez, how I love to brag! 🙄] slylynx16.

Smart, witty, and still has an eye for actual quality cinema...
what are your plans for Saturday night 😉 ?

I just finished the whole movie and honestly, I can't even decide if it was good... damn, I'm actually shaken up.
But, does anyone know the name of that song playing during the end credits? Please? I think I've heard it a few times before, but I never caught what 😳
was.

This movie was honestly such a letdown!!👎

And don't even get me started on that song at the end 👎 (though if you must know, it's actually Fred Durst singing—but honestly, he’s just as much of a disappointment as everything else about this film)👎 👎 👎

Haha, it looks like everyone already slapped the label on him that first popped into my head: predictability
To be honest, I couldn't figure out how the title actually related to the movie, but then my boyfriend explained it to me—cluelessly, of course... 😳

My favorite memory will just be an empty theater and a big bucket of warm popcorn

hiddeneagle42 said:Anyone know the name of that song playing during the end credits? It actually caught my ear—heard it a few times before but never really clocked what it was. 😳

It's called "Behind Blue Eyes" by Limp Bizkit—Fred Durst's take on the original by The Who.

As far as the plot goes, it’s nothing special, but it gets the job done. I actually liked the contrast they pulled off: seeing H. Berry as a doctor outside the cell one night, and then cutting to her as the patient in the next scene. 😲
By the way, H. Berry looks great here—really natural, no heavy makeup. Total Sexbomb !!! 👍
The soundtrack holds up too. Having Behind Blue Eyes lyrics in there is a classic move, but it works.
Overall, I’d give it a 3 out of 5.

Haven't watched it, haven't read up on it either.
So, why the hell is the movie called Gothika?

It’s got that Gothika vibe, you know? Like some dark, moody aesthetic straight out of a Gothic art movement. You can just picture it.

hiddeneagle42 said:I basically skimmed the whole movie so I can't really tell if it was good... honestly, I'm a total wimp when it comes to this stuff.
But, does anyone happen to know the name of that song playing during the end credits? I kind of loved it; I feel like I've heard it before but never actually caught what 😳 was.

Behind Blue Eyes 🙂

No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows
What it's like to be hated
To be faded to telling only lies
Behind Blue Eyes lyrics
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscious seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never Free lyrics
No one knows what its like
To feel these feelings
Like i do, and i blame you!
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain woe
Can show through
Behind Blue Eyes lyrics
Discover l.i.m.p. say it [x4]
No one knows what its like
To be mistreated, to be defeated
Behind blue eyes
No one know how to say
That they're sorry and don't worry
I'm not telling lies
Behind Blue Eyes lyrics
No one knows what its like
To be the bad man, to be the sad man
Behind blue eyes.

Personally, I thought the movie was good 👍 ..........after all those stupid "horror" flicks from the last few years, this one felt like it could actually be based on a true phenomenon (you know, like actual possession cases or restless spirits of murder victims, etc.).

As far as the plot goes, it wasn't anything groundbreaking, but still. I really liked that contrast: seeing Halle Berry as a doctor outside the asylum one night, and then seeing her as a patient in the next scene...

And yeah, 👍
The film does a great job showing how patients are treated in psychiatric hospitals.

I highly recommend it 😁

Sam James4 said:I can't help but wonder how Chloe Sava managed to just bolt away in a taxi right after her treatment. And honestly—I didn't realize an American jury could just let a killer walk free because they were acting under some kind of spiritual influence. It’s nonsensical, ineffective, and honestly insulting to your intelligence. Plus, Halle just proved that winning that Oscar didn't exactly lead her toward more challenging roles. And that ending was just plain stupid... as someone who considers themselves a bit of an expert on disturbed minds, I find it hard to believe Mrs. Berry didn't see through the mental instability of the person she shared her life with...

🙂 Why are you expecting a movie, especially an American one, to be 100% logical?
Chloe left only after completing her treatment, which lasted at least a year. (Her hair is much longer now).
And if you think it's actually that easy to spot a psychopath's true nature, you're dead wrong. 😉

P.S. Even if the movie is garbage, it's still better than most other American trash.