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Why are there no good dinosaur films?

briannazigler.substack.com

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Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#351

Post by tuna74 »

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #174
GMoromisato wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would have been a way better explanation than what we got. In fact, I don't think I ever understood how Neo could control the machines in the real world. I like introducing the uncertainty of what is or is not real (like Inception). That could turn it into a paranoid thriller like some Philip K. Dick stories.

My head canon was essentially that the nutrient connectors in the back of people's necks also had a weak wireless near range communication port to the computers wireless net. Why, because sometimes malfunctions and accidents can happen and people get detached and they need to be findable. The Oracle had realized years before that this could be used to relay shutdown commands to nearby machines because relatively lax…

It is even possible that she modified Neo/Neo's implants in order to have this ability.

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#352

Post by codeduck »

nicce wrote: post #68
conductr wrote: post #22

My son is a dinosaur enthusiast to say the least. At some point, well into his accumulation of Dino facts we read an old book I had as a kid (mid 80s) and the book says all kinds of weird stuff I forget but abruptly ends with “they went extinct and we may never know how” and my son (age 4 at the time) is at a loss for words, “it was a asteroid dad, what dummy wrote this book?” For weeks he’d randomly look at me, “hey…

I thought that it still isn’t really known? Is is one common theory, but we have just probabilities to play with.

The geological record of the K-T boundary is very hard to argue with

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#353

Post by tuna74 »

aleph_minus_one wrote: post #227
GMoromisato wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really feel for the Wachoskis. They couldn't not do a sequel, but they had nowhere to go--The Matrix was already perfect. They couldn't recapture the key reveal of the Matrix. It would be like doing a sequel to "The Sixth Sense"--tag line: "He's Still Dead". And without that, it's just another action movie except "bullet time" is no longer innovative. Their solution was to go deeper into the mythology and the large…

> I really feel for the Wachoskis. They couldn't not do a sequel, but they had nowhere to go--The Matrix was already perfect. I remember that at the time of the (non-existent ;-) ) sequels, being disappointed with these "sequels", fans wrote summaries of screenplays how a (good) sequel to Matrix might look like. Basically all of them were much better than the official sequel attempt (because such fans really cared),…

"Lesson learned: scripts for sequels of movies that have a strong fan-base should be written by people who really care about the franchise (and have good ideas)."

As the originators of the Matrix franchise, the Wachowskis certainly fit that description.

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#354

Post by GMoromisato »

munksbeer wrote: post #332
GMoromisato wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really feel for the Wachoskis. They couldn't not do a sequel, but they had nowhere to go--The Matrix was already perfect. They couldn't recapture the key reveal of the Matrix. It would be like doing a sequel to "The Sixth Sense"--tag line: "He's Still Dead". And without that, it's just another action movie except "bullet time" is no longer innovative. Their solution was to go deeper into the mythology and the large…

> It would be like doing a sequel to "The Sixth Sense"--tag line: "He's Still Dead" What's this?

If you have not seen The Sixth Sense yet, I envy you! Try to do so before you get any spoilers.

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#355

Post by regularfry »

BLKNSLVR wrote: post #127
GMoromisato wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really feel for the Wachoskis. They couldn't not do a sequel, but they had nowhere to go--The Matrix was already perfect. They couldn't recapture the key reveal of the Matrix. It would be like doing a sequel to "The Sixth Sense"--tag line: "He's Still Dead". And without that, it's just another action movie except "bullet time" is no longer innovative. Their solution was to go deeper into the mythology and the large…

I thought the "real" world could have been another simulation after Neo "used the force" in the squiddies in the tunnels - when he then passes out and ends up mentally in the train station thing. Idea being that even those who thought they'd escaped, were still actually within the Matrix. (And Inception hadn't been made back then)

I really want to know what the story behind this detail is. It never got resolved but it led you in a very specific direction, and if the answer truly is "they're still inside" then all of the rest is inside too.

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#356

Post by worldsayshi »

wishfish wrote: post #180
GMoromisato wrote: post #94

The Alien, Terminator, and Matrix franchises have similar problems. Aliens successfully changed genres, from horror to action. But subsequent movies could never recapture the primal horror of the original or the fun action of the second. It's almost like there are only two local optima in the Alien movie universe and Alien + Aliens took them both. Terminator is the same. The first movie was a perfect sci-fi action mo…

To me, the sequels were worthwhile just for one solitary scene. In the third movie, Trinity is piloting the ship and has to gain higher than usual altitude for some reason that I've now forgotten. This takes her above the black clouds permanently enveloping the Earth. Sunlight pours into the cockpit. For the first and only time in her life, she sees the real sun with her own physical eyes. She's overwhelmed. It's jus…

A hint at subverting the Cyberpunk genre with Solarpunk. Too bad there hasn't been any genre defining Solarpunk movie yet.

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#357

Post by marklubi »

p_ing wrote: post #98
nullhole wrote: post #7

A lot of strong opinions in the article, but Ebert wasn't stupid and wrong. He said - correctly, I think - that there was a sense of awe and wonder at the first dino scene, with the Brontosauruses : "But consider what could have been. There is a scene very early in the film where Neill and Dern, who have studied dinosaurs all of their lives, see living ones for the first time. The creatures they see are tall, majesti…

What sort of tension is derived from watching a bunch of plant-eaters on the plains? The creature feature is what audiences want -- the T-Rex 'objects in mirror are closer than they appear' chase scene is iconic. As is that roar. Heck, so are the grossly mis-sized velociraptors. When they're in the kitchen with the kids, watching those animals be nervous of all things -- the entire scene is a treat.

I always appreciated the truck scene with the water ripples in the glass.

The backstory of the production of it is interesting. Involves a guitar.

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/jurassic-park-guitar-wa...

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#358

Post by MDGeist »

hdjdjdbdgsud wrote: post #210
lelanthran wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could have done a prequel: where did the Oracle come from, the existing crew of morpheus, trinity, etc.

There is the Animatrix.... Specifically it has a history reel like that.

I did not entirely hate the sequels, but I feel like the Animatrix was better and kind of flies under the radar.

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#359

Post by SV_BubbleTime »

wmeredith wrote: post #334
robertlagrant wrote: post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The moment when he picks them up off the mid-explosion truck gives me chills every time. The build-up is so good.

Except diesel doesn't explode like that. (I don't know what's wrong with me that I can't just enjoy movies.)

It’s computer world diesel. The swapped out for kerosine for efficiency, and the tank was 1/3rd full with a ton of high pressure vapor.

Diesel doesn’t “explode”, but it can deflagrate very quickly with the right vapor conditions.

Re: Why are there no good dinosaur films?

#360

Post by triceratops »

iamsaitam wrote: post #242
jmb99 wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GoT still blows me away. You had about as close to an infinite budget as you can get in television, access to some of the best writers on the planet, as well as general guidance from Martin, and yet somehow you end up with season 8 (and 7, and to a lesser extent 6). It wouldn’t surprise me if Winds of Winter never gets published due in part to the TV series’ writing, which is to me the biggest loss.

I think the hate that the last seasons get are mainly due to people's expectations of how the several arcs should "wrap up". I have yet to read any compelling argument or point of view why the last seasons were terrible. They were rushed, but that doesn't equate to bad.

> mainly due to people's expectations of how the several arcs should "wrap up".

Well...yeah? The "how" is the very essence of good writing. "Frodo walked to Mount Doom and destroyed the ring" is one way to write Lord of the Rings. But no one would call it good writing. The journey is just as important as the destination.

> I have yet to read any compelling argument or point of view why the last seasons were terrible.

Logic, timing, characterization, pacing, tone, faithfulness to the source material or to earlier seasons. Characters doing dumb shit just because the story needs to get to a certain place.

I didn't need to read anyone's arguments to know the last seasons were terrible. I have eyes and ears.

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