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It Follows

Started by Olarrio, March 03, 2015, 10:58:37 AM

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Olarrio

It's very rare i'll go to the cinema to see a horror, but on this occasion I'm glad I did. If it weren't for the review on Film 2015 and a few other bits and bobs I'd have glossed over it as another formulaic, run of the mill horror flick.

As it happens, i found this to be a fully immersive experience. Someone better versed in cinematography will be able to explain the techniques used etc, but the lighting, use of sound and music were excellent and there were some phenomenal shots (used to steadily increase, or maintain, the tension/dread.) In fact, it was visually and audibly gorgeous.

The creator of it has talked about the idea coming from a dream where "the monster" relentlessly kept following him, and he just intuitively knew it was terrifying. Whilst this wasn't an utterly terrifying film, it certainly tapped into that dream-like/slightly otherworldly fear that is quite indescribable.

Lots to talk about... anyone else seen it?

Beagle 2

Hmm, I got an email today saying that Disasterpeace has done the soundtrack. I love Disasterpeace, so will definitely be checking this out.

Head Gardener

I saw it on Sunday and loved it, it was as good as Triangle and just when you think you have a handle on it
it cranks up a gear, and the music is excellent throughout


Olarrio

The posters are lush too:




Swoz_MK

I thought it was bloody wonderful.

The scene where Jay
Spoiler alert
swims over to the Jocks in their little party boat
[close]
made my skin crawl, poor girl.

Soundtrack is good but I'm a little sick of all the Carpenter-alikes and their big Yamaha keyboards (joint Christmas/Birthday present).

Noodle Lizard

I'm always skeptical of new horror films with good reviews.  The synopsis of this makes it sound like utterly dull shite ("she finds herself plagued by strange visions", "they must find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind") which I wouldn't normally bother with, so I'll just have to take your words for it.

If this is another Oculus, I will be furious.

Brundle-Fly

Watched this yesterday afternoon in the West End off the back of Danny Leigh's rave review from BBC's Film 2015.

On that token, I think I was expecting something as wonky and resonant as Under The Skin but it didn't really deliver for me.  That's not to say it isn't an effective chilling movie, because it is.

Maybe it's an age thing, but my main problem with the film is this smell of knowingness and the boring art department sub-hipster fixation with late 70s/early 80s cinema. Too groovy. Too Grand Royale.

The Entity meets The Faculty ?





Noodle Lizard

I did quite like The Faculty, I think.

Lt Plonker

I saw a bit of Halloween and The Ring in it. Certainly that grim sense of unease that pervades The Ring and the paranoia from the first half of Halloween. The streets and houses in It Follows felt very reminiscent of Halloween but I guess a fair amount of the American suburbs look like that.

checkoutgirl

Is this a sequel to IT? With Tim Curry.

phantom_power

Descriptions don't really do the film justice as the main strength of the film is the atmosphere, tone and sense of verisimilitude, which are all quite hard to describe

Quote from: checkoutgirl on March 06, 2015, 10:38:27 AM
Is this a sequel to IT? With Tim Curry.
The sequel would be Follows It, surely? This is evidently a prequel.

Blumf

Quote from: phantom_power on March 06, 2015, 11:15:01 AM
Descriptions don't really do the film justice as the main strength of the film is the atmosphere, tone and sense of verisimilitude, which are all quite hard to describe

Is it comparable to Beyond the Black Rainbow in terms of atmosphere?

checkoutgirl

Quote from: phantom_power on March 06, 2015, 11:15:01 AM
Descriptions don't really do the film justice as the main strength of the film is the atmosphere, tone and sense of verisimilitude, which are all quite hard to describe

Especially if you don't know what the fuck "verisimilitude" means.

Brundle-Fly

Quote from: phantom_power on March 06, 2015, 11:15:01 AM
Descriptions don't really do the film justice as the main strength of the film is the atmosphere, tone and sense of verisimilitude, which are all quite hard to describe

You know what, you're right. I think I was rather dismissive of it in my post, when actually thinking about It Follows again today, it's a really well made film . I should stop moaning about whether it's a bit retro and just go for the ride.  The main element I admired about this thriller, was for once, all the protagonists were likeable. I've watched so many horror films recently, where I couldn't give a toss if anyone gets chopped up.

Noodle Lizard

I don't seem to have any way of watching it.  It's not in cinemas here and doesn't seem to be "available".

Small Man Big Horse

I thought it was okay but nothing special at all, and can't understand why some critics labelled it think it brings anything that new to the genre, it's just The Ring but where they have to pass on a sex curse instead of a video curse.

There was some discussion of it in the Good Horror Movies thread.

QuoteQuote from: holyzombiejesus on February 14, 2015, 01:51:35 am
There's a really positive review of this at thequietus. It describes it as 'game changing'.

http://thequietus.com/articles/17170-it-follows-review

QuoteQuote from: SMBH on February 14, 2015, 02:51:35 am
I like thequietus at times but that's a really poor review, giving the film way too much credit and reading things in to it that just aren't there. To call it game changing is ridiculous too, sure, there's the odd original moment, but most of the film is borrowed from a hundred others. The claim that it has "confidently under sketched characterisation" instead of just dull writing is the most ludicrous thing for me, too.

QuoteQuote from: phantom_power on February 17, 2015, 09:22:20 am
The way it has you scouring the background for possible 'It's is very clever.

QuoteQuote from: SMBH on February 17, 2015, 011:22:20 am
That was one element I enjoyed,
Spoiler alert
apart from the naked man standing on top of the house
[close]
, which made me burst out laughing.

phantom_power

I think the plot is as you say but I think the film is much more than the plot. As I said before, it is all about the atmosphere and tone, which I think are quite unique for a horror film, certainly a modern horror film. The film it most reminded me of in terms of tone was The Virgin Suicides, but with the dread turned up to 11.

I also agree about the likeability of the characters, and the fact that they don't spend half of the film trying to convince the friends that it is real, and that generally they think about their actions rather than splitting up and getting slaughtered

mothman

I haven't seen this, and will be unlikely to before it shows up on Film 4 in a year or two. But I've noted the good reviews. And also the premise, which immediately starts me asking questions.

1. So, It Follows? At, I gather, walking pace, giveing you ample time to get ahead, catch some Zzz's, grab a bite to eat, go to the toilet etc. So why stop there? Hop on a plane to Australia! It Follows, sure, but does It Follow Using All The Conveniences Of Modern High-Speed Transportation? Can It Swim? Or can It Catch A Cab?
2. The logic of the premise means there can be only one It that Follows. And as soon as You've passed the curse on by shagging, then off It goes Following that unfortunate.
Spoiler alert
The most spoilerific review I've read of this suggests that this is indeed a bit of a plot hole, and the film falls apart once it starts ignoring its own rules
[close]
So why not go shag some bed-bound terminal-illness patient? What happens once It Catches You? I assume that then It Disappears In A Puff Of Logic?

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: mothman on March 07, 2015, 05:14:19 PM
I haven't seen this, and will be unlikely to before it shows up on Film 4 in a year or two. But I've noted the good reviews. And also the premise, which immediately starts me asking questions.

1. So, It Follows? At, I gather, walking pace, giveing you ample time to get ahead, catch some Zzz's, grab a bite to eat, go to the toilet etc. So why stop there? Hop on a plane to Australia! It Follows, sure, but does It Follow Using All The Conveniences Of Modern High-Speed Transportation? Can It Swim? Or can It Catch A Cab?

When escaped it eventually catches up, though I don't know how it'd work if you were in another country.
Spoiler alert
It definitely couldn't catch a plane, but it can swim (or walk on the ocean floor, presumably!) so being constantly on the move might work, a few weeks in one country, a weeks in the next, but you'd need a fuck load of money to do so. And it does sometimes seemingly appear out of nowhere (the naked man on the house, for instance) so I'm not quite sure exactly how it works.
[close]

Quote2. The logic of the premise means there can be only one It that Follows. And as soon as You've passed the curse on by shagging, then off It goes Following that unfortunate.
Spoiler alert
The most spoilerific review I've read of this suggests that this is indeed a bit of a plot hole, and the film falls apart once it starts ignoring its own rules
[close]
So why not go shag some bed-bound terminal-illness patient? What happens once It Catches You? I assume that then It Disappears In A Puff Of Logic?

Nah,
Spoiler alert
once the person you passed the curse on to is dead, it starts coming back for you again.
[close]

mothman


Brundle-Fly

It's strange the role all the adults play in this film.
Spoiler alert
When they're not representing the manifestations depicted as saggy, old, pissy, unattractive folk that make any young person go, "EeeWWWWWwwww...*" they are somehow absent, like how they're portrayed in Peanuts.  Even the caring father at the top of the film seems somewhat opaque. 

*The appearance of some 1960s pornography compounds this maybe.
[close]

TrenterPercenter

Great cinematography.
Really good casting and acting (for a teen horror flick)
Great score.

Other than that
Spoiler alert
it's pretty much the same scene repeated several times
[close]
[nb]this isn't a Spoiler really but might reduce some enjoyment [/nb], also I felt it could have really done with some back story or at least some attempts of them trying work out a back story or just something other than <see Spoiler>

really want to give it more but 3/5 worth watching for the aforementioned good aspects.

phantom_power

I like that there is no back story. It adds to the unknown nature of the threat, which makes it more unnerving. I like that the protagonists don't quite know the exact rules or nature of the threat

TrenterPercenter

Quote from: phantom_power on March 08, 2015, 09:36:30 PM
I like that there is no back story. It adds to the unknown nature of the threat, which makes it more unnerving. I like that the protagonists don't quite know the exact rules or nature of the threat

Yeah there is a point in that but perhaps that is why it should at least be some attempts at the protagonist(s) trying to understand it.

I mean:

Why does it not seem to appear when they are sleeping? How did the first bloke get to know what he knew about it? It has a physical form
Spoiler alert
the sheet going over it
[close]
so why not make something more of that as a defensive measure? Why not make more of the moral issue of passing it on?

The ring works well in that there are defined rules which builds the tension 3 days and your done no ifs or buts, the film is then based on trying to find out about what the video means and is all the more eerie for it.  This is It Follows problem, it loses it's tension quickly as it just becomes the same scene again and again with little else going on.  It just ends up coming across as someones creepy pasta without the depth for a whole film.

phantom_power

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on March 09, 2015, 10:18:00 PM
Yeah there is a point in that but perhaps that is why it should at least be some attempts at the protagonist(s) trying to understand it.

I mean:

Why does it not seem to appear when they are sleeping? How did the first bloke get to know what he knew about it? It has a physical form
Spoiler alert
the sheet going over it
[close]
so why not make something more of that as a defensive measure? Why not make more of the moral issue of passing it on?

The ring works well in that there are defined rules which builds the tension 3 days and your done no ifs or buts, the film is then based on trying to find out about what the video means and is all the more eerie for it.  This is It Follows problem, it loses it's tension quickly as it just becomes the same scene again and again with little else going on.  It just ends up coming across as someones creepy pasta without the depth for a whole film.


They did spend a bit of time trying to understand it but how much do you want them sitting around discussing it. I think there is enough there to imply they have thought about it and realised they don't know the threat. It would be a bit hard to test as well because you would just want to get as far away as possible.

I think it can come for you when you are asleep but they only really slept when they were far enough away. I don't really care how the first bloke knew about the curse and it would have been detrimental to the film, or at best pointless, to explore this. I think the moral issue was plain to see really, which is why she struggled. I think a film like this walks a fine line in terms of exposition and if it had explained everything you say then people would criticise it for hand-holding. I think it had just enough discussion on those issues to allow the film to progress and any more would have spoiled the dream-like nature of the film.

You are right that it is just similar scenes repeated but only in the same sense most horror films are like that to some degree. You introduce the threat and keep bringing the threat back and escalating the danger. I think the film did enough different with each instance within that framework to be interesting.

As I said before the success of the film for me was so much about the atmosphere and tone that I am not too worried that things weren't explained enough or the action varied too much

popcorn

I enjoyed this. Managed to be a throwback without being a pastiche or trashy.

Quote from: Brundle-Fly on March 07, 2015, 06:07:05 PM
It's strange the role all the adults play in this film.
Spoiler alert
When they're not representing the manifestations depicted as saggy, old, pissy, unattractive folk that make any young person go, "EeeWWWWWwwww...*" they are somehow absent, like how they're portrayed in Peanuts.  Even the caring father at the top of the film seems somewhat opaque.

The appearance of some 1960s pornography compounds this maybe.
[close]

Spoiler alert
The whole film is eerily timeless - it's clearly not meant to be set in "the past", but Jay makes a phone call on an old-fashioned telephone, and what's with that movie theatre? There's a nostalgic "childhood summer" feeling to it, like the Famous Five. Most horror movies end up isolating its heroes/heroines, but her friends like "we gotta solve this mystery!" and are with her until the end, which is more like 80s movies like ET or whatever. I really like how most of the film is set in broad sunlight and the colours are all vibrant and popping and warm but it's still creepy.
[close]

Quote from: TrenterPercenter on March 09, 2015, 10:18:00 PM
It has a physical form
Spoiler alert
the sheet going over it
[close]
so why not make something more of that as a defensive measure? Why not make more of the moral issue of passing it on?

I agree that the premise seemed a bit underexplored.

Spoiler alert
The entire finale is based on the idea of electrocuting the creature, but they already know shooting it doesn't work, so why would electrocution work instead? I mean this less as a criticism of realism - "it's stupid for the characters to reach this decision!" - as one of theme. The creature is something to do with sex guilt or relationships or society's shaming of casual sex, I haven't figured that out, so how does the electrocution thing tie into it?

It does expand on the recurring motif of the swimming pool as a symbol of security which is then destroyed later in the film. Is that it? The idea of making the monster visible with the cloth also stuck out to me - why wasn't this explored more, as a strategy and a metaphor?
[close]

phantom_power

I think the monster is more a manifestation of the inexorable march of time, loss of innocence and growing up and losing your childhood rather than sex guilt, but that doesn't make the electrocution any more clear. I think the thinking was that a gunshot hurt it but didn't kill it so something stronger would have to do

popcorn

Another small thing I just remembered: the kids drink a lot of retro-looking no-brand soda. It's like if they actually drank Pepsi or Coca-Cola it would damage the careful perfect fakeness of the world, like it'd break the fourth wall or something. Fascinating.

Olarrio

Quote from: Brundle-Fly on March 07, 2015, 06:07:05 PM
It's strange the role all the adults play in this film.
Spoiler alert
When they're not representing the manifestations depicted as saggy, old, pissy, unattractive folk that make any young person go, "EeeWWWWWwwww...*" they are somehow absent, like how they're portrayed in Peanuts.  Even the caring father at the top of the film seems somewhat opaque. 

*The appearance of some 1960s pornography compounds this maybe.
[close]

I found the almost total absence of adults and their possible neglect of the kids really interesting.

Jay and Kelly's mother is either a deadbeat layabout, or chronically mentally unwell?
Jay and Kelly's father is entirely off the scene - dead? Left the family?
Greg's mother doesn't miss him going to the cabin for a while and
Spoiler alert
ghost-version sexually assaults him.
[close]