On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 07:02:36 -0800, RainLover wrote:



I didn't take the movie too much as a 'who done it', but I know what
you mean.

Yeah, "who done it" is not the correct description. It is a mystery thriller
though.



The funny (skillful?) thing the director did was to give
away much, but really NOT give away, except in hindsight.... maybe
that's the 'haunting' part.

Perhaps, but while I was watching, I thought he gave away too much, not in
hindsight. I really think he wanted to make a movie ala Hitchcock. As you
pointed out, there are tributes to the master.




My wife HATES 'scary' movies, and while I thought this movie was going
to go down that old path, I think it did and INCREDIBLE job of walking
along that cliff, but not going there....

Again, I felt he got close. He wanted you to imagine the horrors of long
term insomnia rather than "have a monster jump out". I just slightly missed
the scaryness because of the predictabilty.

I think what makes these type of movies scary is that they ARE predictable,
too a point. You are forced to sit there in anticipation, waiting for the
inevitable. It's the ability of the director to carry you along that makes
for the frightening thoughts. You think you know what will happen and are
made to wait. Then, every now and again, you're thrown for a loop. You're
kept on your toes. Now, you're not sure what to expect next time. That is
where I think the director failed.




Not really important, but there's a dirty, gritty, greasy and very
industrial feel to the label "machinist" that 'plumber' and 'garbage
man don't accomplish.


The Porta Potty Cleaner?




Oh, I don't know.... I can't think of any other workplace condition
that can be quite as menacing FEELING as a huge-ass machine shop...
The machines themselves are scary looking, especially the older ones.

Oil rig, miner, IRS office :-)




So while I saw the movie because it was about a
machinist rather than a plumber, I felt a little misled by the title.

He was a machinist, what's to be misled about? :-)

Maybe not misled, but slightly cheated. (same thing?) I wanted more about
the trade in general. The machinist/shop was merely the backdrop.





Overall, I give it a thumbs up and would recommend it to most people. I
wouldn't take queasy people.

I think even the most queasy person would enjoy (if that's what you
can call it) this movie.

My wife wouldn't.




Did you stay for the credits?

Yes, always.



Did you notice that the entire movie
was filmed in SPAIN, with a nearly all Spanish crew? I wonder why
they made that choice...

I knew before seeing the movie that it was filmed in Spain. It was a fairly
low budget independant film so I'd think cost was a major decision to film
in Spain. Also, maybe some of the principals live there?




I read something yesterday... the color in the movie was a bit dark
and eerie. To get that color, all the actors actually wore white
makeup for the filming, then, in the film processing, they
color-corrected to normal skin tones.

That's interesting. I noticed the dark and bluish cast over the film and
felt that was part of the gritty, unease feeling I got. I saw it at a
Century theater (as opposed to a small "indy" theater) but it was an older
one. At first, I actually thought the projector bulb was getting old or
there was a horrible layer of dirt on the projector lens/glass/bulb! It
didn't take long though for me to realize the darkness of the film was by
intent.

--
Skuke
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