Movie Gravity

[gtvc]

Hi, a new Space movie is coming, is about a space accident, looks very realistic, check the trailers

what do you think?

[Echnaton]

From Wikipedia

Although the first trailer has audible explosions in it, Cuarón has confirmed that scenes in space will be silent: "They put in explosions [in the trailer]. As we know, there is no sound in space. In the film, we don't do that."

This is a good start.

Enquiring minds want to know, will there be a weightless nude scene with Sandra Bullock?

[darren r]

Looks cool, but I've always thought that complaining about noisy explosions in space movies is one of the nerdiest things anyone can do. If you're watching Star Wars and pointing out that there's no sound in space, you're missing the point.

Anyway, I bet there's incidental music in this. Are there orchestras in space?

[Echnaton]

Silence is way underused in movies.  Think of the shuttle noiselessly exploding, with only the sound of the radio link dying.  Leaving an astronaut floating quietly in space with no way home.  That can give the chills to an audience who cares about the character.

[Sus_pilot]

Clooney's in it?  Oh, well, someone let me know if it's any good...

[ka9q]

Silence is way underused in movies.  Think of the shuttle noiselessly exploding, with only the sound of the radio link dying.  Leaving an astronaut floating quietly in space with no way home.  That can give the chills to an audience who cares about the character[

I think understatement is way underutilized in movies. Silence is just one form of that.

I noticed a long time ago that in comedy, the less you show in a gag, the funnier it often is. Warner Bros' Golden Era made good use of this principle; I was especially fond of the Coyote's eyes narrowing to pinpoints as the shadow of the boulder grows around him. (Never mind that in reality his eyes should widen, not narrow.)

Young Frankenstein contains another good example. When Dr. Frankenstein tells Inga that he has figured out the rotating bookcase he instructs her to remove the candle and he'll block the bookcase with his body. Brooks leaves the camera on Inga so we see her cringe when the inevitable happens. That was much funnier than simply showing us what she was seeing.

[LunarOrbit]

I'm looking forward to it. I might even catch a bus to Toronto to see it at the Film Festival next Sunday.

[Echnaton]

I think understatement is way underutilized in movies. Silence is just one form of that.

The technology of making movies gives us the constant assault on our senses that occurs in contemporary sci fi and comic book movies. It makes them a great ride, but leaves something behind for adult viewers who want more than action.   If you look at older sci fi movies they tended to use all the traditional theatrical techniques of drama to force the audience to fill in the gaps in the visual presentation within their minds.  Movie makers don't need to do that anymore but can offer convincing and often stunning visual immersion.   It is fine for what it is, but there is a burn out that occurs after some number of action films that leaves me, at any rate, wanting more than Spider Man Reboot 7. 

My mind always comes back to the genius of Apollo 13.  A movie whose ending was known but still managed to enthrall the audience with the drama of the situation and the wonder of human ingenuity.   Stunning visuals and attention to detail were important to making that such a good movie.  I hope Gravity can capture some of the spirit of Apollo 13.  I haven't seen the film Marooned in many years, but Gravity sounds like an update.  If Gravity holds up at all, it should be at least worth a solo visit for the discounted Sunday early show.  If it turns out to be more than a space flick, then it will be good for a date with my wife. 

[gtvc]

I know movies today are oversaturated with special effects and fast action, is like junk food taste good but doesn't give you all the nutrients that you need and you can get tired easily , more action less suspense.

Hey!, Looks like the new trailers are fixed "no sound in space".

[Jason Thompson]

Silence is way underused in movies.

I agree, but sometimes it can be used very effectively. Even though the 2009 Star Trek movie is, of course, full of sounds of starships zooming around, phasers and torpedoes firing and explosions all over the place, one sequence very effectively uses silence. Right near the start when the Narada attacks the USS Kelvin there's a shot of a corridor being blown out. Bangs, crashes, screams, then we follow the hapless ensign who got blasted out of the hull breach, and as we move out of the ship into space the sound stops and we have a few seconds of total visual chaos with weapons firing left, right and centre in silence. It's a nice little sequence, even if it is entirely unique in the movie and therefore a little out of place.

[smartcooky]

The technology of making movies gives us the constant assault on our senses that occurs in contemporary sci fi and comic book movies.

This happens in documentaries now as well, especially the trailers.

I just no longer bother watching trailers for documentaries on Discovery, Nat-Geo or the History channel. I have had about as much of the visual battering from the rapid fire FLASH - FLASH - FLASH shot sequences that I can take. They run sequences of ½ to 1 second shots (or even shorter) in quick succession, accompanied by loud, melodramatic, over the top music, for example...

...about 150 separate shots in 154 seconds. At one stage in the middle part of the promo, the shots come at between three and four each second

I like a trailer to show me a little of the documentary's subject material, not batter the hell out of me with a flashing light-show that is little more than a vehicle for the video editor to show off his editing skills. I find these sorts of things difficult to watch, so I usually mute the TV and go make a coffee.   

If you look at older sci fi movies they tended to use all the traditional theatrical techniques of drama to force the audience to fill in the gaps in the visual presentation within their minds. 

Forbidden Planet?
2001: A Space Odyssey?

Even the original Star Trek (if you can get past Kirk/Shatner's massive ego) made you think. The special effects were excellent for the time but they merely added to the story, they didn't dominate it.

[Echnaton]

Silence is way underused in movies.

I agree, but sometimes it can be used very effectively. Even though the 2009 Star Trek movie is, of course, full of sounds of starships zooming around, phasers and torpedoes firing and explosions all over the place, one sequence very effectively uses silence. Right near the start when the Narada attacks the USS Kelvin there's a shot of a corridor being blown out. Bangs, crashes, screams, then we follow the hapless ensign who got blasted out of the hull breach, and as we move out of the ship into space the sound stops and we have a few seconds of total visual chaos with weapons firing left, right and centre in silence. It's a nice little sequence, even if it is entirely unique in the movie and therefore a little out of place.

I liked that scene.  It was very effective with the people being blown alive out into the void.  It adds to the terror.

[Echnaton]

2001: A Space Odyssey?

2001 stands alone in so many ways.

[ka9q]

2001 stands alone in so many ways.

Yeah, and many people (not me, natch) consider it boring, that's why.

I do find some of the 0g sequences pretty laughable or at least endearingly amusing now. No real astronaut dons velcro slippers and slowly inches down an aisle, but in 1968 nobody knew how real people would behave in real zero gravity when they had the room to move around. But the final showdown between Dave and Hal is as gripping as ever.

[ka9q]

My mind always comes back to the genius of Apollo 13.  A movie whose ending was known but still managed to enthrall the audience with the drama of the situation and the wonder of human ingenuity. 

Absolutely. I probably knew the Apollo 13 story better than just about anyone else in the audience, but it was still thoroughly engrossing. I don't mind saying that the launch sequence was so well done that it moved me to tears, and I'll bet I'm not the only one here.

Another aspect that I thoroughly loved is that the much-maligned members of my profession -- engineers -- finally got their chance to be the heroes. The public saw that working with your mind can be every bit as exciting and important as anything people do. There are many examples, but my favorite is Howard's rapid backtrack along the MOCR consoles as everyone confirms Jim Lovell's calculations of the CM/LM IMU alignment offsets as they're firing up the LM. I never would have thought that a mainstream movie could inject so much drama into a simple pencil-and-paper addition problem, but it did.