Inception

[ilyinternet]

Oy, the gun battles/car chases. At least they're an opportunity to hit the washroom.

Sure, I agree some of the action sequences got a bit tedious but I applaud Nolan for the film and hope changes to the film industry may come as a result of it. If Inception makes big profits this may convince big studios to stop funding dumb directors (Michael Bay, Zack Snyder, Paul W.S. Anderson etc) to make blockbusters that require no discursive thought or reflection on the audiences part.

Instead he's managed to secure a decent budget thanks to the success of the Batman films and used it to create a film around an original and thought provoking idea which isn't a sequel, comicbook or remake. An original idea garnished with the currently necessary evil of blockbuster elements (action sequences, location changes, big name actors) in order to appeal to the masses. It's thinkatainment!

[brekin]

ilyinternet wrote:

norton ash wrote:
Oy, the gun battles/car chases. At least they're an opportunity to hit the washroom.

Sure, I agree some of the action sequences got a bit tedious but I applaud Nolan for the film and hope changes to the film industry may come as a result of it. If Inception makes big profits this may convince big studios to stop funding dumb directors (Michael Bay, Zack Snyder, Paul W.S. Anderson etc) to make blockbusters that require no discursive thought or reflection on the audiences part.

Instead he's managed to secure a decent budget thanks to the success of the Batman films and used it to create a film around an original and thought provoking idea which isn't a sequel, comicbook or remake. An original idea garnished with the currently necessary evil of blockbuster elements (action sequences, location changes, big name actors) in order to appeal to the masses. It's thinkatainment!

Although I don't think Inception really was successful overall I did enjoy it. But I don't think the premise was all that original or thought provoking.

Take a little bit DreamScape, add a dose of Flatliners, some Dark City, throw in your typical heist movie and some Matrixish effects and smear some Shutter Island on it all and other then the "totem","the kick" and the different levels of sleep there wasn't really much that I found all that novel.

I love smart movies and thought Memento, Insomnia, & the Batman movies really clever, intense and intriguing. But to be honest this summer I'd say The A-Team pulled out ahead of Inception for big theater movies for me.

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

The movie, 'Inception,' isn't just about psyops. It is promoting the idea that lefties are the dangerous purveyors of psyops.

The movie title and ad poster are supporting a European security project to identify "radical violent content" online and its dissemination paths. We are being made into thought criminals if we spread hot stuff on a discussion board-


The poster pictogram down at my local psynema shows the people on the left with guns and the people on the right without.
The background of the street bent upwards with a view of the the top of buildings means-
'Distorted view of the top.'
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3426651392/tt1375666


http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fundin ... x_1_en.pdf

.....
Study on methodologies or adapted technological tools to efficiently detect
violent radical content on the Internet

1. INTRODUCTION

Modern information and communication technologies play an important role in the
development of the threat which is currently represented by terrorism. In particular, the
Internet is cheap, fast, and easily accessible and has a practically global reach. All these
advantages, highly appreciated by law-abiding citizens that benefit from the Internet in their
daily lives, are also unfortunately exploited by terrorists, who have perfectly understood the
potential of the Internet as a tool to spread propaganda aiming at mobilisation and recruitment
as well as to provide for instructions and manuals intended for training or planning of attacks
at very low risk and cost.

The Internet serves in this manner as one of the principal boosters of the processes of
radicalisation and recruitment: it is used to inspire and mobilise local networks and
individuals in Europe and also serves as a source of information on terrorist means and
methods, thus functioning as a ‘virtual training camp’. The dissemination of such propaganda,
instructions and manuals through the Internet has therefore empowered terrorists, making the
terrorist threat grow.

Often, law enforcement authorities lack capacity and expertise to cope with the volume and
plurality of languages in which terrorists disseminate violent radical content. In addition, the
nature of the Internet itself: its extra-territoriality together with the anonymity it provides
seriously hinders the reaction of law enforcement authorities complicating both the removal
of such content from the Internet and the investigation and prosecution of those responsible
for a website and its content.

.....
8. REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED

The contractor shall be required to submit the following reports, in either French or English:

1) Inception report

The contractor shall submit a draft inception report within two weeks of the date of
signature of the contract and in advance of the kick-off meeting.
The draft inception report shall include a detailed methodology for the study, the
composition of the team of experts and a detailed work plan for the first six months of
the project.
.....

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

And here's the meme reinforcement of 'internet terrorist' in the news cycle, right on time-

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/07 ... -virginia/

"Student Online Terrorist Flunkie Arrested in Virginia"

[Luther Blissett]

Almost all effects were done in-camera, very little CGI. As for your other points, I have to wonder if we were watching the same film.

Not true.

“...the more spectacular imagery of the film — the street folding over in Paris, characters creating architecture out of thin air — are VFX shots that we created from a combination of live action and copious amounts of digital animation,” Franklin told Wired.com in a phone interview.
Read More http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/07/ ... z0uGNWkZ6f

Nolan does use miniatures more than most directors and I applaud him for that. But to suggest that "almost all the effects" were done in-camera is totally ridiculous. All of the imagery in that film (and almost every film) is digitally manipulated.

Some people seem to have a fanatical attachment to this film that borders on the religious (not saying you do, 8bit). Has anyone else noticed that? Look at Rotten Tomatoes and look through the comments on the negative reviews. Its really strange.

Sorry, that was me, not 8bit. Of course they ran it through post-production but I still stand by the fact that a majority of the effects were done in-camera. I mentioned it because you mentioned "explosions" and the only one I could think of was the Paris street cafe explosion - done in camera, not CGI. The tilting bar: in-camera, the floating hotel hall: in-camera, the mirror tunnel on the bridge: in-camera, the falling van: in-camera, the waterfall in the Japanese temple: in-camera etc etc. The CGI effects that stick out in my head are the folding city, the mechanically-rising footbridge, the entire last scene (in the Brasilia-like city crumbling into the sea [mimicking VERY closely to a recurring dream that I have of being at toweresque Atlantean ruins abutting the sea, I should add - it was very eerie "seeing" one of my recurring dreams]) and I would suppose the elevator and the train. And maybe the avalanche but I'm sort of 50/50 on that. Obviously the CGI effects were intended for rather high visual impact on the audience but I'm just trying to applaud Nolan for going the extra step in filming these effects rather than resorting to cheap CGI.

Not completely sure why I'm arguing this rather technical point, because even if he did film all these scenes in-camera it just means that he contributed significant amounts of waste to our ecosystem.

I guess I just liked the movie, and four days out I stand by the fact that it was a good film - better than most. But hey I'm a Kubrick fan.

[elfismiles]

Saw it last night with a SOLD OUT theater filled with fellow Austinites.

I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to. But perhaps that's simpyl because I've learned to lower my expectations so as to not be too disappointed.

My problems with the film:

- too much "splodey" action movie motifs
- not enough character development
- trite screenplay dialog like "Then we ride the 'kick' back all the way up!" Audience loved that one
- absolutely ZERO technical explanation for the existence of Mutual / Shared Dreaming
- lack of dreaminess to the dreams *

That last point is what really irks me the most, I think. Its the same criticism I had with The Matrix; here are supposed "dream warriors" and none of them can (or even tries) to fly or manipulate the dreamscape (much) - and yes there is a semi realized reason for this explained in the film but ... COME ON! That's the most fun and exciting aspect of LUCID DREAMS!


Am glad to see that Hugh is not just a SynchroMystic but also a Dream Symbology Interpreter. Thank you Hugh, for the link to the "Study on methodologies or adapted technological tools to efficiently detect violent radical content on the Internet." Where exactly did you find the link to that? Was it here:
http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE ... XT:EN:HTML

- SMiles

[Belligerent Savant]

.

Dreamscape is a classic that does indeed hold up very well [except for some of the "special effects", of course]; that grainy 80's cinematography seems more gritty and malevolent compared to today's crisp, clear visuals... interesting the use of the 'reptile' monster, and this was some years before the 'Reptilian Agenda' "meme" began being bandied about by the likes of Ike and others.
Of course, it can simply be a Reptilian Beast and nothing else -- plenty of folks would invariably be frightened of 8 ft. Snakes with arms and legs

[Edited to add 'scary Reptile Monster' references]

[Simulist]

I liked Dreamscape very much (even though I had to keep telling myself that Eddie Albert was playing the President of the United States and not Oliver Wendell Douglas from Green Acres).

(Mr. Haney as the Secretary of Commerce would have been cool though and Mr. Kimball as Secretary of Agriculture — but then, I have very weird dreams.)

[elfismiles]

Holy Craptacula PsyOpsMan! That's what I get for responding to a thread without reading the whole dang thing...

Think I'm kidding?

No, but I'm holding out hope. Now you actually think Ty Brown is important enough for a psyop campaign costing over two hundred million dollars. Serious narssicism. But thanks for the tell. Interesting.

Ok, admit it Cuda, you got the Mod-Job here for calling out Jeff/Hugh:

Hugh left and Jeff finally posted - coincidence?? Not likely.

It's time for the big reveal... HUGH is JEFF'S s o c k puppet!!! Or vice-versa!! But you didn't hear it from me!

viewtopic.php?p=284351#p284351

[barracuda]

That's an interesting thread to point to. But the completely obvious doesn't really qualify as a tell, I guess.

[elfismiles]

BTW, a friend with whom I saw INCEPTION reminded me of the whole celebrity controversy surrounding actress Marion Cotillard's comments about 911:

Marion Cotillard's 9/11 conspiracy theory
By Peter Allen in Paris
Published: 3:00PM GMT 01 Mar 2008


Marion Cotillard questioned the September 11th attacks and the moon landings

Oscar-winning Marion Cotillard was facing embarrasment with her new American public last night after it emerged that she doubted the official account of the September 11 attacks.

* Update: Cotillard makes rapid U-turn after backlash
* Read the French transcript of Marion Cotillard's interview

The 32-year-old French star has swept this year’s best actress awards, also receiving a Bafta, Golden Globe and a César for her performance as singer Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... heory.html

More:
http://www.google.com/search?q=marion+cottilard+911

[Belligerent Savant]

.

Questioning 911 AND the Moon Landing?

My new favorite actress..

[Jeff]

Okay, I haven't seen Inception, and honestly I'm not particularly keen to. (I just can never suspend my disbelief with regard to Leonardo DiCaprio.) But I am anxious to see this, which just may be the Dark City to Inception's Matrix:

[norton ash]

I just can never suspend my disbelief with regard to Leonardo DiCaprio

Same problem. He'll always be the 12-year-old Girl in the Iron Mask to me. He's been ruining Scorsese pictures for way too long.

[vince]

I just can never suspend my disbelief with regard to Leonardo DiCaprio

Same problem. He'll always be the 12-year-old Girl in the Iron Mask to me. He's been ruining Scorsese pictures for way too long.

Nope! I'll never forget asking, "How'd they get the mentally handicapped kid to act?", when I first saw "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?"!!