Lame?
I usually like this kind of movie but could not get into it. Maybe it was my mood at the time, but it was not nearly as creepy or interesting as I expected. Anyone else have this reaction?
shareNo.
shareno, indeed
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I have to say that I'm impressed by how much time you spent crafting this response. Still, the movie was boring, to me. If you enjoyed it, great, but I just didn't get into it. I think your description of IAGC as "a magnificent display of horror filmmaking" might be a bit of a stretch, in fact you forget to explain how through all its subtleties it is still BORING. No one who watched this movie with me was left 'reeling,' we were reaching for the remote.
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I am with adrian fletcher on this. Tras el Cristal is without a doubt one of the best horror films of the 1980s. I too am at a loss as to how anyone could be bored by this movie; "disturbed" or "repelled" or even "nauseated" would make sense to me, but "bored"?
Maybe film viewers really are becoming that jaded.
Young man, I think you're onto something... now climb off and let me have a turn.
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I feel there's much truth in what you write.Not that you appear to need it, but here is evidence of what I'm saying, taken from the review page for Tras el Cristal on amazon.com. I direct your attention in particular to this review (emphases mine):
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:And this one, even worse (emphases mine):
overrated shock value, December 14, 2005
Reviewer: C. Choquette "matrixjunkie" (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews
after reading the reviews for this film and being intrigued enough to buy it i have the following: either I have seen way too many "shocking" films or the people who have previously reviewed this film have not. I did not find the scenes in this film to be shocking, i found it to be standard horror/thriller fare. I guess other reviewers found some scenes shocking because they involved children but visually there is no actual footage of children being struck or abused it is all assumed or spoken of in "verbal flashbacks". The camera always pulled away before any actual damage was done. I gave this film 3 stars because it IS a decent film just not the shockfest that others make it out to be. It definitely has an "Apt Pupil" feel to it (the film by Stephen King)except it is much darker and eerie. So if you are easily shocked or disgusted then this film will provide that for you but for fans of "shocking" films I think there are many many other films that blew you away much more than this one will.
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3 of 20 people found the following review helpful:Proof that a number of (semi-literate, intellectually inept) people who watch this film do so for all the wrong reasons (and the same goes, of course, for those who enjoyed the film for such reasons). Notably however, these two are the only negative reviews found on amazon.com. Don't get me wrong, I have no objection to valid criticisms from people who simply didn't like the thing; but saying "it didn't offend me at all" as though that were a negative thing is wrong-headed and frankly bizarre.
DISAPPOINTING, April 20, 2004
Reviewer: "rmb800" (louisville, ky) - See all my reviews
After reading the other reviews of this film, I bought the DVD and eagerly anticipated a glut of horrible child murders. WAS I DISAPPOINTED!! This is not a horror film. The very slow moving first half focuses on the main character's wife (who is the best actor in the thing, BTW) and she delievers the only sharpness to the thing. The scene of the kid dying after being syringed in the heart is acted very phonily, and the kid with his throat cut is a cop out, focusing on his chest (and his underwear is kept on) and not seeing the blade drawn across his throat. Way too much bombed-out European feel and not enough bodies. To read these other reviews, I can hardly believe I bought the same movie as they. Way too much screen time is devoted to the nurse(who's way too handsome to be scary) and the daughter (who is an ugly and boring little actress). The old Nazi has very few horrible Nazi scenes and is confined to an iron lung for the WHOLE movie and cannot generate terror!!! This movie is not shocking!!! Only 2 boys R killed in this thing, BTW.
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In short, don't worry; you're not the only one dismayed at the shallow expectations of many horror fans. For me, if forced to choose between this or Friday the 13th Part 20, I'll go with Tras el Cristal.
Anyway, what are some other horror films you admire? A short list of some that I enjoy: The Tenant, Rosemary's Baby, Macbeth (Polanski version), Dead Ringers, Videodrome, The Rapture, The Devils, House With Laughing Windows, Eraserhead, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Thing, Possession, The Shining, Santa Sangre, The Premonition...
Young man, I think you're onto something... now climb off and let me have a turn. share
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If you loved it, congratulations, but show a little less intolerance to those who thought it was crapShow a little less tolerance? I'm guessing you mean more.
I don't mean to disrespect people who simply didn't like it; but if someone watches this and says "not enough torture", there's something very base and ugly about that. I'm not bothered by films with nasty subject matter myself, but stating that is not tantamount to saying I enjoy watching it. I meant no disrespect, so I'm sorry if you interpreted my post as meaning anyone who doesn't like this film, for that is most definitely not what I meant.
Young man, I think you're onto something... now climb off and let me have a turn. share
show a little less intoleranceOops. I see now that this is correct. Sorry to have corrected you on that. Never mind.
Young man, I think you're onto something... now climb off and let me have a turn. share
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Perhaps the problem is that it is called a horror movie in the first place. If it were not, then all those appreciating it for what it is--drama--would not have to defend against people who expected to see a HORROR film.
Just because you think the events depicted in this film are "horrible" does not make it horror any more than my revulsion at Reese Witherspoon rom-coms makes them horror.
As a drama, sure, the film is great. But you can't blame people expecting to see a real genre HORROR film to yawn away.
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"Den Gleichen Gleiches, den Ungleichen Ungleiches."
"Maybe film viewers really are becoming that jaded..."
no, they are just getting more stupid as time passes...
"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'
I completely agree with you. I, too, usually like these kind of films, but this one was just sort of boring. I wanted to be drawn into the story, and was to an extent, but nothing like I had hoped. It would've been interesting to actually see the semen being wiped on his face, or another scene with some harsh imagery; might've gone a long way in helping with the impact of the film.
In any case, I don't think this film is "horror" as another poster said. Not that is should be, or was trying to be, or needs to be to be effective. "Horror" just isn't the correct term.
I gave it a 6/10.
The real trick to life is not to be in the know, but to be in the mystery. -Fred Alan Wolf
I agree with Gabberhead. It is a good movie, skillfully directed, with a uniquie atmosphere. But it's not THAT MUCH disturbing. Don't get me wrong, the whole idea is very creepy, but... After reading comments before watching it, I really expected something else.
This is... kinda dull.
This is a shattering,soul-searching work of art that goes into areas of the mind and emotions that few films have ever approached..and NO it ISN'T BORING!!!
share"It was not smart enough to keep my attention"
Perhaps you are not 'smart enough' to comprehend this beautifully dark work of art.
"I'm an up and coming filmmaker."
Thanks for the warning. I can imagine what kind of films you would make, if you find "Tras el Cristel" boring. It pisses me off that people, lobotomised by the mainstream drivel coming out of Hollywood, trash a film so unique and masterful. As far as I am concerned these people do not deserve to even see these films. This guy wants to be a filmmaker, but he considers THIS a "poor effort." Augustin Villoronga's film is a masterpiece, one of the most effective studies of evil and perversion ever put to film. Good luck with your directing career, dude. I'm sure you will go far. Perhaps you can pick up the reigns of the "Saw" franchise. Now theres a great series, huh?
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It seems like I really opened a can of worms here. It's pretty amazing how this thread went from interesting comments and insights from people who liked this movie to hurling insults. I love it.
sharewell said, this is one of the finest "horror" films ever!
shareWell, adrian fletcher, I'm a little easier on him than you are: different strokes and all that.
I look forward to your PMs though.
Young man, I think you're onto something... now climb off and let me have a turn.
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It's not a problem. I might defend adrian by saying that he's simply passionate, and there's nothing wrong with a bit of passion (Christ knows we could use more of it). But perhaps he handles disagreements in different ways than I do. That's all I'll say about it.
And you, baltar? What are some horror films that you do like?
Young man, I think you're onto something... now climb off and let me have a turn.
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i totally agree with alabamamudflap. im into these kinds of movies too, but this one was pretty dull.
shareThis is a horror movie solely in the sense that it's horrifying (at least to most viewers). I think it's tremendous, but I can understand how some people accustomed to more graphic, fantastical or fast-paced genre films would find it boring. The very deliberate, slow pacing is intentional, and meant to further unnerve you, though for some it might simply seem ponderous or pretentious.
shareIf you were expecting it to be a standard horror film then that could easily explain your reason for not liking it. Expectation plays the greatest part in our state of mind during a film as it largely determines the things we'll look out for and parts where we'll tune out. Though it's just as likely that you've seen a lot of horror and you're simply not creeped out that easily, which I suppose is common with a lot of its fans. I didn't find the film especially creepy or exciting either, what I liked about it was the brilliant and original storyline.
shareagree.
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