MovieChat Forums > Cyborg (1989) Discussion > Great atmosphere

Great atmosphere

posted 10 years ago by Iron_Leopard
12 replies | jump to latest

As bad as this movie is (even though I still like it) can we all at least agree it has a damn good atmosphere? Even when I first saw this as a kid it had a lasting effect on me. The movie just stayed with me all these years. As cheap as it was it still had some good imagery with haunting music on top of it. I think the flashback scenes are particualry eerie. And of course the epic crusifixtion of Van Damme always comes to mind when this movie is discussed. Action movies from this time period could be so bad they were good. But nowadays they are just bad.

[–] ShaskaRevolver 10 years ago

Yeah, the atmosphere was unique in this one. I watched it in theaters as a kid and I got *beep* nightmares for a week (in a stimulated sense).
Now, 25 years later, its one of my favorite movie ever, they don't do this king of movies anymore.
The scene when he is running in the field with that insane, creepy but epic music was something quite amazing. Even today, its still one of a kind. It has this underground, small budget apocalyptic feeling that even big Hollywood productions will never had.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Herreken 10 years ago

Yup, this movie had the same impact on me. I was a little kid when I first saw it and I thought it was a crappy movie but the imagery & music stayed in my head for years & years. I always thought Bloodsport, KickBoxer, & Universal Soldier were the best Van Damme movies. I still like those movies but these days I'm much more likely to watch Cyborg instead.

DISPLAY thy breasts, my Julia!

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] lord_raiden_128 9 years ago

You're spot on about the music and atmosphere. I loved it as a kid and I still love it decades later.

[–] DracTarashV 9 years ago

Impressive atmosphere aside, I think there's more good things about this movie than bad. Sure, it looks cheap (it was) and it also has some laughable moments ("RAAAAAA!"). However, it doesn't feel like it was cheaply made... For one thing, it was surprisingly stylish, serious, and competently acted (Van Damme was particularly effective). For another, it had an eerie atmosphere and a musical score that complemented that atmosphere so well. So yeah, this is a nice little gem if you ask me.

By the way, although this movie is nowhere near as masterful, it is a bit Leone-esque.

Hey there, Johnny Boy, I hope you fry!

[–] ma_marcil 9 years ago

Yup, the atmosphere definitely stuck with me as well and made quite an impact on me when I first saw the movie around the age of 10 or 11 years old. It's funny, I remember that I rented the movie alone, started watching it at my mom's house, and at one point my mother entered the room at the exact moment where you see Fender and his men killing and maiming people and one after the other, and my mom was shocked. She said that if all the movie was like this, she would turned it off and forbid me to watch it. Based on that scene alone, I can not blame her lol.

But to get back on topic, I still think the movie works in some ways to this day. Sure, it is not perfect, but the atmosphere of dread and despair is definitely one of the elements that still works well for me.

Bill Foster: I'm the bad guy?...How did that happen?

[–] cousinoleg 9 years ago

That's probably because it has Bible and Christian influences:
apocalypse,
mark of the beast (Fender and his gang acting and speaking like beasts),
boils affecting those with it (plague),
sacrificing the body to save the world (cyborg),
crucifixion,
dying and resurrected savior figure inspired from son of God Jesus Christ,
future world where technological civilization dies off and a rural and peaceful one is about to come under Jesus' rule.

When i believed in Son of God Jesus Christ by God's grace,
i realized that even before that i used to like many movies inspired
from Bible and Christian faith, such as Terminator, Mad Max, Russian movie Psy (Hounds), Cyborg too.

Which shows the great influence of Christian faith still felt in worldly entertainment
even after almost 2000 years after Jesus.

[–] GattiPL 9 years ago

Psy is a Polish film

[–] GattiPL 9 years ago

Oh sorry I was thinking of a different Psy

[–] Herreken 9 years ago

I didn't know Mad Max was inspired by Bible stories.

I'm sure you've seen it already but RoboCop is another movie that had some Jesus-type scenes.

DISPLAY thy breasts, my Julia!

[–] cousinoleg 9 years ago

I didn't know Mad Max was inspired by Bible stories.

It describes an apocalypse, which is also described in the Bible, especially book of Revelation.
Also it is similar to story of Sodom about violent homosexual rapist gangs, before it was destroyed, but the righteous people were led out and saved.

I'm sure you've seen it already but RoboCop is another movie that had some Jesus-type scenes.

Yes, it is similar to resurrection from the dead of Jesus, who sacrificed his life and body on earth to save us and lead us to God's Kingdom of Heaven.