MovieChat Forums > Eden Log (2007) Discussion > Thank goodness for films like Eden Log.....

Thank goodness for films like Eden Log...

posted 14 years ago by mariusar
13 replies | jump to latest

I owe big thanks to someone on the Pandorum board for recommending this film.

Not going to go into any specifics about the plot, meaning or ending of Eden Log but will only say this:

While I am a huge fan of [mindless but fun] popcorn movie entertainment [e.g. Transformers, etc...], I really enjoy films which:

- require viewers to pay attention and are actually thought-provoking and challenging;

- don't patronize the viewing audience by spoon-feeding them EVERY LITTLE THING;

- may have ambiguous meanings leading to spirited but good-natured discussion and hypothesizing;

- prove that massive amounts of money is NOT a pre-requisite to making an effective film;

- prove that imaginative and resourceful [on shoestring bugets] film-making is NOT a dead art.

I think the last time I felt like this about a film was after watching "Pi".

And no, I don't believe I totally understand the film myself, though many folks here have had some very good, logical theories and interpretations.

But I still enjoyed it...

my 2cents...where's yours?

cheers,
-mariusar

[–] frekinidiot 14 years ago

i agree with all your points...there should be more movies like this made, rather than the typical Hollywood all-action, no plot movies.

[–] mariusar 14 years ago

Hey, thanks alot. I agree whole-heartedly with you that we need more films like Eden Log.

But not necessarily at the expense of "typical Hollywood all-action, no plot movies."

The truth is I LIKE that stuff as well...total guilty pleasures that satisfy my need to see technical eye candy as well as gratuitous sex and nudity and mindless violence! 8-D

I am NOT an elitist <LOL>

cheers!
-mariusar

[–] haggar 14 years ago

i agree with all your points...there should be more movies like this made, rather than the typical Hollywood all-action, no plot movies.

Hear hear! I agree 100% - bring back the good Sci-Fi, with some brains and less fluff, like the original Andromeda Strain, or 2001, or even Blade Runner! I didn't even think I'd see decent Sci-Fi movies in this millennium. The Matrix, Dark City and Eden Log changed my mind, slightly.

[–] mariusar 14 years ago

Folks: Nice to see other like-minded fans out there!

Here's some questions for everyone to ponder...very interested to hear your thoughts!

- Is it possible in today's age to come up with movies as timeless, classic and enduring as 2001, Andromeda Strain, Blade Runner, Forbidden Planet, etc?

- Would the above films, if produced and released today, made shot for shot [with updated but identical visuals/effects], still be considered classics?

[We are speaking specifically about the scifi genre, but I think this premise is applicable for nearly every art form and genre we have today].

Speaking solely about cinema, as a people [and by extension, the movie-going public] we are IMHO exponentially more "sophisticated" than our parents/grandparents and we are certainly a helluva lot more cynical and jaded about films than we were 30 years ago. Previously shown on-screen technological marvels are now commonplace reality - and we are so spoiled, dependent upon and blase about the technology in our lives that, collectively, we have lost out naivete - nothing surprises us anymore onscreen.

Is the magic is gone?...

I apologize if my premise is inelegantly stated, but I do hope you get the drift...This is a favorite topic amongst my friends at the diner at 2AM and is part of a larger discussion about whether or not [artistic] originality is well and truly dead... 8-D

Without being critical, are films like Avatar the best we can hope for in creating "new classics" - mostly technological eye candy?

cheers,
-mariusar

[–] seek77 14 years ago

yes,
eden logs is one of the best dark science fiction flick i see for a long time!
there is no need for a big bug. to make a great novie in this genre.
can`t see this boring hollywood blog buster *beep* anymore
this stupid popcorn plots are boring like hell !
my tip : moon .is also a very good one.very different but amasing plot and very
cool acting.
if someone got a good movie tip for me ,would be nice.
sorry for my bad english
cheers

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] lantzn 13 years ago

That is so true. I'm 51 now and really appreciate finding a movie that makes you think and not spoon feeds you everything. Even if you don't quite "get" something in a film, it forces you to seek out answers in forums like this where you can discuss it with like-minded individuals. I was referred to Eden Log from a post in the Hunter Prey forum.
I loved the visuals in this film. A great example was when he was grabbing reflective pieces of debris so he could see what what going on in the projected video in the lab. Brilliant

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Tryptek 14 years ago

If i have to come onto a message board to explain what I just watched then the film has failed in that respect. In fact reading these messages, there's not a clear consensus on what exactly happened. The same could be said for Donnie Darko but that film had so many things going on and even the original theatrical version had to be cut which made it a bit more confusing to the viewer.

I've seen my share of great indie films such as 'Ink' for example, low budget but an extreme delight to watch over and over again. I came away watching this with nothing lost and nothing gained. I can appreciate the set design and the overall look. The technical aspects were great but the story was disjointed and ambiguous from start to finish. The ending, if it can be called that, felt rushed.

As with previous posters, there are too many MAJOR questions left unanswered. The answers given to these questions on here are a guess and maybe someone has heard the director's explanation somewhere but that doesn't count. Your film is your prose, you explain with dialogue and imagery to be completed in (x) amount of time. If you can't accomplish the basic tenets of storytelling then you have failed. I had high hopes throughout this movie but at the end I felt emotionless and bankrupt.

[–] mariusar 14 years ago

Tryptek: You make very good points. However, I don't necessarily agree with your definition of failure with regards to storytelling.

If given the choice between typical [and all too common these days] Hollywood, spoon-fed movie plots/storytelling vs. an ambiguous presentation in a good quality film, I'd generally choose the latter.

I don't really feel filmakers have any real responsibility to anyone or anything other than to try and create a vision that matters/makes sense to them. We, the audience, is simply along for the ride. We either get what the filmakers are trying to accomplish or not, and by extension, either love or hate the result.

Again, you make valid points - we simply agree to disagree... :-)

cheers!
-mariusar

[–] LooyCyphr 13 years ago

I enjoyed the ride of EDEN LOG very much and will watch it again. So yeah, agree with ya...

"D-E-S-T-R-O-Y : E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G"

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] stazza 12 years ago

Vote me in here too. LOVE smart sci-fi. There is SO MUCH ROOM in Sci-fi, yet lately it's all been dumbed out of existance - or it is just zombies and vampires. Yeah, this had some zombie-ism but at its core it was TRUE SCI FI.
Love love love it!

THANK YOU PRODUCERS! I'm buying the Bluray