ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

Okay, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is, this movie has terrific special effects.

Unfortunately that's about it for the good news.

The bad new is, director Paul Verhoeven wasn't happy with this movie, and I'm not too thrilled with it either. It works way too hard to be grim and dark, and the main character (Kevin Bacon) is written so that he starts out unlikable and then makes absolutely certain that everybody's opinion of him goes downhill.

Elisabeth Shue is miscast as a gutsy Ripley-type heroine who battles an unstoppable foe. She looks too much like she's trying hard not to glance over at Marty McFly and smile sweetly.

Actually, Keven Bacon suffers the same fate, acting wise. He was better when he was trading quips with Fred Ward and warning Michael Gross on the radio that there were two more — repeat, two more — mother humpers on the way in "Tremors".

That's not to say Kevin can't act. He was certainly AOK in Apollo 13, and he showed us he could certainly play a really nasty Nazi in "X-Men: First Class".

But this movie just didn't do what those movies did — give me a good story to enjoy.

But hey — how 'bout those special effects, eh?
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Krel]

A hollow movie, for a hollow man.

David.

[trekriffic]

Oh my god... That first scene really grossed me out with the poor rat getting squeezed and chomped on by the invisible gorilla.

[ralfy]

The only thing I could remember was the scene with the Hollow Man and Kim Dickens' character.

[Bud Brewster]

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Wow, sounds like you guys would benefit from having your memories refreshed. The movie is flawed, but it has a few moments. Try the trailer.

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______________________ Hollow Man - trailer

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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This picture of the lovely Elisabeth Shue is my shameless way of bumping this thread to the top of the forum.

Garsh, ain't she purdy?



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Brent Gair]

[Bud Brewster]

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Agreed! She's a sweetheart!

But I had a hard time finding a good picture of her! I finally selected this one.





I spent over an hour improving it so that I could post this enhanced "Brewsterized" version.





Looks a lot better, don't you think?
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Brent Gair]

It ain't Hollow Man but I must admit that I've replayed this more than a few times on the Blu-ray player...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrecN_dsPc

[Bud Brewster]

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I think my first awareness of Elizabeth was when I saw her in The Karate Kid.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[scotpens]

Nice retouching job on the Elisabeth Shue photo, Bud. The digital noise in the original pic makes her face look like it's covered with pockmarks!

[Bud Brewster]

[Bogmeister]

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_____________________ Hollow Man Trailer


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Update of the Invisible Man as interpreted by director Paul Verhoeven and his severe sensibilities, though this doesn't stray as far from the original premise by H.G. Wells as some might think, since the original character did go mad with power.

In this version, the title character Sebastian (also Bacon's name in X-Men First Class-2011) is played by Kevin Bacon, head of a scientific team which has developed the serum for invisibility. They test it on a gorilla and also manage to bring the ape back to visibility.

Sebastian rushes to the next phase, the test on a human — himself — but this time they aren't able to bring him back. He's stuck as invisible.

For the remainder of the film, Sebastian wears a hideous latex mask when he needs to be visible to others, reflecting perhaps his inner monstrous self. It's not long before he gives in to playful temptation, perhaps mostly harmless even if lecherous, but the harmless aspect will fade soon . . . the state of invisibility, it's hinted, soon begins to affect the brain.

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__ BooTube Classic Presents: Somebody's Watching Me


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Arrogant to begin with and fixated on his ex-wife and colleague (Elizabeth Shue), Sebastian steadily becomes deranged with his newfound power.

After a very brief period of second thoughts, he gives in to temptation in regard to his foxy neighbor (Rhona Mitra in an early role) and rapes her. Then he swiftly escalates to murder. The long final act has his scientific team defending themselves from him in their special lab.

The story also suggests that Sebastian becomes slightly superhuman as a result of his invisibility — with a little more strength and endurance than expected as he runs around naked during the conclusive struggle with his colleagues, seeming to shrug off most of what they throw at him. With all the advances in FX, this offers scenes of the invisible villain when he's partially covered in some substance and therefore slightly visible, not just simply unseen to the viewer all the screen time.

Bacon is always excellent as a villain, but he's a bit over-the-top in Verhoeven's vision, as are the other characters. There are rarely likable characters in Verhoeven's films — they're all callous, in-your-face loud and obnoxious (also common in Verhoeven's films is one character suddenly slapping another in vicious anger). So it's less a heroic struggle and simply an exercise in mayhem.

As is usual in Verhoeven's films, he aims for visceral intensity — the initial transformation to invisibility is depicted as extremely painful for some reason, as Sebastian writhes on the table. There's no sympathy for him later, when he turns into a ruthless killer, even though he was simply playful and juvenile in his early scenes before shifting into the invisible man.

Josh Brolin as Shue's new beau and Kim Coates also star as other team members, with William Devane in a small role outside the group.

BoG's Score: 6.5 out of 10

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BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus

[The Spike]

It's amazing what you can do... when you don't have to look at yourself in the mirror any more.

It was the film that convinced director Paul Verhoeven to leave Hollywood and take a break from film making. His reasoning being that any Hollywood director could have made Hollow Man, a big effects led movie that made a lot of cash at the box office. It's this that is the main problem with the picture, it lacks some of the director's bite and satirical savagery, even the souped up sex (natural or deviant) that often comes with his productions. Yet devoid of expectations of a Verhoeven masterpiece, and the crushing realisation that it basically wastes its potential and plays out as a haunted house stalk movie - it's a good enough energetic popcorner.

It quickly becomes obvious that we are entering special effects extravaganza, the opening credits are dynamite, sci-fi sexy, then the opening gambit sequence literally grabs us - and a rodent - by the throat. From here on in we are treated to grade "A" effects and some genius ways of exposing "the invisible" Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) to us and the prey he soon comes to hunt. Unfortunately the whole cast performances are a much of a muchness, and playing a roll call of sci-fi stereotypes. All involved here have done much better work in their sleep, but they put the bums on theatre seats and ultimately this works as one of those movies designed to thrill and awe the senses - but sadly not the brain. 6.5/10
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The quality of mercy is not strnen.

[Gord Green]

And so, Paul Verhoeven became irrelevant.
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.