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Waggy the Dog
Senior Member
Gender: Male
Location: Canada |
yeah, well, i am just pissed off at movies these days because there is such a major lack of originality in them. Even movies with a true to life premise seem lame and awkwardly scripted. When you watch as many movies as me {i'm a projectionist on the side...uh, i am 19, so don't think this is what i will be doing for the rest of my life}, you'll realise subtle similiarities, that at first wont do anything to you, but over time, will make you want to destroy something. From indie to mainstream, to even V-Rated stuff, there seems to be no thought in creativity these days.
oh my, i have also seemed to veer off topic
*cough* see what i mean
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Apr 14th, 2004 12:07 AM |
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Waggy the Dog
Senior Member
Gender: Male
Location: Canada |
..plus
Monster WAS terrible on account of, they just didn't show enough of Aileen. The Ebert and Roeper review of this movie revealed more about her than the movie. They instead of looking at her with her flaws to make her visually appeasing, made the flaws to be something of an atrocious characteristic flaw of hers. This was clearly not her fault. They just didn't dive deep enough into her problems and mental psyche, but instead lingered on the question of "Love" and such.
they somehow managed to mess this up.
it just wasn't visceral enough, and that is kind of key in a movie about a seriel Killer.
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Apr 14th, 2004 12:11 AM |
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Cory Chaos
AmStar 14 Manager
Gender: Male
Location: Mooresville, NC |
Your birthday notice yesterday said you turned 23, what gives? BTW, there's nothing wrong with being a projectionist, and there are people that have seen as many, if not more movies than you.
I'm probably one of 'em. 
Word to the wise, don't dissect movies so thoroughly that you can't enjoy them.
..as for whomever asked about "Henry". It's a cheesy late 80's "serial killer" movie. Mike Rooker. It's painfully predictable from the beginning, very cliched in both the ways of "redneck" living, as well as the serial killer persona.
Of course, it was clever for 1986, but it surely doesn't stand the test of time.
Last edited by Cory Chaos on Apr 14th, 2004 at 01:41 AM
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Apr 14th, 2004 01:38 AM |
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Waggy the Dog
Senior Member
Gender: Male
Location: Canada |
uh, okay, i guess you have seen more movies than me, uh, that doesn't really matter {*snickers* your name is Cinemaddiction, right? and i am just a plain old talking dog. so therefore you have seen more movies}. I was just comparing Monster to the sheer amount of cliches in movies that I had seen. And, I always screw with the birthdays on ever site where it can be applicable. And, what i meant by being a projectionist, was that it isn't really a steady job, i make $6.25 Canadian per hour. I don't want to do this the rest of my life.
And lastly, you have to dissect movies, because after all they are also an art form. Personally, i don't want to pay money for a peice of crap art form.
Now, i really don't think Henry was a "cheesy late 80's "serial killer" movie. It posed many more interesting questions and debates than Monster did. As well as, Henry is a more interesting and watchable seriel killer then Aileen. Both movies are very predicatable. But in comparison, Monster is more "predicatable" then Henry, and lets face it, it just got boring. ...uh, in my opinion. Henry is also more harrowing in its view of violence. It seemed that Monster was just trying to hard.
Last edited by Waggy the Dog on Apr 14th, 2004 at 02:00 AM
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Apr 14th, 2004 01:57 AM |
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Cory Chaos
AmStar 14 Manager
Gender: Male
Location: Mooresville, NC |
I don't think they needed to delve any deeper into Aileen's character in the movie. I thought it was pretty obvious from the opening sequences that she, like most other serial killers, was sexually abused, emotionally disturbed, ya know, those cliched serial killer stereotypes we supposidly loathe. The reason they exploited her relationships in the movie is because that's what was her catalyst for her lifestyle. A man hating, trust no one, balls to the wall girl power serial killer. She's not too much of a case study.
As for "Henry". It was just soooo painfully 80's. I think it and "Manhunter" both are highly overrated, and almost laughable! Yeah, Mike Rooker plays an emotionally disturbed person to the max, but the whole premise of the story is so predictable. Once a killer, always a killer. Anyone he supposidly "befriends" is fair game. I was sorely disappointed.
To be honest, I had a hard time sitting through "Monster" in parts. Not so much the killing, but to witness what it was that pushed her over the edge, and having to relive it just to survive. It was indeed disturbing.
All that said, I understood the whole projectionist bit, and that is pretty shitty pay, but it's still a decent side job. I know alot older people who did it for years upon years, and made a career of it.
As an aside, no need to get even minorly bent out of shape regarding the amount of movies we watch. I am just saying, you're not the only one that can draw parallels between movies, point out the similarities and direct lifts. I'm a movie elitist for the most part, and the majority of what Hollywood has had to offer in the past 10 years alone has equally as impressive, if not better, counterparts lurking in the underground, only making it to video where people are less likely to access them.
In closing, I just don't think it's fair to chastise the "true story" serial killer copycat movies. It's just a fact of life that serial killers are mostly the same, and movies about them are almost always going to draw their inspirations from the same place. I still don't think there has been a better serial killer movie, fact or fiction, than "Red Dragon".
Whew. Don't you love debating?
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Apr 14th, 2004 03:09 AM |
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BackFire
Blood. It's nature's lube
 Gender: Male
Location: Huntington Beach, CA Moderator |
The thing that makes Henry so great is that for its time, there had never been anything quite like it. It was the first really honest and realistic portrayal of a believable serial killer. Now I can't compare it to monster because I haven't seen it yet, but I'm willing to bet money that alot of the aspects that made monsters so good were inspired by Henry it's use of a believable character that was totally evil taht we actually felt sorry for at the end.
Don't hold it against me if that assesment is totally off, just a prediction I'm making about Monster's relation to henry. Since both movies seem destined to be constantly compared to eachother.
__________________
"God has no place within these walls! Just as facts have no place within organized religion." - The Simpsons
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Apr 14th, 2004 09:20 AM |
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Waggy the Dog
Senior Member
Gender: Male
Location: Canada |
Cinemaddiction,
uh, I heartly disagree. So, i guess that is where this conversation ends, because i don't feel we will influence our opinions.
But, if you think Monster was good, and you didn't like Henry, what did you think of Man Bites Dog?
i eagerly wait your response
i guess this has nothing to do with Monster, so reply to the Man Bites Dog thread.
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Apr 14th, 2004 08:56 PM |
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BackFire
Blood. It's nature's lube
Gender: Male
Location: Huntington Beach, CA Moderator |
I just saw this flick. Great acting. Although it was hard to care for the character of Aileen when she was so stupid. Acting like she couldn't get a real job is just bull. Put on some makeup, ditch the attitude and become a waitress.
As a whole it was strong, just with such an unlikable character at the helm it was hard to care what she was going through.
__________________
"God has no place within these walls! Just as facts have no place within organized religion." - The Simpsons
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May 30th, 2004 09:06 AM |
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KharmaDog
Dyslexic Agnostic
 Gender: Male
Location: between apathy and indifference |
Unfortunately, lately there have been many news reports and tv specials that show that although this story was based on true events, it really whitewashed those events or left out some major details that would've shown wournos' charactar to be even more of a monster than portrayed and thereby unable to garner any pity or empathy from the audience.
The makers of this movie did not even interview the families of the men that this woman killed. I would think that you would want a semi-authentic portrayal of her victims as well.
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"I made a typo bif deal" - JacopeX
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Jun 2nd, 2004 01:40 PM |
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Colabee
Discombobulated.
 Gender: Female
Location: England. |
A very brilliant, moving but disturbing movie. It goes without saying that Charlize's performance was outstanding. I've watched a few Aileen documentries and Charlize had her mannerisms down to a fine art. The awkward smile and the sudden widening of the eyes when something or someone had annoyed her. Great stuff.
There was one particular scene where I had to look away after I realized what was about to happen, and if you have seen the film you'll probably know which one I'm referring to. I just couldn't watch it. Even had to put my fingers in my ears to block it out completely. If that is truly what happened to her there was no way I could judge or be against her after that. I'm not condoning what she did but this interpretation of her life made me view her as the victim who had never been given a chance since day one.
I felt more dislike towards Selby. I don't know if it was the director's intention but the way that Christina Ricci portrayed her made me feel that Selby was the one doing all the using. She was shown as the one to pursue Aileen in the first place. She claimed to love Aileen but as the film went on it seemed to me that was only the case when things were good. Ricci's Selby to me seemed nothing more than an emotional vampire.
I found the whole thing very thought provoking and it left me feeling very grateful for the life that I have and thankful not to have been dealt a bad card like Miss Wournos. Although I would find it too harrowing to sit through again, I'm glad I took the time to see it and very highly recommend it.
9/10 from me.
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Last edited by Colabee on Jul 7th, 2004 at 08:38 PM
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Jul 7th, 2004 08:29 PM |
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Home » Movies » Movie Discussion » Review : Monster: The true-life story of Aileen Wuornos
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