Snowpiercer

[polishgenius]

No, the US version wasn't reduced. It was going to be, but they came to a compromise which involved releasing the full cut but in less theaters.

Interestingly, Snowpiercer appears to have been very succesful in it's VOD release.

[SpaceChampion]

I saw this yesterday. Liked it but ridiculous premise; and ultimately if

the world was warming again, did the story matter? Eventually people on the train would realise the world was warming and escaped, without destroying the train. The train also had gardens and fish that would be useful to re-establishing a biosphere; now that all might be destroyed? Was this story perhaps showing how humanity destroys itself and snatch extinction out of the jaws of survival?

[Myrddin]

I read about this in the Entertainment Weekly that comes to my office. Sounds really intriguing.

I love how you had to qualify this. :)

"No really. The magazine isn't mine. It ... comes to my office. Yeah. That's it."

[Mexal]

I saw this yesterday. Liked it but ridiculous premise; and ultimately if

the world was warming again, did the story matter? Eventually people on the train would realise the world was warming and escaped, without destroying the train. The train also had gardens and fish that would be useful to re-establishing a biosphere; now that all might be destroyed? Was this story perhaps showing how humanity destroys itself and snatch extinction out of the jaws of survival?

It really depends. How long until the front of the train is willing to risk that? 5 years? 10 years? Ever? Does that mean the people in the back need to continue their terrible existence? Of eating bugs? Of barely living? Of watching their kids taken to the front to either be put in school or placed in the engine?

The plan clearly wasn't to destroy the train from Evans point of view, nor was it to walk outside. It just went that way because he lost control.

[Kobayashi Maru]

Saw this ages ago and loved it. I didn't expect much but as movie progressed I was closer and closer to the edge of my seat. The speach at the gate was the best part. Evans surprised me pleasantly in this.

I was wondering why noone talks about it but now I see it wasn't released yet in many countries.

[Corvinus85]

I rented it on Amazon Prime, and I really enjoyed it. I am glad that for once the trailer only gave us only a taste, as it only covered stuff that happened in the first 3rd of the movie.

Does anyone know what it was that the black "protein" bars were made from? It shows when Evans looks into that tank, but for the life of me I couldn't tell.

[Kalbear]

I rented it on Amazon Prime, and I really enjoyed it. I am glad that for once the trailer only gave us only a taste, as it only covered stuff that happened in the first 3rd of the movie.

Does anyone know what it was that the black "protein" bars were made from? It shows when Evans looks into that tank, but for the life of me I couldn't tell.

Roaches and other insects. millions of them.

[Fez]

Finally saw this now that it's on Netflix, and I thought it was a lot of fun. There were a ton of worldbuilding holes, but considering how dreamlike the second half of the movie was anyway (basically everything after the school), its easy to let most of them slide. I didn't much like the Ed Harris stuff, not so much because it was so similar to the Architect scene from Matrix 2, but more because what he was saying just sounded so dumb. And the very end was just depressing as hell. I wasn't really expecting Chris Evans to live, particularly after his confession, but the total extinction of humankind was a bit much.

It reminds me of the Silo from Wool.

Agreed. I got that vibe almost immediately, and it only got stronger once they started heading through the first class cabins.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

I thought it was implied that humanity was going to survive outside of the train after the crash. That seemed implausible to me, but the whole movie was implausible, and I thought seeing the polar bear implied they were going to survive outside.

[Fez]

I thought it was implied that humanity was going to survive outside of the train after the crash. That seemed implausible to me, but the whole movie was implausible, and I thought seeing the polar bear implied they were going to survive outside.

The two of them might survive outside (assuming the polar bear doesn't eat them), but is anyone else even alive at this point? It was a hell of a crash, and I don't see how anyone could have survived except for maybe the people in the front few cars that were still attached to the engine. But even if that's the case, there weren't that many of them, and most of them are either going to be dealing with kronal withdrawal (and who knows how serious that is), be seriously injured from the crash, or both.

[akh]

Yeah, no way they'll survive considering the polar bear is likely pretty hungry since in case the land is all pretty cold, food is bound to be scarce.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

Let's Talk About the Ending of Snowpiercer

Director Bong Joon-ho talked with Vulture about this very subject a few weeks back. His take? That the ending is optimistic. (Or is a happy ending just the magic of the movies?)

"They have no memory of what it's like to be on the Earth. For them to procreate, it's going to take a little time. So, for me, it's a very hopeful ending ... But those two kids will spread the human race ... I don't really feel everyone must die. I hope there were other survivors who lived through the avalanche, I just didn't have the means to shoot that ... You realize later on that the kids are the ones keeping this engine going, and this machinery intact. The engine is itself is on its way to extinction along with cigarettes, and other goods. Extinction is a repeated word throughout the film. But outside the train, life is actually returning. It's nature that's eternal, and not the train or the engine, as you see with the polar bear at the end."

I basically agree with the take that it looks implausible just given what we're shown, but I also think the film is intentionally leaving us on a positive note, and suggesting survival.

[Kindly Old Man]

Roaches and other insects. millions of them.

I thought the shock value of this was overstated; in some places people eat bugs now, eating processed bugs post-apocalypse doesn't seem so bad.

[Kobayashi Maru]

I thought the shock value of this was overstated; in some places people eat bugs now, eating processed bugs post-apocalypse doesn't seem so bad.

I saw fried bugs sold like chips on streets in Bangkok :dunno: it's normal there. It's probably more for the tourists but there are people who eat those out of choice,so I agree not much of a shock value

[Maithanet]

I thought the shock value of this was overstated; in some places people eat bugs now, eating processed bugs post-apocalypse doesn't seem so bad.

Agreed, I didn't think that was particularly shocking.

Overall I thought that the commentary on class was a bit heavy handed. I mean, why did they even have the people in the back of the train at all? Were they doing some work and I just missed it? Because it seemed like they were more prisoners than workers, which is something that I don't see how a Noah's Ark Train could really afford.

On the ending:

It seemed to me that it was supposed to be an optimistic ending, but it wasn't really successful in that there is no way those two are going to survive. Even if they did, two people isn't enough genetic material to make any difference.

However, and maybe I'm overthinking this, as I was watching the movie, I just assumed that they were wrong and that there were other people out there. Staying alive using geothermal energy would be drastically more practical than a train, and if those people are staying within the earth, then they aren't going to be seen. So to me, the takeaway was that horrible class inequality can destroy us all, but nonetheless, life finds a way.

[Kobayashi Maru]

The people in the back of the train were those without tickets me thinks...

[Relic]

The people in the back of the train were those without tickets me thinks...

 

Do we need spoilers here? I'm going to assume not?

 

 

They were also there to breed children that could fit into the two spaces in the engine. Aside from that, they were also there to have the occasional insurrection that kills off some of the guards and other mensch. 

 

As for the ending, I'm going with extinction. The last minute or so redeems a movie that was GREAT until Ed Harris makes his appearance.  

[aceluby]

I'm really surprised about the praise this is getting here.  I thought it was pretty awful with very few redeeming qualities.  The action scenes were ok, but other than that there's nothing that would bring me to sit through it again.

[Black Wolf Smith]

This kept popping up on my Netflix, as something that I would like. So I hadn't planned on watching, as it knows nothing of what I want. I watch a British show like "Wire in the Blood" and it gives me every Brit show it has. I watch the "Arn" and 2009 "Girl w/ Dragon Tattoo" get nothing but Swedish movies, that don't even have sub titles.

 

Well I read somewhere that this was on the under the radar movies to watch.

 

I loved it. While most of the idea's behind this have been done before, it seemed to be fresh view of things.

[AncalagonTheBlack]

'Snowpiercer' Being Adapted for TV

The 2013 Korean feature film is being adapted as a TV series with Josh Friedman (Sarah Connor Chronicles, War of the Worlds) attached to pen the script for Tomorrow Studios, which has optioned the rights to the film.

The potential series will be based on the 2013 film that was written and directed by Bong Joon Ho in his first English-language production. The movie, which starred Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton is set in a post-apocalyptic Ice Age where the only remaining life on the planet survives aboard a train that travels around the globe. Bong and feature co-producer Dooho Choi are attached to executive produce alongside Adelstein and producing partner Becky Clements. Chan-wook Park, who produced the feature, is also attached as an EP.

The drama hails from Korea's largest movie studio CJ Entertainment & Media, which produced the feature. The sci-fil film is based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige.