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Thread: A Quiet Place

  1. #1
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    A Quiet Place

    So, I saw the best thriller/horror film in quite a while last night. Anyone interested in hearing about it?
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    So, I saw the best thriller/horror film in quite a while last night. Anyone interested in hearing about it?
    I'll bite... I find it interesting that John Krasinski was the director and co-writer. I know he has directed and written a few other movies but this appears to be his first major release and is getting a very good reception from what I've seen. Also, I can't lie, I still see him as Jim from the Office no matter what he's in.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    So, I saw the best thriller/horror film in quite a while last night. Anyone interested in hearing about it?
    I am interested in seeing it. Seems there was a big press push in the last week or so. Not sure how much I want to hear about it. Definitely don't want spoilers, but glad to hear a good report.

  4. #4
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    I cannot wait to see it, but I'm trying to read as little about it as possible. Great reception on RT so far.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeachBlueDevil View Post
    Also, I can't lie, I still see him as Jim from the Office no matter what he's in.
    I'm guessing lots of people had the same reaction with Rob Reiner movies. "Hey, Meathead is pretty good behind the camera!"
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    So, I saw the best thriller/horror film in quite a while last night. Anyone interested in hearing about it?
    Hearing about it? No!! Absolutely not.

    Now, if you have a silent keyboard I'm more than happy to read what you typed.

  7. #7
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    Ok, here ya'll go... and of course there won't be any spoilers (beyond the truly obvious stuff that is a part of the marketing anyway).

    A Quiet Place is a truly wonderful bit of moviemaking magic. The story is simple -- monsters have wiped almost all of the human population out. They are almost blind but have amazing hearing (and tons of really sharp teeth). The film follows one family -- mom, dad, and 3 young kids -- who are trying to survive in the New York farmland by not making a sound... because any sound will bring the monsters and bring death.

    That's all you need to know and the film never tries to be anything more than that. I love this movie for its smallness. There's no effort to find the key to saving all of mankind; no discussion about what created the monsters or where they came from; no giant battles with spaceships or lasers... this is a very personal story about a family -- nothing more, nothing less -- and because it is so personal, it truly works.

    Perhaps the best thing about it is that the run time is only 90 minutes. In a movie where the characters cannot talk to each other, there's very little exposition or long, pensive conversations about the world. This keeps the film from becoming bloated, like so many movies do, and allows it to just focus on the tension of everyday life without making noise. The 90 minute run time races along and though I was sad when it was over, I was more than satisfied that the story I was supposed to see had been told completely. I wish more films would embrace this kind of thing versus feeling the need to do more simply for the sake of a longer run time.

    The script is brilliant. There are all kinds of little details peppered throughout the film to highlight how difficult it is to be really quiet. And, let me tell you, the movie is quiet! At one point, I picked up a box of Sweet Tarts, my favored movie theater candy, and the noise the candies made in the box was deafening! I immediately, carefully, placed the box down and did not touch it again. You feel like you can barely breathe during this film for fear of making noise. It is unlike any moviegoing experience you have had in a long time, I bet. Even a silent film like The Artist has a constant music track going. Not this film. There is music at times -- and the score is magnificent -- but we mostly just hear the sounds that happen around us -- birds, soft footsteps, maybe some water flowing. The absence of noise makes our senses heightened to sound, and makes us feel the tension of even the creak of a wooden floorboard when someone steps on it.

    One more thing about the story worth noting -- the family has some unique challenges they must get through. One of the children is deaf, which is both a plus and a minus in this world, and the mother is pregnant. The film tells a completely believable story of how this woman could attempt to have a baby -- and keep the crying baby safe -- in a world where noise = horror.

    Ok, I finally said the word horror. This is technically a horror film, but in no way does it belong alongside slasher flicks or zombie/monster movies. I really think it is more a thriller or even a drama. Yeah, there are monsters, but the movie is not overly gory and does not rely on silly jump-scares to get into your head. Still, the film is terrifying and incredibly tense.



    Lastly, a word about the folks behind this flick. All the acting is very solid. The fear is believable and the entire cast does a great job of having conversations and conveying emotions with their eyes and hands (they all know sign language thanks to the daughter being deaf), because they cannot speak. John Krasinski really announces himself as a high-quality writer director with this film. When his real life wife, Emily Blunt, read the script, she asked him to let her be in the movie and she does a great job as the pregnant mother. Emily and John share a couple tender moments in the film and you can really see the emotion they have for each other. Putting a real-life couple in the main roles works quite nicely when the actors are this good.

    There is very little not to love about this flick. I thought the creatures were poorly designed -- scary, but they look overly digital at times. There's some conflict between the father and the deaf daughter that feels a little bit forced and does not work for me, but that's about it. A wonderful film that all of you should see. You need not be a horror film fan to love this flick, that's for sure.

    -Jason "I hope a lot of you see it and we can chat about it here" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Ok, I finally said the word horror. This is technically a horror film, but in no way does it belong alongside slasher flicks or zombie/monster movies. I really think it is more a thriller or even a drama. Yeah, there are monsters, but the movie is not overly gory and does not rely on silly jump-scares to get into your head. Still, the film is terrifying and incredibly tense.
    I've long since given up on slasher/zombie/monster movies as horror movies. I'm so anesthetized to them and their desire to one up the last horror movie that they've really become mockeries of themselves.

    Sounds like a great flick, it reminds me of when my kids were infants and we did crazy things to try and keep them from waking up

  9. #9
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    Jason, thanks for the review. If I had not read this thread I wouldn't have even considered going to see this movie as I am not a fan of the genre. However, after learning what it is about I am very interested and very much want to see it now, if I can only convince my wife
    "The future ain't what it used to be."

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by DUKIECB View Post
    Jason, thanks for the review. If I had not read this thread I wouldn't have even considered going to see this movie as I am not a fan of the genre. However, after learning what it is about I am very interested and very much want to see it now, if I can only convince my wife
    I'm not at all of a horror fan. I almost always skip horror movie screenings even though the movies are free. I have not seen any of the Purge films or the myriad of supernatural demon/witch/zombie flicks that have been released in recent years. Aside from Get Out, I don't think I have seen a single film that would qualify as a horror film in several years. I did not even see It (though I plan to at some point).

    Anyway, I was eager to see this movie and am obviously glad I did. I really think non-horror fans will still enjoy it.
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  11. #11
    Elements of the film reminded me of McCarthy's The Road, and much like that novel, I found parental elements of the story quite difficult to sit through. Overall, I enjoyed the film, especially the "quiet" moments of the tale; however, a key element (not to spoil), involving a common protective weapon, a way to "extend" one's voice, a modern assistance device, and a sudden solution, felt a bit like Shyamalan's corn-based family story.

    1. The pregnancy element did not feel as well used as I had hoped. When I initially saw Blunt's pregnant belly, I felt like I was watching a bomb slowly going off, only to... I do not wish to ruin the events.

    2. The film's final shot felt like it belonged in another movie.

    3. Big Bads in scary stories are tough to pull off, and this film's monster, compared to the subtle beats in the remainder of the piece, left me a bit "meh."

    3. I do resolutely believe the movie is well worth a trip to the cinema, for the simple fact that the "highs" are much better than the "lows."

    If it helps, I agree with the idea that this film is not exactly a horror film. There are horror-like elements, but I would foresee this movie being shown on basic cable, without significant changes or cuts.

  12. #12
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    Holy @$!^!^&(!

    It looks like A Quiet Place is going to do $47+ mil in opening weekend boxoffice. A few days ago, most folks in Hollywood thought it might hit $20 mil.

    -Jason "the film cost $17 mil to make... someone is going to make a large pile of money off this one!" Evans
    Last edited by JasonEvans; 04-07-2018 at 09:55 AM.
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Holy @$!^!^&(!

    It looks like A Quiet Place is going to do $47+ mil in opening weekend boxoffice. A few days ago, most folks in Hollywood thought it might hit $20 mil.

    -Jason "the film cost $17 mil to make... someone is going to make a large pile of money off this one!" Evans
    I guess a lot of people are talking about A Quiet Place.

  14. #14
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    Such a fantastic movie. Passes Annihilation as my favorite of the year.

    One of my favorite things about this film, and Jason touched on it, as how this film looks at the micro and not the macro. The focus on one singular family, instead of an entire post-apocalyptic world was a breath of fresh air.

    It's definitely not a horror movie. However, it is suspenseful. I was tense the entire time. Sound editing was first class. Everyone involved delivered a great performance. Kudos to Krasinski (and whoever else was involved in the casting process) for casting an actual deaf girl (Millicent Simmonds) to play the daughter.

    I imagine Krasinski will have plenty of choices to pick from for his next script.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by luburch View Post
    I imagine Krasinski will have plenty of choices to pick from for his next script.
    Krasinski is a writer (he did a lot of touch ups on this script after being given an early version of it) so I suspect scripts will not be a problem for him. The big thing this film does is it gives him cache with producers and studios to get the money to make movies. Getting $40, $75, or $100+ mil to make a film is almost always the biggest hurdle for a filmmaker.

    He will now have a $17 mil film that likely grosses $150+ mil to his credit. There's a pretty good chance it goes down as the most profitable film of the year (and in terms of ratio of ticket sales to budget, it will be among the biggest films of the decade). He's also now got a very marketable name (he's suddenly much more than Jim from The Office). What's more, he would have credibility in a variety of genres as this film gives him drama and action creds in addition to his previous rep as a comedy guy. He can make anything he wants right now.

    Oh, and the only folks celebrating more than John and Emily right now are the people behind the Amazon Jack Ryan series that is coming this fall to Prime. John Krazinski is starring as Jack Ryan on that show. That will be the American Public's next sighting of him and you know Amazon is going to promote the heck out of that!

    -Jason "did anyone see The Hollars, Krasinski's last film? I missed it but heard it was just so-so" Evans
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  16. #16
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    OK...my thoughts. There are spoilers here...so if you don't want to see them, please don't read anymore.


    You've been warned.



    Last chance to ignore.



    OK...assuming you've seen it or don't care.


    I liked the movie. A lot. JE is spot on that the lack of sound added a great element (though I will add that when I saw it, some guy fell asleep at the beginning, and was snoaring...it normally would have been funny, but that was the ONLY sound in the theater. Finally some guy went and woke him up. Never seen or heard anything like that).

    The acting was great. The tension was great. It's one of the best movies I've seen thus far this year.

    And yet...I had a TON of problems with it, and the more I thought about it afterwards, the more problems arose. Some examples:

    1) These are creatures that hear exceptionally well, and the army or navy, or air force wouldn't try using sonic warfare against them? OK, so maybe the dad just happened to stumble on some lucky frequency, but that really defies logic.

    2) These things couldn't be killed, but somehow when they are all wigged out over the amplifier, they can be? Makes no sense. And the military would have had crazy powerful weapons. Maybe there were tens of thousands of these things...who knows. Could we have an Aliens like sequel?

    3) There is NO WAY they would have had a baby. None. Not in that world. They would have done everything they could not to get pregnant and then ended the pregnancy if it happened. Having a baby would likely doom them all, and they would never take that chance, or risk bringing in an infant to be slaughtered.

    4) Why would they not try to reach out the other families lighting fires all around them? Strength in numbers and noise. That's the solution to winning.

    5) Though the movie kind of ends on a positive note (you think they will get through), sadly they are broken. The entire point of the movie was to survive as a family. And they didn't. It would be a pretty sad group going forward.

    6) I wish it did a better job of showing the collective guilt they all must have felt for what happens to the boy at the beginning. We got it with the mom...but just her. The brother says the sister feels it, but that's it. ALL of them would have been racked with guilt. This is what makes the ending tough for me as well. See point 5. None of them would want to go on without the father. None of them.

    7) Maybe the biggest problem for me is that with creatures like that, the solution is actually to make as much noise as possible. Get something plugged in that makes a ton of noise. They would be drawn to that. Live by a large factory. Have car horns just go off all the time. To live in complete silence only makes their job easier. This would also have been tried out by the military or other smart people, as well. And the family kind of had this figured out, hence the fireworks. But they would have had stuff like that all over. Rig up remotes that start playing loud music, or horns, or a lawnmower or dishwasher. They would have had several defenses set up...AND a designated meeting place if they ever got split up. I think the movie would have been stronger if it addressed this. Have everyone running low on gas, which means you can't have devices running loudly. Show that the electric grid is off, so you can't plug in things that make noise. Show them trying to find fireworks, but they are all gone.

    But even with these problems, I really liked it. It was a great metaphor about the fear of keeping your children safe in an unsafe world. And the acting was off the charts good, as was the first 5 minutes of the movie. I hate previews, and this one I had actually seen the preview (which is why I hate them, because it basically gives away the start of the movie). That said, that preview was pretty awesome. But to me there were too many gaps in reason and judgement to make the movie truly great. I put Get Out miles above it, for instance. Still, I recommend it. Just for the uniqueness of the lack of sound and tension that creates.
    Last edited by Udaman; 04-09-2018 at 02:59 PM.

  17. #17

    Well

    I liked the movie quite a bit but was not scared out of mind or anything. Maybe too old.

    Very well done and interesting.

    SoCal

  18. #18
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    I went on a local Atlanta radio station last week to talk about this film and Blockers. Here is the audio of my radio review: https://soundcloud.com/jason-evans-1...place-blockers
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  19. #19
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    I saw it this weekend and thought it was OK, not great. I didn't regret going or anything like that. But perhaps I doomed myself from the beginning by choosing less than ideal circumstances to view such a unique approach to a movie, sound wise anyway.

    I saw it at the AMC dine-in theater in Holly Springs which is my favorite place to see a movie other than my living room. It was so quite for many stretches, so all you could hear was the pitter patter and whispers of waiters and waitresses quietly scurrying about to deliver snacks/drinks. So every, single, sound albeit slight, was a distraction because of the silence.("Oooh, what did they get to drink?")

    The other thing was, we had already gone to dinner and had a couple, got to the theater 45 minutes early and had another couple. So, by the time we were seated, we found ourselves next to another group that was in about the same shape we were. People that are tipsy find it hard to concentrate on a silent film I have learned.

    My 14 yr old daughter had a very enlightening comment. When we got home and she asked what movie we saw, I said, "A quiet place". She said, "Isn't that the movie with no sound that is getting such good reviews?" I replied, "Pretty much". She said, "Isn't that how movies were first made, with no sound? Have we really spent all these decades in technological advancement, just to go back to silent movies?"

    I just shrugged.

  20. #20
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    The John Krasinski grand unified theory at work: A Dwight Place.


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