Upstream Color

[botley]

The brilliant writer/director/star of Primer (http://erbpfilm.com/film/primer), Shane Carruth, has finally made a follow-up film. It looks every bit as enigmatic, baffling, intriguing, and visually gorgeous as its predecessor but with a much wider scope and the potential to really blow some minds. Like maybe if Aronofsky and Malick got really baked and stayed up all night talking about love, death, and quantum entanglement kind of vibe.

Trailers (http://bit.ly/VkBxzC)

[wizfan]

Great news!

[bobbie solo]

Primer is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[kdrcraig]

Really excited to see this. Haven't watched the trailer or anything, want to go into it completely blind. Primer blows my mind every time I watch it.

[eversonpoe]

just watched primer for the first time the other night. i was utterly fascinated by it. i just want to watch it again and again. super excited for this, too.

[Maury]

When I watched the first trailer for this it was the first trailer to make me go "holy shit!" in years. I'm really psyched to see what he does here. It still amazes me that Primer was made for 7000 dollars. I can't wait to see what he does with more of a budget.

[botley]

Interview with BV (http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2013/02/an_interview_wi_81.html) about the musical score (which you can stream at that link — it sounds phenomenal). Yeah, Shane did that part by himself too.

[aggroculture]

Just saw this, and it's a failure. Though it did prompt a half hour "what the fuck did we just see?" conversation.
It could have been great, had lots and lots of potentially fascinating subject matter. It just didn't pull it off.
At least Tree of Life had some genuinely beautiful imagery. This started out kind of intriguing - if uncomfortable. But the film set up all sets of questions it answered in a very disappointing way. I see it as having very lofty aims the film-makers did not have the ability to realize.

I haven't seen Primer...and on the basis of this I'm not exactly in a hurry.

[kdrcraig]

Watched this today and I'm not real sure how I feel about it. I enjoyed it but I'm in no rush to watch it again like I did with Primer. It did make me want to watch Primer again since I haven't watched it in years. It's still awesome.

[konstantin]

it's mesmerizing and rather radical. need to watch it again. first time was just too hard to stop my brain from hopelessly trying to figure out what was actually going on. reminded me of Snowtown (aka The Snowtown Murders in the US) in the way it was geared towards appealing to the senses rather than presenting you with a narrative to follow and hold on to.

[bobbie solo]

agree completely konstantin.

[botley]

Great review:

http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?type=&id=1747&fulltext=1 (http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?type=&id=1747&fulltext=1)

[sa_nick]

I loved it. As I watched it I just kinda went along with it and tried to take it in, then left the theorising for afterwards. I dig the above reviews take on it, paralelling the story with art creation, though after watching it the first thing I thought was more religious based where the Sampler is God like.

But yeah, great editing (by the films director and writer/director of upcoming Casey Affleck/Rooney Mara film, Aint Them Bodies Saints) and freakin awesome sound design/music.

[Alpha 60]

Bump-I just watched this and thought it was amazing. Can’t wait for more from this film maker. I loved Primer, and was really happy to see the style/craft and concepts of this film move forward but stay cool. Can’t wait to see where Carruth goes next

[GoodSoldier333]

I'm glad to see this thread bumped.

Was anyone else massively confused? I understand the events that unraveled in the film, but can anyone possibly elaborate on the point of the movie? I enjoyed it but wish i understood it better.

[Self.Destructive.Pattern]

This movie has so much replay value, and for me.. it is fantastic. It makes you think deeply about what is going on and or what else could have happened, but even the things I didn't fully understand at first made me want to dive in for me and get a full understanding about what is going on. You care about the characters and what is going on with them. It really is not that confusing but more of the way it was shot is. Cannot wait for more movies from this guy.

[mfte]

This movie was pretty solid. Watching it felt a lot like falling asleep or going under anesthesia. If that makes any sense.

[thevoid99]

I finally saw the film a few weeks ago. Fuck me, it was amazing as it's now in my top 10 films of 2013 so far: http://letterboxd.com/thevoid99/list/best-of-2013/

[elevenism]

i am going to check out primer right now i think, and then upstream color. they have both been on my list for awhile.
I sure wish you guys would post these things in "The Netflix Thread" so i would have known to watch them sooner!

BTW, i did not like The Snowtown Murders too much either, due to its lack of narrative. I don't mind lack of narrative in a good art film, but TSM certainly doesn't qualify as such.

Another one i REALLY didn't get was Kill List. Can someone explain it to me?
I am not trying to brag in any way, but my iq is considered "genius level..." so why the fuck can i not understand a movie intended for mass consumption?

[elevenism]

Ok, so i went to watch Primer annnnnnd...wait for it...it is no longer on netflix. DAMNIT!

I watched about half of upstream color, and although i'm generally a fan of artsy films, i have had my fill of them for the moment.

One thing i absolutely LOVE about it though is that it was filmed in dallas. I recognized the train and the train stops, the restaurants, everything!
I live north of amarillo now but have lived the vast majority of my life in dallas.

Speaking of the train, i took offense to the woman saying "the only people who ride the train are homeless or have their driver's license revoked."

We have more miles of commuter train in dallas than in any other city. I'm not homeless. I have a driver's license. And i haven't driven in dallas since i was a teenager.
I ride it because it is EXTREMELY cost effective and EXTREMELY convenient. I remember one living/work situation i had where i walked out the door of my apartment, walked literally 5 min to the train station, got off at the next stop and walked literally 5 min to my office.
Anyone who thinks the dallas train is just for homeless people should try getting on it at about 7 am and see the literally hundreds of business men in suits, nurses, etc.

Ok, i'll shut up. I know this isn't the DART appreciation thread. :)

[elevenism]

Okay, this is a thread bump for an old thread, but i finally finished this movie after my fourth attempt and i feel really stupid.
Now i took my sat's when i was in the seventh grade and scored about a 1200, went to gifted and talented academy schools, all kinds of great shit like that. I consider myself to still be fairly intelligent.

That being said, this movie was the most unintelligible thing i've ever seen in my entire life.
@botley (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=469) , you said you were a fan of the work, and we've established that you're smarter than me so, can you maybe throw me a bone here?

If not, can ANYONE break this shit down for me at all?

I feel like it's a case of the "emperor's new clothes" effect.
That being said, i LOVED pointing out all the dallas locations in it...
Mockingbird Station, The Press Box, our wonderful record store Good Records, and, shit, a whole lot of bus stops where i've got on the bus downtown.
Other than that....just a big, droney WTF for me.

[eversonpoe]

Okay, this is a thread bump for an old thread, but i finally finished this movie after my fourth attempt and i feel really stupid.
Now i took my sat's when i was in the seventh grade and scored about a 1200, went to gifted and talented academy schools, all kinds of great shit like that. I consider myself to still be fairly intelligent.

That being said, this movie was the most unintelligible thing i've ever seen in my entire life.
@botley (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=469) , you said you were a fan of the work, and we've established that you're smarter than me so, can you maybe throw me a bone here?

If not, can ANYONE break this shit down for me at all?

I feel like it's a case of the "emperor's new clothes" effect.
That being said, i LOVED pointing out all the dallas locations in it...
Mockingbird Station, The Press Box, our wonderful record store Good Records, and, shit, a whole lot of bus stops where i've got on the bus downtown.
Other than that....just a big, droney WTF for me.

have you seen Primer, his other movie? i'm pretty smart and usually good at following concepts in time travel movies, but i had to just sit there and think for about an hour after i finished that because it was TOO smart.

[elevenism]

have you seen Primer, his other movie? i'm pretty smart and usually good at following concepts in time travel movies, but i had to just sit there and think for about an hour after i finished that because it was TOO smart.

no, and i REALLY want to. I've heard great things, and it was on my netflix list for like a fuckin YEAR but i never watched it. is it more cohesive than UC? Should i get Primer today? Donnie Darko is one of my favorites. I LOVE a good head-scratcher, as long as it isn't flat out nonsense. Oh, and have you seen Mr. Nobody with Jared Leto? It's a simple life story with one little twist...quantum mechanics at the MACRO level...you can imagine...infinite alternate dimensions and such.

[kdrcraig]

Donnie Darko isn't shit compared to Primer in the head-scratching department. I'd say Primer is worth buying, it's gotta be dirt cheap on DVD (edit: ok maybe not, it's expensive as hell on amazon. must be out of print. ebay has some but they're not exactly cheap either. you can rent it from amazon instant video for 3 bucks). It has all kinds of re-watch value.

[Alpha 60]

The movie is actually kind of simple. The following comes from my own opinion, but also some interviews and other things I’ve read. I would say the overall theme of the movie is that there are forces at work that we are not aware and have an effect on our lives. And, even sometimes when we see part of those forces we may not understand because of the complexity or chain of forces involved. Some of these forces may be cycles that repeat over and over, some we see and are aware of, some we don’t know or understand. There is a cycle that repeats itself in the film, it effects people, brings certain people into contact with others, and it appears that no one is “aware” of the full cycle. Certain people move the cycle along or use it or are effected by it for different reasons. There is a level of moral and ambiguity linear misunderstandings from different perspectives within the cycle.
I really loved this movie one of my recent favorites.

[eversonpoe]

no, and i REALLY want to. I've heard great things, and it was on my netflix list for like a fuckin YEAR but i never watched it. is it more cohesive than UC? Should i get Primer today? Donnie Darko is one of my favorites. I LOVE a good head-scratcher, as long as it isn't flat out nonsense. Oh, and have you seen Mr. Nobody with Jared Leto? It's a simple life story with one little twist...quantum mechanics at the MACRO level...you can imagine...infinite alternate dimensions and such.


Donnie Darko isn't shit compared to Primer in the head-scratching department. I'd say Primer is worth buying, it's gotta be dirt cheap on DVD (edit: ok maybe not, it's expensive as hell on amazon. must be out of print. ebay has some but they're not exactly cheap either. you can rent it from amazon instant video for 3 bucks). It has all kinds of re-watch value.

primer is one of the most intelligent, well-thought-out movies i've ever seen (especially regarding time travel).
i love donnie darko but it's really not that hard to figure out after you watch it once or twice (and especially if you watch the director's cut). i've only watched primer once and the only thing stopping me from watching it several more times is that my fiancee didn't like it as much as i did, and i don't really watch many movies without her.

[kdrcraig]

primer is one of the most intelligent, well-thought-out movies i've ever seen (especially regarding time travel).
i love donnie darko but it's really not that hard to figure out after you watch it once or twice (and especially if you watch the director's cut). i've only watched primer once

The director's cut of Donnie Darko pretty much takes away any ability to figure it out for yourself, lays it all out for you. I've seen Primer quite a few times and still don't have a good grasp on what happens. Even read a thing online that explained everything and I still don't get it. Love that movie.

I need to watch Upstream Color again, I've only seen it once. I'll have to buy it on blu-ray.

[elevenism]

Donnie Darko isn't shit compared to Primer in the head-scratching department. I'd say Primer is worth buying, it's gotta be dirt cheap on DVD (edit: ok maybe not, it's expensive as hell on amazon. must be out of print. ebay has some but they're not exactly cheap either. you can rent it from amazon instant video for 3 bucks). It has all kinds of re-watch value.

word, i feel you.
there are several movies that are more like paintings, that are completely subjective.
One that i saw recently and got a kick out of was Berberian Sound Studio.
And David Lynch is a master of creating those beautiful tense scenes that may not quite have a narrative.

For me, though, UC didn't have a lot of meaning.

[eversonpoe]

One that i saw recently and got a kick out of was Berberian Sound Studio.

ahhh! how was it!? i want to see it simply because broadcast scored it!

[elevenism]

ahhh! how was it!? i want to see it simply because broadcast scored it!
wait wtf? i didn't know there WAS anymore broadcast...they are absolutely one of my favorite bands. i didn't even realize that they kept going!
i'm gonna have to watch it again just to catch the music.
dude, i REALLY liked it. it's kind of a pseudo-horror mindfuck that struck me as somehow elegant.
it's another one that doesn't really make much sense, but it sort of did in a symbolic way. actually, a lot of it has a narrative but it like purposely crumbles, leaving the viewer to decipher the meaning.
i say watch it ASAP...it's on netflix. i suppose i will be watching it again today! If trish's voice was in any of that music then i'm losing my mind or taking too many drugs :p

edit: ok, i just listened to a bit of it on youtube, and it's OBVIOUSLY broadcast. and now i remember really digging the opening music and thinking it reminded me of a song from TNMBP.
But i never thought that it could be broadcast because i kinda assumed broadcast was in rest in peace (and silence) status.

And, ohhhhhhh, eversonpoe , it just hit me...you, as a musician, with your taste in movies and being a broadcast fan, will LOVE this movie. It actually is about a sound studio.

[botley]

You can download Primer here (http://watch.erbpfilm.com/buy/primer?referrer=http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/threads/1422-Upstream-Color), directly from the filmmaker. Browse that site's menu and you can find Upstream Color too, as well as the soundtrack.

I think the analysis by @Alpha 60 (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=343) is spot on. The two main characters in Upstream Color find aspects of their core identity or sense-of-self totally removed thanks to something that they don't understand, and when we the audience discover a little more of what caused that to happen, we see people responsible for some adverse affects that our protagonists suffer but who may not have intended that (particularly in the case of a character like The Sampler). There's also a whole whack of interconnectedness in the natural world, much of which is so far beyond our ability to comprehend that completing a chain of causal analysis is always elusive. The film's cryptic plot and non-linear style reflects that.

[eversonpoe]

wait wtf? i didn't know there WAS anymore broadcast...they are absolutely one of my favorite bands. i didn't even realize that they kept going!
i'm gonna have to watch it again just to catch the music.
dude, i REALLY liked it. it's kind of a pseudo-horror mindfuck that struck me as somehow elegant.
it's another one that doesn't really make much sense, but it sort of did in a symbolic way. actually, a lot of it has a narrative but it like purposely crumbles, leaving the viewer to decipher the meaning.
i say watch it ASAP...it's on netflix. i suppose i will be watching it again today! If trish's voice was in any of that music then i'm losing my mind or taking too many drugs :p

edit: ok, i just listened to a bit of it on youtube, and it's OBVIOUSLY broadcast. and now i remember really digging the opening music and thinking it reminded me of a song from TNMBP.
But i never thought that it could be broadcast because i kinda assumed broadcast was in rest in peace (and silence) status.

And, ohhhhhhh, @eversonpoe (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=588) , it just hit me...you, as a musician, with your taste in movies and being a broadcast fan, will LOVE this movie. It actually is about a sound studio.

it was the last thing they were working on when trish died :(