So, i gather at least quite a number of you have already seen The Descent now that it’s actually in wide release in the States. I made a post about it last year (which you can re-read here) saying how it was the scariest movie i’d ever seen (made me jump 6 times! and i don’t jump easily).
I saw the trailer that they put up for the movie on the Xbox Live Marketplace and i gotta say, it really sucked for those of you that saw that because it pretty much gave away one of its biggest scares (the ‘reveal’) in the trailer.
(Speaking of which, whoever cut the trailer for ‘The Departed‘, what the fuck? Ya, why not just show the whole movie in the trailer why don’t you. That said, i’m still intrigued by what changes they had to make to American-ize Boston-ize the flick, which, if you didn’t already know, is a remake of the Hong Kong hit movie, Infernal Affairs. But anyway… back to The Descent…)
Haven’t seen any of the other teasers or TV spots but i suggest avoiding them if you can, if you haven’t already seen the flick. It’s one of my favorite movies to make girls watch. Because if a movie like that can make me jump 6 times (i counted), then it’ll probably make a real girl (which, despite any rumors you may have heard, i am not) pee their pants. Or at least clutch your arm like really tight if you ever decide to use The Descent as a date movie. No guarantees of course since not all girls are complete pussies (most are though. i hear angelbaby was freaked out by Silent Hill. lolz).
Anyhow, for those of you who have seen the flick, know that: they actually tinkered around with the ending abit and made end a little bit more prematurely than the original UK ending. Knowing how both versions end, i think the UK ending is infinitely more superior than the US ending. I’d hold out for the DVD (which will include both endings) if you want to see the movie they way it’s supposed to end.
Nevertheless, shitty re-edited US ending aside, everything else before that: still top notch.
Recommended!
I’m going to go out on a severed limb here and talk out of what might be my proverbial ass; but in my opinion; Neil Marshall has entered the horror author field with this film. He took his place alongside Carpenter, Craven, Cronenberg and all. It’s been a while since we’ve had a solid addition to that list! The Descent was a brilliantly structured and executed piece of horror cinema. It was well written, layered, expertly acted, suspenseful as hell, directed with flair, emotionally resonant and f*cking gory/violent as well! I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this diamond in the rough – all I will say is see it, see it and SEE IT! THE DESCENT is the movie I’ve been waiting for all year – THANK YOU!
but would your girlfriend like “The Descent”?
#1 | Comment by smash — August 8, 2006 @ 6:10 am
actually she got mad at me for making her watch the dvd and i’m pretty sure she started crying halfway through. but then i made her watch it till the end anyway. she liked it just as much as when i made her watch the hills have eyes (= not at all). what a girl.
#2 | Comment by Justin — August 8, 2006 @ 6:16 am
You should take up the good fight and help fight the ruining of good movies by studios making “audience-friendly” cuts, releasing crappy sequels (already planning the descent sequel), and movie ruining trailers. I can’t imagine how much scarier the movie would have been if I didn’t know about creatures being in the caves
#3 | Comment by Cashew — August 8, 2006 @ 7:04 am
I want to watch this for the Saw 3 trailer…lol…looks good tho 🙂
#4 | Comment by Rappy — August 8, 2006 @ 7:43 am
“from the studio that brought you SAW and HOSTEL!”
Gah, I hate that marketing BS that audiences are stoopid enough to pay attention to. It’s like something on TV I saw advertising some crap “From the producers of Crash!” Who gives a fuck who the money men are? They don’t come up with this stuff.
Looking forward to the next movie “from the security company who unlocked the doors in the morning on The Descent!”
#5 | Comment by DisconcertedGeorge — August 8, 2006 @ 8:15 am
Hell, I’m a pussy when it comes to horror movies, it’s very easy to make me jump, so I don’t watch them, and I certainly don’t watch them with girls on dates.
It wouldn’t do for them to know these things about me.
#6 | Comment by Seriously — August 8, 2006 @ 8:41 am
“Who gives a fuck who the money men are? They don’t come up with this stuff.”
Yeah, they should have tagged this…’from some English fairies you’ve never heard of’. That’d reel in business!
Think of studios as your friend who just knows like everything about movies. You might even be that friend. Now assume you don’t work at blockbuster and your life isn’t spiraling in a shit coating whirl pool down the drain of exitence. You make money to pick up movie distribution rights and lots of it. Think maybe your opinion and that of the team of people under you might be a little better/ more informed? I do.
Wait why do I care?
Oh yeah, Justin is number 3 now to educate people on The Departed. The closer the movie gets to release the more there will be. All pulling their heads out of their assess just long enough to stick their noses in the air and make the alarmingly original statement “why does Hollywood keep making remakes and sequels?” and then purchasing tickets to the latest remake and/or sequel. And then chewing some poor uninterested bastards ear off with their expert knowledge of HK and Japanese ‘cinema’.
Fackeverything.
#7 | Comment by Eamon Angelface — August 8, 2006 @ 9:27 am
boy did this movie suck. not good at all. incredibly slow. picks up only at the end for about 10 minutes.
#8 | Comment by fromagex — August 8, 2006 @ 12:08 pm
‘hills have eyes’ was coo…i even boughted the unrated dvd.
and i will also get ‘silent hill’ later this month.
yes, i am a sucker for horror flicks.
#9 | Comment by AngelBaby — August 8, 2006 @ 12:21 pm
“yes, i am a sucker for bad movies.”
FIXT!
#10 | Comment by smash — August 8, 2006 @ 12:27 pm
^^^
shut.
#11 | Comment by AngelBaby — August 8, 2006 @ 12:35 pm
I saw it. I liked it. I still prefer ‘The Thing.’
#12 | Comment by El Payo — August 8, 2006 @ 12:37 pm
#7 they could have made the poster a lot more effective if they had just put “SAW!” “HOSTEL!” in big letters. Same effect, less printing effort.
And if they had added the word “BOOBS!” in big letters it would really pull in the audience. And the audience couldn’t even complain about the lack of boobs because the poster never said there were any boobs in it. Ahahahah!
#13 | Comment by DisconcertedGeorge — August 8, 2006 @ 12:42 pm
I wasnt impressed… sarah was a bitch though!!!
#14 | Comment by wp_legend — August 8, 2006 @ 4:00 pm
I had high hopes for the Descent, based on your recommendation, Justin. I was kind of disappointed. It didn’t wasn’t so sucky that it pissed me off the way Crash did, but I just left the theater thinking, “Well it was pretty violent.” It was pretty forgetable. Maybe I’m jsut not a horror movie person. Oh, and I almost yelled, “Rambo!” during the scene shown in the picture above. It wouldn’t have been much of a distraction since there were so many people talking and a group of asshole 15 year-olds text messaging throughout the whole movie. I need to take heavy objects to the movies so that I can throw things at the bastards who don’t know how to behave themselves.
#15 | Comment by Elder Young — August 8, 2006 @ 10:32 pm
#15 – Elder, I feel your pain.
Instead of throwing heavy objects at those text messaging idiots, may I suggest a much satisfying and er, elegant solution. Just take about 4 to 6 feet of flexible PVC tubing to your next movie. If those little inbred mallrat fucktards start talking and fucking around, just take out Mr. PVC tube unroll it, position that baby near their Abercrombie or Hollister jeaned legs and let your pungent golden stream of piss work its magic. Oh, make sure to order a biggest sized soda they have and eat plenty of asparagus & garlic before hand. Lastly, I would probably do this just before the movie ends, so you can safely haul ass outta there.
#16 | Comment by Smiley — August 8, 2006 @ 11:13 pm
Nope. I give up on the ‘useful tags’
I’m pretty sure that when the reviewer wrote:
“Neil Marshall has entered the horror author field with this film.”
He actually meant:
“Neil Marshall has entered the horror *auteur* field with this film.
#17 | Comment by El Payo — August 9, 2006 @ 1:06 am
I have to say that I was disappointed, too. It didn’t really scare me and I never felt very involved in the film. There were a few moments of inspiration, but nothing ever panned out. The film was bloody, but that didn’t make it interesting. And I have no idea what that ending was???
#18 | Comment by council24 — August 9, 2006 @ 4:05 am
I liked it… I watched the UK version of the film with the full ending… I;d have to say though, I haven’t been this scared of a horror film in some quite time now. Shockz you for realz. I got the jumps. Overall great, recommend to any horry flick fanatic… Although I wished I had watched this with someone else, because watching it alone sucks like fuck. 🙁
#19 | Comment by Kaka — August 11, 2006 @ 11:55 pm
I downloaded the dvdrip of it, scary movie awesome ending (if you see the UK version) P.S. Dog Soldiers is a badass movie too.
#20 | Comment by DUDEMASTER — August 13, 2006 @ 1:22 pm
I just saw Descent yesterday. Holy fuck that was a good movie. The last hour I noticed my hands were clenched into fists the whole time.
It’s not my all-time favorite horror movie but I really can’t think of a movie with better scares.
#21 | Comment by Nerima — August 22, 2006 @ 11:32 am
i also saw over the wkend (along with Pulse), and have to say Descent lives up to its hype.
however, i didn’t jump 6 times like Justin…what a girl.
#22 | Comment by AngelBaby — August 22, 2006 @ 12:31 pm
Pulse was a shitpile. But 90 minutes of Veronica Mars herself on the big screen wasn’t so bad.
#23 | Comment by Nerima — August 22, 2006 @ 3:53 pm