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Posted: Feb 14 2006 06:30 pm

Has anybody heard anything about this movie? It looks weird and pretentious, but it might be good under the right circumstances.

Posted: Feb 14 2006 10:07 pm

I've been excited for it since before it came out in Germany. The trailer's been out for awhile and it promises a new trilogy I can latch onto for my ever increasing nerdity. I'll see it.

Joined: Aug 25 2005 Posts: 287

Yeah, I'm extremely excited about the film. There was actually a freebie screening last night in a number of cities. I almost went, but seating wasn't guaranteed.

Unfortunately, when they say "limited release", they mean it. I don't think many cities at ALL are getting the film for a few more weeks, even though it technically comes out tomorrow. Also, be warned. Supposedly something like 30 minutes has been cut (or so it is rumored). This might definitely be one for the DVD collection, if not the movie theater.

I also know that "Day Watch" (the second film) has premiered overseas and "Dusk Watch" (the last part) is in pre-production. Also, the first book in the series has been translated into English and it comes out mid-July in the States.

Posted: Feb 25 2006 02:05 am

The entire film in 2.5 minutes is online. It gave me a seizure.

http://creative.myspace.com/groups/_crs/nightwatch/condensed.mov

Posted: Feb 25 2006 07:14 am

They've been advertising it on MySpace for like 2 weeks now and I want to see it, but I don't feel like trekking into Boston to do so. Maybe you shouldn't advertise your damn movie on MySpace if you can't get it into conveniently placed theatres.

Posted: Feb 25 2006 01:28 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

They've been advertising it on MySpace for like 2 weeks now and I want to see it, but I don't feel like trekking into Boston to do so. Maybe you shouldn't advertise your damn movie on MySpace if you can't get it into conveniently placed theatres.

No kidding. It's not playing around here either. Well, maybe in the city or The Land of the $12 ticket price.

Posted: Mar 07 2006 02:36 am

My friend is hell bent on getting me to see it this weekend, I watched a trailer online and it looks kinda corny to me.

Posted: Mar 07 2006 03:58 am

Black Zarak wrote:

My friend is hell bent on getting me to see it this weekend, I watched a trailer online and it looks kinda corny to me.

Some of the best movies ever made are corny. Like everything nominated for an Academy Award this year... and Conan The Destroyer.

Joined: Aug 25 2005 Posts: 287

So I made the trek into Boston last Friday night and got to see the film. I liked it a lot. It's not really corny and it definitely sets up "Day Watch" quite well. I left the theater wondering what's going to happen in the next one. I don't want to spoil anything, but I WILL say that one character pulls out his own spine and uses it as a sword, which is fucking awesome beyond all comprehension.

Interestingly enough, the US version is something like 20 minutes shorter than the Russian one. Well, that's not so interesting, since foreign films get axed upon their domestic release all the time. What IS interesting is that I've actually read a fair bit of defense of our shorter cut, saying it helps the pace of the film and brings out some comedic elements and tense moments that were somewhat diluted by the extra footage. Being the quasi-completionist that I am, though, I want to see the longer cut, too.

One other note: The first, like, ten minutes had NO subtitles of which to speak. I'm figuring this was intentional and not a projection screw-up (since I'd assume the subtitle track is burned into the actual film) and some of the later "twists" in the plot seemed to stem from the audience not understanding what was being said earlier on. I wonder how this played out in Russia, where people could actually understand the dialogue...

Posted: Mar 08 2006 04:33 pm

Ever wonder if, during the Cold War, Russian films gave their villains American accents/spoke English?

Posted: Mar 08 2006 05:27 pm

Longer cuts aren't always better. For example, there is an going debate between Legend fans as to which cut is better, the studio's 98 minute version or Ridley Scott's 150 minute director's cut. There are people who fiercely defend each cut, and I imagine that's the case with any movie.

Hell, I liked the theatrical cut of Blade Runner.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Syd Lexia wrote:

Hell, I liked the theatrical cut of Blade Runner.

I'd agree if Harrison Ford didn't sound so damn bored doing the narration.

Posted: Mar 08 2006 05:57 pm

DarkMaze wrote:

I'd agree if Harrison Ford didn't sound so damn bored doing the narration.

There have been persistent rumors over the years that Harrison Ford intentionally gave bad readings of the narration so that the studio wouldn't use it.

From IMDB:
"It has been rumored for years that Harrison Ford purposefully gave a bad reading of the voiceover narration added during post production in hopes that the studio wouldn't use it. Ford has denied this vehemently, stating that he gave the voice over six different readings and neither version came out sounding right and that the narration didn't work simply because the film wasn't originally made to have one."

Posted: May 17 2007 06:49 pm

I hate to ressurect a thread that's been dead for over a year, but there is relevance as to why.

First, I saw the movie last night with a friend of mine (we played the Russian with subtitles version). We're definately psyched for the second.

The second movie (Day Watch) being the reason I post in here. For those that haven't kept up with it (since it's been out for a relatively long time), Day Watch is supposed to be getting a limited release on June 1st.

Posted: May 17 2007 10:12 pm

I actually bought Night Watch last month... Target had it on sale for $10. I watched it subbed (don't know if the DVD even HAS the Russian dialogue) and it was damn good. I have the international version of the movie, and I've been told it has a better overall structure than the Russia version.

Can't wait for Day Watch.

Posted: May 17 2007 11:16 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

Can't wait for Gay Watch.

Fixed.

And a little piece of me dies inside for using that joke...

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

I rented it almost a year ago and was disappointed. I usually love those types of sci-fi movies, but the whole plot seemed convoluted and ridiculous to me. So, I don't even plan on watching the sequel.

Posted: May 18 2007 01:36 pm

It is literary sitting next to my TV. I rented it two days ago.

Posted: May 18 2007 04:01 pm

S. McCracken wrote:

Syd Lexia wrote:

I masturbate to pictures of Nicole Eggert from Baywatch

Fixed.

Super Fixed.

Posted: May 19 2007 02:14 am

Watched it. I have the same problems with it that I had with "Underworld". Not plot or story parallels, but that I felt so emotionally disconnected from the whole film. None of the characters really drew me in or got me to care about them. There were dramatic things happening which I could see myself liking, but they just fell flat. But one story piece that did bug me (which also bugged me about Underworld) is that the whole mythology with the supernatural is spawned from a single war/feud! That's so undeveloped IMO.

Part of me thinks this disconnection came from the cultural differences in storytelling. A lot about the film felt amateurish to me, but I've also been raised to believe a particular belief in how films should be presented. The film does have a different tone and pacing than American films, but, like a lot of western films, the middle of the film suffers the most because of pacing. Despite a "time bomb" of sorts being set at the end of the first act, all immediacy to resolve it stops (Think Terminator 2). Not to mention the finale has two endings, which I'm fine with, but both solutions are incredibly underwhelming and rushed (more so the first than the second).

I did catch the "extended ending" on the DVD and I actually enjoyed it more than most of the movie. I felt a little more frustration of the main character and I liked the little comedic scene at the end to lighten the mood and move us into the second film.

As I'm a sequel whore, I'm guaranteed to watch the sequels eventually. Even though I felt this film had problems, I think there were a lot of good ideas and introductions that could be fleshed out in the second and third parts. I was pleased to see that these films were intended to be a TV series. Although, part of my wishes they stuck to that route... except then we wouldn't get the crazy and (at times) superfluous special effects. Rolling Eyes

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

Tebor wrote:

Watched it. I have the same problems with it that I had with "Underworld". Not plot or story parallels, but that I felt so emotionally disconnected from the whole film. None of the characters really drew me in or got me to care about them.

That's exactly how I felt. You're supposed to root for the main character, but I didn't like him at all, draining any interest I had.

Tebor wrote:

I did catch the "extended ending" on the DVD and I actually enjoyed it more than most of the movie. I felt a little more frustration of the main character and I liked the little comedic scene at the end to lighten the mood and move us into the second film.

That made me like him a little bit too, but it still wasn't enough.

Posted: Jun 18 2008 11:10 pm

I decided to finally tackle DAY WATCH: THE CHALK OF FATE - THE SEQUEL tonight.

Here's where it improves over the first: there's a love interest subplot - halfway through the movie the main character switches bodies with a female and hilarity ensues as he/she has to live with his 'girlfriend'. This bit of comic relief seriously helped A LOT to get me to like and care about the characters. That was the problem with Night Watch was the total "I don't care" aspect. This film, I really cared about Anton.

The film itself is overly long and complicated, but it is visually stunning. That's why I wanted watch these films in the first place, so success.

If you saw Night Watch, you owe it to yourself to see this insane sequel.