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Expectations can definitely play a role in your reaction to a movie. The greater your excitement and hopes, the easier it is for a film to not meet them. Conversely, if you start off from a position of “This is gonna be crap” or “I’m only watching this because the remote’s out of reach”, there’s every possibility a movie might not only exceed expectations (faint praise, since the bar is set low) but actually end up feeling like it was an entertaining use of your time.
I really don’t remember The Book of Eli making a big noise when it was first released. Even now it’s got some pretty anemic scores both from a critical and commercial sense, and despite its post-apocalyptic Western sensibilities I think it was Dawn who stuck it on our Netflix queue, not me. The disc proclaimed a 118 minute runtime, which meant nearly two hours… already a violation of the unofficial guideline some of my friends and I have adopted where we feel like a movie’s ideal length is around an hour and a half. It’s a guideline, not a rule… after all, I’ve admitted several times here how I enjoy some of the classic movies with a slower sense of pacing… but we’re definitely living in an era where most of the time movies that go two hours (or more) really don’t need to. I don’t want to be checking my watch as my ass goes numb waiting for a film to figure out how to end itself.
Anyhow, I bring this particular bit up because The Book of Eli managed to feel like a 90 minute movie for me, and I say that with my compliments. I can see people being turned off as it tilts thematically between stabs at philosophy and scenes of almost cartoonish ultra-violence (mind you, the kind of cartoon that includes geysering neck blood). I might just be used to that sort of thing after watching so much anime, but the violence remained grounded just enough so as not to be rendered entirely devoid of weight and meaning… even despite the unfortunate decision to use CGI for some of the combat scenes in a setting which cried out for the grit and dust and just sheer physicality of practical effects. Bloodily slaughtering a bunch of bandit mooks is no big thing, but the named characters were still people to care about. I suppose I’m reminded in several ways of the tone in Escape From New York… and again, I say that with my compliments. I’m an unrepentant child of the ’80s.
I don’t think it’ll be any major spoiler to say that Denzel Washington’s lone drifter character is carrying a book, and that book is supposedly the last existing copy of the Bible. That may or may not be true, but America (and presumably the rest of the world) suffered nuclear armageddon, or something close enough to it, and in the wake of that it’s declared people sought out and burned any copies that survived since a lot of blame for the war fell on religious motives. The post-war generation doesn’t even know the concept of saying grace before a meal… which again seems a bit far-fetched, but without it we don’t have the central conflict where the one other guy in the wasteland who remembers the Bible (played by Gary Oldman, and I’m a big sucker for Gary Oldman villains) wants it so he can use its words to control and oppress. “People will come from all over, they’ll do exactly what I tell ’em if the words are from the book. It’s happened before and it’ll happen again. All we need is that book.”
Yeah, this is… not a subtle movie. But it does have some surprisingly smart moments, especially in the twist at the end (foreshadowed at several points when you start thinking back on them). So despite Book of Eli arguably having nothing really fresh to offer in terms of visuals or plotlines, I didn’t check my watch, my ass didn’t go numb, and I’m actually going to remember this film for awhile. I say that with my compliments. Suzie hearkening back to the last time Eustace was faked out. She probably regrets not being able to sneak the Lawn Ranger into the bedcovers to be the victim of the stabbing.
And with that, it's Episode 23 time! Welcome back to the Ranch, everyone!
13 thoughts on “540 – Trick Hello”
Scarsdale
Called it, she figured he’d do this, if by choice or by zombie voodoo. I’m sure the “friendlier” questioning will start soon, if she doesn’t just kill him out-right. Or just add him to the herd.
Crazyman
Gotcha!
Zombatar
This turn of events is a surprise only to Eustace. And, maybe, Eustace’s subconscious. After all, this way he doesn’t have to actually risk actually attacking Suzie, which gives him a greater chance of survival than actually attacking her. I wonder what he was promised/threatened with?
ConcordBob
Not to nit-pick, but since sights are on target, finger should be on the trigger. Especially this close.
The usual rule is “keep finger straight and off trigger until sights are on target”.
Dr. Norman (not a real doctor)
Not to nit-pick, but since that was current philosophies regarding trigger discipline have evolved.
Of course, it will depend on who you get/got your training from.
Experiments have determined that the fraction of a second to go from finger off the trigger to finger firing when appropriate is insignificant, and the risk of firing unintended is greatly reduced.
Dr. Norman (not a real doctor)
I did the google thing and I believe I saw how you reached this conclusion … but there are two parts to it – One should not omit the second part.
“Trigger Finger Discipline: · The practice of keeping your finger “off the trigger” until your sights are on target AND YOU ARE READY TO DISCHARGE THE FIREARM.” (Caps are my own)
Crazyman
She wants him alive so she can question him; otherwise, he’d already be dead.
ConcordBob
Good discussion on trigger discipline!
His skin is very pale / gray. Is this malnourishment, or has he been poisoned with a mind-control drug? I would have to go back and look a t all various of skin tone.
TKG
On a prior page we discussed what he’s likely got running in his system. I suggested that it’s probably Borrochero (Brugmansia arbora) which is already used by Colombian cartels to eradicate the free will of their victims.
ConcordBob
Oh, the gray is just the dim light. Here is McCarthy eating dinner, and has the typical white dude flesh tone.
https://www.zombieranchcomic.com/comic/531-inquisitional-etiquette/
Dawn
Yeah, I was trying to show that it was dark. But went with the old Hollywood method of adding a blue grey tint over everything.
Dr. Norman (not a real doctor)
Now can we satisfy my curiosity? Colt, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, or other timeline variant?
gamachinist
The hammer and lower grip shape look like a Colt Diamondback. Some Model 14 Smith & Wesson’s have a target hammer with the same shape. The upper shape of the grip panel looks like the left side of a Diamondback. The side plate doesn’t show screws. A Colt has the side plate on the left, so no screws would show. The back side of the front sight is kind of like a Colt, but the slope on the front and the barrel under lug shape is not. To sum up, a very good image of a generic revolver.