Did THAT snail really die? - Mean Creek (2004) Discussion

[–] cincinnatiredgals 18 years ago

it was only a snail....

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[–] mathis-frank 18 years ago

Then how about I killed you and said: whatever, there are 6 billion people in this world, one human less doesn't matter....

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[–] selecter-1 18 years ago

As if you never accidentally trod on a snail walking in the forest? Are you one of those people who demand to put a stop on using mice in laboratory tests that are conducted to find a cure from cancer, influenza and other horrible diseases?

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[–] J_Bun 17 years ago

Selector- many animals that are used in lab experiments are not mice (not that it should matter anyway). And the majority of lab experiments are unnecessary either for household cleaning products or beauty products or maybe for a disease testing that has been done over and over with the same results. Those animals lives should be valued, and if a cure is found (which is unlikely from just animal testing- there are many better, more accurate ways of testing things nowadays, jerks like you should be barred from using it.

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[–] MeanerWithTheScenery 16 years ago

Selector- many animals that are used in lab experiments are not mice (not that it should matter anyway). And the majority of lab experiments are unnecessary either for household cleaning products or beauty products or maybe for a disease testing that has been done over and over with the same results. Those animals lives should be valued, and if a cure is found (which is unlikely from just animal testing- there are many better, more accurate ways of testing things nowadays, jerks like you should be barred from using it.

Could you name these "better" ways of testing for cancer cures? I'm not fully behind a lot of the testing they do, but I understand that it's because it's the only real option they have... unless you can enlighten me to other options? As for beauty products and the like, testing on animals for cosmetics is illegal in my country and I'm surprised and a little disgusted that it isn't in the US (if that's where you're from).

Sometimes, baby bison die.

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[–] t_bunson 16 years ago

"Could you name these "better" ways of testing for cancer cures?"

Stem cells. No torture necessary. And finally we have an American president willing to fund the research.

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[–] nadiamirkov 16 years ago

Well, to anyone who said the scene was not really necessary, I think it was, and obviously it has a certain impact -shown on this thread-. I ate snails in Paris a couple of months ago. Twelve of them, very similar to that snail actor. No one made any fuss about it, and it was absolutely not neccesary. But they were very tasty.

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[–] sonofoddin 12 years ago

I agree, OP grows some and just stop trying to create controversy

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[–] hcorry1 17 years ago

WE'RE STICKING UP FOR SNAILS NOW? Jesus, stupid people just come out in droves...

I have you know that after reading your absurd post, I went outside and stepped on 7 snails... I crushed them under my foot and waited for the crunch...

It was nice....

Get a life, you mindless embarrassment of a human.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] thecultofhorror 16 years ago

kids kill snails all of the time. it added to the film.

and to the poster likening a snail's life to a human's life....you are dumb.

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[–] WordUpJack 18 years ago

It wasn't a real snail because if they did kill one Peta would be all over their asses and they would be sued whether or not it's just a snail.

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[–] RussianBeauty 18 years ago

I hope it wasent a real snail!

Everybody wants to be a cat!

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] northern_dirt 17 years ago

Sued by Peta?..
Ok... HAHAHAHA

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[–] ILikeTheTrees 17 years ago

It looked pretty real, and I was very shocked. The single solace found is that I don't think molluscs have complex enough nervous systems to feel pain. Hope not.
This brings up a very interesting moral argument though: if it couldn't feel pain, was it still wrong to kill the snail?
I think so

You're god damn right I did!

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[–] duyharry 17 years ago

oh, come on, I bet all of you guys have actually killed the insects at least once, 'cause they're all over the place, like they're crawling on the street all the time, so you could have stepped on them and you haven't even known...

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[–] countdowntoinfinity 17 years ago

The snail looked very real. I wonder how many takes they did?

In retrospect, the director probably could have filmed it differently. Maybe the audience should have “heard” the snail being squashed, as opposed to seeing its death?

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[–] YoreLore 17 years ago

there is a difference...killing something (even if it is just a snail) in a film is purely for entertainment reasons...meaning the film would have been the same without a snail dying in it. Not as if it would have lost half its fanbase if they didnt kill a snail.

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[–] whiteshadow79 17 years ago

"there is a difference...killing something (even if it is just a snail) in a film is purely for entertainment reasons...meaning the film would have been the same without a snail dying in it. Not as if it would have lost half its fanbase if they didnt kill a snail."

I felt that Millie's act of murdering that snail was a very powerful indicator of her feelings at the time. She seemed like an intelligent, gentle person who would normally not do such a thing. It was a great way to show how they were all spiritually tainted by what had occured that day. Each one of them held some responsibility for what happened, even Millie who gave her approval for the game of truth or dare. So the killing of the snail was not just for entertainment purposes it was a powerful scene that added substance to the movie. It was an artistic statement that was necessarily in your face and could not have been replicated by just hearing a crunch or some other subterfuge.

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[–] megzorz 16 years ago

I agree with whiteshadow79. If it had been a useless part that meant nothing in terms of plot or character development, then it would have been stupid.

But it WAS part of the character development. It showed how Millie was affected by Georges death. It also looked VERY real.

~~~~~
Kristen's Mafia
T~O

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[–] PsychoDingo 12 years ago

maybe it was a snail that needed to die, and instead of unceremoniously exterminating it, someone decided to make the best of an unfortunate moment, and immortalized the snail on film in a gesture of respect

I'm proud to say my poetry is only understood by that minority which is aware.

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[–] Legionnaire_72 17 years ago

Jesus Christ... Its a snail.

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[–] CsikosPost 17 years ago

Okay, to answer the question:

I think somewhere in the commentary, the director mentioned that she was actually stabbing a small bag of some fluid nearby. The snail just retracted into its shell afterwards.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] wolvenchild92 17 years ago

It was just a snail...there is no reason to make a big deal about it.

"Art is a bang, un"

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[–] Dantès 17 years ago

I don't see people making a big deal; they're curious. I am too.

Moviemakers used to get away with killing animals for the film (Treasure of the Sierra Madre, for example), but it's pretty rare these days. Many movies have a disclaimer saying no animals were harmed in the making of the movie.

On top of that, George didn't really die, but the snail probably did. And it was gratuitous. Sure, it's just a snail, but I still don't like killing things for no reason.

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[–] camilton 17 years ago

It scared the heck out of me when it happened, and I really hope it wasn't real. But like someone said, I'm sure PETA would have been outraged if it is.

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[–] Movieloverrrr 17 years ago

No, neither the director nor the cast refer to the snail in any moment in the audio comment. That´s what made me angry.

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[–] suse33 17 years ago

Two reasons I think the snail wasn't real:
1. I would hope they wouldn't ask an actor - no matter how deeply immersed in the "method" he or she might be - to stab real, slimey, squirmy SNAILS in the course of several takes.
2. It seems like almost everything nowadays is an effect of some kind, no matter how small or inconsequential it may seem.

Speaking of which - I REALLY loved the knife/blood effect for the "blood brothers" moment. And doing it in one take made it even better.

Requiescat In Pace , li'l snail.

"If you can't say something nice about someone...come sit here by me."~D.Parker

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[–] ILikeTheTrees 17 years ago

I know that is probably wasn't real, my only concern is that if it was killed just for a movie, that's wrong. If we don't pay attenbtion to snails getting killed, how long would it take for fish, birds, rodents, primates...HUMANS!!!!!!!!!!!

But seriously, it's not cool

You're god damn right I did!

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] tharghstefan 17 years ago

Sick bastards

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[–] stevenewman-2 17 years ago

Maybe it was a stunt snail!

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[–] View-Askew 16 years ago

LOL

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[–] JcksonRipner 16 years ago

I'd be nearly positive it was a real snail. On a low budget indy like this, the last thing they'd be splashing money on is a CGI job for a five second shot. Think of the hassle your saving by just grabbing a snail from the grass nearby. Like someone mentioned, CGI animals are usually pretty obvious anyway.

Personally, I still think it's completely wrong.

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[–] DamianGein 16 years ago

Yeah I think it was a real snail too, poor snail she didn't deserve to to die ( as opposed to the George, now he can rot in hell for all I care).

You, will never realize, what darkness lies inside, inside my own mind...

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] coldementia 16 years ago

If it's wrong to kill a snail, then it's wrong to kill a mosquito too, and don't you DARE try to tell me you never killed one of THOSE little ass-oles.

We got no FOOD! We got no JOBS! Our pets' HEADS ARE FALLIN' OFF!

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[–] Vashramana 16 years ago

killing something just for a scene a movie is ridiculous. it was not necessary to show the knife killing the snail. it would have been just as effective to pan away right as she was going to stab it.

yes people do kill small animals and insects all the time but that's if they are annoyed or feel threatened by there presence. this was a movie.

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[–] silverwolf_316 16 years ago

Yet killing a fly, or a spider, or a cocroach just because it wandered in your house isn't ridiculous?

Hypocrites is what this thread is filled with. I can tell you right now; Everyone who is upsed that a snail had to die in a movie, has killed an animal with their own hands.

The death of the snail was an important scene. The girl had just assisted in the death of a human being. She was upset and angry. Killing a snail...after killing a human, let me remind you, don't seem all that bad.

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[–] advice31765 16 years ago

I found the stabbing of the snail much more horrifying than the death of the fat kid, which was an accident, not a deliberate act of violence.

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[–] IMDB_Vits 10 years ago

There's a difference between killing an animal in self-defense and killing it just because. I know mosquitos don't kill, but they harm humans, so it still counts as self-defense.

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