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How Splice Nearly Got Me Banned From My Local Theater

posted 15 years ago by flish553
286 replies | jump to latest

I don't want to ruin this movie for anyone, so if you haven't seen it, please don't read any further.

Alright, let's start with the previews. When previews for Splice hit the airwaves, it was promoted as a sci-fi/horror film about scientists who create a new life form, which the clever writers called "science's newest miracle (is) a mistake." After seeing a handful of trailers, I must admit I was intrigued. Maybe this was going to be like Species with more of a plot or character development to it. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
The actors aside (both of whom I adored in other films, Polley in the Dawn of the Dead remake and Brody as the mentally handicapped guy in The Village), I felt a bit awkward when Dren watched the two protagonists have sex on a filthy labratory couch. Then I had trouble getting past the weird feeling in my gut when Adrian Brodie taught Dren how to dance and she was OBVIOUSLY attracted to him. Also, when his dumb-ass decided it was alright to have sex with this creature (not a clone of his girlfriend, a mixture of animals and humans, so a THING), I had to fight the urge to get up and leave the theater. And finally, during the last twenty minutes of the film, when Dren becomes a male and visciously rapes Sarah Polley's character, I decided I wanted my money back.

As I said, I do not blame any of the actors for this movie's faults. I'd just like to know who the hell saw this schlock-fest and thought it was a decent film. I also read something about the DVD release should have alternate endings. Like what? Dren turns back into a female and rapes Andrien Brody? Come on, how on Earth could anyone want to see this disturbing film again?
After it was FINALLY over (and my girlfriend was nearly sick from the rape scene), we headed for the nearby exit. I couldn't stand the feeling I had in my stomach about what I'd just seen and felt I had to say something. I found one of the girls working the concession stand and politely asked her to locate the manager for me. After a minute, a large man in a nice suit walked up and shook my hand, introducing himself as the manager. I explained to him that I did not enjoy the film but I was not going to demand a refund. I simply wanted to know how the hell this movie got the semi-decent ratings it did and how he felt about it? Apparently I said something wrong because the big guy in the nice suit turned bright red and said, "If you'd rather not come back to this theater, you can continue talking about this movie. Otherwise, please refrain from libling a decent film."
By the way, lible is printed, slander is spoken. Dumb-ass.

Basically, I'd just like to know what happened to the science-fiction (or in this case, somewhat science-fact) movies that used to frightening yet not sickening. Something has gone seriously wrong with our mentality as a nation if we feel it's alright to make movies about creating life, then killing it, then getting raped by it, then killing it again. What does anyone learn from watching this kind of movie?
How NOT to make a movie.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Jigsaw737 14 years ago

Two things for the original poster:

1. get a more healthy relationship towards sex. If the sex scene on the couch and Dren accidently witnessing it makes you feel uncomfortable you have issues. See a shrink.

2. Look up the definition of "horror" and then compare that definition with your reaction to the movie. Then come back and tell us again that you didn't get what you paid for.

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~No matter where you go, there you are~

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] karenlfrancis 14 years ago

Amusing parallels:

OP raged at manager over the content of a movie he willingly paid for and watched to the end; criticism for his post has been made by people who willingly read it to the end without even the added incentive of not wanting to waste their money. None of the parties were forced to sit through to the end, all had the opportunity to leave quietly at a time of their choosing.

He voiced his dissatisfaction to the senior-most person he could access at the time, being unable to speak directly to the source; commentors have voiced their dissatisfaction but were lucky enough to have access to the source. (Though this suggests a general acceptance of venting rage as long as its directed at the offending source, it seems unlikely that the OP would have received support for telling the director what he thought of his film either.)

When confronted with material he disagreed with, OP made a point of speaking up instead of just walking away; when confronted with material they disagreed with, dissenters hit the 'reply' button and voiced their opinion rather than just walking away. An additional parallel; neither instance contains anything productive nor was either likely to actually achieve anything beyond a sense of smug satisfaction.

Movies, books, television shows, video games, newspaper articles or just random posts put on the internet by a complete stranger; all will have supporters, opposition, apathy and band-wagonettes flocking for front row seats. (Well, apart from the apathetic but even some of those are just fakes who somehow manage to summon the energy to tell us they don't care.) Complaining to the manager was possibly a fruitless endeavour, maybe even an unwise one and potentially not something to be particularly proud of, but posting insults about it online just makes you guilty of exactly the same crime. Somewhere out there are a heap of people who read all this and didn't say a word.

Kudos. You did better than I!

[–] dxben99 14 years ago

You just made me laugh.

You didn't like the movie so you complain to the cinema's manager and asked him how the movie got its high ratings??? That's just awesome. :D

I think the imdb rating at the moment is too low even. I enjoyed the movie very much and was happy to see it was not your average SciFi Horror stuff, where the "thing" escapes from the lab and then runs wild in some city. Seeing this as a drama was really interesting.

And I really don't know what your problem with the plot is. Dren only knew Brody's and Polley's character, so of course , once she was "old enough" she developed feelings for Brody's character, and then later, after the sex change, for Polley's character.

I agree that this gets quite disturbing, especially the rape, but I think it was a realistic scenario and made the movie even more interesting.

If you have problems watching rape scenes, okay, but this doesn't make this a bad film.

[–] Jon-87 14 years ago

I disagree. I think there is a place in this world for sickening movies. It made me feel a sense of sympathy for Dren's character.

The only movie that was so sickening that I had to stop watching it: Schindler's List. Fantastic movie, but I could not handle it.

[–] cybie04 14 years ago

The story of the movie was quite a good one. The authors thought of a parent/child relation between the actors (or experiments). That is why so many people do not understand the storyline at all. I cannot understand why anybody is disgusted by the movie. Dren is not a human so nobody should treat it like that. Well, the actors did actually. But that is a part of the story. Dren learned how to have sex by her own mentors/parents/scientists/whatever. I was not disgusted at all, in fact Dren was doing what everybody would do when acting like nature intended. The movie does not state why Dren turned into a male after being buried but thinking of the other two creatures makes the idea quite clear. Being raped by an alien which has been raised by yourself must be kinda harsh in real-life but it still can be a good story. I guess USA has some problems with this movie because there is sexual violence.

@fish553:
How not to make a movie? - Simply don't listen to your advise!
The story is great and even better when taking in account that there was not even a book of it and the screenplay has been written 'from scratch'

Cheers...

[–] Valtari 14 years ago

flish553, I would just like to tell you, that I think you are one of the most arrogant, ignorant and stuck up people I have ever come across. You ruin my day just by living. Thanks for destroying yet another piece of my faith in humanity.