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Review: 'Snowpiercer'
Chicago Tribune ^ | 7-2-2014 | Betsy Sharkey

Posted on 07/13/2014 11:31:20 PM PDT by Citizen Zed

The movie takes place in a new ice age brought on by global environmental abuse. Only a few hundred souls remain, and survival is very much at stake. Still, humans bring along the same old emotional baggage. Social class, economic disparity, power, loyalty and petty jealousies play out with a fury that comes from being imprisoned by circumstance. This is year 17 on the train. A generation has never lived anywhere else.

Lest that sound too dismal, buried inside the action is a story of hope hard won. It rests with one rebel, Curtis (Evans), a resident of the slums that have sprung up in the freight cars at the back of the train. The driving force is fairly simple: Curtis sets out for the engine with the idea of overtaking the Snowpiercer's power-source, both human and mechanical. Evans, channeling a dark mood and an unstoppable determination, becomes the film's all-important glue.

(Excerpt) Read more at articles.chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; TV/Movies
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To: RginTN
this trope has been done before.

Waterworld. The Time Machine. Metropolis. Wikipedia has a page full of them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dystopian_films

21 posted on 07/14/2014 3:23:17 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (This is known as "bad luck". - Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Citizen Zed

is it as good as Sharknado?
Because I only have so many brain cells left to waste


22 posted on 07/14/2014 4:14:25 AM PDT by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: silverleaf

The only redeeming feature of this film is that the snow apocalypse was caused by scientists trying to undo global warming.


23 posted on 07/14/2014 4:23:41 AM PDT by Haiku Guy (Health Care Haiku: If You Have a Right / To the Labor I Provide / I Must Be Your Slave)
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To: Citizen Zed

I like post apocalyptic stories and this looks like an interesting departure from the typical theme.


24 posted on 07/14/2014 4:28:00 AM PDT by 12th_Monkey (One man one vote is a big fail, when the "one" man is an idiot.)
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To: F15Eagle

let me guess, the heroes are sexy black guys who teach everybody how to survive and build computers while fighting the effeminate White men


25 posted on 07/14/2014 4:43:46 AM PDT by equalator
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To: silverleaf

I did not see the Sharknado, but I’m guessing Snowpiercer is better.


26 posted on 07/14/2014 6:13:42 AM PDT by Citizen Zed ("Freedom costs a buck o five" - Gary Johnston, TAWP)
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To: LibWhacker

Agree, the classism “keep your place” was gratuitous.
If they’d had just the first Tilda Swinton speech and skipped the other “keep your place” lectures and the kid saying “all back passengers are scum” in the classroom out, it would have been better.
The kronole and its role was actually interesting, as was “how do you live in an enclosed system” like that.


27 posted on 07/14/2014 6:22:54 AM PDT by tbw2
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To: njslim

It is $7 on Amazon instant video right now.


28 posted on 07/14/2014 6:23:20 AM PDT by tbw2
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To: Haiku Guy

I thought that was interesting, too. Without any regional testing, the world just deploys massive geo-engineering methods “for the planet” and nearly kill it.


29 posted on 07/14/2014 6:25:22 AM PDT by tbw2
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To: Norm Lenhart
Another product of ‘Administration outreach” to Hollywood to include ‘climate change themes’

You're right on this in general - however - I read an article about this movie that the "Climate Issues" in this movie stemmed from someone trying to *fix* Climate change.

It was so out of place that it caught my attention, that's why I remember it. Still doesn't make me want to pony up $10 to see it in the theater, though.

30 posted on 07/14/2014 6:42:39 AM PDT by wbill
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To: tbw2; Haiku Guy
My unsolicited $0.02? 'Tis something that I've worried about for awhile.

I'm not concerned about global warming cooling climate change. Weather happens.

Nope, what concerns me is that someone -think Bill Gates, or Richard Branson - may try to *do* something about it ... and really screw things up.

31 posted on 07/14/2014 6:47:49 AM PDT by wbill
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To: wbill

Ice ages have lasted a hundred thousand years or so with 10K-15K warm periods in between. We are 12K years into the latest warm period, so we are kind of due to go back to normal - cold.


32 posted on 07/14/2014 7:54:00 AM PDT by tbw2
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To: Citizen Zed
Haven't seen it yet. I just have one silly question.
If everyone lives on the train that keeps moving, who maintains the track?

33 posted on 07/15/2014 4:28:09 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
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To: BitWielder1

It was a well built track. And of course snow and ice on the track are pierced by the train. It’s basically a live action Anime.


34 posted on 07/15/2014 6:39:39 AM PDT by Citizen Zed ("Freedom costs a buck o five" - Gary Johnston, TAWP)
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To: Citizen Zed
It was a well built track.

Not built by Union Labor then.

35 posted on 07/15/2014 6:44:22 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
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To: All

snow piercer = lame

snow piercer = attack of manbearpig.


36 posted on 07/15/2014 6:44:59 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: BitWielder1

manbearpig


37 posted on 07/15/2014 6:45:32 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Citizen Zed
If they want to make a movie about Liberal policies and climate change this is a perfect book to base it on!


38 posted on 07/15/2014 6:49:58 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg (If you're going to deny my 1st Amendment rights then I must proceed to the 2nd one...)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
Waterworld. The Time Machine. Metropolis. Wikipedia has a page full of them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dystopian_films

Metropolis is an interesting case. Metropolis was a landmark work of science fiction. The US theatrical release was a severe dystopian, anti-capitalist story. During a recent restoration project for the film, however, additional footage was discovered along with a far differently edited and longer version of the film that turned the whole message on its head with a strong anti-communist, anti central-planning message. On the whole the newly discovered version makes a lot more sense story-wise and is an even more compelling work and is probably the "original" version intended by the writer. I think, IIRC, that this version was found in a film vault in Argentina. There was a great documentary about the painstaking restoration process to save this vital piece of filmmaking history.

39 posted on 07/15/2014 7:27:55 AM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us one chance in three. More tea anyone?)
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To: BitWielder1
If everyone lives on the train that keeps moving, who maintains the track?

I'm having a little trouble with the premise. Why a train? So there's just some hundreds of people left in the world and they've decided to ride around on a train?

40 posted on 07/15/2014 7:31:15 AM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us one chance in three. More tea anyone?)
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