Descent and Descent 2 Thread

[Rayn]

The Descent into your mumz fanny ROLF

fandruf

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Only 'cause your mums fanny has collapsed.

[Big Loud Mouth]

My flatmates rented this last night, I watched the first 1/2 hour then decided to go off and do something more interesting. I don't know why but I found those women really fucking annoying. I just couldnt connect to them (with them being a bunch of middle class rich white girls) and felt no empathy for them, even the one who's hubby died.

I did like the bit when they got lost in the cave and started freaking out. They find out the cave they are in is unexplored and apprently the american bird thought the rest of the girls would be up for the challenge, 'cus that's what they do'.

'So what's the way out??'

'THERE MIGHT NOT BE A WAY OUT!!!!!"

Quality.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

Watched this last night and found it both unbearable and highly reminiscent of John Carpenter - and I mean that in a complimentary way. Anyone who goes pot-holing and crawls around in spaces like that is a fucking lunatic, I was screaming at just seeing the size of those 'passages' they went in. And Beth! Poor Beth...I cried out loud when Juno spun round.

In all honesty, the crawlers were unnecessary, the film was terrifyingly tense enough just being stuck down there. Getting stuck, crossing the chasm...

Horrible. In a good way.

[Popo]

I don't know about the monsters being unneccesary - nothing beats that first reveal - but the pace and dynamic of the film definitely changes for the worst after it.

[Varcan]

Just watched this again on DVD as I got it for my b'day.

Amazing film. So effective.

I'm lovin' local lad Neil Marshall's work. Met the cast of Dog Soldiers not so long ago.

Anyway, just giving credit where credit is due.

[CrispinG]

It's being released in theatres in the States next month, so I can see how the experience migrates from my shitty TV to a sixty foot cinema. I can't wait!

[whykt]

I thought it lost something of its power when it got overly gorey towards the end but still, a big improvement on Dog Soldiers. I'm definitely looking forward to his next film.

Me too. I think the film is fantastic, but it did become too action-women and unnecessarily gory - especially as it tries to ground itself in reality (one of the plus points for me).

I just couldnt connect to them (with them being a bunch of middle class rich white girls) and felt no empathy for them, even the one who's hubby died.

There wasn't anything in the film to suggest they were rich or upper middle class. They were just a bunch of normal twenty-thirthysomething friends on holiday. Maybe I liked the film so much because I can relate to them as a female. Also liked how the affair was thrown into the mix.

[Varcan]

It's being released in theatres in the States next month, so I can see how the experience migrates from my shitty TV to a sixty foot cinema. I can't wait!

Did you hear how the ending has apparently been altered though? The final scene is now:

When Sarah is scared by Juno-ghost in the car. So it suggests she got away, but might be haunted etc. Lame I thought.

[Treble]

That's a lame ending.

"Don't shit where you eat. And definately, don't shit where I eat."

If you're going to have this as your sig, spell definitely correctly, yeah...?

[Varcan]

That's a lame ending.

If you're going to have this as your sig, spell definitely correctly, yeah...?

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Treble]

No worries, man. Didn't want you looking stupid

[CrispinG]

Did you hear how the ending has apparently been altered though? The final scene is now:

When Sarah is scared by Juno-ghost in the car. So it suggests she got away, but might be haunted etc. Lame I thought.

Seriously? That's ridiculous and changes the tone of the entire film. Maybe I can get a discussion going after the credits.

[Eighthours]

No fuckin way. What a lame way to end it.

Remind me, what was the original ending?

[Steely]

I think its where she see's her daughter and just sits in the dark talking to her as the horde of monsters close in.

[CrispinG]

Sarah wakes up in the cave and realizes that there's no way out and that she's become a monster herself. At least that's what I got out of it.

Interesting. I never thought of it like that.

[Popo]

Thank god they're finally releasing this in America, it's long overdue.

We bought it on DVD months ago... still not plucked ut the courage to watch it

[Despin]

Hey there.

I think Neil Marshall has great talent as a filmmaker.. But I've never been THAT impressed by his films.

Like both of his films have had great, really well directed sequences and he seems to be really good at creating the atmosphere he wants.. But the scripts have always been a let down for me.

His next film sounds interesting. I'm looking forward to that. But again he;s writing it himself. Hope it;s good. If not I'll just cross my fingers that the guy hooks up with a GREAT script an then think he'll do something really special.

Despin out.

[Goose]

Is his next one about Scotland being walled-up due to an infection?

I liked the sound of his oil-rig based horror movie. I'm just glad he's stuck to his guns and not gone to the US to direct something like The Grudge 2 or some PG-13 horror movie.

[Silent Runner]

Just watched this and I thought it was superb. The first monster reveal through the infra-red screen on the video-camera was fantastic, really made me jump. Reading through the thread the consensus seems to be the dead husband was having an affair with one of the other girls; gotta say I didn’t pick that up.

Some really tense scenes; crossing the ravine, squirming away from the cave in, the girl climbing out without enough rope, the underwater fight…….

Normally when the baddies gets revealed I find the tension is lost but that didn’t happen here. Somehow it got even more tense knowing how many crawlers they had to contend with.

I’m a sucker for happy endings but I don’t think the American ending would work. The last scene with the baddies coming for the last girl was a perfect, downbeat finalé.

Fantastic, bleak, horrible film.

[Garibaldi]

Something I just noticed watching this again:

When Juno and Sarah are following the markings and come to the cavern where they fight three or four crawlers at once, aren't the crawlers guarding an entrance/exit to the entire cave system? I swear you can see daylight through a hole above them.

If so, it casts new light (arf) on the possibilities of the ending.

That confused me too, it definitely looked as you describe.

[mr.miffed]

Has nothing to do with the movie, but I just finished the book The Descent this morning and it's well worth a read.

I loved that book, still angry that the movie wasn't an adaptation.

It's a good movie too though.

[chalkitdown]

Just watched this and I thought it was superb. The first monster reveal through the infra-red screen on the video-camera was fantastic, really made me jump.

Made me jump outta my seat, too.

[Popo]

Oh, you utter cunt.

[Goose]

Oh no, no, no...

----------------------------------

Over breakfast talking about his upcoming Road Warrior-esque thriller Doomsday, director Neil Marshall and ShockTillYouDrop.com touched on The De2cent, the upcoming sequel from Celador Films and producer Christian Colson that recently grabbed web headlines over its title.

Turns out, the moniker is correct and Marshall is overseeing the follow-up's progress in some capacity - call it quality control. He will not write or direct, but he does have an open line of communication with the producers. "I've got a few story ideas, they've got a few story ideas and we're just throwing them into the mix," he tells us.

One possible direction being mulled over is to pick up with Shauna Macdonald's "Sarah," that is, if she didn't croak at the end of the first film. "Shauna just had a baby so she's not gonna be ready to film for a bit," Marshall adds, then, "['De2cent'] is a ways off." But there is palpable interest coming from his former leading lady. "She wants to continue the journey a bit more. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one way to take her character, she has to die. If we didn't kill her at the end of the first film, we have to kill her at the end of the second one," Marshall laughs. "So, I don't know - I don't know where we stand yet."

[lordcookie]

Terrible title even worse idea.

[McFly]

[Rsdio]

My flatmates rented this last night, I watched the first 1/2 hour then decided to go off and do something more interesting. I don't know why but I found those women really fucking annoying. I just couldnt connect to them (with them being a bunch of middle class rich white girls) and felt no empathy for them, even the one who's hubby died.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt like that, I couldn't have cared less as each one got done in. I really can't understand why this film is so well regarded; I'd like to think I could judge its other merits objectively even if I didn't like the characters, but since I came up with very few while I was watching it maybe I can't.

[Goose]

In past interviews, writer-director Neil Marshall didn’t seem too eager for more spelunking with savage creatures, but it looks like he’ll be quite involved in a sequel to his trouser-soiling terror flick THE DESCENT after all.

While pimping his upcoming post-apocalyptic action flick DOOMSDAY at the UK FrightFest, Marshall stated he wouldn’t direct THE DESCENT 2 (I refuse to type it as DE2CENT, because it’s stupid). But Jon Harris, his editor from THE DESCENT (in addition to SNATCH and LAYER CAKE, among others), would be behind the camera for his directing debut for more cave horrors. Marshall said he “will be overseeing every aspect of the production,” and that the script is currently in the works.

No word on the possible story or how closely tied to the original it’ll be, but considering Marshall’s close involvement, it should be claustrophobic and shit-ripping scary. Marshall had previously indicated that THE DESCENT’s bloody heroine (and… survivor?) Shauna MacDonald was interested in returning in some capacity, but that may no longer be the case.

http://www.joblo.com/descent-2-director

[Goose]

So, they're ignoring the UK ending and basing the sequel on the US one?

Celador, Pathe Gear Up for Second Descent

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

May 1, 2008

U.K. indie production company Celador Films is reuniting with French-owned and U.K.-based Pathe on a sequel to low-budget box office hit The Descent, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The Neil Marshall horror flick earned $57 million at the box office, a sizable return on the original investment on a movie budgeted at less than $10 million.

Produced by Marshall and Christian Colson, The Descent 2 marks the directorial debut for its predecessor's editor, Jon Harris.

Based on a script by James Watkins (My Little Eye), the $10 million sequel will shoot more than eight weeks on location in Scotland and at London's Ealing Studios.

The stars of the original film, Shauna MacDonald and Natalie Mendoza, will reprise their roles, alongside Gavan O'Herlihy, Joshua Dallas, Anna Skellern, Douglas Hodge and Krysten Cummings.

The script sees the survivor forced back into the system of caves she battled her way out of in the first film, in a bid to locate the rest of her group.

[DarhkFox]

uh refresh my memory..

in the UK version she ended up dieing didnt she? I think in the US one she survived. But didnt the rest of her group all die anyway? weird