High Tension: Disappointed [Archive] - Horror.com Forums

Shady

11-14-2006, 06:16 PM

CONTAINS SPOILERS:

I must say I was disappointed. This movie was hyped up by everyone that I know. Dont get me wrong, it was a great movie but just was not as good as I had expected. The violence and gore factor was great and it was a great movie until the end. I understand the whole skitzo split personality thing but I think it would have been better without it. This reminded me of Identity. Great movie until the end. I may get flamed for this and that is ok but that is just my opinion. The whole split personality thing really bugged me.

PR3SSUR3

11-14-2006, 06:42 PM

*** SPOILERS ***

It bugs a lot of people - personally, I think it was a bold move and a genuine shock.

You could say it was over ambitious and stokes contempt, but calmer heads might think it not so 'ridiculous' to reveal a split-personality element near the end of the film. After all, it worked for Fight Club and Secret Window, among others.

I've heard some say that it was 'stupid' and 'sucked loaded balls' to play such a card when we clearly saw the male killer in different places from the girl and that it could not be possible for the two to be as one, but of course this might only apply if the visuals are taken literally (in which case, Fight Club and Secret Window are similarly preposterous).

Haute Tension has played a 90 minute trick on you with its visual suggestions and allegories, so I guess it's understandable some will leave the cinema self-righteously annoyed.

The Mothman

11-14-2006, 06:54 PM

50 millionth high tension thread. anyways, ill just say for the 50 millionth time, i thought this movie (minus the ending) was fucking awesome.

melaniepants

11-14-2006, 07:09 PM

whats the movie about?

alkytrio666

11-14-2006, 07:15 PM

It's good, solid entertainment, and it's got some grogeous atmosphere.

The Mothman

11-14-2006, 07:21 PM

the scenes in the house are just so morbid and atmospheric. i think the begining is what makes the movie what it is.

Roderick Usher

11-14-2006, 07:35 PM

And for the 50 millionth time I'll say the movie was terrible and the ending nulified everything that came before it. Hated this film!

Despare

11-14-2006, 07:40 PM

I liked it a lot more before I read Intensity which is basically a novelization of the beginning of High Tension but instead of an easy ending you get a well crafted story that follows the horror.

Roderick Usher

11-14-2006, 07:46 PM

I liked it a lot more before I read Intensity which is basically a novelization of the beginning of High Tension but instead of an easy ending you get a well crafted story that follows the horror.

Exactly!

Where was the story telling? Where were the characters? Where was the craft? Yes, it was pretty...but pretty does not equal good.

The twist did not reveal anything about character (unlike the twist in Fight Club, which was all about revealing character) it simply existed for its own sake - and it held no water.

makemebad

11-14-2006, 08:18 PM

The darkness of this movie made me love it

PR3SSUR3

11-15-2006, 07:58 AM

I'm not sure if the twist in Haute Tension needed any great significance or emotional depth - though having said that, the shock was that the supposed hero of a stylish gorefest/suspense movie was in fact an utterly demented psychopath. The shock factor is made all the more jarring in that an attractive young woman has imagined herself as a filthy, brutal middle-aged man in order to justify her killings.

The audience might not have wanted this be so, such was their anticipation of the usual 'payoff' ending nicely wrapped up, but this is what they got. Very confrontational and subversive of the writers/director, and very commendable for their bravery (I bet this one split their investors like Marie's personality).

The film's comparison to a book is not really relevant.

Vodstok

11-15-2006, 08:05 AM

This reminded me of Identity.

Glad to see i wasnt the only one who thought the end ruined this movie... If they had cut it off 5 minutes earlier, it would have been perfect.

Burning in Hell

11-15-2006, 10:09 AM

I really liked High Tension, and was not put off by the ending at all, but my girlfriend was really pissed off about it!! I guess this is a very good example of a "love it or hate it" movie

gorbyak

11-15-2006, 10:22 AM

I sat watching this movie, thinking hey, this movie is awesome. When the ending started, I almost stood up and left the theater in my blind rage. Twists like that are so damn cliche. It was like Shamalyan(bad spelling), who's movies I also hate.

Oh well, if they made an alternate ending, that didnt twist, I would be a lot happier.

Shady

11-15-2006, 11:24 AM

Don't get me wrong, I loved the movie. It was an outstanding movie but I think the ending ruined it. Not to mention the fact that it was kind of predictable. When the cops first went in the store and looked at camera and knew right away it was gonna be the chick hitting him with the axe. Than when I actually saw it I was pissed. High Tension's twist didnt surprise me at all although Identity really did. I was not expecting that at all. Although I dint like the ending to Identity the twist was good and unexpectable. Identity was an outstanding movie and much better than High Tension in my opinion.

Despare

11-15-2006, 12:06 PM

The film's comparison to a book is not really relevant.

Other than the beginning of the movie rips off the beginning of the book almost scene by scene? They both started out almost exactly the same only Intensity made a real story out of it and was done very well while High Tension ended up being a decent movie with a sub par ending. In fact, Koontz probably could have sued but...

"Many readers have been writing to inform Dean that a recent movie, which we aren't going to promote by naming it, ripped off the first half of INTENSITY. Initially, the director of this bloody inept film denied having read the book, but later acknowledged that part of it might have been "inspired" by INTENSITY. In the past, Dean has been aggressive about plagiarism and has succeeded in ever action he has taken against every plagiarist. In this case, a win appeared inevitable, but he decided to ignore the offense because he found the film so puerile, so disgustiing, and so intellectually bankrupt that he didn't want the association with it that would inevitably come if he pursued an action against the filmmaker. Maybe the lesson is that if you're going to steal from Dean's work, you better make your version as disgusting and misanthropic, as full of loathing for humanity, as you can; then you might get away with it!"

Vodstok

11-15-2006, 12:41 PM

Other than the beginning of the movie rips off the beginning of the book almost scene by scene? They both started out almost exactly the same only Intensity made a real story out of it and was done very well while High Tension ended up being a decent movie with a sub par ending. In fact, Koontz probably could have sued but...

"Many readers have been writing to inform Dean that a recent movie, which we aren't going to promote by naming it, ripped off the first half of INTENSITY. Initially, the director of this bloody inept film denied having read the book, but later acknowledged that part of it might have been "inspired" by INTENSITY. In the past, Dean has been aggressive about plagiarism and has succeeded in ever action he has taken against every plagiarist. In this case, a win appeared inevitable, but he decided to ignore the offense because he found the film so puerile, so disgustiing, and so intellectually bankrupt that he didn't want the association with it that would inevitably come if he pursued an action against the filmmaker. Maybe the lesson is that if you're going to steal from Dean's work, you better make your version as disgusting and misanthropic, as full of loathing for humanity, as you can; then you might get away with it!"
Ironic, since every movie made off of a Koontz novel has sucked...

urgeok

11-15-2006, 12:44 PM

i honestly never thought any Deen Koontz book was anywhere near as good as Haute Tension the movie ..

i find him to be an extremely pedestrian writer...

i know he has done some very early sci-fi work that i havent read yet - i definately get the impression that his strength may lie in that direction... but i cant get 5 pages into his horror fiction without being bored out of my mind with the usual tired cliche characters.

not that that has much of anything to do with the thread .. just sayin...

Despare

11-15-2006, 12:44 PM

Ironic, since every movie made off of a Koontz novel has sucked...

Aja should have just made Intesity, better ending and it would have been the best Koontz book to movie ever. Although I personally dug Phantoms. As far as Koontz writing goes I think he's pretty good but he seems to fall back the same old tricks far too often. I don't see how you could develop a character synopsis after five pages though heh. Try Intesity, it's fun, but maybe it's too mainstream and not elitist enough for some ;).

urgeok

11-15-2006, 12:51 PM

Aja should have just made Intesity, better ending and it would have been the best Koontz book to movie ever. Although I personally dug Phantoms. As far as Koontz writing goes I think he's pretty good but he seems to fall back the same old tricks far too often. I don't see how you could develop a character synopsis after five pages though heh. Try Intesity, it's fun, but maybe it's too mainstream and not elitist enough for some ;).

hey, its the stuff i read a lot of when i was younger .. and it went a long way to explain why i really dont like horror fiction .. so much of it is bad ..

john saul, stephen king, god - the lot of the old stand-bys - i dont like them ..

there was one book .. it started with cops (dragon tears ? i dunno there's so many of them) and within 5 pages i was turned off of the characters ...
its the prose - style ... i just find it so ...static .. for lack of a better word (I'M not the writer :p )

i'm not an elitist - but i'm damn fussy - no doubt about that..

Despare

11-15-2006, 12:55 PM

hey, its the stuff i read a lot of when i was younger .. and it went a long way to explain why i really dont like horror fiction .. so much of it is bad ..

john saul, stephen king, god - the lot of the old stand-bys - i dont like them ..

there was one book .. it started with cops (dragon tears ? i dunno there's so many of them) and within 5 pages i was turned off of the characters ...
its the prose - style ... i just find it so ...static .. for lack of a better word (I'M not the writer :p )

i'm not an elitist - but i'm damn fussy - no doubt about that..

Books like movies and music are subjective in their quality. That's why I like them so much, regardless of what some people think, I'm allowed to like Citizen Toxie more than M (although I'm sorry, I don't). Don't know about Dragon Tears I've only read a few Koontz novels. Anyway, read the first part of Intesity, plow through it if it disgusts you... High Tension steals many parts scene for scene.

PR3SSUR3

11-15-2006, 01:40 PM

I don't really mind plagiarism (especially between different mediums), and certainly have no complaints if Aja and Levasseur were inspired by events in Koontz' book. Koontz' fanbase by the way sound like they're wound up a little too tight for comfort.

But whoever said they saw the twist in Haute Tension coming is talking out their arse ;)

Despare

11-15-2006, 01:48 PM

By the by... I didn't hate the movie in fact last time I posted something about it...

I watched High Tension and Office Killer last night. I think I like High Tension more every time I see it and Office Killer was simply a fun little slasher. Although I never thought I'd see Molly Ringwald and Carol Kane in a horror flick together.

Spec7ral

11-15-2006, 02:31 PM

Affleck was the bomb in phantoms
WORD BITCH PHANTOMS LIKE A MUTHAFUKA!!!

when you make fun of yourself for being in a movie.... i dunno thats just pricelss shit.

PR3SSUR3

11-15-2006, 06:36 PM

Are you saying you like odious, loose-faced Ben Affleck?

Despare

11-15-2006, 06:42 PM

Are you saying you like odious, loose-faced Ben Affleck?

Or quoting Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (loved the way Affleck stepped up and made fun of himself, good sport).

urgeok

11-16-2006, 02:18 AM

Are you saying you like odious, loose-faced Ben Affleck?

i like him :) he's a great sport ... fantastic scene in Jay and Bob Strike Back where they parody Good Will Hunting.

Good Will Hunting 2 : Hunting Season !

PR3SSUR3

11-16-2006, 03:47 AM

urgeok

11-16-2006, 05:06 AM

Hmmm, fair enough - but his self-awareness has extended into things like his irritating Lynx advert. I'm not sure if it's OK to parody yourself when you're saying "Look at me now - even I know I'm a twat!".

Besides, he's one half of Bennifer, and has just got one of those drippy faces you'd like to punch.

:p

i have to confess, i LOVE jennifer Lopez (god that latin bootie !) so i'm just jealous - thats all :)

the face i want to punch when i see it - is robin williams
and that schwimmer guy from friends - him too.

PR3SSUR3

11-16-2006, 06:13 AM

urgeok

11-16-2006, 06:16 AM

Yes, Williams kind of has one too, though I'd swap fat, self-contented pop idol Robbie for Robin if I could.

You'd hit Ross out of Friends?

:eek:

I think he has great comedy timing, but I guess he is the most punchable one out of them.

:D

its just one of those things - i dont even watch the show - i just hate the way he talks and looks ..his fucking haircut :mad:

no accounting for it .. the same way i like Ben .. i just think he's a likeable guy .. i like his presence - everyone hates him and i cant see it....dont know why he doesnt hit me that way ..

PR3SSUR3

11-16-2006, 03:16 PM

Despare

11-16-2006, 03:36 PM

This might or might not start a Friends debate, but it's interesting how this show is very love/hate.

I personally think it was a great comedy series, and consistenly funny with six very watchable characters - all with spot-on comic timing - and excellent writing.

Like The Simpsons, watching Friends just makes you happy.

:) :) :)

Friends has some of the best comedic moments I've ever seen on television. Great series with just the right blend of so many different things.

urgeok

11-16-2006, 04:51 PM

This might or might not start a Friends debate, but it's interesting how this show is very love/hate.

I personally think it was a great comedy series, and consistenly funny with six very watchable characters - all with spot-on comic timing - and excellent writing.

Like The Simpsons, watching Friends just makes you happy.

:) :) :)

i stopped watching TV years ago .. never saw more than a couple minutes of friends ... but i hated it. .. i hate the sitcom formula

not just a little ..

a LOT !
(i tried to make that sound monty pythonish)

i do think that jennifer aniston is insanely beautiful though.

Despare

11-16-2006, 06:01 PM

i stopped watching TV years ago .. never saw more than a couple minutes of friends ... but i hated it. .. i hate the sitcom formula

not just a little ..

a LOT !
(i tried to make that sound monty pythonish)

i do think that jennifer aniston is insanely beautiful though.

After 5 pages you hated all the characters in a book... after a couple of minutes you hated an entire sitcom. You my friend jump to conclusions. :p

urgeok

11-17-2006, 01:58 AM

After 5 pages you hated all the characters in a book... after a couple of minutes you hated an entire sitcom. You my friend jump to conclusions. :p

i only need one bite of a bad sandwich to know i dont like how it tastes :)

bad writing will reveal itself on the first page .. TV is no different.

There are patterns to everything ... TV and movies especially
within a couple of minutes you know everything about a TV show you need .. the writing, the type of humor...how they have shaped the characters ...
I will admit this about the things i do like ...

but i'll also say that the shows/movies that break the expected/established patterns are the ones i'm drawn to.

Despare

11-17-2006, 08:07 AM

i only need one bite of a bad sandwich to know i dont like how it tastes :)

bad writing will reveal itself on the first page .. TV is no different.

There are patterns to everything ... TV and movies especially
within a couple of minutes you know everything about a TV show you need .. the writing, the type of humor...how they have shaped the characters ...
I will admit this about the things i do like ...

but i'll also say that the shows/movies that break the expected/established patterns are the ones i'm drawn to.

I agree with you on books, you probably won't like the writing if you don't after a few pages but I believe television shows can progress and change. It's nice to hear actual opinions on here though, rather than the usual "it sucked" or "I want to poo on it".

urgeok

11-17-2006, 08:41 AM

It's nice to hear actual opinions on here though, rather than the usual "it sucked" or "I want to poo on it".

you will NEVER get that from me ..
if i dont like something i'll articulate why ..

The Flayed One

11-18-2006, 07:18 AM

I've given Friends several shots. It's just not my kind of humor. I DO like Matthew Perry. Chandler is the only one who ever got a laugh out of me. I always try to give things a chance.

Popsicle Cannibal

11-18-2006, 10:28 PM

I've given Friends several shots. It's just not my kind of humor. I DO like Matthew Perry. Chandler is the only one who ever got a laugh out of me. I always try to give things a chance.

Could Perry BE any more funny!?!?!?! Yeah, I'm lame.