removing the horror parts.... - Mother! (2017) Discussion

[–] MagneticMonopole (286) 7 years ago

"MY question is, if someone were to surgically edit out the HORROR aspects - bloody scenes, gore - would this story remain intact, interesting and watchable?"

The movie is a metaphor for the greed of humanity ruining the planet, so the horror elements need to be there. Take them out and the film stops making thematic sense.

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[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I am picturing more of a "you know whats happening, so you don't have to SEE it" approach. More thriller than horror elements.

So, this is a strait up "Horror" for blood/shock value? Same as if you removed the death scenes from FINAL DESTINATION, or Freddy's gruesome deaths from Friday the 13th, there would be not much of a plot to watch?

One could show greed ruining the world without blood splattering everywhere.

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[–] MagneticMonopole (286) 7 years ago

"So, this is a strait up "Horror" for blood/shock value? "

No, it isn't really a horror film. It has horrific elements, but the marketing is basically lying to people that it fits comfortably into that genre.

"One could show greed ruining the world without blood splattering everywhere."

The writer and director feels very strongly about environmental issues and he thinks what humanity is doing to the planet (and itself) is genuinely horrifying. So the assault against Jennifer Lawrence's character, who is symbolic of Mother Nature, needs to feel awful and make the audience despair at what is happening.

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[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I fully agree with his interview about that, and the intent of this movie. Just wondered if it will be editable so I can enjoy the premise. Since I am not into horror and its elements, I see it in a different way than many people. I do believe a good story can transcend the need to SHOW horrific events.

This story ESPECIALLY could reach a much wider audience, with its message if the horror elements were cut. I know, I know, that wrecks the directors intent, but it is a valuable message and I would hope more people could see, grasp, absorb it, and maybe be lead to act on it.
But, people like me, will never ever see it, because of the R rated horror elements.

I'm sure it is a very well done movie.... Anonofsky has always impressed me with storylines and execution of them... I've seen and own many of his films... I'm just not a fan of blood/gore as personal entertainment. :)

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[–] MagneticMonopole (286) 7 years ago

"I'm just not a fan of blood/gore as personal entertainment. :)"

It's actually not that gory. The Daredevil TV show had more blood and guts than this movie does. It's just that the idea of what happens is so awful and the final 30 minutes assault the viewer.

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[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

hahahaha I don't want to be assaulted as entertainment. :D I won't be seeing this. Just wish there was a PG rated Twilight Zone version.

Not THAT gory, but it IS gory. I know what you mean though. :) I just feel in an alternate cut, the IDEA is one you could play at a church Sunday School. Just not with the horror elements.

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[–] zephyr_cape (2979) 7 years ago

I went into the movie knowing nothing about it so I didn't realize it had been marketed as a horror flick.
I didn't experience it as anything remotely close to a horror movie. It's a more of a surreal drama, at times so surreal that you might find it funny, and way too abstract and symbolic to be a horror film. By the end it's really hard to place it into a genre at all. There are violent elements and shocking elements, but they don't at all register as "horror" genre elements. However there are a few possibly horrifying moments, but more in the sense that the daily world news or a war movie is horrifying. It's real "horror", not spooky scary at all. There is a pervasive ambience of discomfort and uncertainty but it's not spooky.

It's critical and central to the film that that last 30 minutes is an assault, and that the shocking moments are as shocking and raw as they are. (I really wouldn't say they're particularly extreme. That said I do watch a lot of horror movies.) It wouldn't work at all without them.

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[–] zephyr_cape (2979) 7 years ago

"hearts ripped out"
The heart being ripped out is very abstracted. Remember the heart ripping scene in Dumb and Dumber? That was way more realistic and visceral than this.

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[–] christomacin (4683) 5 years ago

The heart-ripping scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was way worse than this movie. Come on, grow a pair, people.

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[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

That's a shame, because the plot is interesting.

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[–] zephyr_cape (2979) 7 years ago

It's more likely to give a veteran PTSD than to gross out or scare the horror averse. You might be able to handle it! How do you do with war movies?

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[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

I can tell it's not my thing. When it was first discussed, it sounded like a grand psycological thriller, mentally twisting and whatnot. I was excited because I love most of Aronofsky's films. Then, the horror aspect crept in.

People who watch horror normally (nothing wrong with that, to each their own) are, I'd say, desensitized to it. Where as I gave it up completely, it is easier to see the horror parts in things than people who are used to it. Does that make sense? I have not had ONE nightmare since I stopped watching horror type stuff.

Some old films were grandfathered in like the old Poltergeist (I know, not horrific) and Private Ryan, but going forward I don't watch any horror.

I've read all the detail about the horror parts in mother, so I know it is not for me. I avoid zombie flicks too.

Sounds like another REQUIEM FOR A DREAM movie, which I won't seen, so I guess I will watch THE FOUNTAIN again. :)

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[–] zephyr_cape (2979) 7 years ago

Yeah the crescendo at the end felt very Requiem for a Dream. It's kind of "horrifying" and shocking in a similar sense as that. The movie on the whole is very dreamlike and the finale is a nightmare itself.

What made you give up horror? Nightmares?

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[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

It's a long boring personal story about understanding happiness in life, how we are what we "eat". But, I'll say it is AMAZING dumping negativity. And cleans your vision and perspective.

I was fine with Zombie movies for a while, then they'd sneak into dreams that I couldn't control, and I analyzed how to stop that. Dropping zombie flicks fixed it almost instantly. Darn that subliminal mind!! :D

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[–] zephyr_cape (2979) 7 years ago

Mm ok yes I know what you're talking about.
(Are you Buddhist by chance?)

FWIW, oddly enough I came out of this movie feeling more cleansed than anything. There's a certain quality of all things beautiful and horrifying in perfect equilibrium in infinite cycles eternally. Also there's a particular undulating guiding force of dream logic that leads the movie from one thing to the next, and it made a stronger impression on me than any of the intense moments. It followed me right out of the theater, like waking up from a lucid dream and now everything feels like it is a dream. It's super hard to explain what that is but I think someone who's seen it would know what I mean!

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[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

not buddhist at all, but I get the reference. :)

I respect what you got out of the film. I feel that way watching VANILLA SKY for unknown reasons. But I'd prefer to watch DREAMS over NIGHTMARES.

WHAT DREAMS MAY COME comes to mind.

Trying to think what is the darkest movie I own is.... SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is probably the worse blood I have, POLTERGEIST is my only horror film, but CITY OF THE LOST CHILDREN is probably my only kinda dark, creepy looking one. Or DARK CITY? Still, almost no blood or gore in those.

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[–] zephyr_cape (2979) 7 years ago

Ha ok, yeah the combination of your interest in the moral/ecological ideas + anti horror setup reminded me of the Buddhist lifestyle. I worked at a Zen Buddhist temple, where people lived, in college. They would often watch movies but they had to be sure that there wasn't any objectionable content in their selections. I always thought it was interesting that they were so careful about this but then the same people meditate on visualizations of themselves experiencing every kind of visceral death and suffering in the temple lol. I get it though, and people definitely underestimate the subconscious effects of the media they consume. Good work at figuring that out and doing what's best for your life!

Yeah Vanilla Sky does it for me too. Love dream logic movies! All of these flicks in your collection are well worth the darkness. Speaking of dreams have you seen Akira Kurosawa's "Dreams"?

Poltergeist - the face peeling bathroom scene scared the everloving flapjacks out of me as a kid. It's a few scenes like that that traumatized me and made me super unwilling to see horror movies, until a certain point as a teen when I decided to just expose myself to as many horror flicks as possible. I've definitely become super desensitized, and have come to find that there's something about twisted spooky atmospheres and nightmare imagery in art that is just so fun and pleasing to me.

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[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

hahahaha yeah forgot about that face scene. Now, it's just cool to see it and know it wasn't all computer graphics. :D

I have ALIEN and ALIENS also... those are pretty much horror too, but older and grandfathered in before I dumped the genre. :)

MEDIA is a big deal to us, but it is so cool, we dont notice the damage. until you step completely away from it for a while.

Nuttin wrong enjoying what you enjoy! Long live variety in life!!!!

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[–] CraigJamesReview (1754) 7 years ago

I don't know if i'd really call it a horror movie until the last 50 minutes or so. Before that it's a dark bizarre comedy if anything. But it will affect the squeamish pretty hard in those last 50 minutes. Unfortunately during that time I also feel the film gets too bogged down in different thematic elements like emotionally abusive relationships, political and religious subtext, fame allegory to make much sense to most viewers.

I'm trying to go for an engaging, funny youtube channel so, if you have the time, take a look. Hope you enjoy what you see. Thanks in advance. A review of the movie here-https://youtu.be/NVoWkfpcMs8

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[–] Kowalski (76824) 5 years ago

I HAVE AN UNCLEIN PRISON FOR REMOVING WHORE PARTS.

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[–] Moonglum9 (11320) 5 years ago

There were horror parts?

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[–] CheekyMonkey (584) 5 years ago

without the gore and violence, it would lose a lot of it's impact... you'd neuter the movie to a great extent, because you kinda have to go "biblical" with it simply for the themes to work...

you could make a version of this movie without the more extreme parts, but it would be a different movie... it would still work... the first half of the movie is a psychological build-up anyway...

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