It seems that these days everyone is trying to make a film that has an amazing twist at the end, so we all sit in awe and think "Wow, I never saw that coming" to ourselves. In this case, I was left thinking "What the hell just happened?" to the point where I honestly had to go and look the ... Read review
A suicidal college student and his doctor enter a twisted world of supernatural horror in ... more
Stay. Henry Lethem (Ryan Gosling) plans to kill himself in three days, unless psychologist Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) can stop him. Henry's been hearing disturbin...
Between the worlds of the living and the dead there is a place you're not supposed to ... more
stay... Psychiatrist Sam Foster (McGregor) takes on a colleague's patient Henry (Gosling) who announces his intention to kill himself. As Sam pursues Henry hoping ...
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Straight from the set-'em-up and knock-'em-down school of teen-horror filmmaking,Stay ... more
Alivegives literal meaning to the parental lament, "Those games will kill you someday." Not that you'll find any parents in this gimmicky thriller set in New Orleans; they're conspicuously absent when Hutch (Jon Foster) and his hardcore gamer pals discover "Stay Alive," a mysterious next-generation computer game that has a nasty way of precipitating mayhem, horror, and death. If your character dies in the game, you're doomed to die in identically grisly fashion in real life. So, just don't play the game, right? WRONG. This being a teen horror flick with a screenplay that makes no sense whatsoever, the gamer pals (including victim #2, Hutch's boss, played with game-addicted fervor by Adam Goldberg) obsessively investigate the game and its creepy Ring-like origins in the 17th century murder spree of a woman known as "The Blood Countess." Because movies like this are best viewed on a steady diet of Pop Tarts and Ritalin, Jimmi Simpson earns top honors as the gamer pal with the creepiest behavior, and Malcolm in theMiddle fans will enjoy the presence of Frankie Muniz as a gamer geek whose primary fashion statement consists of grimy T-shirts and green plastic poker-visors. While not nearly as fun or clever as theFinal Destinationmovies,Stay Alivedelivers a few good deaths while blatantly stealing most of its horror highlights fromJu-Onand other Japanese horror hits. It's junk from start to finish, but its target audience of mallrats and gamers (especially those with attention deficit disorder, which helps to ignore the plot holes) won't mind a bit.--Jeff Shannon
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You die in the game you die for real! After the brutal death of a friend a group of ... more
friends find themselves in possession of a video-game called "Stay Alive " a blood-curdling true story of a 17th century noblewoman known as the Blood Countess. After playing the game when they know they shouldn't however the friends realize that once they die in the game - they die for real. As their numbers begin dropping and as they begin dying in the ways they died in the game the remaining friends realize they must defeat the Blood Countess or accept their fates.
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Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Advantages: Clever, thrilling in places, amazing camera work Disadvantages: Confusing, almost pretentious
It seems that these days everyone is trying to make a film that has an amazing twist at the end, so we all sit in awe and think "Wow, I never saw that coming" to ourselves. In this case, I was left thinking "What the hell just happened?" to the point where I honestly had to go and look the film up on the Internet and see what other people were saying about it.
The plot is fairly simple. Ewan McGregor plays a psychiatrist ... ...(Henry) who threatens to commit suicide on his 21st Birthday - a few days away. Ewans current girlfriend is a former suicidal patient, so he takes the threat fairly seriously. Unfotunately, he can't get Henry taken into protective custody, so instead spends the next few days digging around and trying to find out as much as he can. It's here that he slowly gets drawn into the world of Henrys paranoid delusions, and Ewan begins to lose his own grip ... more
It seems that these days everyone is trying to make a film that has an amazing twist at the end, so we all sit in awe and think "Wow, I never saw that coming" to ourselves. In this case, I was left thinking "What the hell just happened?" to the point where I honestly had to go and look the film up on the Internet and see what other people were saying about it.
The plot is fairly simple. Ewan McGregor plays a psychiatrist standing in for a colleague. He meets a patient (Henry) who threatens to commit suicide on his 21st Birthday - a few days away. Ewans current girlfriend is a former suicidal patient, so he takes the threat fairly seriously. Unfotunately, he can't get Henry taken into protective custody, so instead spends the next few days digging around and trying to find out as much as he can. It's here that he slowly gets drawn into the world of Henrys paranoid delusions, and Ewan begins to lose his own grip on reality.
I must admit, the reviews of this film had me really excited. I love psychological thrillers with big twists in, but this one seemed far over the top. I'll be honest and say that I usually understand most movies, but this one just left me thinking "What did I miss?". Attention to detail is key here, you blink and you may miss something. Fortunately for us the camera work here is amazing. Scenes blend together in dramatically beautiful ways and it's easy to get lost in the delusions yourself. You can almost feel yourself being drawn into the confusion of Henrys world.
Plot and technique aside, this is a very well thought out film. All of the clues are there for you to see, you just have to find them. I dislike Ewans blatantly fake American accents in films, and in this one he's no different. If you can look beyond that, the chemistry between him and Henry (played by Ryan Gosling) is very good. It's almost believeable that he's a doctor trying to treat a patient.
All in all, if you want something to watch on a quiet evening in, this will suit the occasion. Make sure you're not tired and you haven't been drinking though, or this will confuse the heck out of you.
Advantages: Not that many Disadvantages: Too many to mention
Stay alive hit the cinemas in March 2006 and soon after was released on DVD in September 2006.
Written & Directed by William Brent Bell (Also directed Sparkle and Charm).
Also written and produced by Matthew Peterman.
Rating: PG13
Genre: Horror/Teen Movie
Run Time: 86 minutes
The soundtrack for this film was released in May 2006. It is a 1 disc audio cd manufactured by Nicabella Records and composed by John Frizzell. It contains the following track listing:
1. Enter the House 1:51
2. Loomi's Funeral 2:18
3. Playing the Game 6:03
4. Finn Plays Alone 1:55
5. Strange Things... 1:21
6. Investigation 3:01
7. Phinn Dies 1:21
8. Mourning Phinn 2:04
9. Hutch's Story 1:39
10. Loomi's House 2:07
11. Meet the Counters 2:34
12. End of October 1:10
13. Winning by a Rose 3:25
14. Abigail Is ...
Advantages: Emtional, deals with death very well, brilliant acting Disadvantages: Difficult subject matter, quite grey.
Curtis handled it brilliantly.
The drama is very thought provoking and really does make you think just how lucky you are.
Extras - none
A Short Stay in Switzerland is out now on DVD. ...
Advantages: A good premise Disadvantages: Poor execution
is slight, in fact I think its an insult to offer a secondary release as they both have there flaws. The directors cut version has a bit less plot development, if that's possible. Part of Abigail's oddness is explained in the first version, as is Hutch's although the first version does give a little insight. Either way neither version gives you any reason to like any of the characters, they simply have no depth.
Stay Alive is at UK Cinemas now, neither version DVD (due for November release) has any special features; just a US theatrical trailer. My advice is wait till this comes out to rent or is shown on Sky. One positive thing I must say is that should the game itself be released in the UK it will be a smash hit without a doubt. ...
A psychological thriller that glides on the gossamer threads of dream and interpersonal connection, STAY recalls MEMENTO and THE SIXTH SENSE in both its intensity and its ability to keep the audience guessing. Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) is a young psychiatrist who is filling in for a colleague on leave. Among his new patients is Henry Letham (a brooding Ryan Gosling), a young art student who hears voices and is seriously contemplating suicide. This resonates strongly with Sam, who rescued his painter girlfriend, Lila (Naomi Watts), from a wrist-slashing. The extremely volatile Henry begins to threaten Sam's hold on his own sanity, as he races against time to figure out the truth about Henry's past, the source of his troubles, and the cause of the seemingly unexplainable things that are happening to both of them. Sam investigates the ghostly figures of Henry's life, including Athena (Elizabeth Reaser), the girl Henry loved, and also his parents (Bob Hoskins and Kate Burton), uncovering ever more disturbing idiosyncrasies along the way. Director Marc Forster (FINDING NEVERLAND, MONSTER'S BALL) delivers possibly the most thought-provoking film of 2005, with a head-spinning conclusion that, upon contemplation, proves highly satisfying. The three lead actors are unfailingly compelling in a story that's both exciting and spiritually rewarding. It unfolds against a palette of cool grey, with scenes that slide into one another, and a mise-en-scene that, for the observant viewer, is full of reflections and clues.
Scene Specific Commentary By Marc Forster And Ryan Gosling, Departing Visions Featurette
Professional reviews
Review
The director takes a maximalist approach to this mysterioso story... (New York Times, )
Forster's visionary brilliance demands and gets uncommon depth and subtlety from the actors. But it's Watts who guides us home. Stay with her (Rolling Stone, )
DVD Description
A psychological thriller that glides on the gossamer threads of dream and interpersonal connection, STAY recalls MEMENTO and THE SIXTH SENSE in both its intensity and its ability to keep the audience guessing. Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) is a young psychiatrist who is filling in for a colleague on leave. Among his new patients is Henry Letham (a brooding Ryan Gosling), a young art student who hears voices and is seriously contemplating suicide. This resonates strongly with Sam, who rescued his painter girlfriend, Lila (Naomi Watts), from a wrist-slashing. The extremely volatile Henry begins to threaten Sam's hold on his own sanity, as he races against time to figure out the truth about Henry's past, the source of his troubles, and the cause of the seemingly unexplainable things that are happening to both of them. Sam investigates the ghostly figures of Henry's life, including Athena (Elizabeth Reaser), the girl Henry loved, and also his parents (Bob Hoskins and Kate Burton), uncovering ever more disturbing idiosyncrasies along the way. Director Marc Forster (FINDING NEVERLAND, MONSTER'S BALL) delivers possibly the most thought-provoking film of 2005, with a head-spinning conclusion that, upon contemplation, proves highly satisfying. The three lead actors are unfailingly compelling in a story that's both exciting and spiritually rewarding. It unfolds against a palette of cool grey, with scenes that slide into one another, and a mise-en-scene that, for the observant viewer, is full of reflections and clues.
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