Primer

That being said, what's interesting about the movie is how fascinating it is for the hour or so before it becomes completely confounding. It reminds me of when someone's trying to explain a tough theoretical concept to you and failing - you get most of it, but you just can't wrap your head around the last part of what they're saying. Needless to say, what Carruth did with on a $7000 budget is absolutely astounding. The last 20 minutes as well are more than adaquetly suspensful as it becomes clear that everything is spiraling out of control even if it's not understood why or how this deterioration occurs.

I think I'm going to see it again pretty soon.

that said, most of it makes sense. and it's sure a lot of fun.

Did I miss anything?

(xpost alex that hurt my head.)

I do need to see this again.

Anyways, if you check this out on DVD, do yourself a favor and watch it with the Carruth commentary, it's really interesting. A lot of what he talks about is what they did to not spend any excess money, including:
* Only shooting multiple takes of scenes if there was an actual mistake (flubbed line, etc.).
* Only shooting the scenes in the movie. No extra footage. They shot 80 minutes worth of film for a 78-minute movie.
* Not writing any scenes in the script until he had permission to film in the location for that scene.
Obviously, this is all an indication of the huge amount of preplanning that went into the movie's production. But overall, it's just a great, entertaining movie.

Oh and to answer the stuff about Rachel's dad above - Carruth says in the commentary that he didn't want the audience to know how he found out about the machine, since the movie is from the perspectives of Aaron and Abe, and there's no way they could know how the dad found out about it. So there are no "clues" within the movie aboud how this happened. BUT BUT BUT he says what he imagines happened is that in one of the alternate paths of time, Rachel's exboyfriend ends up seriously hurting or killing Rachel, and Abe, plagued by the guilt of knowing that he could have done something about it, tells Rachel's dad about the machine.

What I couldn't figure out is what Aaron was doing with the French scientists at the end.

I just wrote out a huge schpiel and then saw you posted!

Anyway, you guys should go to www.primermovie.com which has a great messageboard with more explanations/theories.

SO CONFUSINGLY AWESOME.

i agree that aaron looks like lots of different celebs. add josh hamilton to the mix, please.

(Actually is fun to watch, and try and work out but I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS A PROPER ANSWER).

Can't bring myself to watch it a second time, though.

Apart from Time Bandits. I assume this is nothing like Time Bandits.

Time bandits is k.ace mind.

Anyway, I can't wait to see this film. I suppose I need to get Netflix now.

Use Rot13 to translate
http://www.rot13.com/

Vg'f orra n juvyr fvapr V'ir frra vg ohg nf sne nf V pna erzrzore V fhezvfrq ng gur gvzr gung gur guerr ovt hafcbxra/abg-znqr-pyrne riragf va gur svyz ner guhf.

Gur vapvqrag ng gur cnegl jurer Enpury jnf guerngrarq jvgu n fubgtha orpnzr na vapvqrag jurer Enpury jnf xvyyrq. Vg jnfa'g qhr gb nalguvat gurl qverpgyl qvq, vg whfg fgnegrq unccravat nsgre gurl fgnegrq zrffvat jvgu guvatf gbb zhpu. Sebz gung cbvag ba gurl unq gb xrrc eryvivat gung ovg naq fgbc ure trggvat fubg.

Vg gbbx zr gjb jngpurf gb ernyvfr gung Enpury'f qnq jnf n thl jub gurl unq gurve rlr ba gb shaq gurz. Fb bar bs gurz gbyq uvz nobhg vg naq fbzrubj ur geniryyrq onpx va n obk rvgure jvgubhg gurve xabjyrqtr be znantrq gb eha njnl nsgrejneqf. N zber rivy gurbel vf gung Nor naq Nneba yrg uvz abg er-ragre gur obk naq qhcyvpngr uvzfrys va ernyvgl va beqre gb frr jung vg qvq gb fbzrbar.

Gur xrl fprar vf gur ovg jvgu gur zbovyr cubar. Guvf vf gur svefg gvzr gung qbhoyrf / gjb qvssrerag ernyvgvrf ner perngrq.

There's a pretty good explanation/rumination here:-

http://primermovie.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=221

What was the deal with the last scene and the French translator guy?

At least Primer employed Weebles and March Madness.

Best time travel movie ever = 'Time After Time', obv.

whats everybody talking about

I watched Timecrimes and then Spider Forest (Korean film) and thought I was going a bit mad.

timecrimes is the baby version of primer

aww no need to take sides

http://realdupont.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/470who-needs-training-wheels.jpg

she loves timecrimes

primer is the autistic nerd version of timecrimes

Ouch. My head hurts.

― krakow, Monday, November 23, 2009 1:05 AM (7 months ago) Bookmark

One reviewer said that "anybody who claims to fully understand what's going on in Primer after seeing it just once is either a savant or a liar."

Phew.

From Wiki.

A Topiary is the upcoming American science fiction drama film by Shane Carruth, a mathematician and a former engineer, known for his previous film Primer.

After Primer, Shane Carruth started working on his second film. In 2009, David Sullivan, one of the leads in Primer, claimed on his Twitter that "Shane Carruth's next project, A Topiary, is in the early stages of pre-production." He also stated he would have a part in this film, to what degree is unknown. Filmmaker Rian Johnson also posted: "Shane... has a mind-blowing sci-fi script. Let's all pray to the movie-gods that he gets it made soon."[1] In 2010, several news sources reported that A Topiary is in the works, and that the script is written. According to Carruth in an interview to io9, "The website for now is just a place mark as financing has yet to be completed. I'm cautiously optimistic that this can happen soon and couldn't be happier with the filmmakers that have committed to the project so far.

In the movie's prologue, it's the 1980's, and Department of Transportation worker Acre Stowe has been trying to find the perfect spot for a first response center which can quickly and easily get to the location which has the most accidents in the area. But while looking, he starts noticing a mysterious pattern repeatedly showing up all over, and even in the form of starbursts. Soon along with a friend, he gets involved with a group of scientists who investigate this phenomenon for several years until finally hitting a dead end.

After this apparent precursor, a new story starts about a group of boys aged 7-12 who somehow are in possession of a mysterious box they call the "Maker" which allows them to create strange disks and other devices which have various properties, until they discover a way to create sentient creatures with the Maker. They call these "Choruses" and use them for various friendly battles. However, soon after mysterious incidents involving the mechanical beings start to occur, the boys begin to realize that they may have seriously underestimated the powers of the Maker and the Choruses, and more importantly, the ever-growing splinter in their group.

Excited!

sounds v similar to primer tho, but will watch out for this alright

Nice. Was there a Philip K. Dick short story that sounds a little like the 'Maker' thing?

I have finally seen this film. I liked it. I am now working on ways of making an army of duplicates of myself using their machine.

but at what cost re: gentrification

http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/first-look-shane-carruths-new-sundance-2013-film-upstream-color/

First Look: Shane Carruth's New Film Upstream Color

"A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives." ... the title "upstream color" might be referring to "an esoteric biopharmeceutical term that describes impurities present early in the processing/manufacture of a chemical."

EEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeee

Sad that he's dumbed down and sold out.

At first glance I like the premise of 'A Topiary' better, wonder why it was parked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdYO3KWmcv8

please don't suck please don't suck please don't suck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U9KmAlrEXU

Just rewatched Primer for the first time since '04. I followed more of it this time, but I still lost it somewhere in the last 15 minutes. The trailer for the new one looks worryingly Malick-like, but I'm hoping it's not as po-faced as advertised.

a malick-like sci-fi thriller is sorta like my platonic ideal of a movie.

just saw primer a few days ago for first time. i was really impressed.

It's really pretty great. I was surprised how much I liked it on a revisit. And fwiw, Soderbergh likes the new one:

Are there young filmmakers you’re excited about?

Shane Carruth. He did the film Primer, and he’s got a terrific new movie at Sundance.

a malick-like sci-fi thriller is sorta like my platonic ideal of a movie.

― ryan, Thursday, January 31, 2013 4:15 AM (47 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'd love a Malick horror film.

Interpretation options abound.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT3217z2mr2WH3bnlYpJxlGJO08wrUCvjjGb-f2j0tPKm5dkeA6 or http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/PrimerTimeline.gif or http://media.screened.com/uploads/0/1403/248887-primer_timeline.jpg or http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/5/169429/2304580/primer_o.jpg or http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z108/btbrian14/PrimerTimeline.jpg.

last one approximates my experience but i rolled with it.

I'd love a Malick horror film.

"Tree of DEATH"
"Days of HELL"
"Badlands"

just did a primer rewatch as well. it's really hard for me to deal w/primer objectively because i respect the filmmaking so much but carruth himself called it a tone poem and that's probably the right way to treat it.

if you grew up in texas it is a great summer kind of movie

among the million reasons i respect the filmmaking, an excellent sense of place is one of them

oh, I've got time for this movie. it's got so much dallas/houston in it... bright, blown out, no shadows, empty hallways and office parks, grassy nowheres, roads always in the background, fever dreams of august or september. and the escalating hostility and paranoia that never comes to a head. oh yes.

a labyrinth of open spaces

totally otm. i didnt know it was set in texas the first time i saw it but immediately was able to identify the setting.

I think "Primer" makes perfect sense, but only for a few minutes, until you forget why it made perfect sense. (See also: aforementioned elaborate flowchart)

Anyone seen the new one yet? Upstream Colour? Sounds good. Carruth seems pretty damn serious about being an actual bona fide autuer in terms of doing EVERYTHING himself.

More than auteur - he's even distributing it himself!

Bloody hell.

we have a thread for the new one UPSTREAM COLOR, a new film from Shane Carruth (Primer)

oh, I've got time for this movie. it's got so much dallas/houston in it... bright, blown out, no shadows, empty hallways and office parks, grassy nowheres, roads always in the background, fever dreams of august or september. and the escalating hostility and paranoia that never comes to a head. oh yes.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, April 10, 2013 9:22 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

a labyrinth of open spaces

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Wednesday, April 10, 2013 9:23 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

nice! also the close-knit (so to speak) claustrophobia of them always being in work attire, buttoned up, with the ties still tied even in the garage after hours adds to the heat impression.

watching this movie now for the first time. i like the matter-of-fact way it deals with the subject of time travel, as the accidental discovery of two burnt out looking engineers. that said, the plot is really confusing... at least the first time around. it's paused now, with seven minutes to go, and i am not too proud to admit that i am LOST

Yeah, anyone who says they have all the threads of this sorted after one watch is full of it IMO. You're not alone.

This film should have hardcoded subtitles really.

There are multiple plausible interpretations, and once you accept that the last 20 minutes were edited from inadequate footage to highlight the confusion, ala Aronofsky's Pi but on a still lower budget, you can just let it wash over you as a tale of some hectic lost souls who've lost their past and are piecing together a future from scratch.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z108/btbrian14/PrimerTimeline.jpg

I remember some talk a way back from SC about Abe & Aaron's identities, personalty traits and eventually lives slowly swapping over being more important than untangling the who-the-what-now, but recent interviews seem to indicate the opposite.

jesus christ those timelines. lol. i really liked this movie just on the level of the minimalism of the acting and cinematography. someone above talked about the texas location and "fever dreams of august" and i could feel that with this movie. on this netflix stream at least there seemed to be a lot of browns an yellows in the shots filmed during the daytime. i liked how the switch from the characters seeming in control of things to feeling totally out of control was so subtle that you, like the characters, cannot place precisely when it happened.

I just got the sense that a clearer explication was part of the script, and left on the editing floor when Carruth decided tighter pacing made up for the film's emotional voids.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/stills/132078/Film_199w_Schizopolis.jpeg

I don't think he left anything out, I'm sure on the commentary track it's mentioned that because the stock budget was so tight they knew exactly what they were going to do with each scene, rehearsed it til it was tight and did only a couple of takes maximum, apart from a scene where Abe and Aaron are discussing something after locking up the Garage - SC kept fucking up a line. There were no scenes filmed that didn't make the cut, it was totally bespoke.

I love the movie, I don't really care for the timeline aspect. I guess because of the way he comes across in interviews you could assume that his obvious wherewithal demonstrates that he has the deal all sown up, Primer is flawed in a lot of technical ways and (imho) the idea of a knotted, opaque time travel film shot through with ellipsis is a bad one.

do u guys call it pry-mer or primmer

Pry-mer

it's got so much dallas/houston in it

otm, watched last night with a friend, and after 5 mins I heard a "ya'll" and wondered if they might be in Texas, just going by the way their house looked and the lighting. When I saw a 972 area code in another scene, I practically squealed

Upstream Color might have benefitted from a similarly strong sense of place to ground it. If it was shot in Texas it feels like he went to greater lengths to make it anonymous.