Kodiac is SICK OF: The Matrix Effect

I am kinda bummed that techno is getting hip. Dammit, all my good stuff gets ruined by popularity.

Watch the movie The Beach.

Not only is it a commentary on what lengths people will go to to protect their little utopias, at an expense of anyone else's Rights, but it also has a really cool techno (Trip Hop Trance type) soundtrack.
 
The "Matrix Effect" predates the movie and has been used in commercial production for awhile. It originally was a battery of cameras that surrounded the subject (well described in an above post in a later iteration of the technology) and were tripped in sequence to create a 360-degree picture that was then seamlesslessly retouched by computer. It is a patented process. It got more sophisticated in The Matrix. I personally like the effect, as it gives you a rotating point of view with freeze frame.
 
I prefer the "Matrix Effect" over the reality hand held jerky camera effect.

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RKBA! NRA JPFO SAF
 
jdthaddeus:

Replace the techno music during the lingering closeup with Spanish guitar and voila!, your 'Fight Club' effect becomes 'Spaghetti Western Effect'...
Personally I'm afraid to buy any translucent teal appliances, they won't match my Avocado and Goldenrod ones.
The more things change...

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Tamara's House o' Weapons: If we can't kill it, it's immortal.
10mm: It's not the size of the Dawg in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!
 
The Matrix, Joseph Campbell, and Carl Jung.

When we place The Matrix in a mythological crucible and boil away all the techno, eye candy, cliche action/adventure embroidery, we do indeed have nothing more than an archetypal plot. Same as Star Wars (but I'll hold off on that digression . . .).

Taking Hero with a Thousand Faces into account as a basis of a mythological approach to analysis, The Matrix does reflect the heroic quest motif as mention in earlier posts. A heroic quest will have only three defining steps with natural subsets for each stage of the heroes journey:

1. separation: leaving home/waking up, encountering a threshold guardian who guides the hero along a part or the whole quest (Morpheus in particular), the hero's initial "refusal to call" (denial that he is the One), and, of course, taking that first step on the road of trials

2. initiation: the road of trials, hero has labors/tasks to perform, physical obstacles effect mental, emotional, and/or spiritual transformation (dojo scene, Agent training program, jump program), hero suffers both victories and setbacks during this stage (Cypher's betrayal of the group, decision to abandon Morpheus, etc.), entering the enchanted grove to rest, so to speak, and gain spiritual insight (the trip to the Oracle)

3. return: hero comes full circle in his quest, ultimately realizes (or begins realizing) his potential, returns to serve society with his newfound knowledge

This analysis is rather off the cuff for me, but some of you guys are talking my passion when you discuss the mythological and psychological aspects of this film. Please excuse the perfunctory analysis. I'll be happy to elaborate if anyone wishes.

[This message has been edited by Johnny Got His Gun.1 (edited April 15, 2000).]
 
Thank you, Johnny Got His Gun.1 for the validation in this matter. Quoted directly from "The Hero with a Thousand Faces":

"The standard path of the mythological adventure of the hero is a magnification of the formula represented in the rites of passage: separation-initiation-return...A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man." (page 30)

The movie follows this archetypal formula perfectly, right down to the last scene, showing what's-his-name stepping onto a city street back in the "world", obviously changed.( Note the way cool Fendi shades and the I-know-something-you-don't countenance )
The verification of this last scene was the only thing that kept me interested in this adolescent tripe.
 
Yes, yes, yes... there is nothing new under the sun, it is true...

Conrad retold the Christ story in The Red Badge of Courage (rite of passage, mentor is "Jim Conklin" ["J.C.," get it?]).

Lucas retold it again in Star Wars. (Mentor this time is Obi Wan Kenobi. Arthurian "Chosen One." The Light and Dark side of "The Force" represent God and Satan.)

Themes will get repeated again and again. That's okay. I'm willing to judge each one in its own right. Haven't yet seen Fight Club (plan to, though), and I need to be awake this time so that I won't fall asleep during The Matrix (I was sleepy, and made it about 15 minutes). Sounds like The Matrix draws from a lot of stuff that I've read over the years.

Lotsa fun!
 
I thought someone was joking about a music band named the Propellerheads.

Then I did a search and whammo! There they are.

I guess I am fully behind the times.......
 
Interesting!

More details of the Matrix slo-mo action effect can be found on the HBO "making of the movie" documentary that is included on the DVD. I think the technique was dubbed "the Bullet-Cam." I highly recommend getting the DVD just to see that 1/2 hour documentary.

Joe Campell was indeed a great thinker, but he pointed out something that was probably well-understood anyway. All stories written by humans have essentially the same story line. It's just a part of being human.

As for the GAP commercial of a few years back, I always remembered it for the very attractive swinging blond. That commercial went world-wide, since it involved no speech and pretty dancing couples have universal appeal. I think it simulatneously popularized the new bullet-cam technique as well as re-populartized the old swing dance.
 
I's not just the Bullet Time effect thats tired... but many of the style themes from the movie that are used for everything...
Nissan uses it for it's Maxima - check it out on www.adcritic.com - look for nissan ads.
Also another movie that used the bullet time effect - BEFORE the Matrix... WING COMMANDER.
Horrible movie. Perhaps one of the WORST movies EVER... second only to (insert your worst film here).

Sorry - been outta the loop for a few days.
 
Its all about diguital editing and multi camera control systems

This used to be practically impossible,
now i can do it on my laptop.

Last night ABC showed the 10 commandments...

We have evolved quite far since that era of movie making.

dZ
 
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