The Descent

[B00Ne]

Sweet baby Jebus, how does this not have it's own topic yet?

I cringed in a girl scout fashion throughout the entire thing, if you haven't seen this yet, go and find a copy RIGHT NOW.

Ariba, go!

[The Blind Dead]

I finally gave in and purchased the 2-disc SE and honestly...this was just amazing. It's part of my Top 10 now. I cannot wait till this sees US release but rumor has it Lions Gate is considering changing the end.

[Propaganda13]

Just to be clear on this. Are you guys talking about "The Descent" with girls, caves, and creatures? I've talked to others, and apparently there's probably 2 or 3 other movies in the last couple of years named Descent. I haven't seen it yet, but want to.

[B00Ne]

Yeah that's the same one. Go buy it right now.

[The Blind Dead]

Right now the 2-disc SE can be had for $24 through Amazon UK. Neil Marshall is a huge asset to the genre.


http://www.amazon.co.uk

[HOO-HAA]

Right now the 2-disc SE can be had for $24 through Amazon UK. Neil Marshall is a huge asset to the genre.


http://www.amazon.co.uk

Ain't he an Irishman? Bloody genius!! :clap:

[SGT. DEATH]

Great film this,some bloody good scares in it.

[OriAvP]

i´ve been in a cave, and the claustrophobic sensation with the small places and darknes it´s just amazing, very well done. 100% scare

[Pain]

Excellent movie! Definitely one to watch :)

[Grace Saunders]

I saw this at the cinema with my girlfriend. It was very original and bloody which is why I think it appeals to horror fans who need a change from the likes of Friday the 13th.

[The Blind Dead]

I think it appeals to horror fans who need a change from the likes of Friday the 13th.
WHOA THERE! Let's not get crazy here. :doh:

[Morbidfilm]

I bought the 2 disc British dvd and The Descent is by far the best horror film of 2005, and of recent memory! I seriously do not remember the last time I watched a movie this intense. I loved it.

[The Blind Dead]

High praise from an up-and-comer! I agree. The 2-disc set has definitely been "all that". It was money well spent.

[jay-mac]

The Descent is the first film in a long time that actually had me feeling uncomfortable. I can't recommend this enough- it's a must for every fan of horror movies. A superb follow up to Dog Soldiers. This guy has a whole heap of talent- let's hope he has a crack at a zombie film soon!

[Morbidfilm]

Holy shit. I can just imagine what Neil Marshall would do with a dead serious zombie film. He is definately one of the best horror directors out there now.

[adam]

Rented this film out last night - really good!

[Captain Boosh]

I was at an import shop the other day and the guy was ranting and raving about this movie. It was like $45 though, and that's way too much to spend on something I haven't seen yet.

[jackskellington]

Hitting disc December 26th!!!!

[Pain]

Hitting disc December 26th!!!!

Great news:)

[eardrumbuz]

any details? wonder if both versions will be included (or at least the uncut version)!

[zombiekilling101]

I bought a copy from Asia and then I bought the 2 disc from England. I love the movie. I didnt bother to see it in US theaters due to the ending being changed and lack of time.. but its a great flick.

[Nemesis]

any details? wonder if both versions will be included (or at least the uncut version)! There will be the US theatrical cut and the "unrated" cut.

[nirvroxx]

When I frst saw the trailer it looked kind of dumb to me...but with all this praise im hearing I might just go ahead and rent this when it comes out...wait....ZK101...let me borrow that son!

[Divided Soul]

There will be the US theatrical cut and the "unrated" cut.
Isn't it already out?

[Nemesis]

Isn't it already out? Not over here, unless you have a region free DVD player.

[eardrumbuz]

Well, I'm psyched...here's the dvd info...Unrated (original UK version, 99 mins):

DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital Surround Sound 5.1 -
English
Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 - English
Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Closed Captioned - English - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Neil Marshall -
Director, Crew
2. Neil Marshall - Director, Cast
Making of
Outtakes
Storyboard-to-Film comparison
Deleted/Extended Scenes
Production Interviews - Neil Marshall -
Director
Original Theatrical Trailer
Trailers
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Text/Photo Galleries:
Biographies - Cast, Crew
Photo Stills

[eardrumbuz]

alright, how obnoxious is this!?!?!

<begin rant>

Apparently, there are different bonus discs accompanying The Descent DVD here in the U.S., depending on which store you buy it from! In other words, Walmart, Best Buy, and Circuit City each have a "bonus disc" packed with the movie disc, but the bonus discs are different :x also, as it seems was the case when Chewy bought his at Circuit City, some stores only offer the bonus disc with the full screen version of the movie!!
I find this so infuriating, I feel like putting the chainsaw and machine gun smilies in this post :think:

:machgun2: Best Buy Walmart Lion's Gate Circuit City :saw:

I mean, do they really expect fans to buy the thing three or more times? I mean, really... what the...?

Or is this more along the lines of a Peter Jackson marketing job? Sell it this way, then release it again with all the bonus footage together on one disc? or hey!, here's an idea...different bonus footage! and then another version with collectible Cave Dweller figures! ooh, wait...3 more dvd packages...one with a Cave Dweller, one with Sarah, and one with Juno! Hey, why not... We like emptying out our pockets for the movie execs, don't we?

<end of rant>

[The Blind Dead]

I agree, very frustrating. Great idea but frustrating for completists.

[chewy]

also, as it seems was the case when Chewy bought his at Circuit City, some stores only offer the bonus disc with the full screen version of the movie!!

Pick up the fullscreen version, then. It's actually one of the best chop jobs I've ever seen. You hardly even notice it.

ETA: WARNING!!! Do NOT pick up a specific version just because it has a "bonus disc". I just finished watching the bonus disc that came with mine. It's a interview with the set designer called "Building an underground world." It's about 10 minutes long and could have been shoehorned onto the first disc. It's not worth going out and tracking down a special version for.

A entire separate DVD just for a 10 minute interview with the set designer... Geez. That's all there is on the disc. I even put it in my PC just to be sure.

[Book]

I just watched this tonight and I have to say I didn't care for it. The atmosphere was great and they had a great story. But the whole:



"Fake out" at the end was just annoying. It seemed too much like they were really trying to figure out what kind of ending they wanted and couldn't pick one. I also wasn't too fond of the whole "Lifetime Movie of the Week" chick movie fest for the first half hour. Yes we got character development and that was cool and all...but admit it guys; You were all waiting for the lesbian orgy. Am I right? If you weren't imagining a lesbian orgy then you must have been bored silly for that first part.


Other than that, I just didn't like it as much as I could of, as strange as that sounds.

[chewy]

You were all waiting for the lesbian orgy. Am I right? If you weren't imagining a lesbian orgy then you must have been bored silly for that first part.

You didn't watch the bonus footage, did you?:lol:

[Book]

You didn't watch the bonus footage, did you?:lol:

I did. And stop pretending it wasn't looking like a tampon commercial!!!!!

[chewy]

I did. And stop pretending it wasn't looking like a tampon commercial!!!!!

I was thinking more of a "feminine hygiene product" ad on Lifetime, but I see your point.

"Do you ever get that 'not-so-fresh' feeling?"
"I wear tight clothes, get chased by cave-dwelling monsters, get all sweaty and then splash through puddles of blood. What do you think?"
"Maybe we should try Summer's Eve."

[Ravenheart]

My copy of the uncut version came yesterday.Although I didn't think it was as good as his previous movie Dog Soldiers,this still turned out to be pretty good.I loved the claustrophobic feel of the movie and the ending was brilliant.The gore in the movie was pretty good too.I knew beforehand that it was going to be pretty gory but damn it was more then I was expecting.Overall I'd probably give it 7.5/10

[jackskellington]

I don't get it. Yes, it had eye gouging and a couple of feasting scenes, but overall I didn't think it had very much gore at all.

[eardrumbuz]

I don't think it's the quantity of gore that made the movie so powerful, but the intensity of the violence in the given situations. The movie hit on (realised) so many of our common fears.
In reading up on the dvd versions, though, I'm now not 100% sure that the only thing missing from the U.S. theatrical release was the piece cut off the very end...though the 99 min running time of the Unrated dvd would make me think that is exactly the difference. Some of what I've read makes it sound like a lot of the gore got cut down.
Well, when I do get to see the dvd, I'll have to see if I notice any difference...not that I'll really be able to remember all the details from 6 months ago anyway :)

[jackskellington]

I don't have a problem with there not being alot of gore. That's something I don't really need to make a movie enjoyable, but it seems that everyone has been going on about the gore factor in The Descent, but I just didn't see that much of it.

[The_Lord_Humungus]

I was greatly disappointed with this film. I actually liked it much better before the creatures show up and make it into a laughfest.

[The Blind Dead]

...yeah...I know I was cracking up watching it.

Perhaps I'm just not hardcore enough or something because I found absolutely nothing laughable about the film or its creatures.

[Francesco Dellamorte]

I just watched The Descent last night and I have to say that I did enjoy it. I really appreciate Neil Marshall's camera work, when the intensity kicks in, the camera moves with the action in natural movements. It makes the scene more intense by not really being able to see what you're up against. He did it in Dog Soldiers as well. It makes you less of a spectator and more of participator.


I liked the feeling of hopelessness as well. Not only are you at the mercy of unknown creatures but the Earth as well. You're stuck in a cavern and who knows if there is a way out?


I viewed the Unrated version and the only thing I didn't really care for was the dual endings. The one where Sara climbs the mountain of skulls to the exit and escapes after a cliched Evil Dead shot, that ending was shot for the US market. Then after she horks in the car, it cuts back to her in the cave with her daughter, which was the UK ending of the film. It didn't differentiate at all that they were two endings, which left me a little confused at the end.

Pick an ending and run with it, don't tailor your film to different markets.


-FD

[eardrumbuz]

the original ending IS the two parts in sequence, the way you see it on the dvd. the US ending was just cut short to exclude the return to the cave.

[Sambob]

I think that the original ending was designed to show the audience that even though we were following the main characters throgh out the time period that they were/are in the cave, the world still goes on around them. That truck driver didn't care what she had just been through, he had his own life and problems to think about.

However the woman had just had a mental breakdown and none of that was real. All she cared about was her daughter.

[devourthesun]

I rented this movie last week when it came out and was totaly blown away. Amazing movie, had my mom jumping and screaming a couple of times, which had my laughing my ass off.

Great movie, glad I didnt bother seeing it in theaters, because the "US Ending" would have just pissed me off royaly.

Thankfully they gave us the original ending edited back in on the dvd.

[Dead J]

so the uncut dvd version had the us ending and the uk ending together? hmmm no wonder i was kind of thrown off by the ending but besides that it was a great movie.

[goesaround]

Great film, great monsters. Another film where they made a man in make up scary. Yeah the beginning was slow and yeah I was looking for the girl girl love but when the monsters came it was a fast train ride. I did not like the end English or American. I would have liked her getting away. But thats me. Question why did the Asian girl not tell the girl that stabs her that she killed the other girl by accident? It might have saved her life. Anyway great film. I agree when he turns to zombies watch out.

[devourthesun]

I loved the english ending. Of course, Im one of those people who loves when a movie ends on a depressing note, especially in horror, because so often we get these cheesy hopeful endings, and its just annoying. If I've just been assualted for the past hour with horror and carnage, dont give me some BS "Happy" ending to just make me feel better.

The UK ending was perfect. She survived, but she's so f-cked it doesnt matter.

[The Blind Dead]

the original ending IS the two parts in sequence, the way you see it on the dvd. the US ending was just cut short to exclude the return to the cave.
By "return" you mean she never left, right? The whole idea behind The Descent was Sarah's descent into madness. She'd never left the cave to start with. Producers were worried people wouldn't understand that so the original UK ending was cut. I always tell people that Sarah began to "descend" into her "cave" after leaving those pills behind in the cabin.

[B00Ne]

By "return" you mean she never left, right? The whole idea behind The Descent was Sarah's descent into madness. She'd never left the cave to start with. Producers were worried people wouldn't understand that so the original UK ending was cut. I always tell people that Sarah began to "descend" into her "cave" after leaving those pills behind in the cabin.

And that's where the increasingly popular theory that the monsters don't really exist comes from. I dunno if Marshall has addressed that at all, but it's an interesting point.

[The Blind Dead]

I was also wondering if anybody else caught the relationship angle between Juno and Sarah's husband.

[The_Lord_Humungus]

The creatures were a disappointment. They reminded me of emaciated and feeble holocaust victims, as opposed to dangerous cave-dwelling monsters. Like i said before, the frist half of the movie was great- there was enough suspense of being trapped in an underground cave without ever needing lame creatures.

[Francesco Dellamorte]

I was also wondering if anybody else caught the relationship angle between Juno and Sarah's husband.


For some odd reason, I got a hunch about that from the beginning when they're in the raft and Sarah's husband is waiting for them on the shore. Which was confirmed when Beth gave Sarah Juno's necklace with that cheesy phrase that her husband used to say to her engraved on the back of the leaf.


-FD

[Pain]

The creatures were a disappointment. They reminded me of emaciated and feeble holocaust victims, as opposed to dangerous cave-dwelling monsters.

For me they fit the bill perfectly. After all weren't they formerly humans that evolved into these creatures after years of being underground, with no exposure to sunlight and also a minimal food supply? Hence also the heightened sense of hearing.

[The Blind Dead]

I agree! I mean what did these creatures need 40 pounds of muscle, hockey masks and Freddy claws to look good? I thought they were extremely interesting looking. I definitely could imagine cave-dwellers looking very similar.

I'm digging Marshall's winks at the classic werewolf (Dog Soldiers) and vampire (Nosferatu) films.

[devourthesun]

Yeah, those cave guys were f-cking ugly. If they had been big, beefy monsters it would have just been another version of "The Cave" or "The Cavern" which i didnt bother seeing because i didnt want to see "GIANT MONSTER MOVIE SET IN CAVE!" This movie was brutal, unrelenting, and i would rank it up with my favorite foreign horror films, along side High Tension and Wolf Creek.

And yeah, i caught the hint of Juno and Sarah's husband at the very begining. I liked that they never pushed that out too far into the open, and left so that if you caught it at the begining, your good, if not then oh well.

[Victor Clark]

I also thought that the monsters looked cool! They might look like really messed-up children, but that makes them look creepy! To me, having creepy mole-men in a cave is just as scary as a huge dummy with a chainsaw.

[devourthesun]

I think a monster that at least look like it could possibly be real, is far scarier than one that has no real basis in reality. the cave dudes were deffiently human looking, and let me tell you, I wouldnt want to be trapped in cave with them.

[eardrumbuz]

By "return" I meant that the movie returns to the cave setting, not that Sarah makes the trip back in the physical sense.
I thought the crawlers were great. I do think the ears could've been a bit bigger and less "thick" looking to make them seem more like they rely on sound for locating prey, but that's more a minor observation than a complaint.
I also got the feeling there was something between Juno and Sarah's husband right from when they got out of the raft. That whole storyline was well done, never being focused on enough for it to detract from anything else going on. It only becomes the center of attention at that final moment between the two girls.

[The Blind Dead]

This film is a lot more intelligent than some are giving it credit for.

[chewy]

This film is a lot more intelligent than some are giving it credit for.

In what way? I know there were a few sub-plots interspersed with splashing through the caves and comely young women being used as take-out. What made it "more intelligent"?

[devourthesun]

In what way? I know there were a few sub-plots interspersed with splashing through the caves and comely young women being used as take-out. What made it "more intelligent"?

I think the way the story was handled in general, how nothing was dwelled upon for too long, and you never needed reminding of how real the danger was. that and it doesnt treat the audience like they're completly retarded like most horror movies do lately. plot points are repeated at nauseum, the direction and flow is slow and full of dread and not spastic and ADD addled

[The Blind Dead]

This film is a lot more intelligent than some are giving it credit for.
In what way? What made it "more intelligent"?
If this is how you saw the film...
there were a few sub-plots interspersed with splashing through the caves and comely young women being used as take-out.
...then I don't see the need to really go to any great or small lengths toward addressing your questions. You seem to have "figured" the movie out for yourself.

I think the way the story was handled in general, how nothing was dwelled upon for too long, and you never needed reminding of how real the danger was. that and it doesnt treat the audience like they're completly retarded like most horror movies do lately. plot points are repeated at nauseum, the direction and flow is slow and full of dread and not spastic and ADD addled
Good points! There definitely was no hand-holding, no lame pissing contests brought on by macho cavers, the extremely subtle sub-plots that allow you to draw your own conclusions & the entire experience being used as a metaphor for Sara's own descent into madness. Hell even the look of the creatures was Marshall's subtle homage to the horror legends of days gone by.

I've actually talked to some people that believe there were no creatures at all that Sarah murdered all of them in the cave! In my opinion this deserves far more credit than...
there were a few sub-plots interspersed with splashing through the caves and comely young women being used as take-out.

[The Blind Dead]

Anybody interested in seeing a hilarious bat creature blooper from The Descent should check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKWVzcVG63E

[chewy]

If this is how you saw the film...

...then I don't see the need to really go to any great or small lengths toward addressing your questions. You seem to have "figured" the movie out for yourself.

No need to get snippy. I was merely asking the resident film critic to elucidate on the point he made. If you won't or can't, that's cool. I'll make do with DTS' wonderful non-snippy response.

[Book]

And that's where the increasingly popular theory that the monsters don't really exist comes from. I dunno if Marshall has addressed that at all, but it's an interesting point.

That is interesting that you brought that up. A co-worker waxed for about twenty minutes about that the other day. How she was the first to see the "creatures", ect. Which if that is the case, then I actually liked the movie more than I thought I did.

[Bad Zombie Night]

No need to get snippy. I was merely asking the resident film critic to elucidate on the point he made. If you won't or can't, that's cool. I'll make do with DTS' wonderful non-snippy response.

OK... I hope you two nice boys can lay aside your differences, and not feel the need to continue this invigorating debate of yours...Am I right?

Good... So let's now continue with saying good things about The Descent than about each other, please. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/bzn123/Smileys/Characters/1bnz_smiley.gif

[The Blind Dead]

That is interesting that you brought that up. A co-worker waxed for about twenty minutes about that the other day. How she was the first to see the "creatures", ect. Which if that is the case, then I actually liked the movie more than I thought I did.
Yeah I've spoken to some people that believe the whole "monster" thing was nothing more than her losing it. No meds, a grudge to settle and an uncharted cave system all contribute to her already declining mental state. I suppose it ultimately comes down to what the viewer wants to believe. Personally, I like the idea of monsters in a cave but the insanity angle is quite cool as well.

[Pain]

I just thought it was a cool monster flick:) Overrated, but cool nonetheless

[The Blind Dead]

I think it was overrated because it sat too long. It took way too long to hit Region 1 and by the time it did people had already stopped raving about it in the horror community.

[Pain]

I think that is part of the reason. I mean I saw it back in 2005. I still think it is an incredibly good movie, I've just seen better over the past year or so.

[ptmulder]

I just bought the Descent a couple of days ago cuz i had heard that it was supposed to be a pretty good movie. It's not bad, it reminded me a lot of that movie the cavern.

[The Blind Dead]

I just bought the Descent a couple of days ago cuz i had heard that it was supposed to be a pretty good movie. It's not bad, it reminded me a lot of that movie the cavern.
Unfortunately for The Descent, America was treated to The Cave and The Cavern before The Descent hit Region 1 DVD because of this many steered clear of theaters and refused to purchase the DVD because they assumed it was a "rip-off."

[B00Ne]

Truthfully, the claustrophobia in this flick made me feel more nauseous than anything I've seen in the past ten years.

And I'm a diagnosed agoraphobe :loon:

[The Blind Dead]

You and I both! My stomach was doing backflips during the tunnel sequence!

[Pain]

Truthfully, the claustrophobia in this flick made me feel more nauseous than anything I've seen in the past ten years.

And I'm a diagnosed agoraphobe :loon:

That was done incredibly well!

[devourthesun]

I have to say, I'm not really someone who's easily claustrophobic, *although whenever i get into discussions with people about being a spy i say i couldnt do it because i'd have a panic attack in a air duct.* but this movie had me cringing inside quite a bit. Point is, My happy self shall not be cave exploring anytime soon.

:lol:

[raym]

As a fan of the genre, I do indeed plan to see this film one day.

If I just so HAPPEN to. Like if a pal brings it over, or if it's on TV.

I really have no intention to go out of my way to buy or even rent the DVD. I'm not a big fan of "Cave Horror" films, like that other one...what was it called? The Cave?

[devourthesun]

Yeah, but this one completly sh-ts on every other "Cave Horror" movie. Seriously this one of the best horror films of 06.

[The Blind Dead]

So now we're coining silly phrases like "cave horror?" Will we be adding this to "mindfu*k" and "torture films?" :mrgreen: The Descent spanks the shit outta The Cave.

[devourthesun]

Oh, I got it, its a "Cave Torture Mind F-ck"

Yeah!

Or to put it plainly, Its an awesome damn horror movie.

[The Blind Dead]

I agree. I think Neil Marshall keeps getting better and better. I can't wait for his next flick.

[Bad Zombie Night]

Just added this one to my Netflix queue. ;-)

[ABRNT1]

fantastic film. It delivers and maintains a constant feeling of dread throughout

[chewy]

fantastic film. It delivers and maintains a constant feeling of dread throughout

I also recently realized this film stands on it's own as a good movie, not just a good horror movie. I've talked a few friends who aren't film buffs into watching it. These people hardly ever watch movies and don't care for horror at all, but all of them enjoyed this one.

[chickenchop1]

Really enjoyed the Descent, being a fan of Pitch Black. Really great blood effects/gore beyond what I was expecting. Highly recommended for fans of Survival Horror, Pitch Black and Blade 2 Reaper fans.


Spoiler?
The Descent has a realistic feel to it, in acting and story. The creatures seemed based in reality along the lines of humans that evolved into rock clinging, blind cave climbers. Interesting characters who are way outnumbered, good pacing, a few jumps, cool creatures, solid horror movie in my opinion.:clap:

[hatefuldisplay]

I finally got around to watching this one. My friend lent it to me a couple months back and I still have it. It's been collecting dust until now and I wasn't expecting much from it.

Turned out to be a pretty entertaining flick with some well done gore and some creepy-ass monsters in it.

[Mr. Grey]

It is a good movie. I introduced it to several of my friends last night and they really enjoyed.