Anyone else watching Stalker from 1979?

[Mobile Suit God Damn]

You know, the movie based on the novel Roadside Picnic and directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. It sure is a tough one to power through. I first saw it sometime after Shadow of Chernobyl came out and man was that a drag.
Now that I'm older and more grizzled when it comes to Eastern European cinema and knew what I was getting into it was a piece of piss. But still, the bit where they all lie down in the creek for fifteen minutes and waffle on endlessly made me die inside a bit.

That said, how can you call yourself a fan of Stalker if you haven't seen the pre-emptive movie adaption?

[jdk309]

I watched it something like 10 years or more ago now. Don't remember much. I've also seen the other film by Tarkovsky that might have taken place on the moon?? Solaris, yep not the moon though.

[Mr_Purple]

I tried to at one point. Way too slow and way too philosophical for me

[ArcadeVault]

NO, becouse i watched that in 2008, then read the Roadside Picnic novel which is the ORIGINAL stalker book this game is inspired by, then i read the stalker books written for the games (those are not that good as the original).

[Mobile Suit God Damn]

Yes, obviously people should start by reading Roadside Picnic, but the real test of strength is Stalker, the movie.

[ArcadeVault]

Originally posted by Mobile Suit ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥:

Yes, obviously people should start by reading Roadside Picnic, but the real test of strength is Stalker, the movie. :elexgrin:

I never understood why ppl cannot watch that movie. Its a slow movie, right, but have so many interesting ideas, philosofical questions and the atmosphere in the zone is just priceless and sometimes i miss that kind of calmness in the game's zone.

[zpc]

I did. Back when the first Stalker game hit.

Thanks, now I'm feeling old.

[Wille Wilse]

I saw it in the mid eighties. Then again mid nineties and a third time last year. Excellent film.

[Mobile Suit God Damn]

Originally posted by ArcadeVault:

Originally posted by Mobile Suit ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥:

Yes, obviously people should start by reading Roadside Picnic, but the real test of strength is Stalker, the movie.

I never understood why ppl cannot watch that movie. Its a slow movie, right, but have so many interesting ideas, philosofical questions and the atmosphere in the zone is just priceless and sometimes i miss that kind of calmness in the game's zone.

You are absolutely right. The movie has plenty of amazing shots and if you appreciate cinematography then it's a must see. And yeah, the extreme slow pace is something that is missing from the games.

[gabrieldragonroy]

the movie was bad (especially the ending)
the book was meh but weirdest part is it happen in CANADA...like wtf
the best stalker is gamma but it's a nightmare to install

[ArcadeVault]

Originally posted by Mobile Suit ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥:

Originally posted by ArcadeVault:

I never understood why ppl cannot watch that movie. Its a slow movie, right, but have so many interesting ideas, philosofical questions and the atmosphere in the zone is just priceless and sometimes i miss that kind of calmness in the game's zone.

You are absolutely right. The movie has plenty of amazing shots and if you appreciate cinematography then it's a must see. And yeah, the extreme slow pace is something that is missing from the games.

Yeah. Annihilation movie, Monsters (2010) were a bit similar in their themes and tempo. I recommend both of them (i guess u already saw annihilation)

[ArcadeVault]

Originally posted by gabrieldragonroy:

the movie was bad (especially the ending)
the book was meh but weirdest part is it happen in CANADA...like wtf
the best stalker is gamma but it's a nightmare to install

Why the hell would it be weird. Roadside picnic was written first. Way before the games. And the zones were created by ALIENS in the book, and not just one zone, but more of them all around the world. Canada was just one of them.

I actually always missed the unexplainable alien touch of the zone from the games. Stalker games way too military oriented compared to the scientific nature of the book, so i will always prefer Red's Zone in the book. Love the games tho...

[SushiBar]

The OG Stalker movie is one of my favourites. Soundtrack and cinematography was amazing. If you dont like slow movies its gonna be a tough one tho. At the end of the movie if i remember right theres a rare footage of working chernobyl reactor not long before disaster. Cool stuff

[Zmidponk]

Originally posted by gabrieldragonroy:

the movie was bad (especially the ending)
the book was meh but weirdest part is it happen in CANADA...like wtf

Well, the book was written in 1972 and the film was made in 1979, and neither was actually connected with the Chernobyl disaster for the very simple reason that this occurred in 1986, so there isn't any reason it wouldn't be set in Canada.

(Just for those unfamiliar with either, the 'Zone' in both was actually one of several that were created by mysterious visitations from some strange extraterrestrial lifeforms.)

[ArcadeVault]

Originally posted by SushiBar:

The OG Stalker movie is one of my favourites. Soundtrack and cinematography was amazing. If you dont like slow movies its gonna be a tough one tho. At the end of the movie if i remember right theres a rare footage of working chernobyl reactor not long before disaster. Cool stuff

Thats not the CNNP, but a chemical power plant, an abandoned hydroelectric power plant on the Jägala river.

"Tarkovsky, his wife Larisa, and actor Anatoly Solonitsyn all died from the same type of cancer. Vladimir Sharun, a sound designer for Stalker, was convinced that all three died due to exposure to chemicals released from a chemical plant upstream from where the film was shot." wiki

Interesting things to know by the way.

[Otterking]

The movie has some good parts but it is more an artsy philosophical film while the book is a sci-fi. Near the end where the Stalker begs the scientist dude not to destroy the zone because it's the only place he feels free is pretty moving.