Straw Dogs

[Spitball]

I had hoped to see the new version today but decided to wait until my 21-year-old son has the time to see it with me. My wife has no desire to see the violence, and I was about my son's age when I saw the original back in 1971.

Has anyone else seen the original. My friends and I from 40 years ago must have seen it five or six times. It was a Sam Peckinpah movie so it had a violent climax. But it was more than violence that kept us going back to see it. The sexy and beautiful Susan George had a lot to do with it, but the story was an interesting study of human nature. We enjoyed debating man's territorial nature and penchant for violence...both topics relevent during the Viet Nam War era...especially among young college boys.

Anyway, I hope the remake is not a disappointment. I will probably have to wait until next week to see it because of my son's busy schedule.

Btw, the original left us (and me to this day) with lots of unanswered questions.

[Sweetstop]

totally freaked the bejesus out of me when my husband and i saw it in 1971.

the 4 out of 5 star review (rene rodriguez) i read of the remake in today's paper makes mention of the "borderline nihilistic" nature of peckinpah's version compared to the "unabashedly humanist" approach rod lurie takes.

because the orginal left me so shaken, i'm not sure if i want to see this one or not.

[Johnny Footstool]

I trust this site's reviewers, and the movie got at D grade.
http://www.avclub.com/articles/straw-dogs,61808/

[Spitball]

I guess this movie isn't getting much attention. I plan to see it tomorrow or Wednesday, depending on my son's schedule (social life).

I have read a few reviews, and like the ones mentioned by Sweetstop and Johnny, it gets either good or not so good. Either way, I am sure it will not compare favorably to the original which I see has been re-released and is available on You Tube.

[Spitball]

I saw it today with my son. It was not bad but lacked the depth of the original. I did not walk away from this one thinking I needed to examine any deeper meaning to the characters' actions, reactions, or motives. The ending did not leave me wanting for answers nor questioning why things had happened as they did.

And, of course, there was not a Dustin Hoffman performance.

[Joseph]

Originally Posted by Spitball

I saw it today with my son. It was not bad but lacked the depth of the original. I did not walk away from this one thinking I needed to examine any deeper meaning to the characters' actions, reactions, or motives. The ending did not leave me wanting for answers nor questioning why things had happened as they did.

And, of course, there was not a Dustin Hoffman performance.

I have not seen either version I admit, but I wonder if your perception of the remake relates more to your age at the time of seeing the original versus now. I know I saw films when I was a teen and in my twenties that were just awe inspiring only to see them 15 years later and ask myself what I ever saw to begin with.

What did your son think?

[Spitball]

Originally Posted by Joseph

I have not seen either version I admit, but I wonder if your perception of the remake relates more to your age at the time of seeing the original versus now. I know I saw films when I was a teen and in my twenties that were just awe inspiring only to see them 15 years later and ask myself what I ever saw to begin with.

Interesting question. I saw the original in 1971 (five or six times) when I was 18 years old. It was humble emerging to face an evil world. It was good bucking the odds and triumphing over evil...and it was incredibly violent in doing so.

After seeing the original several times years ago, I have had unresolved questions about the movie. The new version had a different take on some of the important details. The wife character emerges as a fairly heroic character in the new version. We were left with a much more uncertain feeling from the first. The same is true of the two David Sumners. We don't know how to exactly understand where the first one will go from the experience. The second was triumphant and that was it.

Originally Posted by Joseph

What did your son think?

At first, he was was tolerant of my desire to see the movie but left wanting to discuss the themes of the movie. He wants to see the original, and we may go look for it tomorrow.