Post by petrolino on May 5, 2018 0:19:31 GMT
In 'Pitch Black', the charter spaceship Hunter-Gratzner is transporting passengers held in cryostasis when it's forced to make a crash landing on an unknown planet. Docking pilot Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell) comes under increasing pressure to find a way out of their predicament from angry space cop William Johns (Cole Hauser) who's in the process of transporting infamous mass murderer Richard Riddick (Vin Diesel) under lock and key. What none of the waking crew are prepared for are the hostile conditions of this inhospitable planet which has three suns yet appears to be completely barren and absent of life ... except for one extraordinary species.
'Pitch Black' opens with pilot Carolyn Fry being forced to make a dramatic decision under extreme pressure that may come to haunt both her and the audience. Fry's like a holographic being caught inside a shivering electrical storm, her figure flickering and ever-so-slightly contorting under heavy air pressure. The crew find themselves stranded on a desolate planet that's set to be plunged into complete and total darkness by a massive eclipse. Under natural light, the sandy dunes (beautifully shot in sepia tones) sprout shimmering figures in the landscape. Hard, rocky ravines appear in diluted neon blue but offer some degree of clarity outside of dust. Inside the ship is a cold metallic chamber that compliments Riddick's steely eyes which provide the only colour through a psychedelic tint. When the eclipse comes, the darkness unleashes ferocious flying feeders with a bloodlust for black holes and a desire for nocturnal frenzy. Riddick sees the world differently to others but now his purple haze is set to be tested to its absolute limits.
There are some special set-pieces in 'Pitch Black' which is intelligently directed by science-fiction specialist David Twohy. Fry's trip down a rabbit hole and unexpected return sets the planetary ball in motion in an exciting manner and the action accelerates as the story progresses. Twohy's adept handling of incendiary material places 'Pitch Black' alongside 'Aliens' (1986), 'Creepozoids' (1987), 'Predator' (1987) and 'The Terror Within' (1989) as one of the tightest alien combat zones located within the realm of fictitious horror cinema. There's also a refreshing passion exhibited by the writers for scientific history as well as a clear grasp of mathematical impulse, on-screen ideas ranging from the use of planetary models to recollections of the old-fashioned abacus.
Cryptic warrior Riddick traverses to the rhythm of Newton's cradle, Fry wrestles with her badly damaged soul, Johns resists outside pressures while cracking from the inside, imam Abu Al-Walid (Keith David) is guided by a spiritual notion, immigrant settler Shazza Montgomery (Claudia Black) pulses with injustice and arty alcoholic Paris Ogilvie (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) douses his sorrows in an alcoholic potion. Experimental guru Graeme Revell's compelling underscore is appropriate and intensive, an aural masterwork that recalls his extraordinary scoring of Tobe Hooper's 'Spontaneous Combustion' (1990). 'Pitch Black' is followed by the sequels 'The Chronicles Of Riddick' (2004) and 'Riddick' (2013).
"I'm going in about ten paces ahead, I want light on my back but not in my eyes. And check your cuts; these bad boys know our blood now."
Vin Diesel
'Planet Of Sound' - Pixies
Vin Diesel
'Planet Of Sound' - Pixies
'Pitch Black' opens with pilot Carolyn Fry being forced to make a dramatic decision under extreme pressure that may come to haunt both her and the audience. Fry's like a holographic being caught inside a shivering electrical storm, her figure flickering and ever-so-slightly contorting under heavy air pressure. The crew find themselves stranded on a desolate planet that's set to be plunged into complete and total darkness by a massive eclipse. Under natural light, the sandy dunes (beautifully shot in sepia tones) sprout shimmering figures in the landscape. Hard, rocky ravines appear in diluted neon blue but offer some degree of clarity outside of dust. Inside the ship is a cold metallic chamber that compliments Riddick's steely eyes which provide the only colour through a psychedelic tint. When the eclipse comes, the darkness unleashes ferocious flying feeders with a bloodlust for black holes and a desire for nocturnal frenzy. Riddick sees the world differently to others but now his purple haze is set to be tested to its absolute limits.
"Practitioner of guilty pleasure B-movies — such as 1996’s underrated alien invasion yarn The Arrival — director David Twohy made Pitch Black in 2000 and it has since earned a cult following. The last film produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, the production was completed for $23 million and it more than doubled its returns at the worldwide box-office. Its modest performance nonetheless announced the arrival of Vin Diesel’s action hero stardom; before this and Boiler Room (released on the same day as Pitch Black), Diesel’s notable credits consisted of only a small supporting role in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998) and voicework on Brad Bird’s animated gem The Iron Giant (1999). Twohy’s movie didn’t make Diesel a household name, but it’s something both he and his fans have returned to over the years. Many discovered Pitch Black on home video, while Diesel later teamed with Twohy to continue the adventures of the movie’s anti-hero, Riddick."
- Brian Eggert, Deep Focus Review
"This film started out as a throwaway horror/sci-fi flick and has grown into a cult hit. Vin Diesel (XXX) stars as Richard B. Riddick, a savage convict who has the ability to see in pitch back."
- Rick DeMott, Animation World Network
Radha Mitchell
'Red' - Belly
- Brian Eggert, Deep Focus Review
"This film started out as a throwaway horror/sci-fi flick and has grown into a cult hit. Vin Diesel (XXX) stars as Richard B. Riddick, a savage convict who has the ability to see in pitch back."
- Rick DeMott, Animation World Network
Radha Mitchell
'Red' - Belly
There are some special set-pieces in 'Pitch Black' which is intelligently directed by science-fiction specialist David Twohy. Fry's trip down a rabbit hole and unexpected return sets the planetary ball in motion in an exciting manner and the action accelerates as the story progresses. Twohy's adept handling of incendiary material places 'Pitch Black' alongside 'Aliens' (1986), 'Creepozoids' (1987), 'Predator' (1987) and 'The Terror Within' (1989) as one of the tightest alien combat zones located within the realm of fictitious horror cinema. There's also a refreshing passion exhibited by the writers for scientific history as well as a clear grasp of mathematical impulse, on-screen ideas ranging from the use of planetary models to recollections of the old-fashioned abacus.
"Writer/director David Twohy has written his share of sci fi/fantasy/horror flicks over the course of his career, with the occasional drama (The Fugitive, G.I. Jane) for good measure. His 1996 film The Arrival was praised for being a lot smarter than the typical alien invasion flicks, even if the box office didn't reflect it. In 2000, he released another low-budget, sci fi-action flick called Pitch Black, with the unique tag line "Fight evil with evil." In truth, neither evil in the film was truly evil. It was a story of space travelers stranded on a planet in the darkness of a very long total eclipse, and in order to evade the planet's ravenous native lifeforms, they had to turn to one of their fellow survivors, a murderer who could see in the dark due to surgically-altered eyes.
The movie would bring three actors to the attention of American viewers: the mercenary played by Claudia Black, who would star in Farscape; the foul-mouthed pixie female pilot, played by Radha Mitchell; and the film's star, Vin Diesel. With the graying of action heroes like Ahhhnuld and Sly, Diesel seemed like the next big thing. He certainly had the arms for it. Especially fitting was his voice: a soft but deep, menacing growl even more unique than his multi-ethnic looks."
- Andy Patrizio, IGN Movies
“If I think about the moment that was a turning point for me, I was on set on the Hudson River with the late Sidney Lumet, and I was doing a film called Find Me Guilty. It was the end of the day, he was so generous with compliments. He said ‘If I had known you then in the fifties, I would have two great actors and not one. It’s a real shame, it’s like a beautiful girl. When someone does action, people think it’s easy and they don’t give it the credit that it deserves. The same way that the critics have written off a beautiful woman, and refuse to believe that a beautiful woman could be an outstanding thespian.’
In so many ways, he was saying continue to do these action films and do them the way you want to do them, what he was seeing in this courtroom drama, Sidney Lumet the king of courtroom drama, nobody’s seen better thespians than him, and he was basically saying I can see now that you approach any film, whether it’s a courtroom drama or an action film, with the same conviction, and something about that empowered me, and made me feel like I had the permission from someone I had respected my whole life to continue venturing into the action world.”
- Vin Diesel, Den Of Geek
The movie would bring three actors to the attention of American viewers: the mercenary played by Claudia Black, who would star in Farscape; the foul-mouthed pixie female pilot, played by Radha Mitchell; and the film's star, Vin Diesel. With the graying of action heroes like Ahhhnuld and Sly, Diesel seemed like the next big thing. He certainly had the arms for it. Especially fitting was his voice: a soft but deep, menacing growl even more unique than his multi-ethnic looks."
- Andy Patrizio, IGN Movies
“If I think about the moment that was a turning point for me, I was on set on the Hudson River with the late Sidney Lumet, and I was doing a film called Find Me Guilty. It was the end of the day, he was so generous with compliments. He said ‘If I had known you then in the fifties, I would have two great actors and not one. It’s a real shame, it’s like a beautiful girl. When someone does action, people think it’s easy and they don’t give it the credit that it deserves. The same way that the critics have written off a beautiful woman, and refuse to believe that a beautiful woman could be an outstanding thespian.’
In so many ways, he was saying continue to do these action films and do them the way you want to do them, what he was seeing in this courtroom drama, Sidney Lumet the king of courtroom drama, nobody’s seen better thespians than him, and he was basically saying I can see now that you approach any film, whether it’s a courtroom drama or an action film, with the same conviction, and something about that empowered me, and made me feel like I had the permission from someone I had respected my whole life to continue venturing into the action world.”
- Vin Diesel, Den Of Geek
David Twohy
'Shimmer' - Throwing Muses
'Shimmer' - Throwing Muses
Cryptic warrior Riddick traverses to the rhythm of Newton's cradle, Fry wrestles with her badly damaged soul, Johns resists outside pressures while cracking from the inside, imam Abu Al-Walid (Keith David) is guided by a spiritual notion, immigrant settler Shazza Montgomery (Claudia Black) pulses with injustice and arty alcoholic Paris Ogilvie (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) douses his sorrows in an alcoholic potion. Experimental guru Graeme Revell's compelling underscore is appropriate and intensive, an aural masterwork that recalls his extraordinary scoring of Tobe Hooper's 'Spontaneous Combustion' (1990). 'Pitch Black' is followed by the sequels 'The Chronicles Of Riddick' (2004) and 'Riddick' (2013).