Inception.

[peam]

I figured I'd start a thread on this for discussion, since it's embarrassing to reply to an IorakeWarhammer originated thread without some sort of insult thrown in; not to mention that it encourages him.

Anyway, Christopher Nolan is awesome and this film looks incredible.

Discuss.

[IorakeWarhammer]

MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME jk lol

whats nice is that it seems like a relatively sophisticated film and not a big-graphics blockbuster, so going to see it in the theater may actually be tolerable and devoid of snotty teenagers playing with their cell phones and giggling the whole time

[LMingrone]

(I'll post in both threads) I've got an HD screener DVD already, haven't watched it yet. I've heard good and bad things about it. I'll watch tonight and give my review.

And no, don't ask for a copy, I'll get my pants and my balls sued off.

[SHAFT]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45767

Here's an awesome review of Inception. I skimmed through it yesterday and didn't find any spoilers, but now they've they've labeled it as if it contains spoilers.

I can think of 2 instances of going to the theater and being blown away in the past.........10-12 years, and those movies were The Matrix and Layer Cake. I'm hoping, SOOOO hoping this movie makes me think and puts my mind to the test like both of those movies. I'm excited.

[Celephais]

Layer Cake was a great movie, one of my favorites, but... put your mind to the test?

[SHAFT]

Layer Cake was a great movie, one of my favorites, but... put your mind to the test?

The first time I watched it yeah. I thought it was pretty intricate, how he manipulated everyone.

[Delias]

(I'll post in both threads) I've got an HD screener DVD already, haven't watched it yet. I've heard good and bad things about it. I'll watch tonight and give my review.

And no, don't ask for a copy, I'll get my pants and my balls sued off.

What if it gets stolen? Things get stolen sometimes. Just tell me when you won't be home, and forget to turn the alarm on.

[StrayRogue]

This film is badass.

[Numbers]

(I'll post in both threads) I've got an HD screener DVD already, haven't watched it yet. I've heard good and bad things about it. I'll watch tonight and give my review.

And no, don't ask for a copy, I'll get my pants and my balls sued off.


Rip that shit and upload it to Pirate Bay. Otherwise STFU.

[Cephalopod]

Unless he does it frequently, ripping screeners is dangerous since they all ship with a lot of markers to identify who received it. I don't blame him for being a pussy.

[Drisco]

Brah if you give it to me I guarantee it will be destroyed after watching.

[Drew]

I'm not even looking at this thread because I'm trying to stay super spoiler virgin. I will say I have really high expectations!

[Gnome Rage]

I feel like it will be difficult for me to actually see Leonardo Di Caprio as the person he is supposed to be playing... Perhaps I'm single minded but I just see him as that homeless kid from Growing Pains. And don't get me started on Ellen Paige...

But the movie's idea is pretty sweet and I do look forward to seeing how it all plays out

[TheEschaton]

Were you even alive during Growing Pains?

[Warriorbird]

If you've never seen any of the actually good movies he's been in it might be difficult. Post 2002ish he's been pretty solid in most things. I thought he was incredible in What's Eating Gilbert Grape and the Basketball Diaries early on too.

[Gnome Rage]

Not sure if I was alive during the filming of Growing Pains, but I watched it a lot on TV.

I don't really go to the movies, I'm not a big movie person so you're probably right. I haven't seen many of his movies, I didn't even see all of titanic... So it will be more difficult for me than say an avid Leo fan to distinguish.

[Celephais]

I feel like it will be difficult for me to actually see Leonardo Di Caprio as the person he is supposed to be playing... Perhaps I'm single minded but I just see him as that homeless kid from Growing Pains. And don't get me started on Ellen Paige...

But the movie's idea is pretty sweet and I do look forward to seeing how it all plays out

He's really redeemed himself with me lately, Departed, and Shutter Island, were fantastic, and he has a few others that were pretty damn good lately too.

[Warriorbird]

Not sure if I was alive during the filming of Growing Pains, but I watched it a lot on TV.

I don't really go to the movies, I'm not a big movie person so you're probably right. I haven't seen many of his movies, I didn't even see all of titanic... So it will be more difficult for me than say an avid Leo fan to distinguish.
-GnomeRage

Well... you might fit better into the 'avid Leo fan' category given your age. I enjoyed Catch Me If You Can, Blood Diamond, and The Departed a lot more than my Titanic subjection however. The early ones might work for you too, depending on how how much your indy/trendy scale drifts. You do play a text based game.

[Cephalopod]

I always remember him as the kid in What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

[Gnome Rage]

Well... you might fit better into the 'avid Leo fan' category given your age. I enjoyed Catch Me If You Can, Blood Diamond, and The Departed a lot more than my Titanic subjection however. The early ones might work for you too, depending on how how much your indy/trendy scale drifts. You do play a text based game.

I loveddd Catch Me If You Can. I haven't seen blood diamond of The Departed. I didn't see Shutter Island either. This is how often I go to the movies...

I'm ohhh sooo indy... I cant leave the house without my heart shaped sunglasses or my raybands! Oh, I need to make sure I'm wearing some hip leather gladiator sandals and wearing a Hello Kitty barrette!

[Celephais]

I haven't seen ... The Departed. I didn't see Shutter Island either.

See these. Tonight.

[Gnome Rage]

See these. Tonight.
Noo. I'm seeing my bf's ceiling tonight.

Edit: Lets include relevant content.

I wanted to see Shutter Island really bad, but I didn't. Because no one wanted to go with me. Perhaps I'll see if I can borrow my brother's gf's Netflix info and watch it sooner or later. I don't even know the premise of The Departed.

[Celephais]

Noo. I'm seeing my bf's ceiling tonight.
Have him get a projector.


Edit: Lets include relevant content.

I wanted to see Shutter Island really bad, but I didn't. Because no one wanted to go with me. Perhaps I'll see if I can borrow my brother's gf's Netflix info and watch it sooner or later. I don't even know the premise of The Departed.

Departed is amazing, shutter island was a great movie, but Departed is an icon. It's a crime/mob movie, but even people I know who aren't usually fans of that genre have loved it.

[Cephalopod]

The only thing you need to know about the Departed is that the theme is by the Dropkick Murphy's, so it's awesome.

Also, fake Boston accents and some of the best lines ever uttered in a movie (http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=lTaVxTmB5k4&feature=related):


I'm gonna go have a smoke right now. You want a smoke? You don't smoke, do ya, right? What are ya, one of those fitness freaks, huh? Go fuck yourself.

[Gnome Rage]

Have him get a projector.



Departed is amazing, shutter island was a great movie, but Departed is an icon. It's a crime/mob movie, but even people I know who aren't usually fans of that genre have loved it.

I heard people were disappointed by Shutter Island, which is why I didn't really push to go see it.

[Anebriated]

the departed was a great movie though. should at least watch it.

[Tordane]

I heard people were disappointed by Shutter Island, which is why I didn't really push to go see it.

Heard all the same shit. Wife and I watched it the other night, both thought it was a good movie. Couldn't figure out why it got all the bad reviews.

[Anebriated]

hmm, maybe ill check it out with the gf this weekend as we didnt watch it for the same reasons. if it sucks I blame you though.

[Gnome Rage]

it sucks I blame all of you though.

I second that.

[Celephais]

I'm fine with that, abut it's a two way road, if you enjoy it, you've got to blame me too.

[Gnome Rage]

I'll blame all enjoyment of that evening on you! ;]

[Drew]

Awesome flick, I loved it!



Spoiler alert

highlight to read:

So what is the consensus on the mystery at the end? Is he still inside or did he come back to reality. I've spent a little time thinking about it. He could still be 1 layer deep. If the start of the airplane scene is actually a already 1 layer deep (that means all the characters were put under in a dream already, perhaps Saito's dream) then when they go under to the "first level" (LA/warehouse/van) they are actually two levels deep. After the job is done then Cobb is left 1 layer deep to live with his children while all the other characters are brought up to reality.

[peam]

Heard all the same shit. Wife and I watched it the other night, both thought it was a good movie. Couldn't figure out why it got all the bad reviews.

Martin Scorsese is held to incredibly high standards. Not to say Shutter Island is a bad movie, I haven't seen it myself, but anything sort of incredible film-making from this director is going to, unjustifiably in my opinion, receive a few bad reviews.

[nub]

Awesome flick, I loved it!



Spoiler alert

highlight to read:

So what is the consensus on the mystery at the end? Is he still inside or did he come back to reality. I've spent a little time thinking about it. He could still be 1 layer deep. If the start of the airplane scene is actually a already 1 layer deep (that means all the characters were put under in a dream already, perhaps Saito's dream) then when they go under to the "first level" (LA/warehouse/van) they are actually two levels deep. After the job is done then Cobb is left 1 layer deep to live with his children while all the other characters are brought up to reality.

I think I would have to check the last time his totum or w/e stopped spinning. Which would mean watching it again.

[Drew]

I think I would have to check the last time his totum or w/e stopped spinning. Which would mean watching it again.

The only time we saw him spin the totem in the dream it never wobbled. I wouldn't read too much into that.

[Zarston]

I loved this movie. I just wanted to say that. And please don't take my opinion and any future posting I do as offensive in nature. There's plenty of room for debate here, and I like discussing things I love.

My Personal Ending Opinion:

Cobb's still stuck in limbo ... or dead.

There was no stimulus for his final return to reality. Why create that elaborate system of kicks if all you need to do is get stuck in limbo and kill yourself there?

All of the final scenes were filled with non-mundane actions and void of transitions (which they explained was appropriate for dreaming, and arguably movies).

If Saito had enough time to live a lifetime in Limbo before Cobb found him is a tricky one considering the incomplete information regarding the effect of death during heavy sedation "trapping" someone in limbo.

And finally, this is what I will point to when you guys argue otherwise: his kids still looked the same in the ending as they did in his dreams age-wise. If you watched the ending credits (I did like a good Asian kid, swear to God, I got up after the credits ended, looked around and there were only three groups of Asians left sitting), you'll see that there were voice actors for the kids at ages two years apart, one set for them in his dreams, and another for them on the phone. Kids grow like weeds at those young ages (3 and 5 I think they were listed as).

[SHAFT]

I loveddd Catch Me If You Can. I haven't seen blood diamond of The Departed. I didn't see Shutter Island either. This is how often I go to the movies...

I'm ohhh sooo indy... I cant leave the house without my heart shaped sunglasses or my raybands! Oh, I need to make sure I'm wearing some hip leather gladiator sandals and wearing a Hello Kitty barrette!

Why in the fuck are you in a thread about a movie if you don't like movies? Not to mention you don't have to go to the theater to see a movie you stupid shit rag.

Inception is good by the way. I'm excited to watch it again. Bravo Christopher Nolan, bravo.

Talk about a resume, memento, batman begins, the prestige, the dark knight, and now inception. In that order. Fantastic

[Delias]

Noo. I'm seeing my bf's ceiling tonight.
.

The Departed is better than sex with your boyfriend. I practically guarantee it based on your age which lends itself to him lacking in experience.

[LMingrone]

This movie rocks so hard. I've watched it twice already and am going to see it in IMAX. I was sceptical and I'm sick of Leo. I was wrong. Nolan owns. It's on par with The Matrix. The only Sci-Fi movies I think I like more are Brazil and Dark City. Go see it if you like Sci-Fi. Or find it on the net, It's out there, and buy the DVD when it comes out to show your support.

Edit: Maybe I'm a little wrong for calling it Sci-Fi. Hard to catagorize movies like this.

[nub]

I loved this movie. I just wanted to say that. And please don't take my opinion and any future posting I do as offensive in nature. There's plenty of room for debate here, and I like discussing things I love.

My Personal Ending Opinion:

Cobb's still stuck in limbo ... or dead.

There was no stimulus for his final return to reality. Why create that elaborate system of kicks if all you need to do is get stuck in limbo and kill yourself there?

All of the final scenes were filled with non-mundane actions and void of transitions (which they explained was appropriate for dreaming, and arguably movies).

If Saito had enough time to live a lifetime in Limbo before Cobb found him is a tricky one considering the incomplete information regarding the effect of death during heavy sedation "trapping" someone in limbo.

And finally, this is what I will point to when you guys argue otherwise: his kids still looked the same in the ending as they did in his dreams age-wise. If you watched the ending credits (I did like a good Asian kid, swear to God, I got up after the credits ended, looked around and there were only three groups of Asians left sitting), you'll see that there were voice actors for the kids at ages two years apart, one set for them in his dreams, and another for them on the phone. Kids grow like weeds at those young ages (3 and 5 I think they were listed as).

Good points, I was thinking that as well.... the kids being the exact same age after however long away he was... I mean he came back to the exact same scene as the kids being away. Why wasn't the grandma anywhere watching the kids? They were just in that exact same outside scene.

[TheLastShamurai]

I loved this movie. I just wanted to say that. And please don't take my opinion and any future posting I do as offensive in nature. There's plenty of room for debate here, and I like discussing things I love.

My Personal Ending Opinion:

Cobb's still stuck in limbo ... or dead.

There was no stimulus for his final return to reality. Why create that elaborate system of kicks if all you need to do is get stuck in limbo and kill yourself there?

All of the final scenes were filled with non-mundane actions and void of transitions (which they explained was appropriate for dreaming, and arguably movies).

If Saito had enough time to live a lifetime in Limbo before Cobb found him is a tricky one considering the incomplete information regarding the effect of death during heavy sedation "trapping" someone in limbo.

And finally, this is what I will point to when you guys argue otherwise: his kids still looked the same in the ending as they did in his dreams age-wise. If you watched the ending credits (I did like a good Asian kid, swear to God, I got up after the credits ended, looked around and there were only three groups of Asians left sitting), you'll see that there were voice actors for the kids at ages two years apart, one set for them in his dreams, and another for them on the phone. Kids grow like weeds at those young ages (3 and 5 I think they were listed as).

His kids look the same height-wise. Since we never saw their faces, age might be harder to define. I also don't remember them saying anywhere how long he had been separated from the kids. Given the nature of his work and life, where ten minutes seems like hours/days, he might have only been working outside the US for 6 months. One of the complexities of Cobb was that he had lived lifetimes without actually having lived lifetimes, so his time outside of the US is sketchy at best.

Also, from what I gathered, the elaborate kicks were used to transfer safely up levels until you get to level 1. I don't remember them ever using a kick to get out of a level 1 dream, only to transfer from 2 to 1, or 3 to 2. The thing behind limbo is that under normal circumstances, there wasn't a risk of entering it. You needed heavy sedation and/or deeper layers to even get there, which is why the crew wasn't really aware of the risk until then because their other jobs didn't involve the heavy sedation or a third layer dream. And the reason they avoid the limbo is because once you're there, there is a high risk of limbo becoming your reality and totally screwing your pooch.

Anyways, that's just my opinion. I think what made this movie awesome is that is left room for so much thinking, interpretation and possibilities, but in a good way. Not like, in a bummed out unfulfilled way.

[LMingrone]

What if it gets stolen? Things get stolen sometimes. Just tell me when you won't be home, and forget to turn the alarm on.


Hehe, I have insurance and would LOVE for someone to steal all my DVDs, XBOXs, computers, TVs.. Everything has pictures taken of it an reciepts that are tirple redundant and stored away from where I live. I'm smart like that.Except for the hardware, all the data (music movies) is backed up off site, triple redundant. $ for me. And I'm pretty much always at home, as I do all my work from home. I live at 480 Main Street, West Haven, CT. I'll make sure to let you know when I won't be home :)

[droit]

I was actually slightly disappointed that Nolan left so little room for doubt regarding Cobb's final dream state. Pretty much every shred of evidence points towards Cobb still being dreaming. I would have loved for it to be a bit more ambiguous. Definitely an awesome flick though. I'm looking forward to seeing it a second time.

[Gnome Rage]

The Departed is better than sex with your boyfriend. I practically guarantee it based on your age which lends itself to him lacking in experience.

Late, but I totally just saw this... My boyfriend is not my age.

[Gnome Rage]

Hehe, I have insurance and would LOVE for someone to steal all my DVDs, XBOXs, computers, TVs.. Everything has pictures taken of it an reciepts that are tirple redundant and stored away from where I live. I'm smart like that.Except for the hardware, all the data (music movies) is backed up off site, triple redundant. $ for me. And I'm pretty much always at home, as I do all my work from home. I live at 480 Main Street, West Haven, CT. I'll make sure to let you know when I won't be home :)

Omgosh. Can I come over? West Haven is like 20 mins from me.

[nub]

I was actually slightly disappointed that Nolan left so little room for doubt regarding Cobb's final dream state. Pretty much every shred of evidence points towards Cobb still being dreaming. I would have loved for it to be a bit more ambiguous. Definitely an awesome flick though. I'm looking forward to seeing it a second time.

What do you expect to pick up the second time since you have it figured out? Or do you want to watch it again with the knowledge from having seen it to see if you pick up other cool things. I think that's why I will go back (not that I have it all figured out) but to figure it out moar.

[Delias]

Hehe, I have insurance and would LOVE for someone to steal all my DVDs, XBOXs, computers, TVs.. Everything has pictures taken of it an reciepts that are tirple redundant and stored away from where I live. I'm smart like that.Except for the hardware, all the data (music movies) is backed up off site, triple redundant. $ for me. And I'm pretty much always at home, as I do all my work from home. I live at 480 Main Street, West Haven, CT. I'll make sure to let you know when I won't be home :)

I used to live right down 1 from there. It's a shame we didn't meet years ago, during my stealin' years. :)

[Latrinsorm]

Go see it! Commentary to follow.

.

.

.

Really good. Who knew the guy from 3rd rock from the sun could pull off action scenes?

My favorite scene was where he was trying to convince the Scarecrow he was a figment of his (the Scarecrow's) imagination as all of the other figments fixated on him, then resumed activities in unison. Very well done.

I thought they drew out the ending exactly long enough to make it 50/50 whether he was in a dream or not, with it really being the only helpful indicator either way.

[Kranar]

I thought they drew out the ending exactly long enough to make it 50/50 whether he was in a dream or not, with it really being the only helpful indicator either way.

Spoilers ahead.

.

.

.


I completely agree with this. Saying that the movie definitely took place in a dream or definitely took place in 'reality' kind of misses the point of the movie, which is that these ideas aren't as clear cut as they might seem. Dreams affect 'reality', at least our perception of reality and our psychology, and vice versa, the two are intermingled.

I don't think the ending was meant as a challenge to viewers to rewatch the movie and figure out whether it's all just a dream or not. It's purposely ambiguous because the very concept itself is ambiguous.

[LMingrone]

Omgosh. Can I come over? West Haven is like 20 mins from me.

Hellz yeah you can come over. If you're a female and slamming. I'm kidding, but yeah, I'm actually a pretty normal person and have good times. A bunch of people on these boards have been over my place.

You might have to watch out though, cause SB is always invited.

[Gnome Rage]

Hellz yeah you can come over. If you're a female and slamming. I'm kidding, but yeah, I'm actually a pretty normal person and have good times. A bunch of people on these boards have been over my place.

You might have to watch out though, cause SB is always invited.

lolol!

I totally lied, taking Black rock and the Merrit means that you're 54 minutes from me. Thats not like 20 minutes. I have no sense of direction.

/gnome fail.

[Bobmuhthol]

I'm driving to Westchester in a few weeks. I will stop by only if Mr. Burrell is there.

[Gnome Rage]

I was just at the westchester airport. They wand waved my friend. I lol'd

[Stanley Burrell]

Omgosh. Can I come over? West Haven is like 20 mins from me.

Where the fuck you at? I'm about to go see this later today, probably in the Gothic architecture anti-heterosexual metropolis area of New Haven.

I don't really want to hang out with you (not like I've got a problem with you, I'm just lazy) but whatever, hit me back, I need the social exposure.

[Gnome Rage]

Where the fuck you at? I'm about to go see this later today, probably in the Gothic architecture anti-heterosexual metropolis area of New Haven.

I don't really want to hang out with you (not like I've got a problem with you, I'm just lazy) but whatever, hit me back, I need the social exposure.

It took me reading this 10 times to understand the beginning part. I live sort of by Danbury

[Gnome Rage]

Not that this has anything to do with Inception, but I'm going to watch Shutter Island tonight. Cause I was told to, and given the opportunity.

[Delarock]

Shutter Island was a big dissapointment.

Inception was one of the best movies I've seen in a very very very long time.

[Cephalopod]

Haven't seen it yet, but...
http://i.imgur.com/qrwRq.png

[Clove]

Omgosh. Can I come over? West Haven is like 20 mins from me.I win, I live an hour from West Haven!

[Gnome Rage]

I win, I live an hour from West Haven!

Unless you're in the other direction, we're like NEIGHBORS! lolol. I botched my time, I'm about 50 or so mins from West Haven.

[Clove]

Unless you're in the other direction, we're like NEIGHBORS! lolol. I botched my time, I'm about 50 or so mins from West Haven.Okay, but I still live further from West Haven, so I win.

[Cephalopod]

I live two and a half hours away from West Haven.

What do I win?

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I live two and a half hours away from West Haven.

What do I win?

A FREE* lunch at Red Bones!!!











*Free for me, not you.

[Clove]

I live two and a half hours away from West Haven.

What do I win?If that puts you in Massachusetts it wins you a shitload of taxes without much to show for it :D

[Drew]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs176.snc4/38133_635006874305_33401806_36210039_3523117_n.jpg

[Celephais]

Loved the movie, and I've been trying to tell the people I went with that it was intentionally ambiguous like Kranar said. The whole point is you're not supposed to know one way or another, it's more compelling/thought provoking this way and it's a great marketing tactic. People can believe what they want to believe about if it was really a dream (believe what they want to believe, see what I did thar!?)

Great movie, my favorite part was the 3rd rock from the sun kid fighting in shifting gravity (not no gravity, but shifting). It looked so natural to him, but his enemy was not prepared for it at all. This made me think that he probably trained at some point to fight in those conditions, thinking about that training made me smile.

[Delias]

I felt it was a decent enough flick but not the mind blowing accomplishment people have been saying it is. It reminded me a lot of the Otherland books, actually. To me this falls in to the "Too much hype, not enough substance" category. I guess I was expecting too much from what basically turned out to be an action movie.

[Showal]

Late, but I totally just saw this... My boyfriend is not my age.

No one cares. When he's finished, you will still have time to watch a movie. I promise you.

Besides that, I liked Inception. I want to watch it again because you always see new shit in movies this complex the second time around.

[Showal]

A FREE* lunch at Red Bones!!!











*Free for me, not you.

Can I come? I love red bones.

[Clove]

It's not that kind of bone, Showal...

[Showal]

It's not that kind of bone, Showal...

oh sorry ... i thought it said "red rocket"

[Numbers]

Saw it Saturday -- loved it. One of the best movies I've seen in a long, long time.

I'm going to want to see it again, though, after reading through a bunch of theories about the ending.

[TheEschaton]

spoilers.....










Am I the only one who thought he was in reality in the end? The top started to wobble at the end, something it never did any time it was spinning in any dream state.

[Hips]

Am I the only one who thought he was in reality in the end? The top started to wobble at the end, something it never did any time it was spinning in any dream state.


I thought he was as well. I think they cut it so you can't really know either way.

[Celephais]

spoilers.....










Am I the only one who thought he was in reality in the end? The top started to wobble at the end, something it never did any time it was spinning in any dream state.

That's exactly the point about it being 50/50. They never once showed the top spinning that long, dream or otherwise, so you wouldn't know if it would start to wobble in a dream. I noticed it wobbling too, but the whole point was that it cut off before you had anything definitive.

[Latrinsorm]

That's exactly the point about it being 50/50. They never once showed the top spinning that long, dream or otherwise, so you wouldn't know if it would start to wobble in a dream. I noticed it wobbling too, but the whole point was that it cut off before you had anything definitive.Or, as 70% of the people in the theater I was in put it, "ARGH!!!!"

[Numbers]

One of the theories I've seen is that the top wasn't his totem -- his wedding ring was. Apparently he always wears it in dreams, but never wears it in reality.

Another theory says that at the end, he's still stuck in limbo, and the evidence is that people at the airport (except his friends) were giving him angry looks. More evidence is that when he sees his children, they're in the same position, the same clothes, and are the same age as they were from his memory. They never say how long he's been away, but the actors who play his kids on the phone are different than the ones from the beach -- what would be the point of that if not to simulate aging? Plus, where's the grandmother when he goes home?

Another theory is that he's in limbo for the whole movie, and that his wife keeps showing up to try to save him, and she was right all along.

[Delarock]

One of the theories I've seen is that the top wasn't his totem -- his wedding ring was. Apparently he always wears it in dreams, but never wears it in reality.


Love this.

I think he says that it was his wife's totem for sure... I'm gonna go see it in IMAX i think.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I'm of the belief that it was all just a dream.

A few things didn't make sense to me- like how did Fischer not recognize Saito and know him? If they're both in high society and part of the same industry, it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't physically recognize one another.

Two of the biggest things that make me think that all of Inception is a dream is the totem and the 'how did you get here?' question. First, we're told right away that a totem is the *only* way to tell what's reality from what's a dream. They avoid having anyone use their totem in the movie to tell us when something is reality, and we're never really given any 'totem' to signal to us as the audience when reality is occurring and when a dream is.

The second is "How did we get here?".. multiple times when trying to explain to people about how the process works, Cobb says "Do you remember, specifically, how we got here?" at which point the person can't and realizes they are in a dream. All of the sequences are very disjointed- the first time we're shown "reality" (the train scene) we have no totem to use to verify this shift and we're not sure how they got on the train, specifically.

There are a few other things, like how Cobb is really the only interesting/deep characters with a long story arc and the others seem to exist solely to anchor him as he overcomes his guilt over Mal.

The only thing that troubles me about this is that the kids he saw at the end were too young to sound like the kids over the phone, so I have to wonder if he simply dreamed, while he was thinking he was in reality, that his kids had aged, and when he'd finally 'let go' of the guilt and believed he was seeing his kids again he just went off the last visual memory of them, or what.

[Warriorbird]

Notice who says "Leap of faith." in the movie.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

To the butthurt person who doesn't like that my post has spoilers- MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T READ A MOVIE THREAD UNTIL YOU SEE IT, FUCKTARD. That is all.


I think I need to go see the movie again.

[Celephais]

One of the theories I've seen is that the top wasn't his totem -- his wedding ring was. Apparently he always wears it in dreams, but never wears it in reality.

I like this theory a lot too...

[Derekl33]

I have a question about the totems...

1) The spinning top was his wifes totem, right? So that means it couldn't have been his anchor? Or if he did take it (or even touch it for that matter) what would the consequences have been? It seems the ring being his totem fits better in to the equation seeing as the top WAS his wifes totem but I never caught on to the ring in the first place.

2) What was the meaning behind Junos character (can't remember her name) making her own totem? I never saw her use it so I feel like that was just filler in the movie? But still a question I have.

[Drew]

2) What was the meaning behind Junos character (can't remember her name) making her own totem? I never saw her use it so I feel like that was just filler in the movie? But still a question I have.



The first time I saw it I thought that too but then I noticed on the shot after they wake up on the plane she is holding her totem.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

2) What was the meaning behind Junos character (can't remember her name) making her own totem? I never saw her use it so I feel like that was just filler in the movie? But still a question I have.

Everyone who enters into other's dreams are supposed to have their own totem so they can know what's real and what's fake, so she chose to make a weighted chess piece. She uses it twice in the film that I saw- once when she wakes up from the dream she entered with Cobb and sees the hotel room, etc where she died and then on the airplane near the end when they wake up from the three-level dream.

I kind of wonder what happens if you die in limbo before the sedative wears off, because it seems like dying in limbo once it has worn off is how you get out but I'm wondering if there's an even deeper limbo you go to if death occurs while still under a sedative.

[Celephais]

I have a question about the totems...

1) The spinning top was his wifes totem, right? So that means it couldn't have been his anchor? Or if he did take it (or even touch it for that matter) what would the consequences have been?
If you know something your subconscious knows it. If I touch your totem, and you're in my dream, I can properly simulate your totem in my dream (even if I don't do it on purpose). This means you can not know if you're in real life or not in my dreams.

At least that's what I got out of it.

[Celephais]

I kind of wonder what happens if you die in limbo before the sedative wears off, because it seems like dying in limbo once it has worn off is how you get out but I'm wondering if there's an even deeper limbo you go to if death occurs while still under a sedative.

I was wondering that too... "If you die under a sedative you go to LIMBO!!" "What happens if you die in limbo?" "erm..."

I'm also wondering how he switched from the limbo with Juno girl and his wife to the limbo with Asian guy/in the water. He's just like "jump off the building, I got this." and then... he's back at the beginning of the movie all the sudden.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I was wondering that too... "If you die under a sedative you go to LIMBO!!" "What happens if you die in limbo?" "erm..."

I'm also wondering how he switched from the limbo with Juno girl and his wife to the limbo with Asian guy/in the water. He's just like "jump off the building, I got this." and then... he's back at the beginning of the movie all the sudden.

I also don't really get the horrified reactions from people about limbo. I mean I get that it'd probably be very lonely and boring and bad to wait out your entire lifetime in a dream for the sedative to wear off while you're in limbo, but they made it seem like when you were in limbo you'd just stay as a vegetable in your reality-body for years, but that doesn't make sense at all. I should think even a year in a coma for your reality body, would translate to a millennium in limbo and most people would go cuckoo and off themselves before then (but after the sedative wears off) and wake up.

[Celephais]

I also don't really get the horrified reactions from people about limbo. I mean I get that it'd probably be very lonely and boring and bad to wait out your entire lifetime in a dream for the sedative to wear off while you're in limbo, but they made it seem like when you were in limbo you'd just stay as a vegetable in your reality-body for years, but that doesn't make sense at all. I should think even a year in a coma while in limbo would translate to like, a millennium in limbo and most people would go cuckoo and off themselves before then (but after the sedative wears off) and wake up.

... Maybe that's what happens if you die in limbo, you think you've made it out, but really you're still in limbo. So the whole movie is what happened to corn after he tried to die in limbo.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I need that "My brain is full of fuck" picture now, thanks!

edit: Found it

http://img.club.pchome.net/upload/club/other/2009/12/18/pics_zitengchen_1261140293.jpg

[Showal]

I have a question about the totems...

1) The spinning top was his wifes totem, right? So that means it couldn't have been his anchor? Or if he did take it (or even touch it for that matter) what would the consequences have been?

THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME!

[B4Hand]

I watched this with my 14 year old son and 12 year old daughter.. my son loved it. Tricia (the daughter) said Action movies are too long! I loved the movie myself.

[Latrinsorm]

I also don't really get the horrified reactions from people about limbo. I mean I get that it'd probably be very lonely and boring and bad to wait out your entire lifetime in a dream for the sedative to wear off while you're in limbo, but they made it seem like when you were in limbo you'd just stay as a vegetable in your reality-body for years, but that doesn't make sense at all. I should think even a year in a coma for your reality body, would translate to a millennium in limbo and most people would go cuckoo and off themselves before then (but after the sedative wears off) and wake up.I think the point was that you definitely go crazy after a lifetime without other people (in limbo), which is plausible, or that after spending more (subjective) time dreaming than awake one would be unable to accept the waking world as reality, which is also plausible. What's not clear to me is how much time Saito actually spent alone in limbo. It seemed like he was only dead in dream #3 for 5-10 minutes tops, and the rule of 20 for progressively deeper dreams suggests he would only have been alone for a few hours. My explanation for why he would "be" so old is that the prospect of decades of solitude and madness is scary, and if things in limbo can be altered by thought they can probably be altered by terror.

[nub]

Why was he in Saito's dream anyway? He doesn't remember how he got there, when he was on the island... he all of the sudden popped up. Why wouldn't he remember? He wasn't aged at all. If it was instantly, he should have remembered right away just like in every other instance.

[TheEschaton]

I think the limbo state is a mass shared dream, the dream that all humanity shares, it's just that only 4 people have ever reached it, Leo, Ellen Paige, the wife, and Saito (edit: 5, and Fischer). So it's not that LEo jumped from one limbo to another, he just had to find the part of limbo that Saito built for himself....which is why it looked so different, with the guards, and the Japanese villa, etc.

The theory of progression in deeper dreams was more exponential than you suggested Latrin. At one point I think they said that a 10 hour dream in the plane translated to a week in the warehouse dream, a year in the hotel dream, 10 years in the hospital dream, which is why they needed the kicks in the first place...who knows what that translated to in limbo. Fischer dropped into limbo like, 1 minute before Leo and Ellen went in after him, yet he had managed to be caught, tied up, transported, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc in limbo before they got to him. At that point, Saito must have been dead 10 minutes, which may have translated to 30 years (remember, he's already the oldest character, the aging is probably the difference between somewhere in his 50s, 60s, to somewhere in his 80s, 90s).

I remember thinking at the time that it was weird that he was using his wife's totem as his own. But his fundamental inception in her mind involved corrupting her totem which she locked away to prevent herself from knowing she was in a dream. Does that then free that particular totem for his own purposes? As long as no one but his wife had used it and she's dead, it seems like a valid totem.

-TheE-

[Archigeek]

I liked the movie, but thought the whole premise of dream design so the dream doesn't seem weird was strange, since pretty much all dreams have weird things happen in them. The idea that a disconnect of some sort would tip off the "dream police" would pretty much mean we'd all be subconciously paranoid, since almost everyone's dreams are full of disconnects. It seemed like a movie that was trying to be deeper than it really was, even though the basics of the plot were obvious in the first 15 minutes of the movie.

Still though, it was a good movie. Just not "mind blowing".

[Celephais]

I liked the movie, but thought the whole premise of dream design so the dream doesn't seem weird was strange, since pretty much all dreams have weird things happen in them. The idea that a disconnect of some sort would tip off the "dream police" would pretty much mean we'd all be subconciously paranoid, since almost everyone's dreams are full of disconnects. It seemed like a movie that was trying to be deeper than it really was, even though the basics of the plot were obvious in the first 15 minutes of the movie.

Still though, it was a good movie. Just not "mind blowing".

The point is they are in the mind of people who are trained to realize when they are in a dream, so as not to allow other people to control it. As it is people realize they are dreaming sometimes while dreaming, and I've heard people say they figured it out because it seemed weird. Personally I've never been like "that's not right, this is a dream". I would certainly believe that in a world where this is possible and high powered people know about it and have trained for it, they would need to construct a dream world that's able to fool the subconscious. I also think that part of the reason is that they are introducing the weirdness from an outside source. If you dream up something weird on your own, your subconscious 'knows' it made the weirdness, if some outside influence is there, that outside influence would have to be as inconspicuous as possible.

[Archigeek]

The point is they are in the mind of people who are trained to realize when they are in a dream, so as not to allow other people to control it. As it is people realize they are dreaming sometimes while dreaming, and I've heard people say they figured it out because it seemed weird. Personally I've never been like "that's not right, this is a dream". I would certainly believe that in a world where this is possible and high powered people know about it and have trained for it, they would need to construct a dream world that's able to fool the subconscious. I also think that part of the reason is that they are introducing the weirdness from an outside source. If you dream up something weird on your own, your subconscious 'knows' it made the weirdness, if some outside influence is there, that outside influence would have to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Except that almost every dream is influenced by the outside. Usually, we take something from our conscious life and twist it up. Sometimes it is something rather mundane and pointless like a TV show; sometimes it is something meaningful like a relationship, but our dreams are always influenced by something from our real lives.

You can influence your dreams though. I once approached a girl I like in a dream and was rejected, became ever so slightly conscious and got myself a do-over. Score! Also, you can get shot in the face in a dream and remain asleep with the dullness of a head wound and the feeling of warm blood and ichor trickling down your neck. It doesn't ALWAYS wake you up.

Maybe it's the architect-ing part that gets me since I'm an architect. The design of a city, even a skeleton of a city would take months and months, and she was done in like two days, and there was virtually no discussion of the science of how they were projecting the design into the dream.

I don't mean to bash on the movie too much. It was a good movie. Just not mind blowingly good.

[TheLastShamurai]

I thought the whole point of them creating "the world of the dream" was so that you didn't create your own wacked out dream and/or because the person whose dream they were in, wasn't the person whom they were stealing from.

[Celephais]

I thought the whole point of them creating "the world of the dream" was so that you didn't create your own wacked out dream and/or because the person whose dream they were in, wasn't the person whom they were stealing from.

They were in the scarecrows dream for all three steps of when they were brain impregnating him, the architect for some reason has the ability to change things in the other person's dream world, they influence it, and then the dreamer fills in the gaps.

Archigeek, they said quite plainly that designing the city was a very crude endeavorer, and the dreamer's subconscious filled in the details. It's not like she had to make sure the sewage system was going to be able to properly handle demand from the city or that traffic was properly routed.

[TheLastShamurai]

They were in the scarecrows dream for all three steps of when they were brain impregnating him, the architect for some reason has the ability to change things in the other person's dream world, they influence it, and then the dreamer fills in the gaps.


Hmmmm, for some reason I have this impression they were saying that the communal dream wasn't in the marks mind, but in one of the other team members'. Maybe it was just a dream...

[Celephais]

Hmmmm, for some reason I have this impression they were saying that the communal dream wasn't in the marks mind, but in one of the other team members'. Maybe it was just a dream...

The subconscious was defiantly what'his'nuts, that's why I'm pretty sure it was his dream. Remember they were surprised to learn he had military trained guys?

[AnticorRifling]

I haven't seen the movie but reading this thread makes me think I need to watch it on one screen with The Cell on another. Add in some tequilla and it'll be a great time.

[TheLastShamurai]

The subconscious was defiantly what'his'nuts, that's why I'm pretty sure it was his dream. Remember they were surprised to learn he had military trained guys?

Right, right. I just keep remembering the commercial when Cobb says "We create the world of the dream, we bring someone into that dream, and they fill it with their subconscious."

To me that just implies they were pulling them into a surrogates mind to host the dream, hence the need to fill it with their subconscious. If the dream was in their mind, wouldn't it already be there?

God this movie is fucking with my brain, why can't it be on DVD already so I can watch it 10 times to sort this shit out!?

[Celephais]

Right, right. I just keep remembering the commercial when Cobb says "We create the world of the dream, we bring someone into that dream, and they fill it with their subconscious."

To me that just implies they were pulling them into a surrogates mind to host the dream, hence the need to fill it with their subconscious. If the dream was in their mind, wouldn't it already be there?

God this movie is fucking with my brain, why can't it be on DVD already so I can watch it 10 times to sort this shit out!?

Right right... okay so the architect is really the one who starts dreaming, but then the person who fills it with their subconscious is then kind of the dreamer. I guess it's how you define it. Although there was a point where they suggested the Juno girl wasn't even going to be in the dream, but she demanded it after she found out corn cobb wasn't stable.

[Celephais]

I haven't seen the movie but reading this thread makes me think I need to watch it on one screen with The Cell on another. Add in some tequilla and it'll be a great time.

It's a lot like The Cell in principle, except they can go into those shared dream state chambers while in dreams, and hence go levels deeper.

[TheLastShamurai]

Right right... okay so the architect is really the one who starts dreaming, but then the person who fills it with their subconscious is then kind of the dreamer. I guess it's how you define it. Although there was a point where they suggested the Juno girl wasn't even going to be in the dream, but she demanded it after she found out corn cobb wasn't stable.

True, but the dude with the drugs co-built the dream with her. So in theory he could've been sharing dreams with her in order to create it and add his "additions."

See, this is exactly why I need to watch it ten more times...

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Except that almost every dream is influenced by the outside. Usually, we take something from our conscious life and twist it up. Sometimes it is something rather mundane and pointless like a TV show; sometimes it is something meaningful like a relationship, but our dreams are always influenced by something from our real lives.

You can influence your dreams though. I once approached a girl I like in a dream and was rejected, became ever so slightly conscious and got myself a do-over. Score! Also, you can get shot in the face in a dream and remain asleep with the dullness of a head wound and the feeling of warm blood and ichor trickling down your neck. It doesn't ALWAYS wake you up.

Maybe it's the architect-ing part that gets me since I'm an architect. The design of a city, even a skeleton of a city would take months and months, and she was done in like two days, and there was virtually no discussion of the science of how they were projecting the design into the dream.

I don't mean to bash on the movie too much. It was a good movie. Just not mind blowingly good.

I've died in dreams and always waken up. In your dream are you conscious that you are dead? I had a repeating dream most of my childhood of being trapped in a tiny room with sand pouring in and I drown in the sand. I'd take a last gulp of air, the room would fill fully with sand and a few seconds later my chest would feel like it was going to explode and I'd panic. A little later I'd unfailingly wake up. I guess I'd think if you're still conscious and 'thinking' in your dream then in the dream you didn't die.

As far as the Artichect thing goes- think about your own dreams and the variety of settings, people, things you've likely run into in them.. did you have to really fixate and focus on each individual thing for it to show up in your dream with enough detail that you weren't like, "Hey that door looks funny, I must be dreaming!" The job of the architect was to build clever mazes out of the dreamscape and wall them in/confine them to a certain area. They didn't make it out to be a job that anyone could do- Ariadne herself was a prodigy and why she was picked for the job and even then the team was amazed at her abilities, but I don't really see how they could have explained any better. They never painted it to be anything like being an architect IRL.

[Celephais]

... and a few seconds later my chest would feel like it was going to explode and I'd panic.

How does your chest not feel like it's going to explode all the time? I mean.. it looks like it!

[Numbers]

The architect builds the dream and teaches it to the dreamer. So only the dreamer and the architect know about the "maze" and "paradoxes" and what not. The architect doesn't need to be in the dream to build the dream.

The first dreamer, in the van with the rain, was the chemist.

The second dreamer, in the hotel with the gravity, was Arthur.

The third dreamer, in the snow base, was Eames.

All the of the dream locations were built by Ariadne. She went along because she was worried that since Cobb knew the dreams and was unstable, his wife would show up to fuck things up.

Limbo was a shared space that could be accessed by anyone hooked up to the dream machine, but only if you got that deep. And once there, you could create your own personal world at will without an architect.

[Celephais]

The architect builds the dream and teaches it to the dreamer. So only the dreamer and the architect know about the "maze" and "paradoxes" and what not. The architect doesn't need to be in the dream to build the dream.

The first dreamer, in the van with the rain, was the chemist.

The second dreamer, in the hotel with the gravity, was Arthur.

The third dreamer, in the snow base, was Eames.

All the of the dream locations were built by Ariadne. She went along because she was worried that since Cobb knew the dreams and was unstable, his wife would show up to fuck things up.

Limbo was a shared space that could be accessed by anyone hooked up to the dream machine, but only if you got that deep. And once there, you could create your own personal world at will without an architect.

Yeah... okay that all makes sense. Those are the dreamers, but they're all "populated" by scarecrow guy's subconscious.

[Archigeek]

I've died in dreams and always waken up. In your dream are you conscious that you are dead?

No, in that particular dream it's more like I SHOULD be dead, but instead I marvel not only at the fact that I'm not dead, but also at the particularly vivid detail. I suspect this may be a broadened perspective due to a near-death experience involving preternatural calm, but who knows?

[Asrial]

Hmmmm, for some reason I have this impression they were saying that the communal dream wasn't in the marks mind, but in one of the other team members'. Maybe it was just a dream...In the very beginning with Ken Watanabe's character.. they were in the dream of a team member. Maybe this is why there's that impression?

..and Anticor..

This is DEFINITELY a movie worth seeing on the big screen.

..and Nikki..

I too have had dreams (I can only remember one vividly still) where I'm killed and I wake up right after.

The one I remember vividly is similar to Kerl's where I stayed asleep for a bit longer. I was marveling at "this is what it feels like to be dead huh?"

It was particularly brutal too!

I was a back seat passenger in a car and there was some girl (a bodyguard maybe?) in the front seat passenger. Some guys came up and shot her point blank in the head then shot me in the chest.

I remember that I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried and I felt fuzzy and disconnected. I woke up soon after but I was definitely 'dead' for a minute or two.

The dreams I like are the ones where you become self-aware that you're dreaming.. but despite that I'm still believing that the fantasy world is reality.

This movie was a great movie.

[EDIT: I remember another 'death' but this one I woke up right as it was happening. I was some kind of gladiator slave (hahahaha) and I lost my fight and woke up right as I was being stabbed (not during the fight but after so it has all that slow motion expectation feeling) in the chest with a sword.]

[Cephalopod]

http://i.imgur.com/wSrX1.jpg

Still haven't seen it, so I'm just sticking my fingers in my eyes and going LA LA LA LA LA LA LA in this thread.

[Numbers]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVkQ0C4qDvM&feature=player_embedded

This didn't even occur to me when I was watching the movie. You know the bass-heavy musical main theme of the movie? The "BUM BUM.... BUM BUM" bit?

If you slow down the "wakeup" music they use in the movie, to simulate the time-extension when dreaming, it's exactly the same as the main theme.

http://washingtonbus.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/mindblown.jpg

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

They show that in the credits too, not that everyone stays and watches the credits, heh.

[Celephais]

They show that in the credits too, not that everyone stays and watches the credits, heh.

I was pissed that my friends wanted out ASAP... I knew there was going to be stuff in/after credits.

[Delias]

In point of interest I've had dreams in which I have died and remained dead without waking. The point of view just shifts, that's all.

[Latrinsorm]

The theory of progression in deeper dreams was more exponential than you suggested Latrin. At one point I think they said that a 10 hour dream in the plane translated to a week in the warehouse dream, a year in the hotel dream, 10 years in the hospital dream, which is why they needed the kicks in the first place...who knows what that translated to in limbo. Fischer dropped into limbo like, 1 minute before Leo and Ellen went in after him, yet he had managed to be caught, tied up, transported, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc in limbo before they got to him. At that point, Saito must have been dead 10 minutes, which may have translated to 30 years (remember, he's already the oldest character, the aging is probably the difference between somewhere in his 50s, 60s, to somewhere in his 80s, 90s).The progression was 8 hours to a week to 6 months to 10 years. It's about 20 times each level. Let us consider the measurement of Saito 10 minutes dead and Fischer 1 minute dead as accurate. If Saito experience 30 years, then Fischer must have experienced 3 years, which is an unreasonably long time to keep a person tied up without them being dead or severely atrophied. I don't think there's any way to attribute Saito's apparent aging to time experienced without making the Fischer situation ridiculous.
Maybe it's the architect-ing part that gets me since I'm an architect. The design of a city, even a skeleton of a city would take months and months, and she was done in like two days, and there was virtually no discussion of the science of how they were projecting the design into the dream.I thought this was a clever bit, actually, because that is how dreams really work. The human mind can't actually create a full, persistent city for the dreamer to navigate, but we often experience a full city. The human mind actually creates whatever it is we are directly paying attention to and fills in the blanks as necessary.

[Asrial]

I was pissed that my friends wanted out ASAP... I knew there was going to be stuff in/after credits.There was nothing after the credits. If there was something IN the credits.. it requires observation more astute than mine :P

[Archigeek]

I thought this was a clever bit, actually, because that is how dreams really work. The human mind can't actually create a full, persistent city for the dreamer to navigate, but we often experience a full city. The human mind actually creates whatever it is we are directly paying attention to and fills in the blanks as necessary.

Yeah but in dreams there are frequently wacky disconnects. In fact, that's pretty much what dreams are made of: a bunch of things that don't make sense in the real world. It's the disconnects that are missing in the movie. In fact, in the movie they say that disconnects are tip-offs to the constructs that populate our dreams that something isn't right with the dream.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Re: the credits, I was reading the credits including the musical score information, still pretty cool. There was also two actresses for the daughter in the credits.


Yeah but in dreams there are frequently wacky disconnects. In fact, that's pretty much what dreams are made of: a bunch of things that don't make sense in the real world. It's the disconnects that are missing in the movie. In fact, in the movie they say that disconnects are tip-offs to the constructs that populate our dreams that something isn't right with the dream.

I dunno if it's this way for anyone else, but I only think there was a wacky disconnect when I wake up and am recounting the dream or am really thinking about it, otherwise I have never been in the midst of a dream and thought to myself, "oh my god, this is bizarre and weird!" The disconnects are tip-offs likely because instead of being something they only realize is weird when they wake up, they start to realize it during the dream which obviously can cause plans to go awry.

[Archigeek]

I dunno if it's this way for anyone else, but I only think there was a wacky disconnect when I wake up and am recounting the dream or am really thinking about it, otherwise I have never been in the midst of a dream and thought to myself, "oh my god, this is bizarre and weird!" The disconnects are tip-offs likely because instead of being something they only realize is weird when they wake up, they start to realize it during the dream which obviously can cause plans to go awry.

A reasonable hypothesis.

[Leloo]

I just saw this today with my friend! I was hesitant because of the hype but I absolutely loved it. We decided, since we had committed to the story, that at the end that damn thing wobbled and fell over. As soon as the screen went black at the end I went "oh that was mean" but other than that I thought the story was fantastic. Krista, my friend, had a great point, he can't be in a dream because he'd have to of built that whole current world and he would remember that, right? So we're going with he's alive, his psycho wife-shade is dead, and he went home to his kids!

All in all, great movie!

[Celephais]

http://hylian90.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/calvin-and-hobbes-dreams.gif

[Mikalmas]

I realize I'm totally in the minority here, but I wasn't really impressed with this movie. I mean, it wasn't "bad," it was decent enough. But it wasn't OMGWOW, either. I think its a decent film that has been way overhyped for what it was. I don't regret seeing it, but I don't think it lived up to the exaggerated expectations either.

[Latrinsorm]

It's definitely top 5 of the past ten years. Has anyone been hyping it up well beyond that level?

[Drinin]

My girlfriend and I saw it a couple weeks back and loved it. It reminded me of Blade Runner a lot, maybe just because of the techno-y music. Definitely one I'll grab on dvd when it comes out.

[Asrial]

Krista, my friend, had a great point, he can't be in a dream because he'd have to of built that whole current world and he would remember that, right?I WANT to lean towards it falling over...

..but I did come up with a reasonable explanation on why it might not..

What if he's just gone crazy and his sub-conscious created everything without him being aware of it?

He IS the center of everything.. the fight to get back to his kids, his dead wife drama, the security guys chasing him down..

That could also explain why the top falls over all the other times. He WANTS it to be real so he enacts his will and it falls over.

This time.. he doesn't care (or gets majorly distracted) because of his kids.. so.. there you go.. it doesn't fall over.

As much as I hate endings like this.. it really is the best way to go since it makes you think and have to decide on your own which way it went :P

[Leloo]

I do agree with you, it's the best way for the movie to end because it allows for the viewer to come up with their own conclusion.

The only other thing, other than wanting a happy ending, that makes me think it fell is that when we saw it previously it spun perfectly, no wobble. Also he never could see his kids faces but this time they turned to him.

The other thing that did make me doubt it, though, is that his kids were still the same size and seemed to be wearing the same clothes. That's odd..

[Asrial]

The other thing that did make me doubt it, though, is that his kids were still the same size and seemed to be wearing the same clothes. That's odd..Oh wow. I noticed that but didn't realize it until now.

Creeeeepy!

[Celephais]

Wow... Inception was stolen from Scrooge McDuck!
http://www.wwtdd.com/2010/08/inception-was-stolen-from-scooge-mcduck/

[ElvenFury]

Finally saw this last night. I really enjoyed it. There was so much going on, and that crazy musical theme booming away while they cut back and forth between action scenes was giving me shivers. I'll ditto the previous comment that 3rd rock (ftS) kid was bad-ass in the gravity-flux fight scenes.

As far as the ending goes, I think the point is that Leo finally lets go. Unlike in limbo, when he refused to look at his kids, he just gave in and went to see them. He didn't even bother to see what happened with his totem. For him, seeing his kids is enough, and he's given up on the reality paranoia.

Also, I'm glad that I've learned to ignore movie hype. They're so much better when you don't let your expectations run wild.

As far as actual dreams go, I've realized several times that I'm dreaming, and used that knowledge to do fun stuff like fly or summon up a harem. But, I find that the dreams rarely last long after you gain that knowledge. It's usually a sign that you're waking up. I've also been killed once in a dream. I was shot in the chest with a crossbow, and watched my body crumple while I remained standing as a ghost.

Which now makes me realize that the dreams they used in the movie were pretty mundane, and mostly stuck to RL scenarios. My dreams often involve aliens, future technology, magic, etc. I suppose it was necessary for the purposes of the film.

[TheEschaton]

Well, I think the whole point is that the dreams they constructed had to be relatively realistic so the target didn't realize he was dreaming.

[ElvenFury]

Well, I think the whole point is that the dreams they constructed had to be relatively realistic so the target didn't realize he was dreaming.
I get that, and agree with the decision. It would have made the movie silly if aliens and Lord Voldemort were running around. Just saying, if it was my subconscious populating someone's dream, there'd be some crazy shit going on.

[TheLastShamurai]

I get that, and agree with the decision. It would have made the movie silly if aliens and Lord Voldemort were running around. Just saying, if it was my subconscious populating someone's dream, there'd be some crazy shit going on.

In my subconscious he's green, and we call him Overlord Voldemort.

[Celephais]

I hardly ever remember my dreams... and when I do they're boring "I was running through a field! wwhheeeee!"

[TheLastShamurai]

I hardly ever remember my dreams... and when I do they're boring "I was running through a field! wwhheeeee!"

Yeah, I rarely remember my dreams either. But the ones I do remember are always super messed up. I had a nightmare a couple of weeks ago that woke me up feeling so paranoid I needed to turn on every light I had and check every room in search of some non-existent serial killer; which the dream actually had nothing to do with murder. It was really weird.

[TheEschaton]

I remember most of my dreams, but they're too fucked up to retell.

[Drisco]

Maybe I was so lost that I missed the whole mystery of the movie but during the whole thing I completely understood it.

I never once though that it was all a dream. It doesn't make sense if it was. Plus for a totem to start wobbling in itself is saying it's going to fall. Why would it wobble and not fall. I doubt it would wobble and then recover.

[Leloo]

Maybe I was so lost that I missed the whole mystery of the movie but during the whole thing I completely understood it.

I never once though that it was all a dream. It doesn't make sense if it was. Plus for a totem to start wobbling in itself is saying it's going to fall. Why would it wobble and not fall. I doubt it would wobble and then recover.


I agree, that was the only thing that made me feel like... maybe I was dumb or something because I was never confused. I felt like you clearly could see the line between each dream and I never felt lost. But maybe the trick is I was too dumb to feel lost!

[Kranar]

I agree, that was the only thing that made me feel like... maybe I was dumb or something because I was never confused. I felt like you clearly could see the line between each dream and I never felt lost. But maybe the trick is I was too dumb to feel lost!


I don't think you're too dumb or confused, I think the movie likely had one of its intended effects on you.


http://wtfoodge.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/optical-illusion-old-woman-young-lady.jpg


Some people will look at the above picture and see an old lady, and other people will see a young woman. These two groups of people can debate day and night non-stop about how it's definitely an old lady or it's definitely a young woman and they will never come to an agreement, ever.

Then a third group of people will look at that and say "Heeeey... I see what you did there. It's an illusion! It's both a young lady and an old woman depending on how you look at it."

25% of above picture is seeing the young lady, 25% of the picture is seeing the old lady, 50% of the picture is being able to see both the young and old lady at the same time and appreciating the ambiguity itself, feeling a sense of wonder about holding two contradictory images in your head at the same time.

Illusions necessarily consist of presenting two opposing views of something simultaneously and they exist in many mediums, paintings, audio (audio illusions are actually pretty insane), illusions involving touch and even smell.

Inception presents a conceptual illusion, if you watch it only seeing it as a dream, or only seeing it as reality, you're missing out on 75% of it. I don't think the purpose of the film is as a puzzle to determine one way or another definitively whether it's a dream or reality, but instead to appreciate the ambiguity and paradox about the boundary between what is real, and what is a dream. It's no more meaningful to assert that it's a dream than it is to assert that the picture is only of an old lady. It's far more rewarding to see it as both.

[Cephalopod]

I don't think you're too dumb or confused, I think the movie likely had one of its intended effects on you.


http://wtfoodge.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/optical-illusion-old-woman-young-lady.jpg


Some people will look at the above picture and see an old lady, and other people will see a young woman. These two groups of people can debate day and night non-stop about how it's definitely an old lady or it's definitely a young woman and they will never come to an agreement, ever.

Then a third group of people will look at that and say "Heeeey... I see what you did there. It's an illusion! It's both a young lady and an old woman depending on how you look at it."

25% of above picture is seeing the young lady, 25% of the picture is seeing the old lady, 50% of the picture is being able to see both the young and old lady at the same time and appreciating the ambiguity itself, feeling a sense of wonder about holding two contradictory images in your head at the same time.

Illusions necessarily consist of presenting two opposing views of something simultaneously and they exist in many mediums, paintings, audio (audio illusions are actually pretty insane), illusions involving touch and even smell.

Inception presents a conceptual illusion, if you watch it only seeing it as a dream, or only seeing it as reality, you're missing out on 75% of it. I don't think the purpose of the film is as a puzzle to determine one way or another definitively whether it's a dream or reality, but instead to appreciate the ambiguity and paradox about the boundary between what is real, and what is a dream. It's no more meaningful to assert that it's a dream than it is to assert that the picture is only of an old lady. It's far more rewarding to see it as both.

I think you're missing the obvious point that there are four penises hidden in that picture.

[Celephais]

The young lady looks like she'd be pretty hot, like a Scarlett Johanson type, so the real take-away is that if you're seeing the old lady, you're wrong.

[Kranar]

I think you're missing the obvious point that there are four penises hidden in that picture.


Mind is blown.

[Cephalopod]

http://9gag.com/photo/32057_540.jpg

[Cephalopod]

Watch Inception's Dream Layers Unfold in Real Time (http://gizmodo.com/5707178/watch-all-the-inception-dreams-unfold-in-real-time)

[Asrial]

For anyone planning to get the DVD and re-watch it and try to pick up subtleties...

Here's a comment on the page that Nachos linked to: "Don't worry, this is not a spoiler: Make sure to check Cobb's ring finger constantly."

Not sure if there's anything to it.. but I'll keep my eye on it as I go through.

I'm still mulling over the idea that everything was a dream about re-uniting with his family.

[Cephalopod]

Here's a comment on the page that Nachos linked to: "Don't worry, this is not a spoiler: Make sure to check Cobb's ring finger constantly."


Just fyi, that same note is listed in IMDB trivia (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/trivia) for the movie. (It's in the 'spoiler' section.)

[Stanley Burrell]

Just fyi, that same note is listed in IMDB trivia (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/trivia) for the movie. (It's in the 'spoiler' section.)

What the hell. He's not wearing his ring or any dream machinery when he wakes up on the plane right after speaking to the elder dude in Limbo. Yet everyone's giving him nods. Watch his hands as he spins the top, no ring.

So. Whaaat? The power of dreams/ideas/that stuff is so powerful that he could somehow bring a piece of a dream into reality? I've been watching a few scenes since I checked that out -- And I just realized how unbelievably well the frames don't show his ring finger. Where it's literally, like, his entire hand, except his ring finger is being shown. He's not even throwing up the shocker.