View Full Version : Open Your Eyes Vs Vanilla Sky !
Jimmyboy
03-02-2002, 01:51
Now that anyone whos interested has had a chance to see the original version of Vanilla Sky, I thought it might be interesting to see some opinions on the two films.
I havent seen Vanilla Sky myself but after watching Open Your Eyes I simply can not believe it could be any better or even equal it.
Open Your Eyes has made me think about watching Vanilla Sky now though, something which I wasnt even considering doing.
Im sure VS will only be a disapointment for those lucky enough to catch the original first. It makes me wonder, why even bother with a remake ?.
watched OYE tonight and must say that i thought it was superb, absolutely excellent.
I haven't seen Vanilla Sky either but i seriously doubt it'll be better than OYE mainly because i just dont think i could bear to see Tom Cruise grinning his way through the role (though im going to go see Vanilla Sky anyway)
In this films case i just dont see the need for a remake (apart from maybe satisfying Cruise's ego)
cheese_mcphee
03-02-2002, 02:17
I actually thought Vanilla Sky was better, although this is still a great film.
I thought VS was better directed in my opinion, it played on the emotions a bit more and didn't reveal too much about the ending. Admittedly the ending of VS was a bit too confusing for some (including myself), but worked better.
I don't doubt many will disagree with me though :)
jaminblack
03-02-2002, 02:20
I saw both films tonight.
unfortunately i saw vanilla sky first. (the pursit in me wanted to do it the other way round - i had intedned to see black hawk down tonight)
my opinion is biased as i saw them one after the other.
couldn't decide what was a spoiler and what wasn't so covered it all...
<table bgcolor=black><td><font size =2 color=black>
if you can bear tom cruise vanilla sky is an excellent film , but you don't gain much apart from cameron diaz. :)
the makeup was better in open your eyes.
at times your don't believe cruise for this reason.
the script was honed slightly more for vs, but this may only be that the translation into subtitles for oye, was not so eloquent as for the script vs.
i believed the flirting more in vs between cruz and cruise than between ceasar and sophia.
but what i don't understand most is why remake it. (apart from the obvious $$$) the original is great, what promted them to say :hmm lets do that again, especially when they seem to have changed almost nothing, reinterpreted almost nothing - its the SAME film. </font></td></table>
(i think i enjoyed vs more, it was edgier, and had a really good sountrack, but mainly this was because i was drawn into the leads world more as i was not reading the subtitles - and as i hadn't just seen an identical film.
Jamin
Jimmyboy
03-02-2002, 02:25
Originally posted by jaminblack
(i think i enjoyed vs more, it was edgier, and had a really good sountrack, but mainly this was because i was drawn into the leads world more as i was not reading the subtitles
Jamin
C'mon mate,
Its alittle unfair to knock a point off OYE just because its in French with English subs. ;)
Originally posted by Jimmyboy
C'mon mate,
Its alittle unfair to knock a point off OYE just because its in French with English subs. ;)
I think it is a fair point in this case - they are very similar to each other so to have one in English would help the viewer.
Originally posted by Jimmyboy
C'mon mate,
Its alittle unfair to knock a point off OYE just because its in French with English subs. ;)
what film are we talking about here ?
OYE was in spanish!! :D
jaminblack
03-02-2002, 02:37
i'm not dissing oye for being spanish, if i spoke fluent spanish i'm sure i would have been equally drawn in, but as i experienced vs at the cinema it had a greater impact. i'm sure after a few days of reflection i will come to see the error of my ways, but for now i prefered vanilla sky. but i did hate the "man in the restaurant".
Jamin
Originally posted by jaminblack
i'm not dissing oye for being spanish, if i spoke fluent spanish i'm sure i would have been equally drawn in, but as i experienced vs at the cinema it had a greater impact. i'm sure after a few days of reflection i will come to see the error of my ways, but for now i prefered vanilla sky. but i did hate the "man in the restaurant".
Jamin
if you like Vanilla Sky better then thats perfectly fine as it just drew you in better.
Subtitles, for me, dont really hinder me as much (due to the fact that i watch a lot of dodgy kung fu flicks :D ) and i just ended up loving the film not seeing how a remake could improve it in any way.
Also, i'm not the biggest Tom Cruise fan. Whilst i dont totally hate him and have enjoyed some of the films he's been in, that grin of his would probably annoy me and make want to slap him about with a big trout!
Jimmyboy
03-02-2002, 02:42
Originally posted by mr_woo
what film are we talking about here ?
OYE was in spanish!! :D
oh well,
I had to have the sound turned right down on the TV coz peeps were asleep, couldnt really hear the original audio track but I thought I heard French spoken somewhere throughout the movie.
Shingster
03-02-2002, 04:58
Well, i've just watched Abres Los Ojos & I really enjoyed it! I'm gonna watch Vanilla Sky later today so it should be interesting to see how the 2 match up.
I sat down to watch this film expecting a dark pyschological thriller/romance film along the lines of Audition, what I got instead was a Spanish Total Recall!!
It's interesting to note that Tom Cruise's next film is Minority Report, which is meant to be an unofficial sequel to Total Recall!!
Jim, I don't remember any French in the film m8, if you sat there thinking you were watching & French film then, at any point in the film, did you think to yourself "Blimey Penelope Cruz is speaking French!" Also, didn't you notice the Spanish names?
But then, maybe you dreamt that you were watching the film in French, in fact, maybe this entire forum is a figment of your imagination! I mean in the real world would anyone be daft enough to be posting messages at 5.53am? :nuts:
mallrat68
03-02-2002, 10:05
ok well i saw 'open your eyes' last night courtesy of channel 4, and i caught vanilla sky about 4 days ago. Both are excellent movies.....but not that different in my opinion.....ok ok...so its a remake...this i know, but it was almost identical!.....everything from lines right down to camera angles. even the shoot out seen at the end, which i read cameron crowe had shot but then cut out because of pacing reasons Either way they were both excellent movies and will be watching them again as soon as i can.
okey dokey - where can I get a copy of the original then???
OYE last night was very good. Acting and Directing were all superb. However the music wasn't upto much was it?? Everytime i hear that guitar twang of Peter Gabriels Solsbury Hill it just screams Vanilla Sky and that i think is a huge part in enjoying the movie. I didn't connect with the music that much on OYE and i thought the characters were a little cold.
The original was great but so is the remake, why not remake it?, if it's going to be from the calibre of Crowe and yes Cruise and Diaz. I have no problem with them they are all fine actors topped off by the ever excellent Jason Lee, who all go hand in hand in targeting this movie to a wider audience. I don't think that's too bad, yeah money making aside, at least there is a version of this film out there that my Parents will at least see and enjoy as i'm sure many others who are put off by the original will.
If only the powers that be could come up with a nice DVD boxset of both films, that would be something special. Especially if both directors were involved. Just think of the two together commentating on both films, that would be pretty fantastic.
Cap'n Al
03-02-2002, 12:05
After having watched (and enjoyed) both films, I'd say that <i>Vanilla Sky</i> is a more accomplished piece of work overall, with far more going on in terms of characterisation. That said, it's amazing to see how close <i>Open Your Eyes</i> and <i>VS</I> actually are in terms of plot (although the Timothy Spall character and the subplot of Cruise/Noriega's character's work are Crowe additions, as is the revelation that Aames has been patterning his life on pop culture influences, which I thought was very clever indeed.
I can't think of any ways in which <i>Abres los Ojos</i> actually <i>improves</i> on <i>Vanilla Sky</i>- the soundtrack isn't anything like as good, for one thing, although this is probably due to the vastly increased budget- but it's certainly worth seeing if you liked the remake.
I totally disagree about the music in these films. Yes, I think the use of music in VS is excellent but I much prefer the more subtle haunting score used in OYE (as well as those Sneaker Pimps tracks).
Also I think the direction in VS is far too self indulgent.
The reveal of the empty streets in OYE is done in ONE shot. In VS we get Tom running around Times Square and practically having a fit!
Also VS over explains everything in a spoon-feeding waythe scene in the lift as they go to the roof and that is really annoying! As is adding 'static' sounds to the soundtrack to let us know that all is not 'normal' as well as the whole concept of the 'vanilla sky', that just reaked!
In it's own right VS is an excellent film but to me it just doesn't compare to OYE My favourite scene from either film is where Sofia in OYE is practicing her 'mime statue' in the park and it starts raining when Cesar visits her after his accident. In VS this is substituted for a dance studio (where David comes to see her after the accident) and the sad, poetic nature of the scene is lost IMO
I think that VS would be a brilliant, original, thought provoking film if it wasn't a remake of an already brilliant, original, thought provoking film! But that's just IMHO ;)
i only managed to catch the end of Abres Los Ojos last nite, where can u get this film from as it looked fantastic
You can get it region one from Play.
Well I saw Vanilla Sky on friday although I wouldn't have if I would've known the original was on the next day. Anyway having now seen both films there are things I like from both I'll put it all in spoilers just so not to upset anyone.
I felt that vanilla sky kind of dragged on more than open your eyes. I thought when everything was finally revealed it was really rammed home in Vanilla Sky more than in OYE which I did not appreciate (that dog thing just irritated me). I liked the soundtrack in Vanilla Sky and really thought Jason Lee was really good and added more to the character (managing to outgrin Cruise reminding me of the BEn Stiller skit on the MI2 disc) as well as Cameron Diaz giving a quite freaky performance. I though that it was easy to tell that Cruise was the producer of vanilla sky as he seemed to get a lot of unecessary closeups.
overall I don't really prefer either and they both have nothing on Mulholland Drive
all IMHO of course ;)
I felt that while Vanilla Sky was very well done, it included far too much exposition in the 'lift scene'. This may well have been included so as to placate your average American filmgoer via a thorough explanation of Aames' predicament (Can you imagine David Lynch going to such lengths to explain the end of Mulholland Dr.?).
Similarly, I thought the use of music in Abre Los Ojos lended a more haunting nature to many scenes.
Jimmyboy
03-02-2002, 16:21
Was it me or did open your eyes contain a song which was used in The WickerMan ?.
The sneaker pimps track is called "How do" which is a version of
"Willows song" from the wicker man.
I think its a extra track on one of their earlier singles.
jumpin52
03-02-2002, 16:50
On a purely pervy note, you did get to look at sexy Penny Cruz butt naked for a little bit longer in the original...hmmmmmmmmm!
KeyserSoze
03-02-2002, 17:06
only watched half of Open Your eyes so far.
what is the song in the nightclub ? when...
.... cesar goes to the toilet to puke ?
EDIT : wait a min, thinking of the song in my mind, that is willows song from Wicker Man right ? :)
Saw Vanilla Sky first and sat through it thinking darn I wish I'd watched the original first - loved the story but was spoilt for me by Tom Cruise who, IMO, can't act his way out of a paper bag. Loved OYE but felt the loss of the thumping soundtrack. If u haven't seen either then I would recommend starting with the original. Incidentally anyone else notice that in Vanilla Sky they switched some lines?
Originally posted by cat
loved the story but was spoilt for me by Tom Cruise who, IMO, can't act his way out of a paper bag.
Must be doing something right when he is 2nd in the Hollywood ranking list only to Tom Hanks IMO :D
Jimmyboy
03-02-2002, 17:24
Originally posted by john316
Must be doing something right when he is 2nd in the Hollywood ranking list only to Tom Hanks IMO :D
because the hollywood ranking list is judged only on acting talent and not on earning potential. ;)
Shakey21
03-02-2002, 17:40
[QUOTE]Originally posted by KeyserSoze
[B]only watched half of Open Your eyes so far.
what is the song in the nightclub ? when...
.... cesar goes to the toilet to puke ?
I'd like to know the name of the song too, top tune.
Also be interested to know, as I've not seen Vanilla Sky yet:
Does Cruz get her baps out in VS as well?
KeyserSoze
03-02-2002, 17:47
did you read my EDIT message ?
the name of the song was given further up the page.
its How Do by the Sneaker Pimps
KeyserSoze
03-02-2002, 17:52
actually forget that !
just watched that bit again and its not the same song.
anyone know the name of the song then ? :)
After seeing both films I think I probably prefer Vanilla Sky although I would quite like to see VS again now after watching Open Your Eyes. Overall I was amazed at how little difference there was between the two films.
Although this isn't really a criticism of OYE I thought that having the subtitles brought your attention to what was on the TV while Cesar/David was being questioned whereas in VS it was in the background so it was far less obvious.
I thought the sub-plot of David's fued with the 7 directors of his company added something to VS and it made it was a better explanation of where David's money came from rather than Cesar's dad owning a restaurant.
I had expected OYE not to explain so much at the end but after watching it I don't think VS really explained it any more.
I didn't think the character of Nuria in OYE was as good as Julie in VS and the car crash seemed much more deliberate in OYE than VS.
I really liked the song in the club in OYE where everyone was waving their arms in the air. Is this the Sneaker Pimps song that everyone else has been talking about?
Ol' Blue Eyes
03-02-2002, 18:14
So does Open Your Eyes have exactly the same ending / explanation as Vanilla Sky because to me it was the daftest concept I've ever heard of in my life. Downright demented in fact.
MASSIVE spoilers below -
Even if such technology was feasible, and I think not somehow, it couldn't possibly be practical to keep it running for, as quoted in the film, 150 years! How many companies last 15 years let alone 150? Oh and I work in Tech Support and I'd love to know exactly how you could support THAT!
And even if it was practical, who the hell would want to do such a thing? What is remotely appealing about it? Why not just kill yourself?
I've accepted some pretty unlikely twists over the years - Devil's Advocate, Unbreakable, The Game - but I draw the line at this one just like I did at Fight Club.
Otherwise, decent movie and Cruise was SUPPOSED to be a smug git. Still, Kurt Russell stole it by being the only normal, likeable human being in it. Or was he? :eek:
KeyserSoze
03-02-2002, 18:37
i thought i saw the ol Kurt in the trailer !
where has he been ?
Originally posted by mjb1975
okey dokey - where can I get a copy of the original then???
You could try AB Sound. Costs about £11 delivered, but like Play (£14.99), they're out of stock at present too. Guess it's popular after the release of Vanilla Sky.
Originally posted by KeyserSoze
actually forget that !
just watched that bit again and its not the same song.
anyone know the name of the song then ? :)
Inertia Creeps by Massive Attack is playing at one point in the club.
I saw Vanilla Sky first, here are my thoughts.....
Both are very interesting movies, I found aspects of both improved over the other. The relationship between Cruz and Cruise/Noriega's characters was far more developed in Vanilla Sky, it was far more believable that they fell in love after one night. I also found the reasons for the Nuria/Diaz character commiting suicide much better developed in Vanilla Sky. The conspiracy possibility from his partners/7 dwarfs seem to be almost absent from OYE, where as it was a nice idea in VS.
On the other hand, the ending quarter to Open Your Eyes seemed to flow much better then Vanilla Sky, and the ending felt far less spoon fed then VS. Overall, I marginally prefer Vanilla Sky due to an improved script (perhaps something was lost in translation to English subtitles), Crowes great use of music and the fact I found Cruise much more believable as a playboy then Noriega!
On the point of why re-make a perfectly good film , I suppose Cruise enjoyed OYE so much that he wanted a wider audience to see it. By remaking it more people will see both Vanilla Sky and OYE. He is clearly a big fan of Alejandro Amenábar, as he was the producer on The Others. Imitation is the highest form of flattery after all and OYE will always be the original.
Ol' Blue Eyes
03-02-2002, 19:20
Originally posted by KeyserSoze
i thought i saw the ol Kurt in the trailer !
where has he been ?
He went quiet for a couple of years after Soldier bombed but last February he co-starred with Kevin Costner in 3000 Miles To Graceland. God knows when we're getting that. He's a very good and versatile actor and I hope he takes more character roles like Vanilla Sky. It never hurt Bruce Willis.
Rollo Tomassi
03-02-2002, 19:48
I found both films strikingly similar (right down to individual shots), although thankfully the patronising ending to Vanilla Sky wasn't quite as bad in Open Your Eyes. As I suspected though, a lot of the poor dialogue is unique to VS, e.g. "I'll tell you in the next life, when we are both cats."
and perhaps the worst:
"I'm dead, you're frozen, and I love you."
The Boogerman
03-02-2002, 21:14
For those wanting Abre Los Ojos on DVD, there are two choices, the R1 from all the usual outlets (1:1.85 Anamorphic, DD2.0 + English Subs) or the Spanish version (1:1.85 (don't know about anamorphic) DD5.1 + English Subs) available from place like DVD Go (http://www.dvdgo.com/cgi-bin/DVDGO.storefront/3c5db302001310a4274c3e61835405f3/UserTemplate/9).
The Boogerman
03-02-2002, 21:18
Ther is a third version that might appeal to those with stonger language skills. The french version has Spanish DD5.1 and DTS, but no English subs.
The Beyond
03-02-2002, 21:35
As I suspected though, a lot of the poor dialogue is unique to VS,
But you've not mentioned my favourite line from Vanilla Sky...
"I swallowed your cum... that means something!"
Shingster
03-02-2002, 22:33
Well, i've just watched Vanilla Sky & i've got to say that while it was ok it was no where near as good as the original!:( In fact, i'm shocked everyone slagged off the American re-make of Sporloos (The Vanishing) for being a big "feel-good" cop out & not this film???? I'm most confused, because to me VS is as big a cop out as any crappy American re-make ever was!
Here's the problems I had with VS:
1. Tom Cruise: While he was good enough at the start playing the charming philanderer, he was awful during the scenes where he actually had to do some real acting; ie, every scene after he becomes disfigured. During these scenes he just couldn't match the intensity of Eduardo Noriega imo, so i pretty much checked out of the film during the 1st scene between Cruise & Russell, which is a shame.
I'm also going to put the blame of the crappy ending right at this vain egotistical gits door! The original ending was well handled & left you wondering if it was set in the future or if he imagined it himself. The new ending actually paints Cruise's character in a lovely light, he's gonna end this dream to have a crack at a good life & good on him, but, the thing is, his character isn't really that likeable in the first place!
2. Direction & Screenplay: Cameron Crowe was not the right choice to write & direct, in fact he has to be one of the worst choices to make a dark thriller about the perception of reality, the bloke's too feel good, nostalgic & comedic. Classic example is the scene in the Cafeteria when the L.E bloke 1st approaches Cruise to tell him that it's all a dream, in VS the scene's quirky & funny. In OYE it's darker & eerie, much more suiting the tone of the film.
Also, the certain scenes really insulted my intelligence, particularly the heavy-handed way Crowe sign posted the interview with the head of L.E at the start of the film, and the moment of the Lucid Dream slice, complete with sounds of machines kicking in!
3: Soundtrack: Great soundtrack, really nice & bright n cheery soundtrack with some superb songs. Unfortunately Crowe's obsession with pop-culture music serves to do nothing but suck every single iota of atmosphere out of any of the darker scenes.
The only thing that VS improved from the original was the whole sub-plot about him thinking his partners wanting him dead, this was treated quite fleetingly in the original & it was good to see that the remake made sure it played more of a part.
So, to me VS wasn't a bad film, but it sure as hell wasn't a great or even very good film, but the original is.
Jimmyboy
04-02-2002, 03:47
Tescos have Open Your Eyes R2 listed for release on the 18th of Feb for £12.99 + p&p.
So whose stomached turned when the camera panned up behind Cesar and over the building in OYE?. Quite impressed with the visuals in that scene, very vertigo inducing and i don't mind heights.
Rollo Tomassi
04-02-2002, 08:51
Originally posted by Robby
So whose stomached turned when the camera panned up behind Cesar and over the building in OYE?. Quite impressed with the visuals in that scene, very vertigo inducing and i don't mind heights.
God, yes - I don't think it was quite as effective in Vanilla Sky.
Originally posted by Robby
So whose stomached turned when the camera panned up behind Cesar and over the building in OYE?. Quite impressed with the visuals in that scene, very vertigo inducing and i don't mind heights. Mine did!!:clap:
I'm impressed how a simple spanish film can do good Sci-fi with no special effects until the last 2 mins!
Johnny Vodka
04-02-2002, 11:36
I liked Open Your Eyes, but though Vanilla Sky sucked big time: over-stated (not enough to have Cruise's character facially disfigured, let's have him lurch around like Quasimodo too), hysterically acted, utterly dislikeable characters (at least the main character was rendered slightly gray in the original, and his stalker wasn't quite as 'psycho') and good songs that seem wasted (Crowe should watch some Lynch movies as a lesson in how to use music). Honestly, the blood boils. Hollywood wouldn't know subltety if it kicked it in the ass!
Pike Bishop
04-02-2002, 11:59
Well, I watched Vanilla Sky last night and really liked it.
I'm not a big fan of Tom Cruise, in fact I'd usually avoid his movies if I could however the premise of this film and a few comments from people who had seen it made me think it was my sort of film.
I found it very thought provoking and really quite personal. The underlying theme of falling in love with your dreams
was really quite beautiful and personal to me.
I thought the cast were good, especially Kurt Russell which was a surprise. Cruise was pretty good although I can never work out if I like his performances or not. Diaz looked absolutely stunning.
The ending may have been a little bit too far explained if you know what I mean, in that every little detail had to be explained to the audience rather than letting you make your own mind up. I don't like this in films as it is rather patronising.
Overall a great movie.
One point though the bit where
Tome Cruise jumps off a skyscraper with the twin towers in the background
seemed a little distasteful to me.
beobrand
04-02-2002, 12:36
So, did anyone video it off of C4 on Saturday? I missed it (and I can speak Spanish!).
Or has someone got it on DVD and wants to part with it for a song?
Originally posted by Johnny Vodka
I liked Open Your Eyes, but though Vanilla Sky sucked big time: over-stated (not enough to have Cruise's character facially disfigured, let's have him lurch around like Quasimodo too), hysterically acted, utterly dislikeable characters (at least the main character was rendered slightly gray in the original, and his stalker wasn't quite as 'psycho') and good songs that seem wasted (Crowe should watch some Lynch movies as a lesson in how to use music). Honestly, the blood boils. Hollywood wouldn't know subltety if it kicked it in the ass!
Go Johnny, Go! I'm with you here 100%. In my opinion, Open Your Eyes is a far more subtle film, with a much less protracted opening <s>century</s> hour, a less-spoonfed ending and no Cheshire Cat Tom Cruise. I also preferred the way that the nightmare was explained as the protagonists own making, rather than a rather feeble 'glitch'. As noted above, I was pleased to see that the profusion of cheesy lines present in Vanilla Sky ('Saddest girl to hold a Martini', 'I'll tell you in the next life, when we are both cats', etc.) were absent in Open Your Eyes.
I just wish I'd seen Open Your Eyes First.
KeyserSoze
05-02-2002, 17:18
taken from IMDB, the soundtrack :-
"Rising Son"
Composed by Vowles, del Nanja and Marshall
Performed by Massive Attack
"How Do" (traditional)
Arranged by Line of Flight
Performed by Sneaker Pimps (One Little Indian)
"El detonador EMX-3"
Composed by F. Alfaro
Performed by Chucho
"Glamour"
Composed by A. López, J.A. López and J. Díaz
Performed by Amphetamine Discharge
"Arrecife"
Composed by F. Pardo and D. Krahe
Performed by Los Coronas
"Flying Away"
Composed by Brown, Frank and Miranda
Performed by Smoke City
"Tremble Goes the Night"
Composed by Chris Eckman
Performed by The Walkabouts
"Sick of You"
Music by Onion
Lyrics by A. Legardon
Performed by Onion
"T-Sebo"
Composed by B. García and F.J. Ferrero
Performed by Side Effects
"Yo mismo"
Composed by A. Olmedo
Performed by If
"Island"
Performed by Autour de Lucie
anyone with broadband wanna find out which track was playing in the club scene ? :cool:
Purpledump
06-02-2002, 02:26
Originally posted by The Boogerman
For those wanting Abre Los Ojos on DVD, there are two choices, the R1 from all the usual outlets (1:1.85 Anamorphic, DD2.0 + English Subs) or the Spanish version (1:1.85 (don't know about anamorphic) DD5.1 + English Subs) available from place like DVD Go (http://www.dvdgo.com/cgi-bin/DVDGO.storefront/3c5db302001310a4274c3e61835405f3/UserTemplate/9).
The spanish R2 is non anamorphic, but it's got a superb transfer! Best non-anamorphic DVD I've seen. Haven't seen Vanilla Sky, but they
kinda gave the ending away in the trailer
Not that I'm being cynical, but as for the reason for a remake: Who would want to watch a subtitled spanish movie no-one's ever heard of. Same as that low budget british gangster flick that Crusie wanted to remake... until he figured out, that subtitles weren't necessary and it was actually alright as it is. :D
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