Williamsburg, 2021
April 19, 2014 5:00 PM Subscribe
The Exit Room. "In 2021, an imprisoned journalist facing execution contemplates a desperate escape attempt in order to return to his wife and newborn child." [Via]
Artful film that, despite the basis of its story raises lots of questions in the context of current events, given the increasingly worrying scale of the enhanced interrogation report findings and increased government and media harassment and denigration of journalists and whistleblowers home and abroad. Thanks for sharing the link.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:28 PM on April 19, 2014
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:28 PM on April 19, 2014
I liked it. Thanks.
Unfortunately, by 2021, anyone with a heat signature won't be going anywhere.
posted by michaelh at 7:03 PM on April 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
Unfortunately, by 2021, anyone with a heat signature won't be going anywhere.
posted by michaelh at 7:03 PM on April 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
I liked it better when it was called "An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge". Not the original Ambrose Bierce story, which was published 124 years ago, but the French film version by Robert Enrico, which won best short subject at the 1962 Cannes film festival and 1963 Academy Awards. It was shown as an episode on "The Twilight Zone" in 1964.
posted by bcarter3 at 7:40 PM on April 19, 2014 [8 favorites]
posted by bcarter3 at 7:40 PM on April 19, 2014 [8 favorites]
Unfortunately, by 2021, anyone with a heat signature won't be going anywhere.
I... don't get that.
...was shown as an episode on "The Twilight Zone" in 1964.
Don't forget Jacob's Ladder!
Anyhow, why is everyone so pessimistic? We've got a Nobel Prize-winning, certified Constitutional scholar, and twice elected without dispute, honest-to-goodness university professor at the helm of USS America!
posted by codswallop at 7:59 PM on April 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
I... don't get that.
...was shown as an episode on "The Twilight Zone" in 1964.
Don't forget Jacob's Ladder!
Anyhow, why is everyone so pessimistic? We've got a Nobel Prize-winning, certified Constitutional scholar, and twice elected without dispute, honest-to-goodness university professor at the helm of USS America!
posted by codswallop at 7:59 PM on April 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
Unfortunately, by 2021, anyone with a heat signature won't be going anywhere.
I... don't get that.
It will be trivially easy to track someone who gives off heat (ie, everybody) with thermal imaging, especially in an enclosed building. It was used last year to find one of the Boston bombing suspects.
posted by dhens at 8:08 PM on April 19, 2014
I... don't get that.
It will be trivially easy to track someone who gives off heat (ie, everybody) with thermal imaging, especially in an enclosed building. It was used last year to find one of the Boston bombing suspects.
posted by dhens at 8:08 PM on April 19, 2014
the French film version by Robert Enrico, which won best short subject at the 1962 Cannes film festival and 1963 Academy Awards. It was shown as an episode on "The Twilight Zone" in 1964.
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (La rivière du hibou)
posted by homunculus at 8:22 PM on April 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (La rivière du hibou)
posted by homunculus at 8:22 PM on April 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I knew what it was based on even before people here chimed in with spoilers. Is it even worth watching now?
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:46 PM on April 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:46 PM on April 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
The Holocaust film TRAIN OF LIFE also does the same sort of thing.
posted by drjimmy11 at 9:05 PM on April 19, 2014
posted by drjimmy11 at 9:05 PM on April 19, 2014
Yeah, I knew what it was based on even before people here chimed in with spoilers. Is it even worth watching now?
Maybe not the whole thing. I avoided referring to it when I posted because it's a such a huge spoiler. I was surprised by the ending when I watched it because I didn't know what it's based on. You might still check it out up until the initial execution.
posted by homunculus at 9:22 PM on April 19, 2014
Maybe not the whole thing. I avoided referring to it when I posted because it's a such a huge spoiler. I was surprised by the ending when I watched it because I didn't know what it's based on. You might still check it out up until the initial execution.
posted by homunculus at 9:22 PM on April 19, 2014
It was 3 years ago (almost to the day) that I took a lot of flak for putting that spoiler in an FPP. And I'd do it again today... but as a [more inside].
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:45 PM on April 19, 2014
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:45 PM on April 19, 2014
Knew what was coming right after the misfire. Still, nicely done parallel of the Enrico film. Considering the original was set in the civil war it makes perfect sense.
posted by benzenedream at 10:48 PM on April 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by benzenedream at 10:48 PM on April 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
prisoner in a tightly-run government facility where the only opportunity for escape is death.
Hasn't this problem already been solved with forced feeding and iron shackles? Death isn't an option if you oppose Big Government!
posted by three blind mice at 10:57 PM on April 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Hasn't this problem already been solved with forced feeding and iron shackles? Death isn't an option if you oppose Big Government!
posted by three blind mice at 10:57 PM on April 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
If you want a mental palate cleanser after that, could I recommend Scattered, the first on-screen adaption of the work of science fiction author Kevin MacLeod? Quiet, much more cerebral. Site.
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 1:54 AM on April 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul at 1:54 AM on April 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Spoiler: the book turns out to be a COOKBOOK!
posted by dr_dank at 5:14 AM on April 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by dr_dank at 5:14 AM on April 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
So, yeah, I had that one pegged as a blend of Orwell and Bierce pretty damn fast.
posted by Samizdata at 7:54 AM on April 20, 2014
posted by Samizdata at 7:54 AM on April 20, 2014
...could I recommend Scattered, the first on-screen adaption of the work of science fiction author Kevin MacLeod?
Cool! cstross's Glasshouse uses the same central plot device, if you haven't read it.
posted by XMLicious at 8:16 AM on April 20, 2014
It will be trivially easy to track someone who gives off heat (ie, everybody) with thermal imaging, especially in an enclosed building.
Tell that to Mr. Freeze.
posted by fairmettle at 8:23 AM on April 20, 2014
Tell that to Mr. Freeze.
posted by fairmettle at 8:23 AM on April 20, 2014
Just coat yourself in river mud and you'll be invisible to terrestrial and extraterrestrial infravision.
posted by benzenedream at 9:39 AM on April 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by benzenedream at 9:39 AM on April 20, 2014 [6 favorites]
If you want a mental palate cleanser after that, could I recommend Scattered vimeo , the first on-screen adaption of the work of science fiction author Kevin MacLeod? Quiet, much more cerebral. Site.
I almost posted that one instead. If someone wants to post it, go for it.
posted by homunculus at 10:05 AM on April 20, 2014
I almost posted that one instead. If someone wants to post it, go for it.
posted by homunculus at 10:05 AM on April 20, 2014
Ambrose Bierce is my go to for "there is nothing new" examples. The Devil's Dictionary was written in the 1880s and perfectly captures, well, everything.
RADICALISM, n. The conservatism of tomorrow injected into the affairs of today.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, 1880s style.
posted by rr at 10:37 AM on April 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
RADICALISM, n. The conservatism of tomorrow injected into the affairs of today.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, 1880s style.
posted by rr at 10:37 AM on April 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
> Unfortunately, by 2021, anyone with a heat signature won't be going anywhere.
You're saying we can't just roll in mud the way Arnie did in Predator? I'll have to rework my whole plan.
posted by jfuller at 11:07 AM on April 20, 2014
You're saying we can't just roll in mud the way Arnie did in Predator? I'll have to rework my whole plan.
posted by jfuller at 11:07 AM on April 20, 2014
prisoner in a tightly-run government facility where the only opportunity for escape is death.
Well ... except for the unsecured escape-hatch, which serendipitously leads outside to the rickety over-grown fence and open gate, along with the convenient boots and jump-suit draped on it, just there for the taking.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 3:52 PM on April 20, 2014
Well ... except for the unsecured escape-hatch, which serendipitously leads outside to the rickety over-grown fence and open gate, along with the convenient boots and jump-suit draped on it, just there for the taking.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 3:52 PM on April 20, 2014
The happy coincidences/everythng just right things are part of the whole Owl Creek trope, no?
I really dug it, thanks!
posted by raena at 7:26 PM on April 21, 2014
I really dug it, thanks!
posted by raena at 7:26 PM on April 21, 2014
I didn't realize that there's a specific term for the way the prisoners were hung in the execution cells: strappado.
posted by XMLicious at 12:07 PM on April 23, 2014
posted by XMLicious at 12:07 PM on April 23, 2014
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posted by growabrain at 5:21 PM on April 19, 2014 [1 favorite]