In this task, you must classify if a given review is positive/negative, indicating your answer as P or N.
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Question: are we victims of fate in life or can we create our own destiny ?
director / writer brad anderson seems to be saying yes to both questions in his witty film
"
next stop wonderland " .
the two main characters , alan and erin , spend the entire movie in each other 's orbit , catching glimpses of one another , yet not quite connecting until the inevitable conclusion .
is it fate that keeps them near each other and ultimately puts them together ?
does this predestination carry over to all aspects of life ?
as the film starts , erin castleton ( hope davis ) , a melancholy 29- year old late shift nurse , is ending her live - in relationship with her boyfriend ( hoffman ) .
rather , he is ending it with her . arriving home from work , erin finds her boyfriend parked in front of their apartment , car packed with his belongings .
in a fumbling , amusing and self deluding ramble , he instructs erin to watch a videotape he 's made detailing why their relationship is doomed to fail and why he 's leaving .
it 's obvious he lacks the courage to confront her directly as he rails on about accomplishing something with his life and taking a stand , all the while backpedaling his way out of their relationship .
he then flees the scene with the grace of an inept thief .
erin 's mother ( holland taylor , in a surprisingly effective , small role ) , fearing that her daughter will be without a man in her life , takes out a personal ad for erin .
to erin 's embarrassed horror , the ad describes her as a " frisky , cultured , carefree professional with a zest for life " .
eventually , erin responds to the tidal wave of responses , which makes for some of the most humorous , telling moments of the movie as she meets prospective suitors and " poseurs " .
alan , a plumber and aspiring marine biologist , first spots erin as he 's cleaning the inside glass of a fish tank at the boston aquarium .
wearing a wet suit and goggles , he follows erin from window to window , separated by the glass as erin , oblivious to his gaze , enjoys the fish .
later , we see him on a train as she sits on a platform outside , mere feet away .
the movie spends it 's entirety having their paths circle each other without crossing .
there are several subplots involving alan .
one concerns his attempts to get on the job track at the boston aquarium , thereby escaping his apparent fate to carry on the family plumbing business .
another subplot involves his father 's desperate attempts to force fate 's hand by gambling away his life at the dog track .
a distracting focus is put on alan 's debt to a loan shark and the manner in which he pays it off .
the movie tries too hard to make alan a likable guy .
thankfully , his dream- guy persona is counterbalanced by erin 's distant , yet fundamentally hopeful , personality .
the film moves along at an unhurried pace , albeit too much so in the latter third , as we wait for the two to meet .
co - writers anderson and lyn vaus throw a couple of possible red herrings into the mix as the two find other possible relationships .
the films shifts into a much slower gear as we wait for these romances to blow over .
when alan and erin eventually do meet , we see that perhaps they both were destined for each other as they share a lingering , almost subliminally knowing , gaze .
it 's a sweet , measured moment .
the disappointment comes in the fact that we 've come to know the pair , yet we do n't get to view their impending romance .
the film 's inherent belief in the subtle persistence of fate and the wonder it can bring to one 's life makes " next stop wonderland " a quiet pleasure in a cinematic landscape littered with explosions , shallow characters and overdone special effects .

Answer: P


Question: the following review encompasses two versions of dune :
dune : the theatrical version ( 1984 ) runtime : 137 minutes capsule review : cut down to just over two hours by nervous studio executives , the theatrical version of dune is a spectacular mess and may be incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with the book .
the film 's visual splendour , mystical beauty and impressive action scenes only partly compensate for gaping holes in the narrative .
dune : the extended version ( 1988 ) runtime :
189 minutes capsule review : a bit of a throw - together assembled by mca tv special projects for cable television .
it was disowned by director david lynch
but it 's considerably closer to his original vision by virtue of its improved characterisation and clearer storyline .
quality dubs of this version from the out - of - print japanese laserdisc release are available from various dealers on the world wide web .
*
*
* the review
*
* * released in 1984 and made on a then mammoth budget of $ 40 million , the film of frank herbert 's cult novel dune was eagerly awaited by sci - fi fans .
director david lynch ( blue velvet , eraserhead , twin peaks ) was working on his biggest production to date , a mammoth undertaking filmed under trying conditions on location in mexico .
the screenplay was lynch 's own , chosen after the script submitted by original author herbert was rejected .
dune is set in a universe ruled by powerful families overseen by a successive line of emperors .
the key to cosmic power is the planet arrakis ( dune ) , a windswept desert planet that 's home to giant sandworms and the precious spice melange .
the spice is the most valuable commodity in the universe .
it extends the life and expands the consciousness of those who consume it .
most importantly , it allows the navigators of the spacing guild ( once human but now hideously mutated ) to " fold space " and navigate their spacecraft across mammoth distances instantaneously , enabling interstellar commerce and trade to flourish .
lynch 's film by necessity excises parts of the book while retaining the story 's two main strands .
one is the long - standing rivalry between two families , houses atreides and house harkonnen , and their battle for lucrative mining rights on arrakis .
the second strand is the emergence of young paul atreides as the reluctant messiah long - awaited by the natives of arrakis , the fremen .
the deeply religious fremen want control over their homeworld , and young paul may be the fulfilment of their prophecy that a man would come from the outer worlds and lead them to freedom .
unfortunately , this epic story unfolds in a confusing and haphazard manner in the theatrical cut of the film , which runs 30 to 60 minutes shorter than what lynch originally intended .
the thinking among universal 's oh - so - wise money men was that films over two hours in duration were not popular with audiences at the time and would not do well at the box office .
with lynch 's initial cut running at closer to three or more hours , the studio demanded that further cuts be made .
what a great idea !
why not trim down an already complex film so as to make it almost incomprehensible ?
the most glaring consequence of this one - eyed stupidity is a hopelessly jumpy narrative , leaving us with badly underdeveloped characters .
thus their personalities are vague , their motivations unclear and , in the case of paul 's father duke leto , their demise rather meaningless .
the end result is a distinct chill : we ca n't warm to most of the cast and we do n't care much for them .
and it hardly helps that the voice - over narration is sparse and that the dune - esque language and terminology sounds like so much gobbledegook to those unfamiliar with the book .
dune is also a very serous film .
the constant " self - talk " by various characters makes it so serious and self - absorbed at times that you may find it hard not to wince with embarrassment .
the overall impression is a world full of people so intense that no one is allowed a joke lest the universe come crashing down around them .
humour - or at least a gentle kind of humour as distinct from the harkonnen 's mad , sadistic kind - is hard to find .
you may balk at the comparison , but as a writer lynch could well have done with some lessons from george lucus ' star wars trilogy .
the theatrical version is still some way from being a complete disaster , however .
it still possesses enough of lynch 's stylistic quirks and enough visual invention to sustain the interest of viewers with a taste for imaginative sci - fi .
special effects whiz
carlo rambaldi 's giant sandworms are an awesome sight .
both the production design ( anthony masters ) and costume design ( bob ringwood ) are striking and original .
and the magnificent score by toto and brian eno is one of the most underrated soundtracks of the last twenty years .
with these elements in place and the benefit of freddie francis ' lush cinematography , the film is at least a feast for the senses .
see it in the widescreen format if you can .
and despite all the cuts , several cast members still make a strong impression , most notably kenneth mcmillan as the supremely nasty baron vladimir harkonnen .
sian phillips also registers strongly as the reverend mother gaius helen mohiam , leader of the bene gesserit religious order who 's secret aim is to manipulate paul 's destiny for its own shadowy ends .
as paul atreides , the young kyle maclachlan starts off somewhat shakily , but as his character grows in strength so does his performance
and he emerges as a credible leader of the fremen crusade .
the conclusion ?
any assessment of this film must take into account that frank herbert 's original novel is a complex piece of work and presents a tough challenge for any filmmaker .
david lynch took a brave stab at it and , partly due to forces beyond his control , ended up with an officially released version that fails in several key respects .
dune certainly confused and frustrated a lot of people on its release .
many chose to stay away altogether , as the film 's disastrous box office showing attests .
the extended version , however , is a rather different beast .
in 1984 lynch stated his intention to release his own special edition " director 's cut " of the film on home video , a clear indication of his dissatisfaction with the version that ended up in the theatres .
but , alas , he failed to do so , choosing to move on to other projects .
in a way , then , it is partly lynch 's own fault that what appeared instead was an unauthorised extended version , put together in 1988 by mca tv special projects for airing on cable networks in the usa .
stung into action , lynch successfully petitioned the director 's guild to take his name off the credits and replace it with " allen smithee " , the standard pseudonym for directors who wish to disown their own work .
he also had the screenwriting credit changed to the anonymous " judas booth " .
certainly , looking at the results of mca 's handiwork there 's at least half a dozen instances that , for sheer technical sloppiness , are good enough reasons for the director to object .
but these gripes must be considered in light of the improvements that the extended cut of dune offers in several crucial areas .
most of the changes involve the restoration or extension of cut scenes and the addition of extra narration , both of which fill many holes in the original version 's storyline .
paul 's relationship with his father and associates is more intimate , with moments of humour and warmth lacking previously .
the political skulduggery involving the emperor , the spacing guild , the bene gesserits and the two warring houses is far better explained .
paul 's initiation into the fremen way of life on arrakis is also fleshed out considerably .
and as further background , a new prologue has been added featuring narration and painted stills to give us a brief history of the dune universe .
as a piece of storytelling , then , mca tv 's version of dune is clearly superior .
as a piece of editing , however , it is at times surprisingly inept .
the use of painted stills in the new prologue works well enough , but their occasional appearance once the action begins is inappropriate .
there 's some sloppy cutting , too , and in a few instances shots even appear out of order .
and the use of repeated footage to fabricate certain scenes ( eg .
ships coming and going , soldiers coming and going ) is at times clearly out - of - context
.
this is the kind of thing to which lynch objected , and
rightly so .
it should also be noted that several questionable scenes and shots from the theatrical version were deleted to satisfy the censorship demands of u . s . television .
but the most notable omission is a gratuitous piece of nonsense from lynch that was n't even in herbert 's book .
the scene features baron harkonnen killing a beautiful young man in front of his slobbering henchmen by pulling out his " heart plug " .
its a surreal and disturbing episode that 's very lynch - esque but adds nothing to what we already know
: the baron is a nasty piece of work .
despite its own peculiar flaws , then , the extended version of dune is a generally superior film .
all up , it contains 35 minutes of restored footage and approximately another 15 minutes of either altered , fabricated or newly created sequences . unless the idiosyncratic lynch has a sudden change of heart , the " alan smithee " version remains the closest we 'll get to what the movie should have been .
on repeated viewings , one suspects it is closer than what lynch would be prepared to admit .
still , as one of this century 's great science - fiction novels , some fans and perhaps the late herbert himself would argue that dune deserved a better fate in its transfer to the screen .
with rumours circulating of a new six hour mini - series planned by production company new amsterdam entertainment in 1998 , it is unlikely that we have heard the last of the dune saga .

Answer: N


Question: virtual reality is a topic that has almost defined its own genre .
since ' dark city ' ( 1998 ) , films about alternative universes and parallel worlds have been coming one after another .
the most popular and original of them all has been the matrix .
all the films released after it , have been less successful .
david cronenberg 's existenz , released only a couple of months after the matrix , was accepted and even appreciated ( by some ) , but the hype was gone .
and when ' the thirteenth floor ' aired this fall , it was completely overseen and ignored .
i admit that this issue has become something between tiring and annoying , feeling like eating the same meal over and over again .
it was therefore i was less than excited , when i went out to see to ' the thirteenth floor ' . however ,
i was positively surprised by josef rusnak 's latest picture .
matrix was an entertaining thrill ride through dreams and reality , combining the best of hollywood 's action and effects with an intelligent story .
existenz was a violent , gory and unsettling journey through reality and virtual reality , ending in blood and madness . ' the thirteenth floor ' is somewhere in between .
instead of going after the crowds - the action audience ( like the matrix ) , or aiming at the horror fans ( like existenz ) , ' the thirteenth floor ' presents a more intelligent plot , witch will provide a less entertaining and more serious experience , that the true science fiction lovers will find rewarding . in a near future . .
.
on the thirteenth floor of a classified building , a genius scientist , hannon fuller , has created a simulated world , his personal dreamworld , where every inhabitant is a complex , selflearning program that only believes it is real .
right after the first testing of this world , fuller ( ) is found murdered .
douglas hall ( ) , his closest friend and business partner , immediately becomes the prime suspect and must enter through the thirteenth floor in search of the truth .
a beautiful woman ( gretchen mol ) who suddenly appears on the scene may hold the key to the mystery , which might unravel the horrifying truth about his own existence .
the first " download into simulation " is impressive .
it is the creator 's first visit to his world , his creation .
in order to enter this virtual universe , you have to take over someone 's identity , become another person .
this is called conciseness transfer , and this is part of the tragedy in the film :
people " wake up " in unknown places and strange things start happen .
they start to doubt in their own sanity .
these innocent people pay for the mistakes of their " users " and creators with their sanity and their lives .
it is a frightening reality ;
the fact that all the people in the simulation ( the program links ) are living out their lives , oblivious , not knowing that they are puppets in someone 's fantasy .
with an appealing ( " blade runner " - type ) of detective story , this film presents the beauty and possibilities of virtual reality and the lurking danger that is always present .
our modern world is metal and glass -- cold , unfriendly , impersonal .
the thirties are different -- colorful , beautiful , elegant , virile .
this contrast demonstrates a wish for change .
virtual reality is here portrayed as a magical , enchanting power that seduces you into its endless possibilities .
to some it is just a journey to their personal paradise , to some a personal playground -- a life without any consequences .
for others - a way to start over and " correct " their mistakes , by living in an illusion of their past .
virtual reality is a wizard that transforms your hopes , dreams and fantasies to life .
at least that 's how it is all beginning .
but when you 're waking up from your dream , the real world seems worthless and unreal and all you can think off is returning to your personal paradise .
this , almost narcotic effect , soon turns into confusion and ultimately madness .
some important and interesting philosophical questions are raised -- what is real ?
what is thought ? who are we ? if these were answered , this film would be the greatest science fiction ever made .
they are off course not answered , but posed in an intelligent manner .
the visual aspect of the film is one of the key elements , since it portrays the contrast between these computer - simulated universes .
kirk m . petrucelli has done a marvelous job with the recreation of the thirties with its glamour , grace and color ; and setting this world in opposition to our own -- an almost caricatured recreation of the nineties .
there are some honest and decent performances by an almost unknown cast and harald klose 's moody musical score that is at in right place at the right time .
a rather unusual thing about'the thirteenth floor ' is the almost complete lack of special effects .
there are no cgi animated creatures , no bullets in slow motion .
this is a more philosophical approach , reminding about the european way of filmmaking .
this is off course a major disappointment to the audience that is used to endless gunfights and mutated amphibians , but the more serious science fiction buffs and ' dark city'-fans will be pleased
.
this film is interesting and inspiring .
it has everything existenz does n't , but it lacks the immediacy and intensity of the matrix .
and then there is a happy end which , like in ' dark city ' , completely alienates it from the rest of the story and context .
the plot itself is not as original as the filmmakers want us to think , since they have virtually sucked out all information from the best science fiction classics , including blade runner and ' dark city ' .
with this in mind , ' the thirteenth floor ' does n't make an oscar candidate or a film that will be remembered a year from now , yet
this is a beautiful , elegant and intelligent take on virtual reality .

Answer:
P