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Movie: Contagion

Another_David

Another_David

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Anyone see Contagion yet? It's on cable now. As a movie it's just fair. As far as its portrayal of a deadly outbreak and the public's response I think it basically sugar coats A LOT! Compared to what they show in the move there have been worse riots over KFC running out of free chicken! Nevertheless it's interesting in a what-if thought provoking way.

Does anyone know if it was a book and if it was any better or worth reading?

Some spoilers:

I like how the movie is not afraid to kill off major characters / movies stars! That was really refreshing.

The lack of guns was disappointing!

The CDC guy calling his girlfriend after being told to tell no one was awesome. That's exactly what WOULD happen.

The blogger was totally full of it! That was comical.
 
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Just saw it tonight actually. Watched it with my roommate and his girlfriend.

During the whole movie he was looking at me saying things like "jeez... maybe I should get my LTC, huh?" (I'm an instructor and already gave him his safety course 2 years ago... he's just too lazy to actually go apply for the LTC) and "holy crap... " at certain eye-opening this-is-what-happens-when-society-breaks-down scenes.

Anyway... cool flick. Better than the classic Outbreak movie. Will my roommate actually go out and apply for his LTC? Probably not.
 
I saw it in the theaters and loved it. I downloaded it since then and watched it again. Great movie and accurate depiction of what would happen if SHTF. Interesting concept to the movie. The line where Matt Damon's wife just died and the doctor was telling him that they lost her. He's like, "well can I talk to her?" Goosebumps everytime.
 
ColdDayInHell said:
I saw it in the theaters and loved it. I downloaded it since then and watched it again. Great movie and accurate depiction of what would happen if SHTF. Interesting concept to the movie. The line where Matt Damon's wife just died and the doctor was telling him that they lost her. He's like, "well can I talk to her?" Goosebumps everytime.
Click to expand...

I should probably watch it again. Sometimes I watch a good movie and if I'm just not focused it doesn't really stick.

There was some interesting realism to the movie for sure, like the part you quote.

The one doctor cites some statistic as to how often people touch their face on average, something like 2-3 times per minute! I have this abrasion on my face that as a *tough guy* I just ignored. Then it looked kind of puffy and infected so I put some antibacterial on it and it's getting better but I'll be dammed how often I find myself getting that antibacterial stuff on my hands because I'm unknowingly touching it. No wonder it got infected in the first place!
 
Another_David said:
Anyone see Contagion yet? It's on cable now. As a movie it's just fair. As far as its portrayal of a deadly outbreak and the public's response I think it basically sugar coats A LOT! Compared to what they show in the move there have been worse riots over KFC running out of free chicken! Nevertheless it's interesting in a what-if thought provoking way.

Does anyone know if it was a book and if it was any better or worth reading?

Some spoilers:

I like how the movie is not afraid to kill off major characters / movies stars! That was really refreshing.

The lack of guns was disappointing!

The CDC guy calling his girlfriend after being told to tell no one was awesome. That's exactly what WOULD happen.

The blogger was totally full of it! That was comical.
Click to expand...

Have you read The Jakarta Pandemic? It is a similar story, but focuses on one neighborhood in Maine, and how one family prepares and survives.
 
Liked Contagion, saw it awhile ago and memory is fuzzy... but I recall thinking it was not at all close to what I would expect to be reality in such an event. Sugar coated as someone else said.
 
Hiltonizer said:
Liked Contagion, saw it awhile ago and memory is fuzzy... but I recall thinking it was not at all close to what I would expect to be reality in such an event. Sugar coated as someone else said.
Click to expand...

I also thought it was sugar coated in regards to the violence you would see. A good non fiction book about this subject matter is "The Hot Zone".
 
mclina said:
Have you read The Jakarta Pandemic? It is a similar story, but focuses on one neighborhood in Maine, and how one family prepares and survives.
Click to expand...

Da_lucche said:
I also thought it was sugar coated in regards to the violence you would see. A good non fiction book about this subject matter is "The Hot Zone".
Click to expand...

I haven't read either but will check it out thanks!
 
Loved it...a real eye opener...I was a little freaked out...in the scene when they are calling out the vaccine dates...when they were about to say the 2nd date, i was thinking, its gonna be my birthday...and yup Jan 11th.........yea i was alittle freaked out hahaha...awesome movie
 
Sugar coated?? LOL. More like a truckload full of sugar with few minor grains of reality mixed in. Overall, most aspects of pandemic world were present, but I am guessing the filmmakers didn’t want to scare their audience shitless so they completely neutered the film. Could have been great too. Good cast. Ok story line (Gwyneth Paltrow flashbacks were annoying, but I guess they could not persuade her big ego to stay dead like Steven Seagal in Executive Decision. Furthermore, Jude Law’s character was totally unnecessary. He could have had a key role, but as written, it was mostly pointless).

Still, it was worth watching. And the “can I talk to her” was probably the best line in the entire script.
 
Seriously? They implied all the "smart people" are going to hang out at home and just wait for food and supplies for half a year while tons of people die around them.

Millions of people sitting in cities waiting on MREs being delivered by soldiers and people actually think that is going to happen? I was trying to figure out after 10% of the population dies, where the millitary was going to find 3 trillion MREs and have the capacity to send them off..

Minor fights in line while the last of the government cheese goes away.... nope, not gonna happen like that.


I did enjoy the movie though, closer than most to reality about a pandemic IMO
 
cass1776 said:
Saw it a couple weeks ago I really liked it but also thought it was sugar coated.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It is still an intense movie. Now I have to watch it for a 4th time! The birthday scene was pretty scary IMHO. It would be so much more chaotic. I am not a big Matt Damon fan but loved him in this movie. And Bryan Cranston in that Defense role was a surprise, he is phenomenal in Breaking Bad.
 
I started watching it with one of my friends my god daughters mom . She gets freaked out by certain things like this, cause she had spinal menagitist . we left to do some thing and she kept asking questions about out breaks. Needless to say she's stoped being a raw food vegan (bf kinda made her in to one) lol....and now washes every thing and likes red meat again.



Just saw the end of it with her a week ago, and she started to ask me to teach her to shoot. Now shes saying things like "if stuff goes bad how fast can u get me and your god daughter out of the city ....." lol .


Liked the movie . Liked how as actors with bigger names they didn't care about screen time if you know what I mean ;).....

I think instead of saying "send it" at the range I'm gonna say " see her now?"
 
Biological outbreaks are scary stuff because the "threat" has a face and rendering aid can place you under significant threat of becoming a threat yourself. Likely the closest we'll ever come to a zombie apocolypse.

Even worse is when the biological has an extended asymptomatic incubation and contagious period, which allows it to spread undetected for a while after infection and anyone poses a threat, even if the're not outwardly sick.
 
Watching this for a third time tonight. Kate Winslet was phenomenal in this film. She made an excellent point when explaining the virus :

"Dr. Erin Mears: Hard to say. Plastic shark in a movie will keep you from getting in the ocean, but a warning on the side of a pack of cigarettes won't stop you from buying..."
 

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