The Prestige

[Rotipher of the FoS]

I'd like to recommend this film for Gothic Earth buffs, and for anyone with an interest in stage magic, who-knew-what-and-when suspense flicks, and/or the freaky ideas of Nikola Tesla. (How's that for a weird combo? ) Some of its premises are just begging to be incorporated into a Gothic Earth adventure, and could likewise work in Ravenloft with a few tweaks.


I swear, 99% of gamers who see this movie will turn to the exact same page of the DMG, soon as they get home from the theater, to check on the description of a certain magic item....

[Charlatan]

Not as good a moive, IMO, as The Illusionist, but better suited to Ravenloft/Masque. The rivalry between Borden and Angier gets increasingly nasty, but it's not until the introduction of Tesla's machine that things take a scifi/horror twist. It's a bit hard to swallow though, and requires rather a lot more suspention of disbeilef than had previously been needed. To be honest, up until the end, I was halfway convinced that the whole thing was one more con. Then, at the very end, when they finally reveal how exactly Angier has been using the device, to preform the ultimate 'magic trick' and get his fnal revenge on Borden, that's damned disturbing.

Borden's ultimate secret, OTOH, it kinda bland and easy to figure out.

[Undead Cabbage]

I felt it as a movie was fantastic and very well planned out. Definately Gothic-earthy stuff.

Warning: Spoiler[/b]

Although one thing I caught onto after seeing the movie. It's often argued that it is up to interpretation as to whether it's the real Angier that went ahead and put his replicas into those tanks or his replica.

It was his replica. You'll note, any time after he tried his device for the first time, his leg wasn't broken . It can then be assumed that the individual that is transported is the real one, and the one that stays is the fake. Hence, the Angier's in the original spots being thrown into the tank, and not the ones at a distance (other than the whole nobody cares about that man that goes into the box thing).

One might even say that the one killing all of his replicas was his...*cough cough* Doppelganger.

[Charney]

I'm surprised this movie wasn't more commented. I've just seen it and I liked it cause for me it screamed Ravenloft/Masque.

Slight spoilers:

For me, what made the movie good is Angier's descent into the spiral of revenge and envy. I could see him loosing one Power's check after another as he killed his clones and then killed his rival while stealing everything from him (I'll keep one punch secret) and then discover it was all for nothing. For me, when he explains why he did it all was just an attempt to justify himself for all the evil he wanted to cause to Borden.

I do admit that the science-fiction aspect of the movie did go against the general mood of the movie where everything was just so easily explained.

This movie just seamlessly insert itself into a Masque campaign or a Ravenloft one if you replace the duplication device with dark magic.

[Ail]

I'd like to recommend this film for Gothic Earth buffs, and for anyone with an interest in stage magic, who-knew-what-and-when suspense flicks, and/or the freaky ideas of Nikola Tesla. (How's that for a weird combo? ) Some of its premises are just begging to be incorporated into a Gothic Earth adventure, and could likewise work in Ravenloft with a few tweaks.


I swear, 99% of gamers who see this movie will turn to the exact same page of the DMG, soon as they get home from the theater, to check on the description of a certain magic item....

I haven't seen the movie, but from the comments above, could it be something to do with the



Apparatus?

Alex

[Charney]

I'm not sure as to which item Rotipher was making reference to but I'd have to say yes: the Apparatus even though it's effect is different from the one in the movie.