# The Butterfly effect **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 18, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038 "2004-01-18T01:57:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mailbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@Mailbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mailbox)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/1 "2004-01-18T01:57:56Z")
OK, I’ve got nothing against crappy movies. I don’t have a problem with Ashton Kutcher (he’s great in That 70’s Show, and Dude Where’s my Car? in a mentally-handicapped sort of way). But crappy movies that have advertisements on television twice every single commercial break, on nearly every channel, starring ashton kutcher while he’s trying to make everyone believe that he’s a serious actor really fucking pisses me off. It’s going to be a terrible movie and the only reason people will go see it is because they see their favourite-celebrity-of-the-moment on the poster, marquee or whatever. Hell, I’d rather watch Gigli! I’m done now. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/2 "2004-01-18T04:33:48Z")
Dude, wait until the movie’s actually released, ok? I’ve only seen theatrical previews but it _looks_ like it might be really good, if they handle the premise right. It will probably suck, as you say, but I have my hopes up. And I _highly_ doubt it will suck as bad as “Dude, Where’s My Car”!! ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/3 "2004-01-18T04:44:51Z")
You do have to admit that when somebody in the theater shouted “Dude, where’s my past?” after the preview, it was pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Star\_to\_the\_Right](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Second\_Star\_to\_the\_Right](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Star_to_the_Right)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/4 "2004-01-18T05:06:29Z")
> [@BraheSilver](#): > > You do have to admit that when somebody in the theater shouted “Dude, where’s my past?” after the preview, it was pretty funny. Heh, that’s hysterical. **Mailbox:** I agree with **KGS,** wait till you see it before you jump to conclusions. Personally, I’m interested to see how Ashton Kutcher handles a dramatic role. Sure, it might suck, but it also might actually be a decent flick. They’d have to try pretty hard to make it a worse movie movie than Gigli. _shudder_😉 ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Star\_to\_the\_Right](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Second\_Star\_to\_the\_Right](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Star_to_the_Right)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/5 "2004-01-18T05:07:58Z")
\*\* movie,\*\* not movie movie. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/6 "2004-01-18T06:11:46Z")
I should clarify my previous post. I meant to say that someone shouted when _I_ saw the trailer. The way it is now, it implies that I saw it with **Mailbox** , which isn’t what happened. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/7 "2004-01-18T06:25:23Z")
> [@](#): > > You do have to admit that when somebody in the theater shouted “Dude, where’s my past?” after the preview, it was pretty funny. Thanks, George Costanza. IMO, people who talk in movie theatres, even during previews, should be escorted by the usher to the guillotine in the lobby. I pay $8.00 to hear the movie, not some adolescent duing Open Mike Night. As for **The Butterfly Effect** , the ads look intriguing. The movie might suck out loud, but I’m willing to give it a try. In addition, I’m not sure why people are dumping on Ashton Kutcher. Sure he’s been in crappy vehicles, but he’s a young actor at the beginning of his career. Why the venom? Why are so many against a guy taking on a dramatic role to break out of the box you people seem to want to keep him in? Who knows, it might be a good movie. ---
**Author:** ![headshok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@headshok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/headshok)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/8 "2004-01-18T06:36:54Z")
Yeah, when I saw the trailer for that movie, it was all I could do not to shout “Dude, you got PUNKED!!!” Luckily, I didn’t. I need to call my mom and thank her for teaching me manners, I guess. Like **gobear** said, it might be a good movie. I remember how skeptical I was about Bruce Willis in _Die Hard_, and that turned out OK. I’m willing to wait and see… ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/9 "2004-01-18T07:52:40Z")
This trailer made my brain hurt. Aren’t they also making a movie about that Ray Bradbury story where the hunter goes back in time to kill some dinosaurs and kills a butterfly that somehow causes humanity to be destroyed, so they have to stop it? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/10 "2004-01-18T08:00:42Z")
I’m kinda looking forward to it. And I’ve got nothing against Ashton Kutcher; c’mon, Tom Hanks started on _Bosom Buddies_ and turned out to be a good serious actor, and Jim “_In Living Color_” Carrey has done some not-terrible stuff too. Oh, and Robin Williams was known as “that coked-out standup comic from _Mork & Mindy_” way back when. Yeah, I’ll probably go see it. Then again, I go to the movies a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/11 "2004-01-18T15:48:08Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > Why the venom? Why are so many against a guy taking on a dramatic role to break out of the box you people seem to want to keep him in? Because he’s shagging Demi Moore, and we’re all jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/12 "2004-01-18T15:50:59Z")
> [@Dewey Cheatem Undhow](#): > > Because he’s shagging Demi Moore, and we’re all jealous. Woah, woah, hold your high horses for a minute. Speak for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/13 "2004-01-18T17:14:07Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > Thanks, George Costanza. IMO, people who talk in movie theatres, even during previews, should be escorted by the usher to the guillotine in the lobby. I pay $8.00 to hear the movie, not some adolescent duing Open Mike Night. I’m not sure about that, **gobear**. Some things just CRY out for heckling. I took Lady Chance and a passel of kids to go see Peter Pan around Christmas and one of the commercials was from some monster cable TV company telling us the joys of what television can do for you. It will be able to show you movies on demand, raise your kids, make dinner, and when the spouse has a headache it’ll dial up a sex-partner for you, too (OK, I made up that last part). This damn thing went on for at least 3 minutes. And when it was over I shouted ‘READ A BOOK!’ and got laughs from all the adults (and, sadly, confusion from the kids). As I said…some things beg for it. Oh! And in one of my most treasured adolescent memories… I was seeing Flash Gordon…I would have been 14 or so. There’s a scene where Flash is about to be executed… Aura (Ming’s daughter): Don’t kill him father…I want him. Ming: What would your Prince Barin say? Aura: I can handle Barin… At which post some much beloved (by me, at least) guy sings out with “AND THREE OR FOUR OTHERS!” and brought down the house. See? It’s all about _context_. I do agree, though, that other than late Saturday nights and midnight movies and such talking during the **feature** should be strongly discouraged. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/14 "2004-01-18T19:40:26Z")
I have no problem with people talking during previews. I see that as time for the audience to get their last wiggles out, and I’d certainly rather they did it then than during the film. And of course, the guy who yelled out “And now they’re gonna have TERMABABIES!” at the end of the _T3_ trailer earned my eternal praise… and the laughter of a packed audience. I think talking during previews, and even heckling them, is perfectly acceptable. Certainly nowhere near as bad as talking during the movie. As for _The Butterfly Effect_, I’m also curious if Kutcher can handle a dramatic role. However, more than that, I want to see the film because it looks very similar to the idea behind Ken Grimwood’s excellent book _Replay_, and I’m excited to see what that sort of idea will look like on film. It’s one of the best “time travel” books I’ve read, and would probably make a good movie. At the very least, I’m willing to wait until it’s out to judge its merit (or lack thereof). ---
**Author:** ![SuperNova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SuperNova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNova)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/15 "2004-01-18T21:00:13Z")
> [@Tars Tarkas](#): > > This trailer made my brain hurt. Aren’t they also making a movie about that Ray Bradbury story where the hunter goes back in time to kill some dinosaurs and kills a butterfly that somehow causes humanity to be destroyed, so they have to stop it? Yep. That movie is called **A Sound of Thunder** basaed on the Bradbury short story of the same name. God knows how they’ll base a 90+ Min. movie on maybe a 10-page story. Did that with Paycheck, and it pretty much sucked. And I liked the story Paycheck more than A Sound of Thunder (although they were both ver good short stores). All that being said, **The Butterfly Effect** is unrelated to the Bradbury story, with the exception of the whole concept of time travel changing the present (which has been done by countless movies and authors. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/16 "2004-01-18T21:14:14Z")
> [@Avalonian](#): > > However, more than that, I want to see the film because it looks very similar to the idea behind Ken Grimwood’s excellent book _Replay_, and I’m excited to see what that sort of idea will look like on film. It’s one of the best “time travel” books I’ve read, and would probably make a good movie. My thoughts exactly. I just recently finished _Replay_ (after seeing a recommendation for it in Cafe Society, as a matter of fact) and it is now on my top shelf of “favorite books”. Excellent book. The storylines do look a lot alike, what with all the “going back in time until I get it right” Aston’s character seems to be doing. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/17 "2004-01-18T21:26:41Z")
Although I thought of the Bradbury story, I’m assuming that the title refers to the “butterfly effect” in chaos theory. Not that I know what I’m talking about. I’ll give Ashton Kutcher a chance. ---
**Author:** ![Mailbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@Mailbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mailbox)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/18 "2004-01-18T21:28:40Z")
OK, so maybe I was a little harsh about the Butterfly Effect. But the fact remains that I must have seen the trailer around 15 times yesterday, and it started to get on my nerves. If Ashton Kutcher does end up doing a decent job in a seriouse film, then kudos to him, but I remain wary and doubt that I’ll watch it unless it is highly recommended by those who do go see it. I do regret the _Gigli_ comment though. That was just cruel. Speaking of time-travel, one book that I kind of liked was _Timeline_, although it’s probably been around 5 years since I read it. According to the imdb though, the film version wasn’t so hot. ---
**Author:** ![Mailbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@Mailbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mailbox)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/19 "2004-01-18T21:30:14Z")
err… **serious** , not seriouse I also should have capitalized the “The” in “The Butterfly Effect” ah well. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2004, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038/20 "2004-01-19T11:38:01Z")
> [@SuperNova](#): > > Yep. That movie is called **A Sound of Thunder** basaed on the Bradbury short story of the same name. Please no… I liked that cute little short story. A movie will no doubt either make everyone read it until its a pop-culture rerun or it will distort it beyond belief (Did you get your L.O.T.R. video game and action figures?). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-butterfly-effect/225038.md?page=2)