Stalker is my all-time favorite film, which is saying something, since I have about fifty films in my top five. What I like about Stalker is that the Zone is unexplained. No one is sure what created it. While in Roadside Picnic, it’s definitely aliens. Personally, I like the idea of hostile geography, requiring care and intuition to survive.
Stalker is also the name of the guys who explored Chernobyl after the meltdown, but it may simply be a Russian term/slang for anyone who goes into dangerous places. Appropriate, since three members of the crew (including the director) died from chemical contamination related to the making of the movie.
