I too liked the desolation and the loneliness of STALKER. I get fatigued by having too much activity. Hitchcock knew that it was the long moments of tense peace that made the outbursts of violence more dramatic.

But there are failures. Snorky shouldn't have been in there. The realism of the surroundings was all too often ruined by the dorkiness of the ill concieved monsters.

But Pripyat was tremendous. The landscapes are great. The Powerplant of Chernobyl is spectacular.