"Tron: Legacy" to be released on Dec. 17, 2010. In IMAX!!!
Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Top Sci-Fi movies list
I found a list of the top 100 sci-fi films of all time. It's pretty comprehensive and made me appreciate how many of the these movies I've seen again and again. Click the link to see the entire 100, but here's my top 10 from their list (including Total SciFi Online's write-ups):
1) Aliens (1986)
James Cameron cleverly eschewed aping the original, and instead upped the alien quotient and delivered one of the most purely exciting films ever made. But this is no brainless actioner. Cameron waits almost an hour before the acid-blooded xenomorphs make an appearance, while the film transformed Ripley into a bona fide iconic action heroine. There’s also a memorable selection of supporting characters (Hicks, Hudson, Newt, Vasquez) and instantly quotable dialogue (“game over man!”).
2) Tron (1982)
Tron was ignored for many years, but is now widely accepted as a genre landmark, combining stunning – and unique – computer graphics in an effectively simple story of programmers battling inside an electronic world. The long-awaited sequel, Tron Legacy, is expected in 2010.
3) The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowski Brothers’ movie had it all: groundbreaking ‘flo-mo’ battles, ice cool characters, nods to spaghetti westerns and a large dose of cod philosophy, in an innovative, much-loved actioner. Even the lame sequels can’t detract from the film’s ingenuity.
4) Predator (1987)
A sci-fi spin on the slasher template, this sees an alien hunter stalk a bunch of commandos in the Central American jungle. But the extra-terrestrial menace doesn’t bank on dealing with the Austrian Oak… One of Arnie’s best 80s actioners, this is exciting stuff, tightly directed by John McTiernan. Plus you get some fine Arnie quips (“Knock knock!”) and the chance to have fun trying to spot Carl Weathers’ real arm tied behind his back as it’s blasted off.
5) Return of the Jedi (1983)
OK, so the Ewoks and abrupt death of Boba Fett continue to divide opinion, but ROTJ contains more memorable sequences than most movies could dream of: Luke’s battle against the Rancor monster; the Sarlacc’s pit; the speeder bike chase and a fitting conclusion.
6) Blade Runner (1982)
Like many of the movies on this list, Blade Runner was not a critical or commercial success on its initial release. Some critics at the time simply dismissed it as style over substance. Yet, along with its unforgettable depiction of a neon-lit LA that is essentially a mash-up of Western and Eastern cultures, Ridley Scott’s film is backed up by a real sense of sadness, fear and longing, and an often overlooked wry humour. As Deckard, Harrison Ford proved he could pull off a much darker hero than Han Solo, and Rutger Hauer gave the performance of his career as the psychotic, feral and ultimately tragic Roy Batty. A masterpiece.
7) Total Recall (1990)
Based (very) loosely on Philip K Dick’s short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Total Recall has both brains and brawn. When Arnie discovers that his memories are fake, he heads to Mars to find the truth. Cue foul-mouthed robot taxi drivers, ultra-violence and a three-breasted woman.
8) Stargate (1994)
The movie that sparked off 10 years of SG-1, 5 seasons of Atlantis and the upcoming Stargate: Universe, Roland Emmerich’s movie scores due to a simple but clever concept and inventive effects. Like Emmerich’s later Independence Day, it’s corny at times, but it adds to the ‘B-movie with a budget’ charm.
9) Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior) (1981)
If the original was raw, energetic and brutal, the sequel took things to a whole new level as Max helps a community defend itself from crazed punks. Highlight: the boomerang sequence.
10) Escape from New York (1981)
Snake Plissken is one of cinema’s great action-hero, with Kurt Russell on top tough guy form. The plot, meanwhile, has influenced everything from District 13 to Doomsday, and it boasts John Carpenter’s best synth soundtracks.
1) Aliens (1986)
James Cameron cleverly eschewed aping the original, and instead upped the alien quotient and delivered one of the most purely exciting films ever made. But this is no brainless actioner. Cameron waits almost an hour before the acid-blooded xenomorphs make an appearance, while the film transformed Ripley into a bona fide iconic action heroine. There’s also a memorable selection of supporting characters (Hicks, Hudson, Newt, Vasquez) and instantly quotable dialogue (“game over man!”).
2) Tron (1982)
Tron was ignored for many years, but is now widely accepted as a genre landmark, combining stunning – and unique – computer graphics in an effectively simple story of programmers battling inside an electronic world. The long-awaited sequel, Tron Legacy, is expected in 2010.
3) The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowski Brothers’ movie had it all: groundbreaking ‘flo-mo’ battles, ice cool characters, nods to spaghetti westerns and a large dose of cod philosophy, in an innovative, much-loved actioner. Even the lame sequels can’t detract from the film’s ingenuity.
4) Predator (1987)
A sci-fi spin on the slasher template, this sees an alien hunter stalk a bunch of commandos in the Central American jungle. But the extra-terrestrial menace doesn’t bank on dealing with the Austrian Oak… One of Arnie’s best 80s actioners, this is exciting stuff, tightly directed by John McTiernan. Plus you get some fine Arnie quips (“Knock knock!”) and the chance to have fun trying to spot Carl Weathers’ real arm tied behind his back as it’s blasted off.
5) Return of the Jedi (1983)
OK, so the Ewoks and abrupt death of Boba Fett continue to divide opinion, but ROTJ contains more memorable sequences than most movies could dream of: Luke’s battle against the Rancor monster; the Sarlacc’s pit; the speeder bike chase and a fitting conclusion.
6) Blade Runner (1982)
Like many of the movies on this list, Blade Runner was not a critical or commercial success on its initial release. Some critics at the time simply dismissed it as style over substance. Yet, along with its unforgettable depiction of a neon-lit LA that is essentially a mash-up of Western and Eastern cultures, Ridley Scott’s film is backed up by a real sense of sadness, fear and longing, and an often overlooked wry humour. As Deckard, Harrison Ford proved he could pull off a much darker hero than Han Solo, and Rutger Hauer gave the performance of his career as the psychotic, feral and ultimately tragic Roy Batty. A masterpiece.
7) Total Recall (1990)
Based (very) loosely on Philip K Dick’s short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Total Recall has both brains and brawn. When Arnie discovers that his memories are fake, he heads to Mars to find the truth. Cue foul-mouthed robot taxi drivers, ultra-violence and a three-breasted woman.
8) Stargate (1994)
The movie that sparked off 10 years of SG-1, 5 seasons of Atlantis and the upcoming Stargate: Universe, Roland Emmerich’s movie scores due to a simple but clever concept and inventive effects. Like Emmerich’s later Independence Day, it’s corny at times, but it adds to the ‘B-movie with a budget’ charm.
9) Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior) (1981)
If the original was raw, energetic and brutal, the sequel took things to a whole new level as Max helps a community defend itself from crazed punks. Highlight: the boomerang sequence.
10) Escape from New York (1981)
Snake Plissken is one of cinema’s great action-hero, with Kurt Russell on top tough guy form. The plot, meanwhile, has influenced everything from District 13 to Doomsday, and it boasts John Carpenter’s best synth soundtracks.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Maybe the CGI process adds offensive accents?
Michael Bay and George Lucas must be best buds who sit around talking about ways to work stereotypical accents into CGI characters. Honestly, most kids nowadays barely speak proper English. I doubt aliens talking with Chinese or black accents is shocking/offending kids. Now a Transformer speaking eloquently: that'd be weird.
I'm more offended Bay and Lucas keep making the same movies over and over. We get it. Star wars has a never ending Universe of characters and blowing stuff up is fun.
Honestly, Hollywood is run by a bunch of old, rich, white men. Do you think they care (or even notice) if a major motion picture has characters with offensive stereotypes?
I'm more offended Bay and Lucas keep making the same movies over and over. We get it. Star wars has a never ending Universe of characters and blowing stuff up is fun.
Honestly, Hollywood is run by a bunch of old, rich, white men. Do you think they care (or even notice) if a major motion picture has characters with offensive stereotypes?
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Stretch Armstrong movie
Hollywood has officially run out of ideas. A Stretch Armstrong movie? It was a cool toy, but a movie? This movie will only work if they keep his cool Richard Simmons outfit and blond mullet. Business in the front, party in the back...Armstrong-style!
And I don't remember Wretch, Fetch and X-ray Armstrongs. That's one messed up family. Did they grow up next to Chernobyl? This movie willl be more campy than the Toxic Avenger. In case you forgot about that genius...
And I don't remember Wretch, Fetch and X-ray Armstrongs. That's one messed up family. Did they grow up next to Chernobyl? This movie willl be more campy than the Toxic Avenger. In case you forgot about that genius...
Friday, May 29, 2009
A chickouse?
50% mouse, 50% chicken. 100% creepy. this is a strong argument for why mankind should not be messing with Mother Nature by cross-breeding...
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Green Lantern trailer
I've posted fan produced movie trailers before (He-Man, GI Joe) and I'm always amazed at how high quality they are. And how much they make me want to see those movies. Here's an example of a possible upcoming Green Lantern movie starring Nathan Fillion:
Or could it be that the format/formula for trailers is so fine-tuned that trailers make anything look entertaining? Oh, my fragile little mind get sucked in again!
Or could it be that the format/formula for trailers is so fine-tuned that trailers make anything look entertaining? Oh, my fragile little mind get sucked in again!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Sci-fi fanboys:go back to film school. And take Lucas back with you.
I thought it would be cool to take a poll on sci-fi movies. It was until I started seeing the results of the poll voting showing a stonrg preference towards all things George Lucas. Rigged? Not not, really. Just a bunch of Star Wars dorks who can't accept that midi-clorans and Jar Jar Binks tainted even the original 3 movies. (And that's coming from a guy who has a framed piece of Empire Strikes back wrapping paper from whn he was a kid (circa '83!).
The poll is of the Best and Worst Sci-fi movies ever. I'll sum up
Q. What's the best sci-fi movie of all time?
Aliens
Blade Runner
ESB
The Matrix
Star Wars (LEADER)
Terminator
* OK, I can deal with this although I voted "Aliens."
Q. What's the best franchise of all time?
Alien
Matrix
Star Trek
Star Wars (LEADER, even tough it includes thru 2005!)
Terminator
* I can agree with this provide the last 3 films released aren't counted. Sorry, but the same applies to the other contenders: Ali3n and Alien 4 sucked, so did Matrix 2 and 3.
Q. Most underrated film?
Dark City (awesome)
Last Starfighter (cool at the time)
Pitch Black (good flick)
Serenity (LEADER; wasn't anyone else disappointed by this movie?)
Starman (romantic sci-fi?)
Tron (freaking amazing!!!!)
Basically, Star Wars is winning all of the "Best" categories and spared in the "Worst."
WTF? People are looking forward to a Robocop remake more than the Tron sequel. For this reason, fanboys deserve to not be getting laid.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Hunt for Gollum
Some Lord of the Ring fans made they're own movie prequel to the Hobbit. It's called "The Hunt for Gollum," which is a catchy title. I'd liken it to the fan fiction out there: uses the some of the same characters from the original movies/books, adds some new ones and then sends them on a new adventure that will end where the Hobbit begins.First, let me say these fans did a good job, probably on a shoestring budget, of recreating Peter Jackson's world. If I had heard this movie was being done, I would've assumed it to be a trainwreck. However, this has actually made me want to watch the movie, even though it looks kind of boring. How to you stage awesome fight scenes with no money in the budget? You don't. This movie mostly likely has Aragorn (Man, he's real old; and he's never picked up new clothes over those hundreds of years?) taking long hikes and meeting new people along the way. Not particularly exciting, but like I said, I'm mildly interested (which means rabid LOTR fans will be ravenous to see this). Hopefully, some cool new characters will be "inspired" for more online films. Then again, this can go tragically wrong (as proven by the Star Wars prequels and the Clone Wars cartoons).
The most impressive part if the makers of the film didn't do it to make money, despite shooting on location and adding some good production. They did it cause they love LOTR. If that's the case, I only have one question for them: "Well then why don't you marry it?" An Orc, that is.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Not so Lost: Dead Is Dead
The tv show Lost actually had an episode last night that, believe it or not, actually answered some questions and made some reveals about how the island works. Probably the biggest was the tie in of the smoke monster, as referenced in Egyptian hieroglyphics, to Anubis (the Egyptian god of the afterlife) and proving that the smoke monster "judges" those on the island and DOES take corporal form of people who have died on the island.
So, the show does kind of touch on theories that have been kicked around for years: purgatory, time travel, giant vivarium,...could aliens be that far behind? Check out the screen-capture below: is that a UFO in the upper left part? Please tell me this show doesn't with a Stargate/Fifth Element ripoff theory?!!!!
The theory of Dharma coming to the island to use it as a vivarium is particularly interesting, especially when coupled with the ideas of flawed heroes who have to save the world from destruction (remember pressing the button every 108 seconds supposedly staved off destruction and cued hieroglyphics in the resetting of a clock?), which is an allusion to the Watchmen graphic novel. This in turn makes one think of Ozymandias from that book, and his misguided intentions to save humanity through whatever means necessary. (Kind of sounds like Ben and Widmore on Lost doing the same for the island.) And coming back full circle (since we know Lost LOVES to reference literary works), we come to sonnets written by Percy Shelley and Horace Smith, each titled "Ozymandias." IMO, these can be alluded to the general themes of Lost:
And the Smith sonnet:
Guess we'll know once the 4 toed statue is officially explained! It's fairly well known that statue will be Anubis.
So, the show does kind of touch on theories that have been kicked around for years: purgatory, time travel, giant vivarium,...could aliens be that far behind? Check out the screen-capture below: is that a UFO in the upper left part? Please tell me this show doesn't with a Stargate/Fifth Element ripoff theory?!!!!
The theory of Dharma coming to the island to use it as a vivarium is particularly interesting, especially when coupled with the ideas of flawed heroes who have to save the world from destruction (remember pressing the button every 108 seconds supposedly staved off destruction and cued hieroglyphics in the resetting of a clock?), which is an allusion to the Watchmen graphic novel. This in turn makes one think of Ozymandias from that book, and his misguided intentions to save humanity through whatever means necessary. (Kind of sounds like Ben and Widmore on Lost doing the same for the island.) And coming back full circle (since we know Lost LOVES to reference literary works), we come to sonnets written by Percy Shelley and Horace Smith, each titled "Ozymandias." IMO, these can be alluded to the general themes of Lost:
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
—Percy Shelley
And the Smith sonnet:
In Egypt's sandy silence, all alone,
Stands a gigantic Leg, which far off throws
The only shadow that the Desert knows:
"I am great OZYMANDIAS," saith the stone,
"The King of Kings; this mighty City shows
"The wonders of my hand." The City's gone,
Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose
The site of this forgotten Babylon.
We wonder, and some Hunter may express
Wonder like ours, when thro' the wilderness
Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,
He meets some fragments huge, and stops to guess
What powerful but unrecorded race
Once dwelt in that annihilated place.
—Horace Smith
Guess we'll know once the 4 toed statue is officially explained! It's fairly well known that statue will be Anubis.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
George Lucas: Sith or Jedi?
As a child of the 70's (and a young boy in the early 80's), Star Wars changed my life. No other movies have impacted my life more than Episodes IV-VI. I can vividly remember being Star Wars characters 3 times for Halloween (C3PO, Han, Boba), had EVERY Star Wars figure, Star Wars lunchbox, Empire sleeping bag. I even still have Empire themed wrapping paper (circa 1983) framed on my wall!
With all that said, I gotta say I'm on the bandwagon to crucify George Lucas for ruining those memories. Where I disagree with everyone is WHEN he ruined the memories. Many fans claim the release of cheesy, over-produced Episodes I-III was the downfall. For me it was when Lucas "remastered" the first released movies by adding new scenes. Why mess with movies that made gazillions of dollars and made millions of fans happy? To insert scenes that had no impact other than to draw attention to the fact that they weren't a part of the originally released films. Great job.
I guess I'm a bit of a chump falling for all of the marketing around Star Wars when I was a kid. For some reason, it felt less forced and more like a pop culture phenomenon. If you've seen any blatant marketing for the Clone Wars cartoons in recent months, you'll note the difference.
With all that said, I gotta say I'm on the bandwagon to crucify George Lucas for ruining those memories. Where I disagree with everyone is WHEN he ruined the memories. Many fans claim the release of cheesy, over-produced Episodes I-III was the downfall. For me it was when Lucas "remastered" the first released movies by adding new scenes. Why mess with movies that made gazillions of dollars and made millions of fans happy? To insert scenes that had no impact other than to draw attention to the fact that they weren't a part of the originally released films. Great job.
I guess I'm a bit of a chump falling for all of the marketing around Star Wars when I was a kid. For some reason, it felt less forced and more like a pop culture phenomenon. If you've seen any blatant marketing for the Clone Wars cartoons in recent months, you'll note the difference.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
F*ck Rogers?
My posts on BSG led me to searching for video of the original Battlestar series. And oddly enough, that led me to finding a clip of Buck Rogers introducing the future to some old school swearing:
The 1970's were definitely crazy. Wonder if these aired or were from the blooper reels? I'll have to look for more Buck Rogers clips. I watched that all the time back in the day. Probably a crapppy show nowadays, but might bring back some memories. Erin Gray in spandex? Hell-to-the-yes. She was even hot when she was uptight on Silver Spoons!
The 1970's were definitely crazy. Wonder if these aired or were from the blooper reels? I'll have to look for more Buck Rogers clips. I watched that all the time back in the day. Probably a crapppy show nowadays, but might bring back some memories. Erin Gray in spandex? Hell-to-the-yes. She was even hot when she was uptight on Silver Spoons!
Battlestar hyperspeed
I never started watching the new Battlestar Galactica from the beginning and it's one of those shows that you can't ever catch-up on after missing a lot of the beginning. So, here's a BATTLESTAR summary of all 4 seasons in one video. It runs a little long at 13 minutes, but it crams a whole lot of info. into those minutes. Pretty cool show, too bad I missed out on it.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Thundercats ho!
I was a huge Thundercats fan as a kids. Watched the cartoons every afternoon after school. (I'd race home, actually.) Had the action figures with my own Grayskull. When I heard they were making a movie, I hoped they were kidding since it made me think of the Master of the Universe movie with Dolph Lundgren and Courtney Cox from the 80's. Tragic. (Just a heads up, a new He-Man movie is being made with the stop-action technology from "300," which might be cool?) So, when I saw this fan-made video of a Thundercats trailer mock-up, I didn't know what to think. Especially since:
The weird part? The trailer actually looks like a movie Hollywood would put together! And it doesn't look that bad!! Check it out:
1. It features Brad Pitt, Vin Diesel and Hugh Jackman. That's some fuckery there.
2. It steals clips from good sci-fi movies and tv shows (Farscape, LOTR, Pitch Black), which is sacrilege!
The weird part? The trailer actually looks like a movie Hollywood would put together! And it doesn't look that bad!! Check it out:
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Bad-ass name alert: Massimo Marengo
HERE is an article about a new solar system that was discovered that is basically a young version of the Milky Way, so scientists can observe to see how our system may have developed. Ok, cool. But what's really cool? There's a man on our planet named Massimo Marengo and he's not a Cuban bongo player. He's an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass! You know he's the don juan of astronomers with a porn name like that.
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