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Science Fiction: Films & TV

GNC said:
I have to strongly disagree that most SF made before 1977 was crap, there were many great works in the field made from Metropolis in the 1920s onwards, many with mindbending concepts - The Incredible Shrinking Man is one of the most cosmic movies ever made, for instance, and special effects don't hold it back at all.
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At its (original) heart, SF is about speculative concept(s), not the cinematic window dressing. A film isn't good SF just because it's got ray weapons and / or fancy spaceships. Some of the best speculative SF films and TV series (e.g., Twilight Zone) have very modest - even mundane - settings and minimal special effects.

I happened to re-watch X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes (Ray Milland; 1963):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X:_The_Man_with_the_X-ray_Eyes

... earlier this weekend. I was greatly impressed by the fact this movie focused on the ethical / moral issues associated with how one would live with, or might exploit, X-ray vision rather than one-off gags or special effects (though the film is noted for the effectiveness of its simplistic FX). To me, this is real science fiction, whereas mere space opera (no matter how sumptuously presented) is not.
 
This looks crap ... Sometimes up is down .. sometimes when you lose you win .. sometimes etc etc ...

 
EnolaGaia said:
I happened to re-watch X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes (Ray Milland; 1963):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X:_The_Man_with_the_X-ray_Eyes

... earlier this weekend. I was greatly impressed by the fact this movie focused on the ethical / moral issues associated with how one would live with, or might exploit, X-ray vision rather than one-off gags or special effects (though the film is noted for the effectiveness of its simplistic FX). To me, this is real science fiction, whereas mere space opera (no matter how sumptuously presented) is not.
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Roger Corman's X is a gem, and a perfect example to choose to illustrate how a great idea is worth many millions in FX budgets. I don't need to tell you the rumours of the original ending...

At the end after Milland tears his eyes out, he screams "I CAN STILL SEE!"

...although that might have been a legend Stephen King made up for his Danse Macabre book.

Space opera has more in common with the epic fantasy genre, for me. More about the adventure than the speculative fiction. But there's room for both.
 
An extended trailer for Logan's Run made especially for distributors:

Hence alternate takes, different music, deleted bits, and the end of the bloody movie.
 
What was the verdict on The Handmaid's Tale? Overall, very solid adaptation, got the repression of a land out of control with religious mania pretty much spot on. Special mention to Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, superb as a nasty piece of work who's relishing her petty power trip. Not sure we needed a season 2, but we're getting one.
 
GNC said:
An extended trailer for Logan's Run made especially for distributors:

Hence alternate takes, different music, deleted bits, and the end of the bloody movie.
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Now that's another famous film I've never seen.

Is it only cool if you were 'there at the time'?
Or is it worth a watch?
 
Logan's Run was a hit, then Star Wars arrived the following year and made it look very old hat indeed. It's very cheesy, but as an adventure it passes muster, as an example of California/Hollywood's obsession with youth and vitality it's very telling. Some find the idea of a manufactured future utopia with only white people in it rather sinister, which may or may not have been intentional.

Or, Jenny Agutter taking her clothes off again may make it more palatable. The 1970s, there.
 
The Stan Romanek Story is on Netflix
about a guy who claims to have been abducted by aliens.
 
GNC said:
What was the verdict on The Handmaid's Tale? Overall, very solid adaptation, got the repression of a land out of control with religious mania pretty much spot on. Special mention to Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia, superb as a nasty piece of work who's relishing her petty power trip. Not sure we needed a season 2, but we're getting one.
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I think to complete the story, more so than Atwood intended, we need a Season 2. What happens when/if the Theocracy is overthrown? Theres still the declining birthrate, environmental collapse, foreign wars.
 
Yithian said:
Now that's another famous film I've never seen.

Is it only cool if you were 'there at the time'?
Or is it worth a watch?
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It's been on telly a few times.
It's worth watching, I think. There are a few scenes and memes in it that catch the attention.
I remember reading the book about a year before it came out as a film. I also remember thinking 'that'd make a good film'.

Edit: It was sufficiently successful that there was a spin-off TV series in the 70s.
 
GNC said:
I have to strongly disagree that most SF made before 1977 was crap, there were many great works in the field made from Metropolis in the 1920s onwards, many with mindbending concepts - The Incredible Shrinking Man is one of the most cosmic movies ever made, for instance, and special effects don't hold it back at all.
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They still haven't done a remake of Soylent Green. Heston's sci-fi trilogy of Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green and The Omega Man are great movies.
Westworld and Rollerball also pass the 'Not Crap' test.
 
Anything with Heston in it is not crap, true.
 
I've got to recommend Idaho Transfer, Peter Fonda's weird lo-fi sci-fi flick. Scientists find a way to travel in time, but they discover some kind of apocalypse has decimated humanity. The young people they have traveling back & forth think they can maybe repopulate the earth, but most of them don't know the time travel makes them sterile. Also, the repeated time travel situations cause micro destruction of the body and can lead to illness & death if you make too many trips. If you like slower, thoughtful and weird films, this is definitely for you!

 
Tonight on Talking Pictures, Sky 343, Freeview 81, Virgin 445, Freesat 306

Wed 09 Aug 17 22:00 The Final Programme 1974. Sci-Fi. Director: Robert Fuest. Stars Jon Finch, Jenny Runacre, Sterling Hayden & Patrick Magee. Scientists believe they can move humanity to the next level by recreating a perfect human.

Haven't seen this movie in years. Talking Pictures has a habit of turning up long unseen movies - although most of the content is ancient British movies that look like a Harry Enfield sketch.

Schedule here http://talkingpicturestv.co.uk/schedule/
 
Last night they had the quite bizarre 'Beast in the Cellar', part dopey old dears bitching about each other (Flora Robson and Beryl Reed), part stalk and slash horror. Worth a watch if it appears again.
 
This was a really interesting film overall if you like the aesthetics of 70's sci-fi, weird governmental conspiracies and synth music... the final end is a little weak, but overall worth your time!

 
Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets: Luc Besson surpasses himself with the beautiful imagery in this fim. These is a moving opening sequence where the successor to the ISS grows over the years, visitors being greeted, eventually the visitors are Aliens. In the 24th Century it is moved across the Galaxy, far from Earth and becomes Alpha, The City Of A Thousand Planets. home to many Alien Species as well as Humans.

There is a quest for an animal which is a power sources, an interstellar conspiracy, battles with aliens, wonderfully designed monsters and Aliens. Sadly the plot and script let the rest of the film down. Tastes great like some decaff coffees but lacks a lasting kick. 6/10.

 
CarlosTheDJ said:
Does it have the charm of The Fifth Element?
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I liked it quite a bit! I think the film does one thing wrong, and that is begining where it does. If it started with the heroes instead of "another group" facing a catastrophe, then you'd have more mystery about the intentions of this "other group" when they are encountered again. But there are great visuals and I actually liked the leads. I remember Fifth Element got pilloried by fans in the US and it took it about 3-5 years to really become revered. I think the same thing will happen for Valerian.
 
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Peripart said:
Tim Burton's version of Planet Of The Apes gets your vote, then (don't worry, I like it!)?
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It was OK, yeah. Clever of them to bring ol' Heston in it as an ape.
 
MrRING said:
This was a really interesting film overall if you like the aesthetics of 70's sci-fi, weird governmental conspiracies and synth music... the final end is a little weak, but overall worth your time!

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What I liked about that film was it was the director's attempt to put on film what he thought was on horror and adult-rated VHS he would see at the rental store as a kid. When you view it that way, the slasher movie ending makes more sense.
 
GNC said:
What I liked about that film was it was the director's attempt to put on film what he thought was on horror and adult-rated VHS he would see at the rental store as a kid. When you view it that way, the slasher movie ending makes more sense.
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Whoever did the wigs in that film needs to be fired.
 
This could be good!
REMEMORY explores the unexplained death of Gordon Dunn (Martin Donovan), a visionary scientific pioneer whose body is found shortly after the unveiling of his newest work: a device able to extract, record and play a person’s memories. Gordon’s wife, Carolyn (Julia Ormond – Mad Men, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Legends of the Fall), retreats into her house and cuts off contact with the outside world when a mysterious man (Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Station Agent) shows up. After stealing the machine, he uses it to try and solve the mystery, beginning an investigation of memories that lead him to unexpected and dangerous places.
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