The Sci Fi Guy

Two of the staples for the last twenty years of cinematic science fiction have been the Aliens’ and the Predators. Then came AVP (Aliens versus Predator, for those not in the “know”), and audiences everywhere walked out of the theater asking themselves, “Did that just happen?”

Well, looks like we’re in for some more dueling monsters, this time in a setting that reminds much more of the original Predator storyline (aka: foolish humans in a forest with guns). Let’s face it, the aliens are the ultimate bad guys, and the Predators … well … let’s hope they at least give us the time of day every once in a while. I’ll be curious how the explain away the ability for the Aliens to basically create thousands of offspring immediately. Christmas is looking good this year!

Warning: This is an R-Rated Trailer, meaning it contains profanity and explicit visual violence.

On a side note: Am I the only one that visually connects the queen and worker Aliens (Ridley Scott style) to the Hive Queen and her workers represented in Ender’s Game (and subsequent novels)? Perhaps it’s just my lack of imagination, but whenever I picture the buggers, I picture something that resembles these creatures.

Mankind’s future is pretty bleak – extraordinarily bleak in fact – in the movie Children of Men, adapted from P.D. James’ story of the same name. In the year 2009, the last child is born, and since that day, for unknown reasons, women across the globe have become infertile.

The movie begins with a television reporter announcing that the youngest person on the planet, “Baby Diego” has been killed at age 18. Clive Owen meanwhile is busy trying to buy a cup of coffee, and as he leaves the coffee shop the grim state of the world is revealed: a bomb explodes at the coffee shop that he was just visiting.

From there, Children of Men portrays an Earth that has essentially given up on itself. Societies everywhere are crumbling, and England is trying to hold on to the last of it’s civilization. Immigrants are hunted and captured to travel to terrible prison camps where hope is in short supply. Theo, played by Clive Owen, finds all of it a little absurd – he doesn’t care about the decline of the world, and his apathy is only emboldened by the threat to his life and the death of Baby Diego. However, his ex-wife turned rebel “terrorist” played by Julianne Moore needs his help.

What follows is the tale of our anti-hero Theo discovering that there may yet be hope for humanity, in the form of a pregnant immigrant that desperately needs to reach the mythical Human Project to keep her baby protected from the governments of the Earth.

Children of Men is a unique movie, in both cinematic qualities and also the storyline itself. It portrays a planet in decay similar to stories like 1984 and V for Vendetta. There is a certain assumption that at some point, if humanity faces extinction that the whole system will simply break down. This is a pessimistic view of the future that has actually be echoed in dozens of stories in numerous mediums.

From a visual standpoint, Children of Men features some awesome cinematography courtesy of nonstop one-camera scenes. It’s rare to see a movie that maintains a single camera for such a long shot, including everything from planning a getaway to running away from enemies while trying to jumpstart a car, or running through a prison camp under attack from nearly every angle. These shots give Children a gritty feeling, and it also speaks volumes to the special effects coreography that had to go in to making the entire film work. My only complaint about nearly the entire movie is a scene where Michael Caine puts on some “Zen” music that is waaay too loud for the rest of the soundtrack, and is filled with shrieks and screams. It’s a crappy scene, and if you’re in a quiet neighborhood like I am, you try not to alarm the neighbors with screaming soundtracks.

Overall, I enjoyed Children of Men, and I think I owe it to myself to put the book on my reading list as well to see how things compare.

Well, wandering the web a little bit this morning, I stumbled across a preview for a new Will Smith movie, titled I Am Legend. Considering I’ve been a fan of a lot of Will Smith movies (and he does have a flair for science fiction: think Independence Day, Men In Black, I Robot), I decided to check it out. Apple is hosting the preview trailer (click to view).

Then, like I normally do, I checked out IMDB and Hollywood Stock Exchange for some more scoops on the movie itself. It looks like it’s actually a scifi horror flick adapted from a novel of the same title written by Richard Matheson, who also is given writing credits on the screenplay.

Essentially, the storyline goes that there is a plague or virus that wipes out all of humanity, with the exception of our hero Robert Neville (Will Smith), who spends years uninterrupted and searching for other survivors. It turns out, though, that the survivors he’s been seeking are actually (wait for it) … bloodsucking vampires! It looks like this movie is going to have many veins of storyline similar to Dawn of the Dead, and 28 Days Later. I have faith in Will Smith though, he tends to keep his movies relatively light and frankly he’s a fun actor to watch.

On Amazon’s page for the original book, there are some interesting influential footnotes by some pretty famous names, including:

“The most clever and riveting vampire novel since Dracula.” –Dean Koontz

“I think the author who influence me the most as a writer was Richard Matheson. Books like I Am Legend were an inspiration to me.” –Stephen King

Thinking that this book has influenced these two multimillionaire authors as well as numerous film adaptations, I think I’ll have to add it to my reading list. Of course, I’ll be sure to add more information about the movie as it becomes available. Also, while the original release was to be in November, it looks like it’s actually going to be released in mid-December.

Edit: Here’s the trailer (you can still go to Apple for the HD one)

There are numerous factions and sub genres of science fiction, and one of them that’s just emerging in the American mainstream are Japanese animation movies, called Anime. One of the most defining movies of this caliber of film is the revolutionary flick Ghost in the Shell. Ghost is essentially a cyberpunk story set about 50 years in to the future, where machine and human have merged together so seamlessly it’s almost impossible to tell where the human ends and the machine begins. The story centrals in on a character called the Major – she’s a tough android ready to fight for her Section 9 department (responsible for counter-terrorism).

The story begins with an assassination, and progresses through two distinct story lines. The first storyline is the tale of how a criminal hacker mastermind named only The Puppetmaster infiltrates the security of numerous government and security installations. Section 9, the counter-terrorism group, is forced to try every technique to capture this elusive individual that can literally capture an individuals mind and use it to hack in to more and more facilities. The second and underlying story line, however, is where Ghost in the Shell really shines – focusing on what constitutes reality. This is a tale about the Major, and how she copes with the fact that she is, for all accounts, real, yet with a manufactured body, can she be considered alive? Does she have a soul?

Ghost in the Shell is a Japanese story, so the dubbed version does lose some of the dialogue. Things sound strange sometimes – character pauses last far too long, and the dialogue itself is truncated and rather elementary. There’s also a lot of cartoon nudity. The creators of the movie clearly love to draw breasts, so if you’re uncomfortable with the drawn female form, this might not be the right title for you. And make no mistake, just because it’s animated does not mean that it’s suitable for children. Ghost in the Shell features ample doses of nudity, profanity, and extreme violence. Yet, for all it’s quirks and flaws, this is really good science fiction.

Trailer for Ghost in the Shell

The animation and overall visual polish of Ghost in the Shell is astounding. Most of the frames were drawn painstakingly by hand, and it’s incredible how accurate things like lighting, reflections, and human movement can be. Of course, there are some awesome designs in the props and characters as well, including things like high-tech helicopters, mechanized tanks, and fingers that expand to reveal dozens of typing “mini fingers”

If you’re looking for something outside of the normal live-action science fiction movie, give Ghost in the Shell a shot.

It’s hard to admit sometimes when you enjoy a guilty pleasure that essentially everyone has said time and time again is bad for you. The world of Science Fiction is no better off – critics from all sides have weighed in on some titles and rendered them meritless, stupid, and downright bad. One of those examples that comes to mind is Kevin Costner’s post-apocalypse The Postman.

First off, the truth. I liked The Postman even before I knew what a single reviewer or friend had to say about it. Once I did realize that it was panned as a goofy post apocalypse story of essentially zero merit, I shared my enjoyment of this film with only a select few. Well, this Internet thing changes who those “select few” are, and so it’s without the guilt and shame of childhood that I say once and for all, “I liked that movie!”

Okay, there’s really nothing spectacular about The Postman. It delivers a sappy story about postmen, which I still don’t quite see as being the most important link from one town to the other. It seems so much easier to believe that radios would’ve survived the devestation that wiped out our future history. But, alas, if its postmen that are needed to restore order and faith in the future, so be it.

What Postman delivers is a couple hours of suspend-your-belief-of-what-the-future-even-after-an-apocalypse should be like story. The good-versus-evil between Costner and Will Patton (as the silly General Bethlehem: former copy machine salesman turned war monger) is enjoyable, since Patton delivers a performance that kinda makes you like the crazy leader of the war tribe he’s set up. Just like Dennis Hopper’s “smokers” of Waterworld, the Holnists are the archetype “stormtroopers”. I’m pretty sure their slogan would be “be bad because someone has to.”

Okay, it’s a junky movie. It’s a guilty sin. It’s ordering cheesecake when you’re on a diet. Sure you shouldn’t have it, and even more you shouldn’t enjoy it. But it’s there and sometimes you just need some mindless joy. Thanks, Kevin. Got time for a sequel?

One thing that’s always puzzled me about the world of film fandom is the question, “Why don’t the film’s writers share more of the glory?” It strikes me as odd that we glorify the actors, and the directors, and occassionally the producers, but rarely the writers. After all, a film is only as good as the story that set it in motion, right? So here’s a look at some of the best science fiction screenwriters of our time, and what they might be up to next.

George Lucas (see his latest projects here)

The creator of Star Wars, both the riveting classic originals and the less-than-spectacular “prequel” trilogies. George is actually a fixture of my own home town of Marin County, and his Skywalker ranch is known for producing some of the  greatest special effects (Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Star Wars, etc…)

Looking in to his production future, it looks like he’s working feverishly on a variety of projects, including several Star Wars television series’, as well as a new Indiana Jones. Jones may not be science fiction, but Lucas’ knack for creating great characters and storylines isn’t forgotten. It looks, though, like Lucas has gotten out of the writing game and is staying in place almost entirely as a producer nowadays. Considering how (the new) Star Wars movie dialogue panned out – maybe that’s a good thing.

David Webb Peoples (see his latest projects here)

There are basically two movies that earn David Webb Peoples the right to sit next to George Lucas. The first one is the Phillip K. Dick inspired Blade Runner, and the second is the reality-fiction / time-travel dark tale 12 Monkeys. Okay. I almost kept Peoples off the list here because of his involvement with Soldier (Kurt Russel with a gun on a planet with bad guys that can’t hit anything).

Peoples earns a spot on the list here because he does have a strong background in focusing on the science fiction genre. Obviously Blade Runner was not his original story, but the screenplay adaptation from the Dick saga was good in most respects.

Alex Proyas (see his latest projects here)

Here’s another example of a writer who’s stories have heavily influenced the world of science fiction storytelling. Proyas has been involved in several sci-fi hits, including writing Dark City, as well as directing I, Robot, and The Crow. I suspect if Proyas has the ability to create a story like Dark City, if he sets his mind to writing another science fiction screenplay, we’ll all be in for a compelling story and visually detailed movie.

You can also see what Proyas is up to on the entertaining Hollywood Stock Exchange.

Rising Prospects

There are a couple of screenwriters that I think might become the “next big thing”. Charles Leavitt was one of the writers on K-PAX and Blood Diamond, two very well received movies. I expect if he gets involved in more science fiction, it’ll be worthwhile. Another writer (and now Producer) that looks like his star is on the way up is Roberto Orci. Orci is the top-line screenwriter for Transformers: The Movie, and has also been pegged to write the latest Star Trek film, another SF flick titled 2012: The War for Souls, and he worked on several episodes of Alias as well.

Summer is officially right around the corner, and with it comes a few new releases certain to appeal to the science fiction lover in all of us. So what does this summer have in store for SciFi’ers?

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Short & Sweet: The comic book foursome, altered by space radiation, returns to face the Silver Surfer (who, in at least this one, plays a villian).

SciFi-Guy.com Prediction: I’m just not convinced that the Fantastic Four have the staying power of the X-Men. The first movie was lame, and I’m not expecting this to be a step above that. If anything will save this movie, it’ll be some great effects courtesy of the ‘surfer.

Check out the trailer.

Transfomers

Short & Sweet: These cartoon and toys from the 80′s decide they’d rather face off on the big screen in an age when computer animation can actually keep up with them.

SciFi-Guy.com Prediction: I’ll admit it. I’m a child of the 80′s, and the Transformers were part of that childhood. Same with about 50 million other movie-going age potential viewers. From the trailers & visual effects that I’ve seen previewed so far, this should be an absolute summer blockbuster. Don’t expect anything from the storyline, but Michael Bay will certainly give this movie his classic all-in visual style. Expect huge box office numbers and an entertaining couple hours.

Check out the Transformers trailer here.

The Invasion

The Short & Sweet: A sorta-Invasion of the Body Snatchers centered around a mom trying to protect her kid.

The SciFi-Guy.com Prediction: It sounds like there’s an interesting story to tell here, but they’re keeping it pretty tight-lipped. Not even a trailer to boot yet. The cast includes Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, so at least there’s a little strength in character. This should be an emerging hit, but not an all-out invasion.

Resident Evil: Extinction

The Short & Sweet: Milla Jovovich returns to the Resident Evil sequence with an escape-from-the-bad-zombies tale spanning the country.

The SciFi-Guy.com Prediction: How did this get budgeted? How do these things make it past the opening meeting when smart people with a lot of money are sitting around keeping their money to themselves? I don’t get it. Resident Evil 1 and 2 were miserable. Video games don’t translate well to screen, and these are no exception. I’m not even going to rent this on DVD, I’ll wait for the SciFi Channel premier 3 years from now.

Regardless, check out the trailer here.

Beyond those few titles, there’s not much hitting the big screen for science fiction fan (and I’ve poured through the coming soon sheets that I can find). My personal prediction though, is that Transformers will be the overall blockbuster of the summer, proving once again that if theaters want to fill up in summertime, it better be a huge Science Fiction hit.

Phillip K. Dick’s roster of adaptations made-to-screen is impressive. The likes of Total Recall, Blade Runner, Minority Report, and others have been squeezed from Dick’s stories. Honestly, I’ll admit, I have yet to actually read one of Phillip K. Dicks’ stories, but obviously his impact has been felt across the science fiction world. His interest in reality and the varying degrees of it are both fascinating and unnerving. Especially as we enter a “virtual” age where individuals are transplanted from tangible states of reality to intangible “virtual” existances, it’s no suprise that his stories have become the groundwork for reality-oriented science fiction.

I ordered A Scanner Darkly on my Blockbuster account with the hopes that it would be more than just a visual romp in the park, and in many respects got more than I expected.

From the onset, it was clear that the visual style, the raytraced cartoon-esque imagery, would not necessarily detract from the story. You could tell which characters were which, and the animation itself lent to the drug-induced reality the viewer was seeing in our future (7 years from now is the official premise).

The story revolves around the central character, “Fred” and his alternative counterpart, Bob Arctor. They are both the same, yet cannot seem to identify each other’s life. Fred wears a suit of camoflage to protect his undercover status within the supposed drug running organization that Bob Arctor is in the middle of. And the root of the evil in the world: Substance D, an ultra addictive narcotic that plagues its users with anxiety and distorts the two sides of the brain from having coherent thoughts pass between one another. In this respect, it is why Arctor doesn’t know he’s Fred, and vice versa.

However, all is not as it appears within the police force that Fred works for.

After watching A Scanner Darkly, I was still in a pseudo euphoria myself for the visual imagery. The immersion and efforts the filmmakers took to create the world of the not-so-distant future was engrossing. And frankly, the not-so-distant future looks like the present, but with more abilities to surveil our neighbors and supposed suspects.

I think Phillip K. Dick wasn’t looking to create a science fiction story here. To me, it was more of an ominous big-brother story, highlighting a future where drugs become so potent that there is no simple way to simply walk away from it’s use. The “who’s watching who?” storyline also reminds me of a modern day warning fable of our very own Patriot Act. Even within the book, the drug itself is characterized as a weapon of terrorists – destroying our society from within.

This was not the groudbreaking redemption story that I guess I was hoping for. In most respects, everything that was set up in the first quarter of the movie came full circle in the end. Keanu Reeves was bearable, but between all the actors and actresses, there was nothing specifically notable about their performances. Woody Harrelson was … well … crazy. Robert Downey Jr. was perhaps the most watchable character because perhaps his own life of drug use and problems had inspired him to perform in this movie.

All together, A Scanner Darkly was a dark and somber movie. Worth seeing once, and maybe a 2nd time to catch any lost statements or actions along the way.