Good SF

Post by **Omphalos** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:19 pm

Is anything good coming out lately, other than BSG (whenever the fuck that is supposed to start)? I just am not seeing much lately. And no, I dont wanna see Jumper.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:45 pm

Technically, all the super hero films are science fiction, though I don't think that's what you had in mind. I agree Jumper looks bloody awful. There's nothing on the radar of which I'm aware. Kinda sucks. Actually, sci-fi has been on kinda a low for a good number of years. BSG is the first series on television that I've liked in a loooong time. I think the last time I actually followed anything that wasn't cancelled on TV was mid 90's.

Post by **Omphalos** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:14 pm

GamePlayer wrote:Technically, all the super hero films are science fiction, though I don't think that's what you had in mind. I agree Jumper looks bloody awful. There's nothing on the radar of which I'm aware. Kinda sucks. Actually, sci-fi has been on kinda a low for a good number of years. BSG is the first series on television that I've liked in a loooong time. I think the last time I actually followed anything that wasn't cancelled on TV was mid 90's.

I agree with a lot of that, GamePlayer. Except for two shows, the first of which is Lost. That gets even more and more SF every episode, and I have ALWAYS loved that show. As for number two, ST:TNG (*DUCKING!*), seasons 5 and 6, which were awesome SF, I thought. Some of those episodes, like The Inner Light, and Masks I would put up against anything else any day of the week.

As for superhero movies, are you talking about Iron Man, which IIRC is coming up soon?

Post by **SandChigger** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:34 pm

Super heroes. Grrrrr. BAD SF at best.

Unless the F is for Fantasy.

Hmm. Have I ragged on Last Daze of Krympei lately?

Post by **Freakzilla** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:27 pm

http://speedracerthemovie.warnerbros.com/cmp/main.html

I've wanted to do Trixie since I was like 8.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:22 pm

Ompf
Well, I despise Trek, so we'll leave that out. I'm not really sure how to classify Lost. I suppose it's sci-fi, but no one really knows what's going on. I dropped Lost and we already had a topic about that here on AU so I won't go repeating myself.

It's kinda sad to say, but comic book movies have become the new sci-fi. I had a feeling a movement like this was going to happen in mainstream film. I think The Matrix was the last sci-fi film to do really well commercially and then after that it sort of fell apart (excluding Wil Smith films, the Star Wars movies and Terminator 3). I did like Minority Report, but both AI and War of the Worlds were awful. Serenity was basically a fan film that performed poorly at the box office. Of course, I think the 2000s are notorious for some of the worst sci-fi bombs in history like Doom, Battlefield Earth, Final Fantasy The Spirits Within, et al.

Yes, Iron Man is coming up. I'm still on the fence with this one. It's possible it might be good, but Favreau is hit and miss. The one comic book movie to make sure you see this year is definitely The Dark Knight. Nolan is full of win (big fan here). There's also The Incredible Hulk, which sadly I have to go see because I'm a huge fan of Edward Norton. Hellboy 2 is this year (not a fan really, but I do respect Del Toro). X-Files 2 is coming out this year and Wanted will be here in March (starring Children of Dune star James McAvoy).

I'll say that while nothing really interesting is immediately coming up (sorry, wish I had better news), there are several really promising projects in the works:

The Road (2008)
Based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy, Pulitzer prize winning author of No Country for Old Men (good flick!) stars Viggo Mortensen in a post-apocalyptic story of a journey across a burned north america. Directed by John Hillcoat, responsible for the well made The Proposition

Avatar (2009)
James Cameron's return to science fiction. It'll either rock or it'll be the biggest bomb in history.

Of course, I don't suppose I need to tell a fan like yourself about the new Star Trek (2009) movie. I may actually go see it, because I do still like and respect the original series, green women and all

SC
I've really enjoyed some of the super hero films, especially X-Men and Batman Begins. Course, the awful out numbers the good, but how would that be different from any other year?

Freak Z
I love it when anime goes live action in such a spectacularly bad way. It makes things so much easier for me when I try to turn a friend onto to a truly good anime

Post by **Freakzilla** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:39 pm

GamePlayer wrote:Freak Z
I love it when anime goes live action in such a spectacularly bad way. It makes things so much easier for me when I try to turn a friend onto to a truly good anime

I don't care what y'all say, Speed Racer was my hero when I was 7. I can't wait to see it.

Post by **SandChigger** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:27 pm

I didn't mean I don't enjoy watching movies like X-men or Spiderman, only that I'd like once in a while to see a REAL scifi movie that requires you to keep your brain revving, rather than turn it off.

Gadzooks! I'm farting positrons! Look! I CAN FLY!!! UP, up, and...aw, whatever.

Star Dust · Post by **Star Dust** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:45 pm

Freakzilla wrote:
GamePlayer wrote:Freak Z
I love it when anime goes live action in such a spectacularly bad way. It makes things so much easier for me when I try to turn a friend onto to a truly good anime
I don't care what y'all say, Speed Racer was my hero when I was 7. I can't wait to see it.

I'm on board, Freak - bigtime! I've been wanting to do Trixie since before I knew I could do Trixie!!

Post by **Omphalos** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:01 pm

GamePlayer wrote:The Road (2008)
Based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy, Pulitzer prize winning author of No Country for Old Men (good flick!) stars Viggo Mortensen in a post-apocalyptic story of a journey across a burned north america. Directed by John Hillcoat, responsible for the well made The Proposition

Avatar (2009)
James Cameron's return to science fiction. It'll either rock or it'll be the biggest bomb in history.

Im aware of both of these, as well as Battle Angel (if that is still on the books) and I am looking forward to them.

Post by **SandChigger** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:06 pm

Hadn't heard about Avatar, just read the WP page. 3-D huh?

Something about it being set only 200 years in the future and we're already on alien planets?

Yeah, right.

We'll be fucking likely if we have bases on the moon in 200 years, at the rate we're going. So much for plausibility. That's the kind of BS I'm talking about.

Feh.

Mandy · Post by **Mandy** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:07 am

I just read in the paper this morning that Journey to the Center of the Earth will be released this year. They're making it 3-D.. could be interesting. That was one of my favorite books when I was a kid.

http://www.journey3dmovie.com/

Post by **Omphalos** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:31 am

That, is going to suck. Sorry, my dear, but that will be on the Disney channel a month after theatrical release.

Post by **SandChigger** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:38 am

These new 3-D movies...you still gotta wear the funny glasses? There was something in the WP article about Avatar about new projectors being installed, but I wasn't sure if that meant anything significant.

Where's Rob got to?

Post by **Nekhrun** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:42 am

SandChigger wrote:These new 3-D movies...you still gotta wear the funny glasses?

Yeah, but they are easier to steal now than they ever were.

Post by **SandChigger** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:50 am

OK, thanks. That was my major concern.

Mandy · Post by **Mandy** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:19 pm

I never go to the movies anyway.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:39 pm

Mandy wrote:I never go to the movies anyway.

*somewhere, a film fan dies*

How could you?

Mandy · Post by **Mandy** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:42 pm

Sorry.. I live kinda far from the theater and usually the movies are crap, so I've given up.

Post by **Nekhrun** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:04 pm

Mandy wrote: Sorry.. I live kinda far from the theater and usually the movies are crap, so I've given up.

I'm with you. After the first week something's out, if I haven't seen it I usually wait and lose any anticipation I once had for it. I'm so sick of jackasses in theaters kicking chairs and talking I set up a theater in my basement.

Post by **Omphalos** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:21 pm

There is some James MacAvoy thing about spies with telekinesis coming out this summer. It looks kind of Mr & Mrs Smith-ey, and it even has whats-her-name in it. And Morgan Freeman. Looks dumb though.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:34 pm

Omphalos wrote:There is some James MacAvoy thing about spies with telekinesis coming out this summer. It looks kind of Mr & Mrs Smith-ey, and it even has whats-her-name in it. And Morgan Freeman. Looks dumb though.

Uh...

GamePlayer wrote:...and Wanted will be here in March (starring Children of Dune star James McAvoy).

Yeah, it looks kinda lame. Angelina Jolie was the name you were looking for

Post by **Omphalos** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:00 pm

GamePlayer wrote:
Omphalos wrote:There is some James MacAvoy thing about spies with telekinesis coming out this summer. It looks kind of Mr & Mrs Smith-ey, and it even has whats-her-name in it. And Morgan Freeman. Looks dumb though.
Uh...

GamePlayer wrote:...and Wanted will be here in March (starring Children of Dune star James McAvoy).
Yeah, it looks kinda lame. Angelina Jolie was the name you were looking for

Sorry man. I slept for crap last night, now Im running on 3 cylinders.

Post by **SandChigger** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:50 pm

(I don't think I've been to the theatre here in town for close to two years now. They started showing everything dubbed into Japanese. FUCK that.)

Post by **Omphalos** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 2:06 am

In the last five years I have seen three movies in the theater. Spiderman III (waste of fucking time), Children of Men twice, and something else that I liked but cant remember. All of them in Seattle. The theaters around here suck.

Star Dust · Post by **Star Dust** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:37 pm

Omphalos wrote:
GamePlayer wrote:
Omphalos wrote:There is some James MacAvoy thing about spies with telekinesis coming out this summer. It looks kind of Mr & Mrs Smith-ey, and it even has whats-her-name in it. And Morgan Freeman. Looks dumb though.
Uh...

GamePlayer wrote:...and Wanted will be here in March (starring Children of Dune star James McAvoy).
Yeah, it looks kinda lame. Angelina Jolie was the name you were looking for
Sorry man. I slept for crap last night, now Im running on 3 cylinders.

5 cylinders short?

Post by **Omphalos** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:08 pm

Yep, pretty much.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:05 pm

No worries. I doubt that film is going to be worth much thought

Star Dust · Post by **Star Dust** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:15 pm

whenever there's a dearth of good scifi I find I usually go back to some old scifi. I just Netflixed Silent Running. Haven't seen that in ages.

Post by **Omphalos** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:33 am

Star Dust wrote:whenever there's a dearth of good scifi I find I usually go back to some old scifi. I just Netflixed Silent Running. Haven't seen that in ages.

Watched it about three months ago. I was thinking the other day of renting Dark Star. Ever see that?

Post by **SandChigger** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:54 am

Yep. When I was like a sophomore or so?

Should try to track it down, to see if it held up.

I saw Silent Running on one of my movie channels about a year ago, maybe? Still enjoyable, if the basic premise is a bit whack.

Himachil · Post by **Himachil** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:12 am

Wanted looks crap, but it is directed by Timur Bekmambetov - which hopefully counts for something after Nightwatch.

Good SF wise - I just saw a preview for a film called Moon coming in 2009 which is apparently SF of the Silent Running variety and about a man who spends 3 years on the moon...

Post by **Omphalos** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:58 am

I rented When Worlds Collide recently too. Nowhere near as good as the book, but not bad. Someone needs to remake that one.

Mr. Teg · Post by **Mr. Teg** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:22 am

SandChigger wrote:(I don't think I've been to the theatre here in town for close to two years now. They started showing everything dubbed into Japanese. FUCK that.)

No kidding?! That's a first...a local theatre or one of the big one's like Warner?

Post by **SandChigger** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:54 pm

Mr. Teg wrote:
SandChigger wrote:(I don't think I've been to the theatre here in town for close to two years now. They started showing everything dubbed into Japanese. FUCK that.)
No kidding?! That's a first...a local theatre or one of the big one's like Warner?

Prefecture-local, affiliated with one or other of the national chains, so far as I know. They call themselves Teatoru. The head office is in Kohriyama, so they get the good movies and we get the leftovers.

I've called and bitched at people in both offices, but who listens to a round eyes, ya know? (The last time I called they gave me some song and dance about there being more elderly and families-with-small-kids movie-goers here...people who supposed prefer dubbed movies. Whatever.)

chanilover · Post by **chanilover** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:55 pm

Omphalos wrote:There is some James MacAvoy thing about spies with telekinesis coming out this summer. It looks kind of Mr & Mrs Smith-ey, and it even has whats-her-name in it. And Morgan Freeman. Looks dumb though.

Yay!