The #1 Thing I Want on Extended Cut or Special Edition DVDs
By “Extended Cut” or “Special Edition,” I am referring to any DVD release which includes additional footage in the movie itself or special features which otherwise are not available in previous versions. And what is it that I want from these special editions? The Theatrical Version! One of the things that drives me up the […]
10 Things I’ve Learned From Prometheus (Or, Prometheus: A Testament to the Stupidity of Mankind)
Because everyone is poking fun at Prometheus, I’ve decided to join in on the festivities. Here goes: 1. Only an American-based expedition could be based solely on the personal beliefs of someone claiming themselves to be a scientist. The Evidence: Shaw and Holloway, the two archaeologists responsible for the Prometheus mission, have nothing but a […]
Retro Nostalgia: The Fifth Element (1997) and the Legacy of Camp
The Fifth Element is one of those films that the genre community loves not because it is a good film, but because it’s actually pretty awful, and intentionally so. At least, that’s how I interpret it. It has always seemed like a film that deliberately sought out science fiction’s pension for high-flying, mythological fantasy (in […]
Retro Nostalgia: Alien (1979) and the Uncanny Valley
Having recently viewed and podcasted about Ridley Scott’s prequel, Prometheus, I decided it would be a great idea to revisit the Alien franchise by re-watching Ridley Scott’s original: Alien. Released in 1979, the film remains one of the most terrifying science fiction movies to hit the big screen, despite the obvious dating in its technology […]
Retro Nostalgia: Sunshine (2007) and Science Fiction’s Supreme Optimism
I’ve argued before that science fiction is a naturally optimistic genre. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that SF almost always imagines a future in which we still exist. While watching Sunshine, however, my position became more nuanced. It’s not that we are still alive; it’s that we’ve survived. Sunshine is […]
Retro Nostalgia: The Fascinating Paradox of Sphere (1998) (Or, Why Science Fiction Makes Us Think)
I recently re-watched the 1998 film adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Sphere (starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson, among others). What fascinated me about the film was that despite all its flaws, it is still an example of science fiction doing what it does best: explore the big ideas (Wikipedia tells me this is […]