Posts Tagged ‘science fiction’
Guest post: Suzie on Red Dwarf
… Space blog or hanging out on Twitter. Suzie is addicted to books and TV, more specifically science fiction and fantasy. She has two teenage kids (when will they leave home and create space for more books and DVDs?) despite claiming to be 18.
Everyone is doing their end of year lists and with only one last film that I’m seeing in the cinema this year left (Sherlock Holmes) I think it might be safe to put my best of list together. I promise tomorrow’s post will not be about movies, but I can’t promise anything for the next day.
Actually that reminds me, if you haven’t had your fill of movie talk you should go and check out the Midnight Movie Club where QYDJ regular Dan and I talk about the Christmas movie Scrooged!
Now this list is kind of in order, certainly the number one film is the number one film for me this year but the others could probably be shuffled depending on my mood 
- Star Trek - Perfect reboot to my most loved of science fiction series, I still remember seeing the very first teaser poster that had the Starfleet/Enterprise insignia against the colours of command and science. Even then I had a really good feeling that it was going to go in the right direction and the film certainly delivered. Can’t wait for a sequel!
- Avatar - All the hype, the long wait and the budget were so worth it. I’ve already declared my undying love for this film.
- Moon - I can’t get over how ridiculously brilliant this film is and what an absolute joy that Sam Rockwell is in his performance. If you didn’t like him before this film then this should convince you as he completely carries the film and is damn good whilst doing so.
- District 9 - OMFG what a great year for science fiction!!! This film was a perfect example of great science fiction examining our own world issues and just setting them in a speculative fictional situation. It was also extraordinary how they introduced a truly unlikeable “hero” that doesn’t make you hate the film.
- Zombieland - I can pretty much take or leave most zombie films now days, whilst zombies are still pretty neat the idea of them is becoming a little over saturated for my liking. But Zombieland was a breath of fresh air with a Ghostbusters homage which honestly would help any film. As zombies films go this was really witty and in my own opinion has dethroned Shaun of the Dead.
Other notable mentions include: Where the Wilds Things Are, The Hangover, Black Dynamite and to show how close it was Up was originally in the list:
Pixar are simply the best at what they do and Up was no different, 3D certainly doesn’t hurt a film but this was just a wonderful tale about how you shouldn’t put your dreams off and even if you do it is never too late to chase them… unless you die, then it’s too late, so go back to the first lesson…
There are probably a bunch more but these are the ones that came to mind.
So what were your favourite films of this year?
What’s it about?
Michael Harlan isn’t having a good day, he just wants to work on his car but his girlfriend dumps him and he needs to hand in an awesome science project or face a fail in science. Harlan then does what anyone would do, breaks into an old air force dumping ground on a date with the class nerd and finds an alien engine that is the key to time and space.
Who’s in it?
Science fiction favourite Dean Stockwell’s son John plays the resident motor head, before he was in this he was in John Carpenter’s Christine (ironically enough one of the other characters describes having seen Christine) and he went on to appear in Top Gun and directing films (such as Into the Blue).
Dennis Hopper is probably the biggest actor in the film and he is Bob Roberts the science teacher and spaced out hippy, it’s very cool too because in this film he wears the same costume he wore in Easy Rider.
Danielle von Zerneck is Ellie Sawyer (the female bookish leading lady) who was also in La Bamba.
Fisher Stevens as Harlan’s best friend Vince Latello is the stand out for me, he was also in Hackers, Super Mario Bros (don’t hold that against him) and in Short Circuit.
How does it hold up?
Surprisingly well actually, I was particularly impressed with the stop motion T-Rex that even today on DVD doesn’t look that bad, certainly not Jurassic Park good but it was the 80s. It definitely is a great example of mid 80s science fiction popcorn films and whilst you are acutely aware of watching an 80s film it is still just as much fun. There are some less than flattering gay references which sound so weird to hear now in a film.
Awesomeness?
Plenty of awesomeness, in fact its cup runneth over with awesomeness. One of my favourite lines comes out of this film, when asked by a police officer why he wears his sunglasses at night Vince answers with “because when you are cool, the sun shines on you 24 hours of the day.”
There are mutants from the future, dinosaurs from the past and some brilliant one liners from the Vince character.
Besides, how often do you get to see a T-Rex ripping up a basketball court?
Why watch it?
Well apart from its above average level of awesomeness and my recommendation alone, it is actually a really fun film, a great example of 80s teen science fiction films and has a really likable cast. There are obvious problems with time travel and how it works but as long as you don’t ponder the temporal mechanics then you’ll enjoy it.
Watch out also for its excellent credits at the end, they don’t make them like that anymore!
