We Need Change We can Believe In
I took a step back and realized that after waffling back and forth between whether the SyFy Channel was going down the tubes or not, is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is it’s unfortunate that we have to watch the Syfy Channel, pre-awesome-new-Friday-lineup. In fact, to me, that’s the only thing that’s redeeming about Syfy Channel. And that channel isn’t available to everyone. I analyzed, I consulted, and I considered some things, but the fact of the matter is, other than Fridays, SyFy Channel is shear bunk. Should we, as Science FIction fans, have something better to help represent our likes…not our dislikes? NBC tried the Chill Network and the quality of that is also subpar. You have FearNet, but the movies on that are low quality B-type movies but there are limits as to what is shown. My ideal channel would have certainly better shows that offer us something every day. The old retreads of shows that didn’t last a season is fine and all, but it gets old. It’s also not worth our time as fans. What should we have? Anything that’s not Syfy, Chill, or FearNet would be a plus.
Science fiction is more than an experiment gone wrong that wreaks havoc on the world. While that is perfectly fine for some audiences, what about the ones who love all aspects of science fiction. The political, religious, social commentary. And not the poorly written and directed fodder of gunk. So, enough of my ranting. My question to you, as science fiction/horror fans, what would you love to see on a science fiction channel? It can be anything and everything. Personally, I would love to see foreign and independent horror films. We get treated to one every week from a different country. There are many things we’re missing from Japan, Germany, Korea, China, etc. and we don’t know about them. I’m in the works with a producer friend of mine who is wanting to develop a science fiction channel that is better than tehe SyFy Channel, etc. so I reach out to you. What kinds of things would you like to see? Come one, come all. I would love to have your thoughts.
Mass Effect 2 is Well Worth It
The much-anticipated Mass Effect 2 alas has come out. It’s incredibly awesome and it should be rented or bought as soon as possible. It’s far better than the first one and more incredible than Resident Evil. It’s more story oriented than action oriented and there are several crucial decisions that you have to make. This game follows the first game and you reprise the role of Commander Shepard. From the opening scene to the final frame this game is awesome. As far as actual game play is concerned it is a little shorter than the first, but it’s still great and shouldn’t be missed. 10 out of 10 for sure. It’s nonstop action that will make you wish the game didn’t end. It does set itself up for a Mass Effect 3 and I already can’t wait.
Double Feature
I had the privilege to watch a double feature one evening and watch a third in advance. Book of Eli, The Lovely Bones and Legion will be reviewed here with a little excitement. Two of the three movies weren’t very good and highly predictable with a questionable cast (perhaps to earn a little extra money on the side). One of them is quite excellent. We’ll start with The Book of Eli:
While this movie does have it’s good action scenes, it lacks a lot: story, originality, dialogue, and writing. Half way through the movie you know what the book is and I won’t spoil anything for you, but the title gives a hint at it. Denzel does a nice job as a blind man, but I would think casting could have been better for his part. I’d settle for a younger Blade-like version of Denzel, but he did okay. Gary Oldman did a bad job acting and being a bad guy. The pace of the story was slow, but predictable and not interesting. I’ve seen post-apocalyptic movies before and they’ve been great (Mad Max) and they keep you guessing and siding with someone or something. Here, you get a dead pulse. 4 stars.
The Lovely Bones: This adaptation to the adultish book was hauntingly good. Marky Mark put on a good performance as did Stanley Tucci. Both individuals I’ll never look at the same again. The lead, played by a virtual unknown, plays a disturbingly good protagonist. This movie sends chills down the spine, be warned. It’s also pretty hard to take in some areas. After all, the book is about a a pedophile who murders children. You’ve been warned. The direction was hauntingly good and the dialog moved on just as well leading you into each scene. The chemistry of the actors worked out really well and this movie, by far, is the best of the bunch. I have to give this an 8.5.
Legion: Stay away from it. It stunk CG was terribly bad, and the acting was worse. Shame on you, Dennis Quaid. Shame on you, Tyrese Gibson. Shame on you Paul Bettany. Watch the Prophecy. It’s the same movie, only better. 2.
Up and Coming Writer you Can’t Miss
Every author had to have their start somewhere. Some took a little longer to get there while some were prodigies and took care of business early on in their career. A.C. Hall, author of This Fire is Mine, is a collection of short stories that touch on just about every emotion we’ve experienced in life, every thought we’ve had about the after life and every feeling we’ve had toward life and death. The book may be a collection of short stories, but each ten of his stories intricately delivers a knock-out blow to our emotions. The storytelling is excellent. If you’ve read Phillip K. Dick, or H.P Lovecraft, then you know how true storytelling is told. While AC Hall doesn’t create a new language or fictitious words true in a fictitious environment he does cleverly compact a novel’s worth of sci fi, fantasy and action in a collection of short stories. The themes in the book aren’t cliched to death, nor are they in any way beaten in the ground. The true-to-form narration guides readers through a sea of uniqueness. A.C. Hall is also author of the novella The Path, and full length novel Pictures at an Exhibition. Hall is a writer that is sure to hit it big one day. He has many more novels ready to pour out. You can buy This Fire is Mine from Amazon.
Daybreakers Broke a Mold
Daybreakers isn’t your typical vampire movie. This movie does transcend the genre a whole lot, though the typical vampire elements are there. Sure, there’s the neck biting and the aversion to the sun, but the plot is a little more different than other vampire movies. Humans as the one’s being hunted isn’t so much a cliche in the genre, but the fight for survival against perilous odds, is. However, that’s not the real point of the movie. In a role reversal of sorts, the movie makes clear that the world is overrun; rather, turned by vampires, but really this movie could do away with them in the first place and the meanings of the movie would still be the same. Replace vampires with zombies and you have the same movie. Replace vampires with upper-middle class workers you have the same movie. The list goes on. This movie is a special “breed” in and of itself. The vampires are just an end to the social means this movie is discussing.
In a nutshell, Ethan Hawke is a rogue vampire looking for a cure for vampirism and befriends humans in the process. His loyalties are torn, but one of the themes in the movie is can you go back to where you came from. Digest that for a minute. Anyway, this movie is pretty good. I expected it to be a typical vampire movie with lots of blood and gore and a cliched battle between human and nonhuman. Surprisingly each character (even the “minor” ones) played an important role, vampire or not. Not one minute of the film was unnecessary. It all was and is perfect for a change of pace. The only downside I would give this movies is the ultra creepy Willem Dafoe. Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) plays a great bad guy. I hated his character from the start, but you kind of grow to like him, believe it or not. Go see this movie. It’s well worth it. Sadly, this movie isn’t highly advertised but the movie is refreshing change of pace that does have an extended meaning than what you see on screen.
It’s fantastically artistic in a directorial point of view. Read into it what you will, but the movie will definitely surprise you. I give this movie a 9.
A Look into a Huge 2010
I guess great things come in decade increments because 2010 promises to be a big year as far as what the scifi/horror genre is going to offer. From the blockbuster movies to the new “reimaging” of the Syfy Channel, there is a lot to like about what this year is going to present. First, the movies are going to be amazing, starting with Book of Eli, then the much-anticipated Inception. Daybreakers looks to impress, too.
The San Diego Comicon promises to be one of the biggest ever and rightfully so. Last year’s Comicon hosted approximately 140,000 people and it’s going to grow as it has over the last decade. The hours and numbers of days will remain the same, but there are a few surprises that are up the sleeves of the organizers. (Details to come later.) Speaking of Conventions, there will be scifi/horror conventions debuting in Austin, TX; Des Moines, IA, Oklahoma City, OK; Tacoma, WA; and Roanoke, VA. These are the ones that are known, at least. More details to follow once I get exact dates (right now all of them are tentative for the fall and summer).
The Syfy Channel will be up to their usual tricks, but there are more miniseries that will be available as the year goes on. They had a hit success with Alice, and they are banking on that success to have a big year. Also, you can’t go wrong with the lineup of Stargate: SGU, Sanctuary and Caprica. You’ll also witness the return of…
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg because there a lot of things going on. From great movies to intriguing new releases in books and magazines, this year will be one that is hard to surpass in greatness, guaranteed. Stay tuned for detailed programming and schedules for movies, shows, conventions, and book releases here.
Inception Trailer 1 Out
This one still doesn’t reveal a whole lot, but it still has a mysterious twinge in it that makes it just that much more interesting. I can say this for sure: don’t listen to rumors online that claim to have “leaked” the script. I can with confidently that the common rumors are incorrect. Check out the trailer here.
Avatar: Simply the Best Movie this Decade
James Cameron hit a homerun with this movie. Cameron’s comeback with an epic is capped off with a movie that very well could smash box office records. He’s come a long way since Terminator and many were left wondering if he could ever duplicate that success. I believe he has. Avatar, starring Sam Worthington, explores a warring faction between humans and the Na’vi, but this is more than an action film that has tons of explosions. There is a story behind all of the action, though that’s hard to imagine with a movie like this. If you look past the shooting and the explosions, there’s still a movie worth watching. Sully (Worthington) regains use of his legs as an Avatar, and is torn between his mission and what’s right. Throughout the movie there is a constant battle of the psyche and the movie moves in that direction. Right or wrong, good or bad: the classic inner dwelling that overcomes many of us. This focus on that all the while adding in subtle religious and political themes makes this movie worth the price of admission, even in 3-D. Watching it in 2-D was one thing, but 3-D is something special. So as not to give anything away, expect the following: Great dialog, clear and concise direction, believable characters, emotional involvement, action, adventure, great effects, excellent screenplay, and last but not least, balance. This movie does have it all. You’ll be in it the movie for nearly three hours, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Caprica to Premier on Syfy Channel
For those fans of BSG, there is hope. Caprica (if you missed the web series or don’t own it on DVD rent it or see), will premier on Friday, January 22 at 9 ET. It is effectively a prequel to BSG and there is alot to like about it. Both leads (antagonists) play a wonderful role, but that’s not where this will be successful. Caprica will give BSG fans new hope but it will also add to a potent Friday night lineup. For more information on Caprica, you can go to syfy.com and check on the official site’s link. It’s an effective way to get caught up, but the series looks to stay around for a long time. There is a lot to like about the new Friday evening lineup and Caprica will help bring a new look to the Syfy channel being put back-to-back with Stargate: Universe. January 22. Mark your calendars.
Uncharacteristic Thriller
There are thrillers and there are THRILLERS. Inside is a movie that follows a woman who is late in her pregnancy dealing with plenty of issues. A gruesome introductory scene that involves a car wreck is pretty shocking, but it’s a setup for the entire movie. We zoom in to present day to discover her husband and other people in the car wreck died. She was the only survivor and that she was pregnant. A series of strange events happen afterward, but not in the supernatural way. The lead’s pregnancy is a huge point in the movie, however.
This movie takes on an eerie feeling much like Haute Tension (High Tension in English), but it doesn’t quite have the strange twist at the end. What Inside provides audiences is a a topsy turvy reaction to the character. There’s nothing supernatural about it–or does it? The direction of this aspect of the film is incredible. There are no jump out of your seat moments, nor are there overly abundant gory scenes for the sake of being gory. It’s a smart thriller and believe it or not, there’s not a lot of dialog in it which can often water down the plot.
Toward the end of the movie you don’t know what you want to think. If there was ever a movie without a loophole, this one’s it. These aspects combined with the intricate direction and storytelling makes this a fantastic movie. It’s worth reviewing. Caution: the movie is in French with English subtitles. There was no dubbing option on the DVD.