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.
Things Afoot in Japan
I recently returned from a long trip from Japan and it was an eye opener, to say the least. I visited a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while and as I was there we went to a Japanese SciFi/Anime convention that featured several representatives from several Asian countries. The convention opened my eyes to one main fact: the U.S. is vastly lacking in its creativity of anime and all things scifi. There were over one million selections of anime, 500,000 comic books/manga, and had nearly 25,000 horror/scifi movies (4 of which I saw). The direction, creativity, and all around story telling in and of itself far surpasses that of the U.S. We have all the tools and the genius people to do it, so why don’t we. In essence, the Asian market for anime and manga is rather large, the following larger than the one for college football here in the states. But one thing I took away from the convention was that the next wave of anime, which will inevitably come to the states soon, is taking more of a cultural, literary and social slant (no pun intended as I’m Asian myself). There is more action, and more storyboarding which makes for a more intricate weaving of the story, but will this be embraced in the States. The days of Pokemon are gone and the days of Weavo, Ganjun, and Armoro are on the rise. You undoubtedly haven’t heard of the above, but you soon will and you’ll be treated to something special. Anime caught on pretty quickly here and it was a relatively new concept, but the new wave of anime and manga very well could cause a new social dimension here in the states replacing the old anime. It’s doing exactly that in Japan now. To sum it up, get ready for a cultural revolution. Yes, anime does have the ability to do this. It already has.
An Underrated Book
When people hear or think of science fiction books, they often think of Stephen King novels, Edgar Allen Poe works or the classics like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Bram Stoker’s Dracula. While these aren’t bad choices, there is a wide selection of books that aren’t known or doesn’t have much press. One of these is Olaf Stapledon’s Last and First Men. The book explores a number of species throughout, give or take, two billion years. Our species is the most primitive of the bunch. It is an evolutionary look at species that could take a turn for the worse or the better, depending on how you look at the species’ situation politically, socially, and religiously. Last and First Men is seen as a very scientific book, blended with bits of science fiction. While the book doesn’t explore the religious beliefs of Stapledon, it does provide an in-depth look into religion in an evolved species, or, lack thereof. This book is not to be confused with the Time Machine. The concepts are similar, but Stapledon is more complex in the diversity of humanity. There are many parallels in the book and you must pay close attention to the book’s language. This is a great book to consider putting on your book shelf.
This Writer Capitulates My Thoughts
I wrote on this a few months ago regarding video games-turned-movies. His list found here is about how I would have it. Is there any surprise that Uwe Boll comes up 4 times on this list out of 12? That’s 1/3 of the list for crying out loud. You judge. It’s a pretty fun list, but I have to disagree with him on Silent Hill.
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/worst-videogame-movies/worst-videogame-movies/1372220