Cult sci-fi movies
quote:
Originally posted by DalekTek790:
[b][i]The Dark Crystal[/i] (1982)[/b]
I didn’t *hate* this film, which is about all I can say for it. It’s not bad, really, but not good enough to merit mention, IMHO. Just leaves a bland taste in my mouth.
quote[quote][b][i]Dr. Strangelove[/i] (1964)[/b][/quote]
Hell has frozen over. I actually agree with DT on something. Mark your calendar, as one of the seven seals has just been broken. This is one of the greatest films of all time. I’d shy away from calling it a “cult” film, as it has a fairly sizable following, and is at least respected, if not exactly loved, among informed cinephiles and is a stunning critical success to this day. Thanks to a bang-up script by Terry Southern and expressive (bordering on expressionistic) direction from the late, great Stanley Kubrick, it is a prime example of successful cinematic satire. Add top-notch performances from Peter Sellers (in 3 roles), Slim Pickens, George C. Scott and a supporting cast of wonderful actors (including James Earl Jones and Keenan Wynn), and you’ve got a movie that will last until the final bomb falls.
quote[quote][b][i]Tron[/i] (1982)[/b][/quote]
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. I couldn’t disagree more with this choice. Lousy, half-baked script *may* have been an inspiration to and been inspired by cyberpunk fiction, but is less than the sum of its parts. It looks great, but suffers from the same problems that befell all Disney productions in the 1970’s. Filmmaking by committee bringing about unsatisfactory product. The DVD should be re-released with an editing function that allows you to remove all non-CGI-enhanced scenes, so you can turn the sound down and put on an album while some decent eye candy runs on-screen. See also [i]The Black Hole[/i], though it looks awful and features even worse performances.
quote[quote][b][i]Godzilla[/i] (1998)[/b][/quote]
Everyone involved should be shot on sight.
Here’s a history lesson. The 1956 Japanese film [i]Gojira[/i] addressed symbolically the collective guilt felt after WWII and the horrors of Hiroshima. It depicted a rarely-seen giant horror visiting destruction on a people who had created it with H-bomb tests. Detailed, intricately created miniatures stood in for Tokyo as a vast punishment was visited upon them. It was a sobering, serious, poetic and important film. 42 years later, the braniacs that told you that you could take down an alien threat with a computer virus because they were Mac-compatible in [i]Independence Day[/i] decided to remake it. They ignored the hopes of fans worldwide that this beloved science fiction icon would be brought up-to-date (though the original studios had done this successfully in Japan over the course of the previous 13 years), and threw out everything that was worthwhile about the original. Where the original was serious, this one gave us silly parodies of Siskel and Ebert. Where the original placed the blame for the destruction where it belonged, the remake blamed the French (?!?). Where the original was inspired by horror classics and Ray Bradbury, the remake simply ripped off the previous year’s hit ([i]Jurassic Park[/i]) for its final 1/3. Awful, awful filmmaking that should be buried forever and forgotten. So infuriated Toho, the original studio, that they brought the original Godzilla out of retirement for [i]Godzilla 2000[/i], an altogether more successful film. The ’98 film, though, is a complete desecration of the intent of the creators of the original, and sinks to levels not seen since [i]Godzilla vs. Megalon.[/i]quote[quote][b][i]Lost in Space[/i] (1998)[/b][/quote]
See above. Lousy movie. Waste of time.
Cult Sci-Fi films worth watching?
[i]Brazil.[/i] Terry Gilliam’s post-modern satire on bureacracy, corporate oppression, conformity and government intrusion in the lives and rights of the individual. A brilliant film that was nearly suppressed itself in a brilliant bit of irony.
[i]Seconds[/i]. John Frankenheimer directs Rock Hudson in this mid-60’s tale of paranoia run amok. An aging businessman, dissatisfied with his life, agrees to have his body changed into that of a “perfect” man, and takes on a new identity. Explores the toll taken on a person forced to live a lie, which resonates even more deeply when considering the private life of Rock Hudson. Mind-blowing film with one of the most jaw-dropping endings ever filmed, and an expert performance by Hudson in the role of his career.
[i]Dark Star[/i]. John Carpenter’s first film has him teaming up with screenwriter Dan ([i]Alien[/i]) O’Bannon for a funny, and yes, dark, science fiction parody. An increasingly bored crew tries to not go nuts whiling away the time aboard a ship that blows up planets. Makes one wonder if Paul Donovan watched this one a few too many times.
[i]Death Race 2000[/i]. Campy, campy, campy film produced by Roger Corman and directed by Paul ([i]Eating Raoul[/i]) Bartel. Impossible to take seriously, but you weren’t supposed to in the first place. A parody of the then-current vogue of futuristic dystopian films ([i]POTA, Soylent Green,[/i] etc.), and as misanthropically funny as any episode of [i]LEXX[/i], this film has great performances by a cast of great character actors, and Sylvester Stallone’s best-ever acting job in the role of “Machine Gun” Joe Viterbo. Cheaply made, but effectively done.
[i]Planet of the Vampires[/i]. This 1960’s film that is rumored to have inspired [i]Alien[/i] is a perfect example of what can be accomplished on a low budget and few sets. Italian film maestro Mario Bava creates a highly atmospheric and completely inventive experience. Soon to be released on DVD through MGM’s “Midnite Movies” line (excellent films all, and extremely cheap). A must-see.
[i]Dark City[/i]. Another paranoiac experience expertly done. Obviously inspired by the works of Philip K. Dick, this explores the questions of identity, reality, and perception, and the interrelation between the three. Incredibly designed film, beautifully directed. The problem I had upon first viewing it was that I initially thought that none of the actors fit their characters, but then I realized that this was part of the film’s point. GREAT film that deserves to be re-discovered.
[i]The Man Who Fell To Earth[/i]. Sure, it’s ripped off from [i]Stranger in a Strange Land[/i]. But Nicolas Roeg’s immaculate direction coaxes a tremendous performance out of David Bowie, and it remains as compelling as any film from this period.
–Aleck
[This message has been edited by Aleck (edited August 02, 2001).]