Do you reach an age where you go off of sci fi?
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I’m considering recommending some under-the-radar sci fis post EX MACHINA (2014). EX MACHINA is one of the best films of the 2010s, IMO, so it makes a good point-of-departure. Gives me 12 years to work with.
Only saw Ex Machina once. I liked it except for the ending which I felt betrayed the overall cerebral tone of the movie. Need to watch it again so that I can form a better opinion. I’m sure you’ll be citing at least one other Garland movie as well, Thor.
Until he did the abysmal MEN, I thought Garland could do no wrong (both for Boyle and beyond). But he redeemed himself with the decent CIVIL WAR and WARFARE. ANNIHILATION was pretty good, but not on EX MACHINA’s level. DEVS was great.
Men was terrible, I agree.
I did like Dredd, a brutal actioner, and while not an official Garland movie, he later admitted that he did take over the direction during the production and post-production.
Not sure if it is under any radar but I would name I AM MOTHER. Top topic with all the AI now again, too.
Alex Garland is an interesting writer. I very much enjoyed his semi-autobiographical novel THE BEACH (and also the Danny Boyle film), which is the only book by him I’ve read, and the excellent horror shocker 28 DAYS LATER (also directed by Boyle).
His first two movies as a director were “science-fiction” movies, and I say “science-fiction”… they were extrapolating scientific ideas and concepts, like the more literary tradition of “science fiction” of such magazines such as ANALOG and ASIMOV’S.
They were EX MACHINA a tight, character driven concept thriller, and ANNIHILATION, a creepy monster shocker with highly disturbing images, a sort of “H.P. Lovecraft meets THE THING as directed by David Cronenberg”. Both are strong, “real” science-fiction movies I’ll never forget, and more of the “adult” type of science-fiction. Haven’t yet seen MEN (though that sounds quite interesting) and CIVIL WAR, but Alex Garland is an author/filmmaker who’s doing some very interesting work.EX MACHINA was nice. But to be honest, on a related subject I was more impressed by Spike Jonze’s HER.
I liked Spike Jonze’s HER, but thought that EX MACHINA had more layers to it. It’s been a while that I’ve seen either movie though.
I liked Spike Jonze’s HER, but thought that EX MACHINA had more layers to it. It’s been a while that I’ve seen either movie though.
Interesting. For me it was the other way around. EX MACHINA was more or less just about a Turing test and maybe a general statementon the tech industry. HER on the other hand was more zooming into the impact on the whole society and its transformation.
Anyway, both great movies.
I can’t stand HER, sorry to say, I see I gave it one star on MUBI. But the year of EX MACHINA, 2014, was a) the first year I started doing lists on MUBI, and b) a pretty good year for sci fi. So it makes sense to start there. Although the Garland film didn’t premiere until 2015 over here, and as such is part of those lists.
But yeah – INTERSTELLAR, LUCY, GODZILLA, UNDER THE SKIN, EDGE OF TOMORROW….all great sci fis, followed pretty closely by these two gems, for example:
Haven’t seen either of them. But I see that Last Days On Mars has been vilified by both critics and audiences.
I guess everyone is familiar with Duncan Jones’ debut feature film?
The Tom Cruise flick OBLIVION was more or less a remake of MOON, wasn’t it?
And what do people here think of Duncan Jones’ next scifi movie SOURCE CODE?
But I see that Last Days On Mars has been vilified by both critics and audiences.
That never made any difference to me. It’s a great film. Sure, some of it is rather B-filmey and schlocky in terms of sheer narrative, but everything is lifted by the immense talent behind and in front of the camera (Liev Schreiber, Robby Ryan, Max Richter etc.).
As for Duncan Jones…of course, MOON (and to a certain extent SOURCE CODE) are now considered modern classics. But then he stumbled with WARCRAFT, just like Garland did with MEN. Thankfully, he was back to form with the Netflix film MUTE.
And what do people here think of Duncan Jones’ next scifi movie SOURCE CODE?
Felt like Duncan Jones went from being ‘his own man’ to being a hired gun. Kinda like Ridley Scott right after Legend. I stopped watching because I didn’t like it one bit.
And what do people here think of Duncan Jones’ next scifi movie SOURCE CODE?
Felt like Duncan Jones went from being ‘his own man’ to being a hired gun. Kinda like Ridley Scott right after Legend. I stopped wtching because I didn’t like it one bit. Looks ugly too.
Thankfully, he was back to form with the Netflix film MUTE.
I stopped watching that one as well. It’s Duncan Jones’ Southland Tales or Duncan Jones’ Under The Silver Lake. All these movies that have a similar unfocused, chaotic L.A. vibe and that I just can’t get into. And all three are made by once promising directors.
Felt like Duncan Jones went from being ‘his own man’ to being a hired gun. Kinda like Ridley Scott right after Legend. I stopped wtching because I didn’t like it one bit. Looks ugly too.
Are you talking about SOURCE CODE? Such an excellent film, looks absolutely beautiful, and with a supreme sense of rhythm. And a throbbing, JNH-like score by Bacon.
I was asking because to be honest I didn’t really know what to think about SOURCE CODE. Probably need to watch it again. I just remember, I didn’t find it bad but didn’t really like it.
SOURCE CODE left me rather cold like the music (which was okay/fitting somehow). But I also watched it once.
Gareth Edwards’ MONSTERS (2010) was a fine, hypnotic sci fi film, but this sequel from 2014 is also very good – even though Edwards is now only executive producer. It’s more physical, more action, I suppose, but keeping the mystery of the alien creatures.
Today I watched the first 20 minutes of HANGAR 18, an US American movie from 1980 about a ufo crash landing on earth. Kind of a prequel for DISCLOSURE DAY. Anybody knows that film?
Anybody knows that film?
Nope, never heard of it. Was it a TV film?
HANGAR 18 actually ran in Norwegian cinemas back in the day. I remember seeing it, though I don’t remember very much about it. Except I thought it looked rather cheap, spoiled as I was already getting from watching STAR WARS and other big-budget sci-fi.
“Do you reach an age where you go off sci-fi?” God, I hope not. I’m 42 and it hasn’t happened yet. I’m finally getting to season 3 of TOS, which I’ve never seen. It’s amazing and terrible. I love it. I recently watched the finale to TNG, which I hadn’t seen since it aired in 1994. The 60s and the 90s where golden ages for tv sci-fi.
I recently watched the finale to TNG, which I hadn’t seen since it aired in 1994. The 60s and the 90s where golden ages for tv sci-fi.
I’m into a full re-run of TNG on Blu-Ray now, and finding I’m still loving it 🙂 Just started on season six.
But I see that Last Days On Mars has been vilified by both critics and audiences.
That never made any difference to me. It’s a great film. Sure, some of it is rather B-filmey and schlocky in terms of sheer narrative, but everything is lifted by the immense talent behind and in front of the camera (Liev Schreiber, Robby Ryan, Max Richter etc.).
I had never even heard of LAST DAYS ON MARS before this thread, I just got the soundtrack yesterday. Sure sounds like it could be worth a watch, a sort of MISSION TO MARS meets DAWN OF THE DEAD.
The trailer sure makes the the movie look a lot more expensive than it was.Here’s another one of those obscure low budget Sci-Fi movies! Even though I watched it till the very end, I didn’t really like it. And, unlike Last Days On Mars, it has an extremely high score on RT (81%).
I think EUROPA REPORT is great. It looks very “ugly” at first, being a ‘found footage’ film, using the ship’s interior cameras only. But once you get accustomed to it, it’s a consistent visual world to get engrossed in.
I think that I might be the only one in the world but I sometimes have a problem with accepting the space crew in science fiction movies. With some movies, I accept it immediately, but there are times that I don’t find them all that credible, as if the casting is all wrong. The tone and feel have to be exactly right or I’m not believing it. Weird, right? Anyway, be happy that you’re not that picky, guys.
I don’t have a problem with space crews in general. It’s on a case-by-case basis. I remember being surprised by the “truckers-in-space” aspect of ALIEN the first time I saw it, because it was so unlike the previous types of space crew I’d seen. But of course, it adds to the homeliness and realness of it all, and thus more effective when the horror kicks in. Regular Joes caughts in irregular situations.
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