We know that science fiction isn’t always given a fair shot when it comes to award seasons. There are famous snubs of statuettes and the offering of technical awards as an olive branch by the Academy without really attempting to admit that a sci-fi film be mentioned, or albeit win, a major category. As a…
NOTE: Mild spoilers below. It wasn’t a question of if I was going to see Ridley Scott’s new film The Martian, but when. Was the film adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel worth finding my place in a packed theater that would be kept freezing cold despite it being the beginning of October in the Midwest?…
If you saw Interstellar, then you remember how Matt Damon was left alone on a planet and went a little stir crazy. Well, Damon must have the worst luck, because it happened again! He was left all alone, but this time he’s on Mars and it’s all for the upcoming film from Ridley Scott, The…
A much beloved book from the science fiction community is coming to the big screen, and before you become too skeptical, hear me out, because it sounds like it’s in good hands. The Martian was first published by its author, Andy Weir, in 2012. Weir is a computer programmer and he made sure all the…
One of my favorite movies is the 1985 dark comedy about bureaucracy gone wild, Brazil. In what other movie could you see a character be literally buried by paperwork? The director, Terry Gilliam (the only American born member of the Monty Python comedy troupe, he has since renounced his American citizenship) has always been a…
Written and Directed by Neill Blomkamp Starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura and William Fichtner R, 109 minutes Science fiction and social commentary go hand in hand in many cases. In fact, great science fiction has a way of using its fictional premise and diegetic elements to comment…
Once upon a time, upstart South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamp was tapped to direct an adaptation of the insanely popular Halo videogame series. Blomkamp, who had yet to direct a feature-length film in his budding career, was given the director’s chair by executive producer Peter Jackson, who was impressed by Blomkamp’s short film work. Failed…
Neill Blomkamp wowed science fiction fans with his feature film debut, District 9, but can his next film, Elysium, live up to the now incredibly high expectations? Elysium shares many of the visual qualities of District 9, and may even be set in the same film world but decades in the future. The financial gap…
