This movie expands upon the dazzling realistic-future-world special effects of Spielberg’s A.I. but wastes astonishing technical and artistic virtuosity on a hackneyed, uninvolving murder mystery.
All in Science Fiction
Steven Spielberg's AI: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
I grew up with the science fiction of Clarke, Asimov, and Heinlein. At their best they wrestled with humans coming to terms with very large ideas and concepts in stories that spanned years and vast distances. I especially loved depictions of the far future.
Makoto Shinkai's “THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS”
The creator of Voices of a Distant Star returns to adolescence but with a serious twist.
Makoto Shinkai's “VOICES OF A DISTANT STAR”
It is a fantastic achievement. The art work is better than most of what you see on ADULT SWIM (by a very wide margin), the design of the spaceships and alien vessels is beautiful, the combination of simulation and electronic display inside the power suits looks quite original, and the story, while short at 28 minutes, packs an astonishing amount of information and story elements in while not swerving from the relentless focus on these two emotional lovers, communicating (one way) over a gulf of light years.
Satoshi Kon’s “PAPRIKA”
As we walked out of the theater after seeing Satoshi Kon’s Paprika, I told Number One Son, “Now I know it’s possible to really film a Philip K. Dick novel!”
Darren Aronofsky’s “THE FOUNTAIN”
This dizzying and perplexing movie bathes the viewer in a warm and beautiful gauze of, love, death, loss, and redemption. Forget the narrative and go with the flow.
Alfonso Cuaron's CHILDREN OF MEN
I can count on the fingers of one hand the movies that have actually terrified me.
Robert Zemeckis' CONTACT
What I like about this movie is that it dares to bring to the big screen, with all the bells and whistles available from modern Hollywood, the age-old “conflict” between science and religion. And it does so in an intelligent, uplifting, and human manner.
Fred Wilcox's “FORBIDDEN PLANET”
When I was a kid, this movie scared me, especially the Id Monster’s attack on the starship’s sleeping crew.
Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS (Kino edition)
This 1927 film contains two of the most spectacular transformational scenes ever committed to film: 1. The giant machine’s transformation into “Moloch” 2. The robot’s transformation into the false Maria
Mamoru Oshii's AVALON
# VERY cool
# incredible visual style
# methodically plotted
# beautifully acted
Steven Soderbergh's SOLARIS
The film superbly rendered on this DVD bears repeated watching. All aspects are masterfully done. It is an adult, literate, and intelligent film that swings back and forth between intellectual challenge, mystery, and wrenching emotion. The music and visuals are stunning.
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack
This 2001 movie is wonderfully entertaining. Classic Japanese monster movie elements have been updated to a quality level unknown to Toho and Inoshiro Honda’s early output such as The Mysterians. The basic story is simple: 50 years after his initial rampage, Godzilla returns to stomp Japan, but this time he is opposed by a trio of mythical monsters who awaken from their eons-old slumber just in time.
Robots
I especially liked the battle sequence at the end with its darkness, its massed robotic antagonists, and the feeling I was seeing some real cartoon malevolence the likes of which I haven’t seen since Oogie Boogie in Nightmare Before Christmas.
George Pal's “WAR OF THE WORLDS”
George Pal’s 1953 WAR OF THE WORLDS is now available on a special edition DVD. How does this 50 year old movie hold up? Let’s get the obvious out of the way:
Lain
I originally published this review in 2002. I thought about it again aftre seeing The Last Exile, a more recent Japanese animated science fiction TV series.
Steven Spielberg's “WAR OF THE WORLDS”
This movie gave me nightmares.
Lynn Hershman-Leeson's TEKNOLUST
This movie is like a breath of fresh air. The story is original, the acting is uniformly engaging, the dialog is witty, and it looks cheap in all the right places. It’s an in-your-face-reminder that you don’t need a bezillion dollars to create something fresh, entertaining, and original.
Alien vs. Predator
Okay, Sanaa Lathan is no Sigourney Weaver, I still enjoyed this movie a great deal, despite the pedestrian story and lack of character development.
Alex Proyas' I, ROBOT
Upon watching this a few times after purchasing the DVD I was struck not only by the excellent surround sound and picture quality but by the sophistication of the story and script.