Sci Fi – Page 2 – cinemescope

100 Word Review – The Running Man (1987)

November 26, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Sci FiTagged 1980s, Action, adaptation, Arnie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, dystopian, future, Sci Fi, Stephen King, Steven E de SouzaLeave a comment

Arnie really is wonderful, isn’t he? If you were ever in doubt, watch this film.

Set in a dystopian future, Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and forced to participate in a public execution disguised as a brutal gameshow.

Based on the novel by Stephen King (The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining), it was adapted by Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard, Commando). Think an adult 1980s Hunger Games, but with more gore and less characterisation. There’s explosions, plenty of shouting, people in leotards and enough exploding heads to keep any Arnie fan happy.

100 Word Review – Manborg (2011)

November 5, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci FiTagged 1980s, Action, adventure, animation, Astron-6, blood, Canadian, Comedy, Fantasy, robots, Sci Fi, Vampires1 Comment

Possibly the greatest and most ridiculous film ever made, Manborg is a must-see for any fans of 1980s action Sci Fi.

Set in the future, Nazi vampires rise from Hell and take over the earth. One man is bought back from the dead by a mad scientist, who gives him some robotic modifications. He is no longer a man. He is Manborg.

Created by Canadian cult movie masters Astron-6 (Father’s Day, The Editor) and in the same vein as Kung Fury. Made on $1000 budget, it seeps with the passion of it’s creators. This film is barmy from beginning to end.

100 Word Review – Kung Fury (2015)

November 3, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci FiTagged 1980s, Action, adventure, Comedy, David Sandberg, dinosaurs, Sci Fi, spoof, vikings1 Comment

In 1985, a cop (David Sandberg) masters the most difficult kung fu ever and becomes Kung Fury.

I don’t even know where to begin. This film is 30minutes of glorious insanity. Prepare yourselves for appearances from Adolf Hitler, Thor, Barbarianna (she’s a Viking who rides a dinosaur and carries a machine gun, obviously) and the magnificent Tricerecop, to name but a few.

Definitely on a par with the work of Astron-6 (Manborg, Father’s Day), it is a homage to those straight-to-VHS gems of 1980s action.

Currently on Netflix and YouTube, it’s a funny, action-packed ridiculous rollercoaster of nonsense you must watch!

100 Word Review – The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

October 28, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Romance, Sci FiTagged Action, adaptation, Emily Blunt, George Nolfi, John Slattery, Matt Damon, Philip K Dick, Romance, Sci FiLeave a comment

This is Sci Fi on a personal scale with potentially international consequences.

A politician (Matt Damon) meets a ballerina (Emily Blunt) he should never have met. Can their love survive or will the Adjustment Bureau restore order as fate intends it?

Based on the short story by Philip K Dick (Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Blade Runner), adapted by director George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum, Ocean’s Twelve), this film falls somewhere between Sci Fi paranoia and all out action.

Co-starring John Slattery (Mad Men) as Richardson, this is a film about destiny, choice and fighting for what you believe in.

100 Word Review – The Martian (2015)

October 16, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Sci FiTagged adaptation, Andy Weir, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, Drew Goddard, Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, Matt Damon, Ridley Scott, Sci Fi, Sean BeanLeave a comment

Based on Andy Weir’s novel, more than a rescue-Matt-Damon-movie.

Presumed dead, Mark Watney (Damon) is left alone on Mars. Will he get a signal to NASA? And if he does will he survive as the only person on an inhospitable planet?

The cast for this film is extraordinary, but the best thing about it’s the combination of Sci Fi with actual science and a sense of humour. Adapted by Drew Goddard (The Cabin In The Woods) and directed by Ridley Scott (Alien), it pulls away from the “realistic” Sci Fis of recent years managing to be serious, tense and fun.

Short – Command-Option-Dump

October 4, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in Comedy, Sci Fi, ShortsTagged Comedy, computers, dark, Sci FiLeave a comment

Command-Option-Dump (2014) from Jonathan Flint on Vimeo.

100 Word Review – Men In Black (1997)

September 24, 2015April 15, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Sci FiTagged Action, adaptation, aliens, Barry Sonnefeld, Comedy, Ed Solomon, family, Lowell Cunningham, Sci Fi, Tommy Lee Jones, Will SmithLeave a comment

As a piece of my childhood I find it hard to be objective about this film. Having said that I’ve never met anyone who disliked it.

After seeing a suspect blink sideways, police officer Jay (Will Smith) is inducted into a top secret organisation that keeps the world safe from aliens who already live on Earth, the Men In Black. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as MIB stalwart, Kay.

Adapted from Lowell Cunningham’s comic by Ed Solomon (Now You See Me, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) and directed by Barry Sonnefeld (Wild Wild West, Get Shorty), this film is brilliant fun.

100 Word Review – Megamind (2010)

September 22, 2015April 15, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Fantasy, Sci FiTagged animation, Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt, David Cross, family, Fantasy, Jonah Hill, Sci Fi, super heroes, Tina Fey, Tom McGrath, Will Ferrell1 Comment

Don’t underestimate this film. It may not be Despicable Me, but definitely fits into that wheelhouse and is certainly worth a watch.

Megamind (Will Ferrell) is the ultimate super villain; he defeated his arch-nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt). But what is a villain with no one to struggle against?

Clearly based on the Superman origin story with an unusual perspective, it highlights everything that is brilliant about super heroes, as well as everything that isn’t.

Directed by Tom McGrath (Madagascar) and co-starring Jonah Hill, David Cross, Ben Stiller and Tina Fey, this film is great fun for all the family.

100 Word Review – Starship Troopers (1997)

August 19, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Sci FiTagged adaptation, dystopian, Edward Neumeier, Neil Patrick Harris, Paul Verhoeven, Robert A Heinlein, satire, Sci Fi, violence, war1 Comment

This is glorious in both its satire and its exploding giant bug aliens.

Set in a militaristic dystopian future, Earth is at war with a race of bug aliens. A group of friends work their way through the ranks in the hopes of destroying the alien threat.

Adapted from Robert A Heinlein’s novel by Edward Neumeier (Robocop) and directed by Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Robocop), upon its initial release the satire was missed by many who criticised it as a glorification of war.

It achieves the perfect balance between violence and politics, showing one up by use of the other.

100 Word Review – The Machine (2013)

July 29, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Sci FiTagged Artificial Intelligence, British, Caity Lotz, Caradog W James, Denis Lawson, Ministry of Defence, MOD, Sci Fi, Thriller, Toby StephensLeave a comment

A wonderful example of modern British Sci Fi.

Set in a future where Britain is at war with China. Vincent (Toby Stephens) is a brilliant scientist with a tragic past, working with Ministry of Defence money to develop artificial intelligence to help his ailing daughter. But what’s the true cost of his research?

Written and directed by Caradog W James, with Caity Lotz and Denis Lawson co-starring, it is a truly thrilling cinematic experience. There’s something of the Film Noir about it.

Is it a fable for the future or a dark foreboding for the present? Either way it’s wonderful.