The 2nd Science Fiction Hall of Fame

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Too bad pahaK dropped out, but understandable, those are some great TV shows!
The upside is, I don't have to watch Liquid Sky which feels like 'winning time'



So, at the time this movie was made it was trying to be fairly scientific based on the limited information that was available, while still telling a speculative fictional story of course.
For some reason I find the scientific inaccuracies in older sci-fi films to be quite charming. They have this optimistic view of our ability to colonize other planets, and that kind of hope is something I miss. I often point out when these films deviate from reality, but I never hold that against them.

Even though Robinson Crusoe was way off base, its science is really interesting, and borders on being plausible - just not for Mars. It's certainly more realistic than Planeta Bur though, which had a similar claim to accuracy, but was wholly unrealistic haha.


This 19 minute documentary that I watched on my DVD is well worth 19 minutes of your time, even if you hated my nom, watch the documentary.
I'll definitely watch this later on when I have the time.





Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

This is my nom and I'll be the first to admit that it does get slow at times, and yes, those pesky animated alien ships that keep doing the same scene over and over do get old...But I still really like this film for the human element of it. I'll tell you specifically why this film speaks to me, it's because of the gentle & caring relationship that Kit (Paul Mantee) has with Mona the woolly monkey. At a time when animals were often thought of as disposable and treated in inhumane ways, this movie has the Comander, sharing his rapidly dwindling oxygen and food with Mona. Mona counts as a living breathing being in this movie and that's what I remembered most about this movie from my childhood. And of course, as this is inspired by Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe we see one man risk his life to help a free slave. Maybe that's sentimental, but I'll take altruistic movies any day over CG drenched, 'rock em sock em robots'.

Several of you have commented on the film's opening about it being supposedly scientific and pointed out that there's no breathable oxygen on Mars. And yes the film does get many things wrong about Mars. But guess what? This was made in 1963 right after America launched the first manned space orbit, Mercury...and 1 year before the Mariner 4 Mars probe sent back the first video images of the planet, dashing long held beliefs that Mars might be habitable. At the time the film was made all that was really known of Mars was it's relative size and mass, it's orbit and rotation, it's distance from the sun...and through telescopes they appeared to be seen red areas that some thought were volcanic in nature and white areas at the poles that suggested ice caps. So, at the time this movie was made it was trying to be fairly scientific based on the limited information that was available, while still telling a speculative fictional story of course.

I know it's hard for people to judge films by the past but that's just how this film should be judged. In the 1950s and early 60s most sci fi was aimed at kids or drive-in theater goers, with atomic mutated monsters eating people etc. The big exception was Forbidden Planet. Now I don't put Robinson Crusoe on Mars on the same level as Forbidden Planet. But I think it was a unique sci fi for it's day, that tried to show science being used in the near future and got a lot right.

This 19 minute documentary that I watched on my DVD is well worth 19 minutes of your time, even if you hated my nom, watch the documentary.


Yeah the lack of oxygen was much less of an issue for me than the fact that the planet didn't rotate. While I understand you have budgetary issues they really needed to distinguish between day and night. Parts of this film are very good looking but they really needed to do more to convey time and distance remember the story of Robinson Crusoe is about a man who spends 30 years on an Island.


Paul Mantee in the first act







You have this gorgeous science fiction film and then you scrimp on the makeup that's just a huge waste.



Yeah the lack of oxygen was much less of an issue for me than the fact that the planet didn't rotate. While I understand you have budgetary issues they really needed to distinguish between day and night.
I was under the impression that Draper took shelter during the night because it got so cold outside. I recall there being a line to that effect early in the film. We only really see outside during the day because that's the only time he goes out there.

Parts of this film are very good looking but they really needed to do more to convey time and distance remember the story of Robinson Crusoe is about a man who spends 30 years on an Island.

You have this gorgeous science fiction film and then you scrimp on the makeup that's just a huge waste.
The original story takes place over that period of time, but the film doesn't. Draper is only on the planet for a few months, so there wouldn't be any major changes in his appearance, especially since he is able to shave.



I was under the impression that Draper took shelter during the night because it got so cold outside. I recall there being a line to that effect early in the film. We only really see outside during the day because that's the only time he goes out there.
.
I looked up the transcript and the commander says this:
"I found a yellow rock.
It's as burnable
as some of our poorer grades of coal.
Heat's uneven, but it should make
the Martian nights endurable."

I also took it that he was in his cave shelter during the night time.

The one thing the movie gets wrong scientifically that bugged me was the free floating fire balls. Draper explains several times that the air is too thin to breath and he even uses his oxygen tank to get a piece of paper burning, and yet we see fire balls floating around the air. I'm sure that was done to add excitement to what the producer thought might otherwise be a too sedate of film.



The one thing the movie gets wrong scientifically that bugged me was the free floating fire balls.
Yeah, that was a bit too weird, and they kept showing it go by for no real reason. I was wondering if it was another way of telling time. Perhaps both the ship and the fire ball pass by at different intervals.



I was under the impression that Draper took shelter during the night because it got so cold outside. I recall there being a line to that effect early in the film. We only really see outside during the day because that's the only time he goes out there.

Perhaps that would work for the first two acts but whatabout in the third when they go on that trek?






Forbidden Planet was my nomination and to me this is a timeless masterpiece. When you first watch the you become fascinated by all the STEM sciences. With all the gadgets being so damn beautiful and wonderfully rendered, you actually see early versions of IPhones and Alexa's the imagination and world building is just amazing. What elevates the subject matter is that it's also willing to going into the psychological sciences, Sociology and Psychology play huge roles in the film. Anne Francis plays a the daughter of the surviving scientist and she has to learn to deal with societal norms. Leslie Nelson is the captain and as he says early on he's got 18 men of perfect physical condition with an average age of 24, heaven help that poor girl.



The film also does a great job with characterization. A lesser film would try and give every crewman a personality and gimmick you don't have that here. A lesser film would make Walter Pidgeon's character a monster yet he's given a tremendous amount of empathy and character in himself. This covers many of the larger themes of the film. Another thing this film does a great job is with the names and what they mean


WARNING: spoilers below

Altaira can mean both a high flying bird or a star
Morbius meaning "sickness; mental illness




Warning: Spoilers for Robinson Crusoe on Mars below.

Perhaps that would work for the first two acts but whatabout in the third when they go on that trek?
I don't remember how long their journey to the ice cap was, but it didn't need to show them stopping every night to imply that they did. They do take shelter for awhile to dry off, and the final shots after then take place during nightfall. The stock footage of the avalanche was clearly filmed during the day, but after that it shows an image of the sun setting, and a dark sky when they emerge from the melted igloo.

Click to show spoiler image  
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Warning: Spoilers for Robinson Crusoe on Mars below.


I don't remember how long their journey to the ice cap was, but it didn't need to show them stopping every night to imply that they did. They do take shelter for awhile to dry off, and the final shots after then take place during nightfall. The stock footage of the avalanche was clearly filmed during the day, but after that it shows an image of the sun setting, and a dark sky when they emerge from the melted igloo.

Click to show spoiler image  

That was the horizon for every scene...











Warning: Spoilers for Robinson Crusoe on Mars below.

That was the horizon for every scene...
I thought I had the image of the sunset with it, but I guess I didn't hit the upload button on both. I just grabbed a lower quality one from an online stream since I can't seem to find the screenshot I had before.

The scene I was talking about at the end (when they make contact with the other ship) was lit in a way to imply a fading light source. You then see a still image of what is clearly meant to be sunset (attached for real this time haha). When they leave the little cave, the oranges on the horizon have changed into a dark red (as seen in the other post).

I thought it was the most obvious change of time in the film (I guess they made a point to show it since it was the symbolic end of their time marooned on the planet as well), so if you didn't read those scenes as taking place at dusk, then I can totally see why the days seemed to stand still for you in the rest of the film.

Still hiding the image for anyone scrolling down, even though the preview kind of ruins it.  
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I've been busier than expected, so I haven't had a chance to write anything about Déjà Vu yet. I know it's only been a few days, but since I don't normally wait this long to start my review, it feels like it's been ages haha.

I have a completely pointless annual company meeting to attend this weekend, so after I finish my write-up I'll probably go with whatever film is shortest next so I can feel like I accomplished something this week.

Is Raul still planning on opening the Animation HoF soon? I'm nearly finished here so I'd like to join, but unless it's not happening until the end of the month or early July, I probably won't have time to watch any potential nominations, and as per usual, I haven't thought of anything in advance.



Deja Vu

A movie that had more good than bad, but I still didn't love it or anything. The concept was strikingly similar to Minority Report, but it's interesting to note that the two films take different viewpoints on the matter. I think I'd more rather likely side with the philosophy of Minority Report... that said, I feel bad saying that as half a thousand people were saved in Deja Vu from this sort of pre-crime thing. Denzel Washington is always great, and really good in this movie too. But I think the plot sagged in the middle while the opening and ending were both really good. So, in general, a mixed bad.






Déjà Vu (2006)
Directed By: Tony Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Val Kilmer

Déjà Vu's opening doesn't play coy, or try to pretend that the film isn't an obvious Jerry Bruckheimer Production. The early scenes look and feel like a high budget episode of CSI, and while that may sound like a criticism, as a former fan of the series, I quite liked the familiarity of it. This is the kind of film that I can sit back and enjoy for what it is, without feeling the need to analyse every last detail. That said, I did still walk away with a few grievances which mainly concern the plot, so skip the next paragraph if you want to avoid spoilers.

Initially, I didn't think the film needed its final act. It could've wrapped things up at the 85 minute mark, and ended on a more bittersweet note. Though upon reflection, I would've preferred the film to carry on in a similar manner, but have all of Carlin's meddling still lead to the original outcome. That result makes more sense to me, since his interference was already evident in the events we see unfolding in the first two acts. As it is, the film's deviant timeline ending leaves too many loose threads which could've otherwise been avoided.

Supposedly Scott disregarded elements of the script to tell the story his way, so some of those issues may not have been present the way the film was originally written. It would be interesting to see how much tighter a “writer's cut” would be, though it's certainly not necessary since the incongruities weren't big enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the film. Kilmer was so underused that I kept forgetting his character existed, but I didn't necessarily miss him when he wasn't on screen, since Denzel Washington gives a strong performance, and his character is the one who drives the story anyway.


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2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
Forbidden Planet



It's so easy to see now why this one graded out really well in the 50s countdown as well as our own Sci Fi countdown. It is a really fun film. Yes it certainly has it's weaknesses but because of how originally creative the story is and how cool the characters are it is really easy to look past. I mean those guns are super cheesy yet they seem super cool, especially when that tiger was disintegrated with one shot. Lots of scenes like that that seem goofy yet they are so fun to watch. This may be where the start of the cheesy Sci-Fi films came along, so we have to give it a lot of credit.

There's no score but I'll be damned if the sound isn't a huge positive to the film. Just gives off an eerie outerspace like atmosphere vibe. The settings used we're really cool too.

Of course, the whole movie could have been about Altaira and I wouldn't have minded. Definitely a screen presence that could easily draw a crowd. But perhaps my favorite performance goes to Walter Pigeon as Doctor Morbieus. I thought that was a really cool character and the glue to the film truly for me.

A really cool film that I was glad to see nominated!

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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I'm the same way, Pidgeon's Dr. Morbieus was my favorite performance of them all. There was a lot going on with him and he balanced it all very, very well.
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I'm the same way, Pidgeon's Dr. Morbieus was my favorite performance of them all. There was a lot going on with him and he balanced it all very, very well.
Yeah, third that. Though I need to see more Anne Francis