The 2nd Science Fiction Hall of Fame

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After some consideration I'm unfortunately going to pull out of this HoF. I underestimated how many series* I have to watch during the next month or so and I don't want that majority of my movies during that time are chosen by someone else. Then there's the new Path of Exile league that started yesterday and preparations for WoW Classic launch too.

Sorry about the inconvenience.

*Close to hundred episodes, I think (Into the Badlands S3, Chernobyl, NOS4A2, Happy! S2, Zone Blanche S2, Dark S2, Stranger Things S3, Absentia S2 and quite likely some others as well)
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Thanks for letting us know now, instead of closer to the deadline.

Enjoy your shows! The only one of those I'll be watching is Stranger Things. I've been meaning to watch Dark, but haven't gotten around to it yet.



Attention All Crew Members!

@ahwell @Citizen Rules @edarsenal @John-Connor @Nathaniel
@Okay @rauldc14 @ScarletLion @Siddon @TheUsualSuspect @Yam12

This is your Captain again, here with an important mission update. Pahak has had to take one of the escape pods back to Earth, so his nomination Liquid Sky has been disqualified from the Hall of Fame.

After completing a full sweep of the ship, Nathaniel's whereabouts are still unknown. Maybe the Nathaniel we saw boarding was just a hologram, or perhaps he was a figment of our collective imaginations, and was never really here. His nomination Seconds will be removed from your mission requirements as well.

However, should Nathaniel rematerialize at least 2 weeks before the deadline, and has been watching the nominations offline and/or truly believes he can complete the HoF in time, Seconds will not be disqualified.

I will be updating the first page momentarily. The deadline will remain unchanged, and is currently set for August 3rd. Thanks for your time.



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
Pretty ticked I watched Liquid Sky for nothing.....

It's irritating me that people join and then decide to bow out. But it will never stop and is truly the only bad thing about these HOFs.



Pretty ticked I watched Liquid Sky for nothing.....

It's irritating me that people join and then decide to bow out. But it will never stop and is truly the only bad thing about these HOFs.
Ahh, I think people who drop out just need a hug...




What an excellent day for an exorcism
This is your Captain again, here with an important mission update.
Heh, heh. Thumbs up. I like how the announcements stay in theme with the Sci-Fi HOF. Kind of like actors who stay in character even off camera.
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Gattaca is a mixed bag for me, I recall when it came out I enjoyed it but I felt like it was missing something. Having seen other science fiction films I've now been able to pinpoint what it's missing...about an hour more of it's plot.


It's a testament to the film that I wouldn't cut a minute of it, in particular the first act that establishes the world which is normally one of the weaker aspects of a sci-fi noir is a home run for me. We get a character arc from the parents who we see their idealism break throughout the first act.

Gore Vidal plays the director of NASA, a piece of stunt casting I didn't get when I saw the film as a teenager but years later I appreciate the stunt casting. Uma Thurman is also very good as the femme fatale a role that shouldn't really have that much of an impact when you look at the plot, themes, and character arc but worked very well here.

The two flaws I have with the film though are the mystery of the dead engineer which is the huge impetus for the plot feels tacked on and undeserved. You fall in love with one part of the film (Science) you kinda skip over the more important part of the story (murder mystery). The second problem I have with the film was Jude Law. Jude Law is supposed to be the inverse of Ethan Hawke's character but his story seems woefully underwritten. The emotional climax of the film is really on his shoulders but we only get the bare bones elements of his story. Perhaps you could say the film is attempting to subvert your expectations of the tragedy and murder mystery to tell something different and more powerful but if that was the attempt I felt like they missed the the mark.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
After some consideration I'm unfortunately going to pull out of this HoF. I underestimated how many series* I have to watch during the next month or so and I don't want that majority of my movies during that time are chosen by someone else. Then there's the new Path of Exile league that started yesterday and preparations for WoW Classic launch too.

Sorry about the inconvenience.

*Close to hundred episodes, I think (Into the Badlands S3, Chernobyl, NOS4A2, Happy! S2, Zone Blanche S2, Dark S2, Stranger Things S3, Absentia S2 and quite likely some others as well)
Thanks for letting us know now, instead of closer to the deadline.

Enjoy your shows! The only one of those I'll be watching is Stranger Things. I've been meaning to watch Dark, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
Stranger Things was really good and Dark is surprising me with how deep they are going into the premise and still juggling everything and everyone very well.
Happy! is incredibly and hilariously twisted. Can't wait for the next season of that.
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Women will be your undoing, Pépé


Attack the Block (2011)
Directed By: Joe Cornish
Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail

While it was initially hard to care about the gang of thugs and petty criminals who act as the film's protagonists, they did grow on me over the course of the film. They never quite redeem themselves, but they do prove that they have more potential than what people give them credit for. There's some commentary about the lives of underprivileged youths there, which a certain speech later in the film makes painfully obvious, but I appreciate that Cornish is generally unconcerned with making these wannabe gangsters likeable, and doesn't attempt to make excuses for their behaviour.

The film features great practical effects with minimal use of CG. The creatures' physical presence on set lends a lot of authenticity to their encounters with the main characters, since the actors have something to actually react to. Early on, only brief glimpses of the first alien can be seen, so you expect that the film will follow the trend of minimizing how much of the creature is on screen, either for mystique or to prevent the effects from looking cheap. However against expectations, the obvious puppet is amusingly placed on full display, which is a bold choice I have a lot of respect for.

While I'm not a fan of rap music and thus didn't personally like the soundtrack, I do think it was a good fit for the themes and tone of the film. The performances are all fairly strong, even from the two younger actors who sporadically make an appearance. I definitely liked Attack the Block more this time than when I saw it seven years ago, and I think having different expectations going into it definitely helped. I still have some issues with the film, but overall it was a pleasant experience, and I'm glad it was nominated since I probably wouldn't have revisited it on my own accord.


I was the same way when I initially saw this a year or two ago.
I may likely feel the same on this secondary watch.



Pretty ticked I watched Liquid Sky for nothing.....

It's irritating me that people join and then decide to bow out. But it will never stop and is truly the only bad thing about these HOFs.
Ahh, I think people who drop out just need a hug...

CR used a Rick & Morty GIF. What is this world coming to?



Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Forbidden Planet

Chief Quinn: [Examining the broken clystron frequency modulator] Now with every facility of the ship I think I might be able to rebuild it. But frankly, the book says no. It came packed and liquid born in a suspended gravity.
Commander Adams: Alright so it's impossible, how long will it take?
Chief Quinn: Well, if I don't stop for breakfast...

What really sticks out, initially, beyond the continuous inspirations (or just flat out replications) for, not only Star Trek but other, future Sci Fi films; is the backgrounds and interior designs. They are very top notch for their time and with one viewing it is easily proved why this was such an important film for breaking free of being labeled as nothing more than a sub culture genre for, basically, kids and given the chance to branch out and grow up.

Along with a loosely inspired base story from Shakespeare's The Tempest, we have, at it's ground level, something more than blasters and space ships. Even the alien threat, we discover, is something more deeper within the human psyche than merely bad evil creatures we should and must conquer and control. An arrogant lie we've used for thousands of years as explores of our own planet and most likely (sadly if we, ourselves are incapable of growing up and stop being so petty/greedy) will be Federation Protocol for new planets and galaxies.
Which we get a good glimpse of as well in the mannerisms and militant behavior of the crew of this rescue ship.
This is also expressed in the Puritan views regarding sexuality when Nielsen's character actually tells Francis' character that it would serve her right if something happened to her because of how she's dressed.
Those kind of scenes are, in a more logical examination, excellent doorways into the more psychological aspects at the core of this ground breaking film.

So, we have great outside matte paintings and great interior designs, we get a splash of action with blasters and an invisible, invulnerable alien threat, a cool and likable robot set in a story line that delves, not only into the scientific, but into the cerebral and emotional human aspects.

A very befitting nomination for this HoF.
BRAVO




Forbidden Planet
....Even the alien threat, we discover, is something more deeper within the human psyche than merely bad evil creatures we should and must conquer and control. An arrogant lie we've used for thousands of years as explores of our own planet and most likely (sadly if we, ourselves are incapable of growing up and stop being so petty/greedy) will be Federation Protocol for new planets and galaxies...
Excellent review Ed, glad you liked it, it's one of my favorite sci-fis. Question: I'm not sure exactly what you're meaning by, 'An arrogant lie we've used for thousands of years as explores of our own planet and most likely'?



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
Excellent review Ed, glad you liked it, it's one of my favorite sci-fis. Question: I'm not sure exactly what you're meaning by, 'An arrogant lie we've used for thousands of years as explores of our own planet and most likely'?
Referencing the belief that those of another country are godless heathen, barbarians, a threat to us, our sensibilities and beliefs and thereby should be "handled" when in truth there was gold to be found, or some sort of precious commodity to be snatched up.

A bit of social commentary that kept bouncing around my head during some of the dialogue of the film.



When I was watching Déjà Vu earlier, my room mate mentioned how he went to see the film in theatres, but accidentally entered the wrong auditorium. Apparently Borat started to play, and he was quite irritated haha.

Apparently neither of us remembered that Val Kilmer was in the movie. We both went "aaaah, riiiiight" at the same time when his name came up in the opening credits.



What really sticks out, initially, beyond the continuous inspirations (or just flat out replications) for, not only Star Trek but other, future Sci Fi films; is the backgrounds and interior designs.
When I rewatched Forbidden Planet for the Sci-Fi Countdown, I'm pretty sure I zoned out a few times, completely entranced by the sets and matte paintings. It's a gorgeous film. I'm definitely looking forward to watching it again.



Referencing the belief that those of another country or godless heathen, barbarians, a threat to us, our sensibilities and beliefs and thereby should be "handled" when in truth there was gold to be found, or some sort of precious commodity to be snatched up.

A bit of social commentary that kept bouncing around my head during some of the dialogue of the film.
That's so true of human expansion and conquering of other people's and their lands. But I don't get how that happened in Forbidden Planet? Not debating you or anything like that, I just don't understand the connection to the movie.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
That's so true of human expansion and conquering of other people's and their lands. But I don't get how that happened in Forbidden Planet? Not debating you or anything like that, I just don't understand the connection to the movie.
it was more in the subtleties and demeanor's throughout.
When discovering the advanced technology of the Quell, the Captain is gung ho to snatch it up in the name of the (Federation? Earth?) as if it was a given right.
They came as a rescue mission, but it only took a few words of not wanting help for it to turn into a military occupation with Neilson taking command.
There was that "we're here, it's ours now" kind of mentality that made the whole past social agenda come to mind.

As I said, it was what was beneath the words and where they were coming from and not what was necessarily spoken or acted out.
It just kinda struck me that way.



Got it, thanks Ed...You know what I really thought was curious about Forbidden Planet? Was the second tiger scene. Was that a metaphor? Or did it just go over my head.





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.

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