The 2nd Science Fiction Hall of Fame

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movies can be okay...
Attack the Block (2011) by Joe Cornish


The fact that this film opens up with a bunch of kids, who're supposed to be our protagonists, mugging an innocent woman, kinda makes them hated by the audience right from the get-go, so it's pretty impressive to see the director succeed at warming us up back to these characters after that fact. It also helps a lot when this group of characters consists of a bunch of energetic, charismatic, and dynamic teenagers, who have a natural bond. Their use of language is amusing, not only because of its nature, but also because of their accents, which makes anything they say extra funny. They are easily the best part about the movie, because they feel genuine, despite their over the top attitude.

There's also some social commentary going on. The main message is not subtle, it's even blatantly stated, but there are still some aspects about the story and the presentation that hint at and convey this main message in a not so in your face manner.

I don't want to call this a guilty pleasure, because that would kinda undermine how good the film actually is. However, the parts that I enjoyed the most are extremely subjective. Like I personally can't not enjoy movies like these; you have a bunch of kids spouting gangsta talk in their cute and hilarious British accents, that's just a combination that I'm bound to love because of who I am.
__________________
"A film has to be a dialogue, not a monologue — a dialogue to provoke in the viewer his own thoughts, his own feelings. And if a film is a dialogue, then it’s a good film; if it’s not a dialogue, it’s a bad film."
- Michael "Gloomy Old Fart" Haneke



movies can be okay...
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) by Byron Haskin


Okay...so the film was alright. It didn't have much that I liked about it though. I think the only aspect that I found impressive was the set design. Even then, some of the matte paintings didn't work for me at all. Although they give an overall cute aesthetic to the film, there are moments where they completely render the scene ugly. I'm also obviously going to be forgiving of negative aspects such as bad effects in older movies, but that still doesn't make anything better.

As for the stuff that I didn't like, let's start with the biggest turn-off:

This might sound a bit weird, but the biggest negative about this film for me was actually those sound effects made by them alien spacecrafts. Oh my God were they so annoying! Add to that the fact that those "action" sequences are so boring and repetitive, and you have an insufferable experience. I literally had to take a break an hour into the film, solely because I was too annoyed.

I also didn't really care much for the main character, but what's even more bothersome is the fact that the actor clearly wasn't committed enough to his role, and I'm not even speaking about just his acting abilities. You would think that a guy who's trapped in Mars for a few weeks (for the sake of fairness, I'm only gonna be looking at the period of time before he discovered those edible plants), and who consumes a very minimum amount of calories, would at least lose a few pounds, but nope, he looks just as buff as he did on his first day there. On the bright side of things, this makes me more appreciative of today's actors, who do go to extreme measures, and put their bodies through some tough conditions, in order for them to fit their character as best as they can.

The main theme of the film is the feelings of alienation and loneliness, but there's no real or legit exploration of such complex emotions. It's all surface level, making the whole thing uninteresting. It should go without saying that a guy stuck on Mars would feel pretty lonely and depressed, yet the movie insists on constantly telling us how alone he is, instead of showing us how alone he is. I would've liked to see the effects that this state has on a person, but all we get is some goofy and cliched hallucination scene that's been already done to death in all sorts of media.

Side note, I'm pretty confused by the last act of the film. I mean why did they have to go to the polar icecap in the first place, when they were clearly safe in the underground canals. The main character even states that the alien spacecrafts can't reach them there, so I was unclear on what they were trying to accomplish by going somewhere else.

And that about sums up all of what I have to say about this little, cheesy, harmless flick. I'm sure I sounded more negative than I actually feel about the movie, I just wanted to point out certain aspects and annoyances. It also didn't help that I found everything else to just be fine...




Attack the Block

I was rooting for that guy with the cool glow-in-the-dark teeth! I know I hate a film when I really, really, really...want to see the lead characters die in the most hideous and painful manner possible. Now if those cool looking space monsters would've ended up eating the heads off the street punks, that would have rocked! There was just no way I can forgive the lead characters for threatening the life of a young woman as they steal her purse. Not to mention they kill an intelligent extraterrestrial without cause. Had the gang banger wannabes been more interested in smoking weed and riding skateboards after hours in a no-skateboarding zone...then I might have liked them. But as it was they are hardened criminals and I could've cared less for them. BTW I knew the movie would end up having the female victim bonding with the gang members, and I knew there would be a scene where she gets back her stolen ring. Between the gang street jargon and the British accents, I couldn't understand a damn thing these punks were saying and I didn't have access to sub titles. I did however approve of the ending and I hope the cops lock up those little ****s and throw away the key.

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Alright, my shuttle has arrived safely back on board. All the information should be up to date in the system now.

It's nice to see some of you have been quite active while I was away. Three members have finished the required films, and I've received two finalized lists.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Coherence

Amir: [Looking at his picture from inside the box] This was taken tonight.
Em: What? How do you know that?
Amir: I bought this sweater today, so that's from tonight.

For an experimental film done completely improv, I was, at first, a little hesitant in the first third of the film. BUT, once the box was found and the quantum theory of multiple realities came front and center I found myself caught up in all of it and enjoyed as things moved forward with people in different realities.
A large part of the subtleties I must admit, went past me as far as some of the characters' actions except for Mike. He got very violent, very quickly out of nowhere at one point and then, discovering how everyone got mixed up with various realities I found the scenario very, very cool.
Especially the ending as Em slips out and peeks into various houses and how things got even worse than the one she was previously in.

I went back and reread a few reviews, including @Okay who spoke about a lot of little changes that makes me consider re-watching this just to pick up on them. This is a film that would necessitate such an endeavor. One he mentioned that I rather liked is that in the very opening Em actually drives through the Dark Hole into the wrong house to begin with.

Along with Okay, I enjoyed @TheUsualSuspect's write up that, when I first read it, caused me to be very curious about this.

So, definitely a worthy entry into a Sci-Fi HoF and pretty happy to have been introduced to it and will have to find time for a revisit to find those subtleties I wasn't able to catch on the first try.
__________________
What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes
~Mr Minio



'Gattaca'


A rewatch for me. I remember enjoying it 1st time around. I think as others have mentioned Hawke and Thurman fell for each other on set so you wonder if that helped their on screen chemistry, The film is quite chilling in respect of the genetics and the science isn't too far off what we have now, which makes it more realistic.

What I like about Gattaca is that it relies on it's concept, script and plot to deliver rather than edge of your seat action to keep the viewer interested. It's a smart movie that provokes and leaves a lasting memory, and Hawke is great.

It'll be in the top half of my list for sure. A fine nomination.




Coherence 2013

Watched Coherence back in 2013, checked my IMDb and it appears I gave it a 7- back then. Which usually means I enjoyed a movie and/or I was sufficiently entertained.
So, while reading some negative reviews here and while watching the first 10-20 min. I was scratching my head as to why I rated it like that.
But then 'the book' and all the theories came into play, I started getting more engaged with the story and actually enjoyed the rest of the film. It's surely not all good; the acting, the characters portrayed, the home video like camerawork, and the just overall low-budgetness are not my style at all.
However I did like the comet science concept, and the scenes following Emily looking through all the windows of the alternate selves.
Low-budget, clever concept sci-fi and a worthy nomination for the hall of fame imo.






Forbidden Planet 1956
A true classic science fiction gem and exactly what I’d hope to find by joining a hall of fame. Ahead of its time, very influential and paved the way for later classics in the genre. Loved the title sequence, set designs and color schemes.
Excellent job at creating depth illusions and making things look colossal and larger than life. A job the folks at marvel and dc are often still struggling with nowadays despite millions of dollars on cgi.
Dr. Morbius is a great and interesting character / villain. Anne Francis and her outfits 10/10. Solid performance by Nielsen.

Took me about five minutes to shake the Lt. Frank Drebin from Police Squad association.

The films great exploration into the psyche of all beings and the scientific developments really drew out some of the best reviews I’ve read in this hof.
Only stand out weak point is the cartoon laser shoot out
Great golden oldie nomination.





Attack the Block 2011

Wagwaan mofo fam?!! Dis my last review in’nit blood?

Inner city youth versus aliens, tackling some inner city struggles in a Hott Fuzz style comical, creative and positive way.
Really liked; the visuals, sound effects/track, probs & mayhem, the pace of the movie and the casting.
Impressive breakthrough performance by John Boyega. The last slo-mo scene(s) look absolutely ‘wicked bruv’ and sound amazing. I’m pretty sure this role got Boyega noticed and got him his big break in the Force Awakens. Believe bruv!
Enjoyed this re-watch, good nomination, allow it!



We now have 7 completions, and 6 lists received.

The deadline is still currently set to the end of day on August 3rd. The reveal will take place the following day.

Ed's looking good with just one film remaining, Scarlet is just behind with 2 nominations to go, and Suspect is trailing a little with 3 left. Everyone else can chill in their quarters or the common areas while waiting to reach our destination.

My plan for the reveal is pretty much the same thing I did for the Foreign Language Hall of Fame. If there was anything you didn't like about that reveal, speak now or risk being thrown into the same void that swallowed Nathaniel and Yam ...uh, I mean, forever hold your peace? Yes, that sounds about right.



'Turbo Kid'



I really like dystopian post apocalyptic films but I really do not like superhero films. I also don't tend to be attracted to children's stories done for adults i.e. - nostalgia trips or fantasy with added gore or violent themes. So I'm afraid this was like a perfect storm for me. It was a parody of a parody. And while I know it was supposed to be like that - I felt that the cheesy corny dialogue didn't do the film any favours because it came across as lazy writing rather than clever or witty. The characters were just straight out of comic books and have been done a million times before.

Not a film I enjoyed.



Attention all crew members of the
Second Science Fiction Hall of Fame!

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

This is your Captain speaking, though I'm sure you could figure that out without me stating it every single time. We're approaching our final destination, and are scheduled to make our landing in just 1 week. The computer has calculated a clear path through the upcoming asteroid field, so we should be able to complete our mission on time, which again for the record is August 3rd.

Many of the crew have finished their required films, and all but one of those have already submitted their final reports. Below you will find a copy of the computer's status update in its usual format, which I don't think needs explaining at this point. This will be the last one for this Hall of Fame.

ahwell - complete

Citizen Rules - complete

CosmicRunaway - complete

edarsenal - 9/10
Timecrimes

John-Connor - complete

Okay - complete

rauldc14 - complete

ScarletLion - 9/10
Robinson Crusoe on Mars

Siddon - complete

TheUsualSuspect - 7/10 !
Forbidden Planet
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Timecrimes

When I arrived back from my detour to the space station a few days ago, I made sure to check for any strange anomalies, because I didn't want to mysteriously lose any more crew members. Suspect hadn't posted any updates while I was gone, but I did make contact with him, so there is no cause for alarm at this time. We should reach our destination without any more unexplainable incidents.



'Robinson Crusoe on Mars'


Very decent sci fi version of the classic cast away tale. Slightly dodgy effects (although it was 1964) and the landscape of the planet was really nicely done.

The plot is obviously the same as the original book, with themes of companionship, captivity and survival - but the ending was adapted well. The performances were pretty nailed on, although Friday was a bit non-plussed!

Lots of influences here. For instance this reminded me of the blade runner intro......:



Star wars trash compactor?......:



Batman was in it too.

All in all, this was another of those classic sci fi movies like Forbidden planet that I'm really glad I had the chance to catch up on as I'd never have seen it otherwise.Good nomination.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Forbidden Planet




It's always fun seeing sic/fi movies made from 'back in the day'. You get to see what their visions of the future entailed and the special effects they had to work with. Forbidden Planet is a perfect example of ambition and talent mixing together to give a somewhat 'iconic' sic/fi film the ability to stay 'fresh' so many years later.

I had no idea that Aliens is basically Forbidden Planet. Radio silence from people on a planet leads to a team of people going to investigate, only to discover everyone is dead save for a young girl. They are pretty similar to me and I was chuckling to myself while I was watching it.

A good matte painting really brings a smile to my face when I see them presented well in film and Forbidden Planet uses these to bring a unique aesthetic. A lot of sic/fi films have a unique look to themselves and it's easy to see what films today draw from Forbidden Planet.

If I had money, I'd buy and frame that poster too, it's classic.



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Robinson Crusoe on Mars




This poster reminds me of those pulpy sci/fi books my dad would read.

Look out Matt Damon, someone survived on Mars well enough way before you did. Crusoe has a certain Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold feel to it, meaning that it's a rip-off of better sci/fi movies, but not a bad rip-off. There is something there that makes it oddly enjoyable and I had that feeling with this movie. Whether it was ripping something off or not was irrelevant to me, it just had that lower budget look and it tried to be like this other movie type feeling to it.

Interesting set designs and a decent performance that really needed to draw the viewer in (since it's mostly one person for a decent chunk). I found myself liking the film, but also checking the runtime every so often. It's something I'm glad I finally got to see and am glad was nominated, but probably will never watch again.
__________________
"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews




If I had money, I'd but and frame that poster too, it's classic.

You can get the 12 inch Laserdisc






Science Fiction Laser Disc's are gorgeous and definitely look nice on the shelf
















28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
I got one movie left. Will watch it tonight I hope. Sorry for how I always tend to leave movies to the last second. Such is life when you have two kids now...



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
I got one movie left. Will watch it tonight I hope. Sorry for how I always tend to leave movies to the last second. Such is life when you have two kids now...
Didn't know you had two. Yeah film time is definitely cut with kids but I'm good with it.