Sci-Fi Weekend!
February 19th 2008 03:56
Let the geek flag fly. Or don't. The first (and worst) of this batch aims to be pretty damned mainstream, and almost hides its sci-fi-ness so deep under a cloud of allegory you can barely see anything else.
Invasion (4/10)
was a huge letdown. I know, I know...NO ONE liked it. But I had that hope, you know? That I'd be the one to see the greatness everyone else missed. Nope...it really isn't very good. Yet another retelling of the Body Snatchers chestnut, this one fails on just about every level. Except showcasing Nicole Kidman's beauty. God, she looks good here...in spite of seeming at least a foot taller than just about anyone around her. But whenever something grabs your interest, plot-wise, it feels as though the (many) filmmakers decide to inexplicably switch gears. The film's only about an hour-and-a-half long, but it often feels the need to flash back, forward, and in some instances to scenes we have not yet seen, nor will we ever. Daniel Craig is good enough as Nicole's friend without benefits, but you know almost the moment you see him where his character's headed. The snatching occurs via some cell-swapping, which can happen through various icky methods, including being puked on. If that sounds vaguely intriguing, it's not. Once you ingest the alien spore, it waits for you to sleep to work its snatching magic. Should make for some good "DON'T FALL ASLEEP!" Elm Street stuff, right? Wrong. Bizarrely, even though there's evidence in the film of scenes that were cut, there are no deleted scenes on the disc. I tried, Invasion, but the masses were right. You kinda suck.
I had been sitting on Sunshine (8/10)
for awhile. No reason, other than "Josh sucks". It's a really interesting film and, yes, reason number 125 why I love Danny Boyle. Do I need to run through the track record? You'll be moved to, and see shades of several of them, as you watch Sunshine. Trainspotting, 28 Days Later. Millions. The Beach. Hell, A Life Less Ordinary. For starters, Sunshine is beautiful to look at. I mean, there almost doesn't even have to be a story. Or dialogue. Or characters, etc. You could watch it on mute and just drool. But there is a story, and it's pretty damned gripping. Eight astronauts are set to deliver a nuclear payload intended to re-ignite the dying sun. A similar mission failed 7 years earlier and, as our heroes approach their target, they discover the various reasons for that failure, and, of course, they are doomed to repeat several of them. The cast is uniformly terrific, with standout performances from Cillian Murphy of 28 Days Later, Rose Byrne of 28 Weeks Later, and, perhaps most impressively, Fantastic Four's Human Torch, Chris Evans. Have I already said how amazing Sunshine is to look at? Let's say it again. This movie is f-ing GORGEOUS. It's almost as compelling to listen to, as the ship's machinations are matched by a fantastic score featuring old Boyle mates Underworld. Sadly, I felt the film veered as off course as the mission toward the end, shifting from the majesty of a 2001 to the near-hokiness of something like Event Horizon. It already had too strong a hold on me by that point, though: the crew of the Icarus could've engaged the Man in the Moon in a battle over green cheese, and I'd still recommend this one.
Sh-t, From Beyond (8/10)
was supposed to get its own post. An open-ended rant about the glory of the b-movie, Stuart Gordon and pre-CGI gore. Ah, well. After his outstanding work on Re-Animator, Mr. Gordon set his sights on another Lovecraft property, the teeny-tiny short story "From Beyond". I guess after the rush of the previous film, he felt he could just let 'er rip again, and to say teenage Josh was pleased with the results would be putting it mildly. Back from Re-Animator are Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton (as well as various characters in smaller roles). And, like that film, From Beyond rolls over you like a Mack truck, encouraging an almost immediate repeat viewing. Dr. Pretorius and his assistant Crawford Tillinghast (Combs) have been working on a device called the "Resonator" which stimulates the pineal gland and allows those in its vicinity to see the things that are always around us, but that go undetected by our five senses. Trouble is, once you see them, they see you. In addition to that unfortunate situation, overstimulation of the pineal gland causes several other side effects, not the least of which is the hunger for other brains. Which you can suck out through your victim's eye-hole. Oh, and it apparently makes girls ri-donk-ulously horny (and guys only slightly less so). This might all sound pretty silly, but I assure you, while watching the film it'll make total sense. For me, From Beyond belongs right up there near, if not with, Re-Animator in the pantheon of cult classics, and not just because Barbara Crampton gets all dolled up in S&M gear. But that helps. Anyway, not to sound too "old man"-y, but when I was a young 'un, the only way to see From Beyond was to dig the tape out of the "Sci-Fi" bin in the Rite-Aid video rental section...and I considered myself a lucky fella every time their sh-tty, grainy copy was in. All hail DVD! The nifty new special edition looks great and even includes a few precious extra seconds (it's a fairly short film) of From Beyond goodness (not to mention behind the scenes stuff and commentaries to boot!).
Invasion (4/10)
was a huge letdown. I know, I know...NO ONE liked it. But I had that hope, you know? That I'd be the one to see the greatness everyone else missed. Nope...it really isn't very good. Yet another retelling of the Body Snatchers chestnut, this one fails on just about every level. Except showcasing Nicole Kidman's beauty. God, she looks good here...in spite of seeming at least a foot taller than just about anyone around her. But whenever something grabs your interest, plot-wise, it feels as though the (many) filmmakers decide to inexplicably switch gears. The film's only about an hour-and-a-half long, but it often feels the need to flash back, forward, and in some instances to scenes we have not yet seen, nor will we ever. Daniel Craig is good enough as Nicole's friend without benefits, but you know almost the moment you see him where his character's headed. The snatching occurs via some cell-swapping, which can happen through various icky methods, including being puked on. If that sounds vaguely intriguing, it's not. Once you ingest the alien spore, it waits for you to sleep to work its snatching magic. Should make for some good "DON'T FALL ASLEEP!" Elm Street stuff, right? Wrong. Bizarrely, even though there's evidence in the film of scenes that were cut, there are no deleted scenes on the disc. I tried, Invasion, but the masses were right. You kinda suck.
I had been sitting on Sunshine (8/10)
for awhile. No reason, other than "Josh sucks". It's a really interesting film and, yes, reason number 125 why I love Danny Boyle. Do I need to run through the track record? You'll be moved to, and see shades of several of them, as you watch Sunshine. Trainspotting, 28 Days Later. Millions. The Beach. Hell, A Life Less Ordinary. For starters, Sunshine is beautiful to look at. I mean, there almost doesn't even have to be a story. Or dialogue. Or characters, etc. You could watch it on mute and just drool. But there is a story, and it's pretty damned gripping. Eight astronauts are set to deliver a nuclear payload intended to re-ignite the dying sun. A similar mission failed 7 years earlier and, as our heroes approach their target, they discover the various reasons for that failure, and, of course, they are doomed to repeat several of them. The cast is uniformly terrific, with standout performances from Cillian Murphy of 28 Days Later, Rose Byrne of 28 Weeks Later, and, perhaps most impressively, Fantastic Four's Human Torch, Chris Evans. Have I already said how amazing Sunshine is to look at? Let's say it again. This movie is f-ing GORGEOUS. It's almost as compelling to listen to, as the ship's machinations are matched by a fantastic score featuring old Boyle mates Underworld. Sadly, I felt the film veered as off course as the mission toward the end, shifting from the majesty of a 2001 to the near-hokiness of something like Event Horizon. It already had too strong a hold on me by that point, though: the crew of the Icarus could've engaged the Man in the Moon in a battle over green cheese, and I'd still recommend this one.
Sh-t, From Beyond (8/10)
was supposed to get its own post. An open-ended rant about the glory of the b-movie, Stuart Gordon and pre-CGI gore. Ah, well. After his outstanding work on Re-Animator, Mr. Gordon set his sights on another Lovecraft property, the teeny-tiny short story "From Beyond". I guess after the rush of the previous film, he felt he could just let 'er rip again, and to say teenage Josh was pleased with the results would be putting it mildly. Back from Re-Animator are Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton (as well as various characters in smaller roles). And, like that film, From Beyond rolls over you like a Mack truck, encouraging an almost immediate repeat viewing. Dr. Pretorius and his assistant Crawford Tillinghast (Combs) have been working on a device called the "Resonator" which stimulates the pineal gland and allows those in its vicinity to see the things that are always around us, but that go undetected by our five senses. Trouble is, once you see them, they see you. In addition to that unfortunate situation, overstimulation of the pineal gland causes several other side effects, not the least of which is the hunger for other brains. Which you can suck out through your victim's eye-hole. Oh, and it apparently makes girls ri-donk-ulously horny (and guys only slightly less so). This might all sound pretty silly, but I assure you, while watching the film it'll make total sense. For me, From Beyond belongs right up there near, if not with, Re-Animator in the pantheon of cult classics, and not just because Barbara Crampton gets all dolled up in S&M gear. But that helps. Anyway, not to sound too "old man"-y, but when I was a young 'un, the only way to see From Beyond was to dig the tape out of the "Sci-Fi" bin in the Rite-Aid video rental section...and I considered myself a lucky fella every time their sh-tty, grainy copy was in. All hail DVD! The nifty new special edition looks great and even includes a few precious extra seconds (it's a fairly short film) of From Beyond goodness (not to mention behind the scenes stuff and commentaries to boot!).
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I liked Sunshine too and consider it one of the top sci fi's of the new millenium.
Invasion i just can't do, (And it not just because of Nicole Kidman) I enjoyed the Kauffman remake and the Ferrera extension but Don Siegl's original can never be equalled.
From Beyond deserves its place in Schlock history, fun movie.