Hmm... Interesting.

I might have to at least half agree with you about Lindelof.

On one hand, there's:
LOST (incredible)
Star Trek (Awesome)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (Pretty goddamn good)

On the other, there's:
Cowboys vs. Aliens (Awful, moments of so-bad-it's-almost-good fun, but mostly awful)
World War Z (Only Brad Pitt movie — or zombie movie — I've ever walked out of)
Tomorrowland (Baaaaaa hahahahahaha!!!)

So maybe you're right and he's a problem. But I still loved Prometheus and thought it was by FAR the most interesting and best entry in the Alien franchise since Alien. Also, that fight scene at the end between big nasty pre-Alien thingy and big nasty pre-human thingy was... wow. Awesome.

Fair enough. I do know what you mean about prequels. In theory, they're supposed to help with "world-building," and mythologies, but they almost always end up undermining that very thing.

Look at fucking Star Wars. Man, talk about almost killing the most profitable franchise in history at the very moment when that franchise was trying to make a long-awaited return. Ick.

Or the Hobbit. Personally, I think Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies were overrated. The first was the best and the rest were simply enjoyable. But wasting THREE MOVIES on the shortest and simplest Tolkien book just to expand on a brand that had already been critically and commercially massive ended up making the entire franchise feel gratuitous. Should have started with the Hobbit and just made a solid movie out of it, or left it alone, or at the absolute most made it a one film affair... little bonus for sad fanboys.

In fact it's hard to think of any prequels that have truly worked out or been legitimately successful.

But still.. I think Prometheus was great in part because it didn't rely too heavily on the familiar. Sure, that's what everyone wanted and expected... lots of alien shaped aliens. And that movie would have probably been really cool if Scott had decided to make it. But instead he made something with a different flavor. A more expansive and epic kind of movie that you don't need to be a fan of Alien to like. In fact, being an Alien fan might make it a good deal harder to like. But for me, it was cool as hell.

Maybe the next film will take us right up to the events preceding the original Alien. That's what's everybody wants, right? Obviously the vibe is going to be more "Alieny." More likely it will be a trilogy, and that won't happen until the third film. But either way... Ridley Scott + space opera + Aliens/aliens = good enough for me.

How's BOTNS coming?

coming well! got abut 100 pp to go. glad they are not making a shit movie out of it!

100 to go in the Citadel of the Autarch?

I don't think a movie would be possible. It keeps getting weirder until the coda book, and it starts out pretty goddamn weird. Plus there's ... eight more books that take place in the greater "universe," and all of them are pretty fucking out there. Hopefully nobody ever tries to undertake such a thing.

Nobody probably will. Despite being regarded as one of the best SF books of all time, I don't think it's particularly popular beyond SF cult circles. Fact I don't think Gene Wolfe has ever even had a bestseller.

Hahah!

Saw this last night. It was funny as hell.

Gene Wolf is too much of a wordsmith to have super mass appeal.

Yeah.

Though he has really moved away from the dense Dickensian prose over the years. Some of his books are surprisingly bland stylistically, while others are conceptually and emotionally complex, but still read pretty simply compared to his earliest works (specifically Home Fires; most people could read it in a day, but the greater theme is way more thought provoking than the actual prose).

I think he's done some definite genre experimentation. He did a Lovecrafty book (An Evil Guest), he did a "magical realm" book (The Sorcerer's House), an outright high fantasy epic (The Wizard Knight). and lately he's been on a '50s noir/Americana kind of kick where I admit he's kinda lost me.

I like Wolfe best when he was world building under the shroud of mystery. So.. Book of the New Sun (plus Urth of the New Sun), Book of the Long Sun, Book of the Short Sun, Fifth Head of Cerberus, Peace, and The Wizard Knight, much later. The rest of his stuff is good, often great, but sometimes, after reading so many bizarre behemoths from his early years, not really very satisfying.

Do you find this funny or...something else? Personally, I'm torn.

http://www.avclub.com/article/donald...ling-in-246655

Uhhh... yeah I see the conflict.

BUT...



This is objectively hilarious.

I couldn't agree more, at least in terms of the unnecessary bloating of The Hobbit. I enjoyed all three Rings films even if individually they were a little too long. The Hobbit, though, was one solid 2 hour film but Jackson killed it by stretching it beyond credibility.


Fair enough on liking it, and I agree that it probably works better as a stnd alone film (and but for the design of the alien ship and the very final scene it pretty much is). But even as a stand-alone I actually thought it had a similar problem to Hobbit: it was like a short story stretched until it broke. A huge amount of storyline padding. And for a film with such a limited, generally enclosed setting, and relatively small cast, it was still too jumbled. The idea behind Prometheus is complex on a philosophical level but Ridley's direction only makes it even more difficult to understand it. The fact I didn't like the actual idea behind it all is just my thing, others may like it for valid reasons. But beyond that I do just think the films simply a mess. A good idea (maybe), but very poorly told. Look at how those old (pre-reboot) Dr Who could tell a very sophisticated story in 90 minutes (3 episodes) which let you think about the idea without wasting energy trying to remember who's doing what, where and why. I honestly feel a lot of the more idea-centric sf movies being made at the moment could learn a lot from those older Dr Who stories.

there is nothing complex about the basis of Prometheus. same old shit ancient aliens BULLSHIT that lulls the ignorant and stupid into believing humans are pathetic fucks without help from "god." Fuck god fuck aliens.

ha ha ha ha

the idea that i've never seen shown in film is JEAN PAUL'S DREAM.

except maybe the closest being star trek's THE FINAL FRONTIER. which was brilliant in so many ways. well, at least 2 ways that i can actually think of.

Nietzsche said something along the line of he'd pulled his nets through the seas hoping to find fine fish, but only dragged up some old god's head.

ha ha yes

jean paul's dream for sure must have been an influence on nietzsche-- well, the german romantics really changed the world for everyone that came after (the early ones were the smart ones, the late romantics were all about irrationality and blood and fatherland... and we know where that went)

this sea thing reminds me of "all is lost" btw. which was great. but... best to have no spoilers

thanks for the JP dream, I thought of Sartre at first, but obviously not that. I ended up sending the last paragraph of it to a friend for a BIRTHDAY GREETING. Interesting to see what he will think o that!

oh ha ha ha

that thing shocked europe in its day

we're all orphans!

[quote=demonrail666]I couldn't agree more, at least in terms of the unnecessary bloating of The Hobbit. I enjoyed all three Rings films even if individually they were a little too long. The Hobbit, though, was one solid 2 hour film but Jackson killed it by stretching it beyond credibility.

Yeah. One move would have been just fine. Even as a prequel. Low expectations, use the building tension to make people want to watch Fellowship again right when it's done.. y'know?


I couldn't agree more about Doctor Who.
Honestly, I'd take Doctor Who over just about anything else in sci-fi, just about any day.

I read a neat article about Doctor Who and Star Trek (original series) and how the two shows, respectively, used their very different limitations to inspire creative and powerful storytelling.
Like, Star Trek started a couple years after Doctor Who, no doubt buoyed a bit by that show's success in the UK. And compared to DW it had a massive budget, but Roddenberry's eutopian, post-conflict vision presented some real problems in... y'know... creating conflict, which is obviously a necessary piece of any narrative. They came up with some interesting ways to present obstacles (mind control, more mind control, insanity, silliness), and eventually they sort of found their footing... usually by venturing outside Federation space where things weren't "post-conflict" anymore.

Doctor Who on the other hand, was overflowing with ideas, but they had fucking NO money, so they really had to work with what they had and present a philosophical fantasy space opera in a compelling way using, like, two interconnected sets and six people. Haaa!

The takeaway was that Doctor Who succeeded even more than Trek in expanding the framework of sci-fi and television despite having an aged, half-empty toolbox and being black and white. I agree. They used the limitations to their advantage. They thought outside the "box" (eh? Get it?) and turned those limitations into strengths by embracing them, making them iconic. Doctor Who has always been (and, I'd argue, still is) an extremely influential and wonderfully smart show, with a very rich universe surrounding it, and I would love to see more SF that could hold a candle to any era of Who.


I actually get a bit bitter about all the nonstop Star Wars hubbub, and intermittent Star Trek hubbub, because frankly I think Doctor Who puts both universes to shame in virtually every possible way. I would KILL for a feature length major motion picture of Doctor Who. Kill, I say. BUT Star Trek hasn't NOT been in the movie business for damn near 40 years, and even when there's not a Star Wars movie coming out every year for the forseeable future, as there is now, people never shut the fuck up about Boba Fett!!

A Doctor Who movie, in theatres, with a deserving writer and director, the right cast, and enough of a foundation in Who mythology and series nostalgia would probably give me a brain aneurysm. Of awesomeness.

From what I remember it was originally going to be 2 films, which would've been fine I think. However, the studios decided they'd make more money by making it a trilogy and forced Jackson to. Wouldn't be surprised if that's a big reason why Del Toro left.

Event Horizon

Seems to take an age to get going and the climax never quite lives up to the build up, but still a very solid piece of Lovecraftian sf, helped immeasurably by the apparantly-can-do-no-wrong Sam Neill.


That would be a dream come true and, without going over old ground, I'm half surprised Christopher Nolan hasn't thought about doing something. Unfortunately a large chunk of its current fanbase would insist on something more light-hearted/campier/knowing. It'd be great to see a film with the guts to just play it completely straight. And make the Dr unfashionably old. Michael Caine would be an obvious choice if Nolan did it, but I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Morgan Freeman have a go.

I think early DW's strength was that it got some really credible sf writers on board, so the sheer strength of the stories always eclipsed the shoddy production values.

Have you seen Quatermass & the Pit? It was written by Nigel Kneale who did some great DW stories. It's probably the best DW film without actually being part of the series.

First time I saw Event Horizon years and years ago I watched it alone lat at night stoned out my mind and I had to stop it TWICE cuz I got scared.....

Dr Who has had some ups and downs thru the years. I think that season 8 or so was really well written, but a lot of the current ones are pretty poor.

I never got into Dr. Who. It's Brit-centric concerns don't matter to me.

Mechanic: Resurrection

Highly improbable but Statham almost always makes a good action film these days and of course while Jessica Alba is probably a bit overcast, but she still is easy on the eyes as they say. It was better then the remake, which I don't know why they remade, The Bronson version was good until he stupidly agreed to take Jan Michael Vincent on board.

You've said this sort of thing a few times before and I still can't get my head around it. So anything not from 'murica you can't watch? It's kind of a dim statement to say you can't watch something cos it's from Britain. No less dim if you had said Spain or wherever else.

finally managed to watch ALFIE last night. the original not the jude law nonsense (i'm only assuming it's nonsense).

michael caine was BRILLIANT in it. holy shit, it was practically a soliloquy on fast forward. also enjoyed the 60's-modern approach & small french new wave touches (the baby photos, i thought). really enjoyable period piece-- because it's a period piece.

i mean period piece cuz the mores re:biopaternity + abortion are more than a bit outmoded by today's standards. so i can see how the jude law remake would be needed to update the fable (though i haven't seen it and don't know what actually happens).

but in spite of the historical distance it still it packs a big punch if one forgets to be so 2016 for a moment. really enjoyed it. also, no heroes-- except maybe for annie & howard which we don't really see much.

eta: dont know anything about lewis gilbert but he made some movies i've enjoyed (educating rita & various james bonds)

not agreeing with his evaluation as i have yet to get into dr who, but one could argue the label "provincial" or "parochial" can often be grounds for dismissal for all kinds of art without having to name its province or parish. i can totally imagine a british person saying "too french" or "too german" ha ha ha. not that you do that. just trying to read the ideas behind the words.

eta: i always remember how some english critics sort of faintly praised joyce as a "wild irish" and "provincial talent" when he first published dubliners. the reviews come bound in the penguin critical edition of the book, which i have buried in some crate at the moment, or i'd be able to give you the exact quotes.

Last night I watched Jane Wants a Boyfriend, Eliza Dushku is one of the leads. Rather average indie fair from last year, worth that one watch if you're looking for something to see.

It's "Doctor" Who, brah.

And... your loss.

There's a film that was NOTHING like I was expecting. I thought the whole thing was gonna be 'cheeky lad out the pull with HILARIOUS consequences' not 'cheeky lad goes out on the pull and has to pay a lass to get a traumatic abortion'


Don't get me wrong I've had more than enough conversations with people who won't watch "forrun" films because, well because they're not in English. My reaction is the same as a person who won't watch a film/tv series because it too British-A roll of the eyes and a snigger.

Oh man, I thought it was just wretched. For years people told me it was one of the scariest, most disturbing thing ever, I finally watched it and Yowza what a stinker. B-movie Hellraier ripoff. Never read the book, but I'm guessing the movie doesn't live up to it.


Hmm. Interesting. But Morgan Freeman isn't British (is he?) ... I think there are some other actors who might be better, though Cain is appealing.


Oh! No, never seen it, but just looked it up and I'm totally down.

Nice call on Nolan, he's a Brit and he's the right age to be a mega fan like Neil Gaiman. But he'd never do it. Maybe someday someone will.

BTW: I don't love everything about Peter Capaldi's Doctor — fuck those sunglasses and the guitar — but I think he does a great job at "serious old guy who doesn't give a fuck" Doctor. He's had some great moments.

You're right about the Hellraiser thing. I wouldn't call it a great film, but I did enjoy it. A solid 3 out of 5. I never got any of the hype so it didn't have anything to live up to, which probably helped.


It'd upset some fans but I don't see any real reason why the Dr has to be British. Whoever plays him, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before a studio throws megabucks at a big summer blockbuster version.

Anyway ...



10 Cloverfield Lane

I loved Cloverfield and knew this wasn't directly related but liked the way it did ultimately tie in. I hope they make more 'cloverfield' films and the ending to this one definitely suggests they will.

I also tried to watch M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, but only got to about 15 minutes in before writing it off as a complete waste of time.

BOUNTY KILLER

Lots of over-the-top cartoon violence. Tons of fun. Heads get blown off with a shotgun, dismembered from the rest of the body, or get split in half to reveal the contents. All in the name of saving the world from corporate greed.

Good or bad? Who gives a shit. This is solidly entertaining.

Super weird, occasionally charming, knowing B horror cheese.
Weird thing about this was that parts of it were actually quite fucked, and the laughs were really pretty fleeting and sporadic. I don't usually have much of an affinity for super gross-out stuff, but this movie features a door knob turning into a giant flaccid dong, and a monster assembling itself out of the contents of a meat cooler. So... yeah. Entertaining.

Seems to be a bit of a cult thing already, as it's based on a David Wong book. Definitely for fans of that special kind of horror that's both disturbing and hysterical. It's serious moments don't feel as serious as, say, Cabin in the Woods, but it's still far from light viewing. Evil Dead 2/Army of Darkness, Dead Alive, Teeth and Slither fans should all be content with this one.

4/5 mostly because it was a perfect thing for my girlfriend and me to watch after we decided against paying $20 to watch Suicide Squad on the MacBook, but still wanted a kind of shitty, funny, violent movie for a really boring ass Saturday night.

Mine was better.

Yeah I remember you watched this a while back. I meant to look at what you said about it, but who has the time or energy, y'know? ;)

Know what's funny? I was thinking of the wrong movie. My bad. I'm not sure I've ever seen this. I guess that means you were thinking of someone else. Funny stuff. I might check it out later. (Unless I did see it and did post about it, in which case I might be losing my marbles. Thanks Trump.)

watched some french artsy fartsy movie called FRIDAY NIGHT. more fartsy than artsy. i didn't "hate it", it didn't make me angry or break out in hives or anything, but it was just very fucking slow and boring.

it was billed as an erotic film but it was just about mood, mood, mood, like, let's watch this woman pack boxes for 20 minutes and play some moody music, and show some moody shots of paris at sundown, and then let's put her in a traffic jam for another half hour, and she looks at people, and people look at her, and more moody moods, and lights, etc.

when it eventually came to the sex with a strangers it was just basically a bunch of affectionate hugs

no no, i didn't miss the subtext and the notion that she was moving to her boyfriend's apartment and was not so comfortable with it-- i did get that. but ayayay... mooooooodsssss

i'd post a longer summary of it but imdb has much better reviews. trust the negative ones though

---

also saw KRAMPUS. fucking awful. good technical achievement in special effects but a bad hodgepodge of movie quotes from national lampoon's christmas vacation to an assortment of horror flicks from gremlins to tremors to terminator to alien---but not in a good way.

you can have it on while playing games on your phone though

Good to know. It keeps getting recommended to me on Amazon

Just rewatched



Bram Stoker's Dracula.

I've never been a big fan but always kind of enjoyed it. Still feel the same. Poor old Keanu Reeves is terrible and Gary Oldman hams it up unmercifully but in the end they both kind of add to the enjoyment of it all.