Have you seen it??? R.T's Sci Films - pt 3

Read - Part 1, Part 2, Part 4
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If you've been following along you'll know that I'm not really agreeing with the Rotten Tomatoes list of 100 Best Reviewed Sci Fi Films. There seem to be a lot of high minded films in the list that I am honestly surprised to see. You would think that essentially a list made up purely by popularity would skew to the modern and mainstream rather than classic or foreign. So what does that say about the average reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes? Or maybe its just me being the weirdo here. Either way, let's get on with the show...

#49 - District B13 (2006)
The plot involves a futuristic France where the worst ghettos have been walled off from the rest of society, their schools shut down, and the police force evacuated. The people in power simply want to ignore the plight of the disenfranchised, but this becomes difficult to do when the most notorious gang, led by the wild-eyed Taha (Bibi Naceri), gets its hands on a nuclear warhead and proceeds to demand a 20-million-Euro ransom, with the city of Paris as its hostage. Enter Damien (Raffaelli), a one-man police strike force, who has 24 hours to disarm the missile. To help him navigate the war zone of District B13, he springs a vigilante antihero, Leito (Belle), from jail. Leito has personal reasons for taking down the crime lord: Taha has turned Leito's adolescent sister into his junkie pet. As the ultra-athletic duo go up against Taha's gangster army, they repeatedly (and conveniently) lose their guns, and are forced to improvise, thrashing goons with steering wheels, cinder blocks, and their foreheads.

While the action looks great here, a French friend of mine who saw this a year or two ago says that it it a crap story. That said, the freestyle urban running, and the fighting look pretty sweet.

#48 - Serenity (2005)
I really enjoyed this film, although the story still worked better as a series. I understand why it didn't do very well at the box office.

#47 - Donnie Darko (2001)
An excellent film all around.

#46 - Delicatessen (1991)
After years of working successfully in commercials and music videos, French directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet make a splashing feature-film debut, DELICATESSEN, a hysterical exercise in style. Scripted by comic book writer and frequent Caro and Jeunet collaborator Gilles Adrien, the story follows a sweet-natured clown, Louison (Dominique Pinon), who moves into a run down apartment building with a delicatessen on the ground floor and falls in love with the butcher's daughter, Julie Clapet (Marie-Laure Dougnac). When it turns out that Julie's father (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) is actually butchering human beings and selling the meat to the carnivorous tenants of the building, Julie must decide if she will remain loyal to her father's business or expose the truth in order to save Louison from being the next victim. Taking place entirely inside, underneath, and on the roof of the delicatessen, the film uses an old pipe that runs throughout the building as a channel of communication for its characters.

This sounds pretty clearly like a horror film, not a sci fi. I don't know... is it really good?

#45 - A Clockwork Orange (1971)
A little of the old Ultra violence never hurt no one... Classic.

#44 - 12 Monkeys (1995)
This would be in the latter half of my personal top 10. Great film.

#43 - Re-Animator (1985)
Herbert West (Jeffery Combs) has found the secret to eternal life--or so he thinks. West needs fresh cadavers to continue his experiments in the re-animation of dead tissue, so he enlists the help of young medical student Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) to steal bodies from the local morgue. Despite all the warning signs of failure, the eccentric West's research continues. The results are crazed zombies that roam the streets, severed heads that talk, murder, madness, and chaos, all in the name of science, of course.

While technically I have seen this film, its been such a long time that I don't remember it really much at all. Once again this is a film I would place squarely in the horror category.

#42 - 2046 (2005)
Director Wong Kar-Wai's style reaches its fullest expression in his stunning film 2046. Picture-perfect period sets and costuming, finely wrought atmosphere, languid shots, glamorous cigarette smoke, amber lamplight, and allusions to film noir. 2046 is a meditation on memory, eroticism, love, loss, and longing which surpasses the director's beautiful, widely acclaimed IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000) in terms of formal ambition and visual sumptuousness. With its intriguing, layered structure, the film follows the adventures of Chow Wo Man (Tony Leung), a womanizer who is writing a science fiction novel about a future year in which all memories are suspended. The film shuttles between the BLADE RUNNER-like world of Chow's futuristic novel (complete with androids and other metaphors of emotional disconnection) and late-'60s Hong Kong--where Chow writes from a hotel room, and engages in relationships with a series of beautiful, complex women (including the luminous trio of Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Faye Wong). The film also journeys to Singapore and through the increasingly mysterious corridors of the protagonist's memory.

The trailer definitely made this film look beautiful. I would very much like to see this film.

#41 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Kirk at his finest. This is probably the best performance we'll ever see from Shatner. Good stuff.

#40 - THX 1138 (1971)
Not a bad film, but it always seemed to get more credit than I thought it was due...

#39 - The Fly (1986)
Horror / sci fi never looked as creepy gross and good as Jeff Golblum the Brundlefly. Do you want a muffin?

#38 - Time Bandits (1982)
I wonder if this is my favorite Terry Gilliam film... maybe so. This is a fantastic film.

#37 - Them! (1954)
Atomic radiation once again manages to transform tiny harmless creatures into gigantic holy terrors. Probably the best of the '50s phenomenon, this top-notch thriller witnesses an invasion of giant ants using the sewer systems of Los Angeles like a vast ant farm. Academy Award Nominations: Best Special Effects.

I've seen other creature movies from the time, I'm just not sure if I've seen this one...

#36 - Blade Runner (1982)
Once again I totally don't understand this list. #36?! I mean 36?! Are you serious!? Easily top 10, probably top 5. This is a masterpiece.

#35 - Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
ugh... I've still got a bad taste in my mouth from that damn #36 on Blade Runner... OK First Contact. Yes decent film. I would probably move it a bit back on the list though.

#34 - Forbidden Planet (1956)
Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST is transformed in this landmark science-fiction film. Spacemen travel to a planet ruled by Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), who has built a kingdom with his daughter and obedient robot Robby. The good doctor is plagued by his mad quest for knowledge through his "brain booster" machine, and by Freudian "monsters from the id" as his daughter discovers other men and learns to kiss.

Yup, its another for the embarrassed to have not seen it list... Not that I really would expect to love the film, but it is really a classic.

#33 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Great film. Also a good excuse to play with your mashed potatoes.

#32 - The Matrix (1999)
The very first dvd I bought. This is a fantastic film.

#31 - The Invisible Man (1933)
With THE INVISIBLE MAN (the first film in a series), James Whale (FRANKENSTEIN) provides another stylish, blackly comic entry in the popular Universal horror cycle of the 1930s. When a mysterious man, face wrapped in bandages and wearing dark goggles, arrives in a small English village one snowy night, things start to go awry. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains), a chemist who has discovered an invisibility formula, wants desperately to find the antidote, but a side effect of the drug is driving him insane. Becoming gradually more unhinged, Griffin strips off his nose, bandages, and clothes before the stunned villagers and sets about terrorizing the countryside. When he progresses from mayhem to murder, Griffin's beloved Flora (Gloria Stuart) and colleague Dr. Kemp (William Harrigan) work with police to try to capture the elusive Invisible Man. It is a race against time to stop Griffin's plans to make the world "grovel" at his feet. Watch for the stunning special effects during the snowy climax to this gripping, atmospheric horror classic.

I just don't remember this film. Everyone know the iconic image of Claude Raines, but I can't recall if I've seen the actual film before. I definitely should.

#30 - The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Finally a classic I have seen. This is an excellent cautionary tale.

#29 - Ghostbusters (1984)
One of my favorite films, although I think I usually think of it as an action/comedy.

#28 - Men In Black (1997)
Get jiggy with it. Maybe the best buddy cop movie ever.

#27 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
This is another top 10 for me.

#26 - Young Frankenstein (1974)
very funny. If you haven't seen this please do.

#25 - Gojira (1954)
This is the original Japanese version of what we know as Godzilla. Personally I never had any problem with the addition of Raymond Burr though. That said, this is a fine film all around.

Well kids, that brings us once again to the end. Down to 25 more. Can you guess whats left on the list??? I already peaked and have to say I am not all that impressed... And it looks like I'm back to 7 unseen films from this batch of 25. Maybe, hopefully I'll do better in the next and final round. What are you guys thinking about the list? Is it as weird as I'm thinking it is???

Well until next time, have a good one. Later :)

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Flashback 05 - G.I. Joe opening

If you know me, you know I love G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. It is my favorite cartoon from when I was a kid, and it still holds up great today. Check out this classic opening credit sequence. I love how kick ass Stalker is, and that Cobra Commander actually is deigning to get his hands a little dirty fighting. Major Bludd is still a pussy though. Enjoy.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer review

I went into Fantastic Four 2 with high hopes and low expectations. And maybe that was for the best, because I ended up being really pleasantly surprised at how much this movie didn't suck.

Ripped from the pages of the FF comic, this film gives a platform to the introduction of my honest to goodness favorite Marvel superhero Silver Surfer. And thank god, they actually got him right! Silver Surfer has always had a rough go of it in the comics. Always the thinking mans protagonist; while SS can have some pretty dynamic action and of course the sweeping backdrop of the cosmos, he was always so inwardly focused that I know he often put readers off. He was always the character the question why, and muse openly on the themes rather than just the plot of his story. And so his translation to the big screen has been one that I've both eagerly anticipated and dreaded. Fortunately FF:ROTSS does an admiral job conveying the power and sadness of the Surfer. As you can tell from even a cursory glance, he looks spot on amazing, and his power cosmic comes across well on screen. My only complaint is that I think a bit more story development would have helped the audience understand his dramatic change of heart in the film. However, I liked that they referenced his past, they set up a spin off film, and that he managed to kick most everyone's ass and look good doing it.

While I went to see FF2 pretty much for the Silver Surfer alone, I was surprised and happy to see the team / family dynamic element VASTLY improved over the last film. While there were still a few dialogue clunkers between Alba, and Gruffudd I loved the interactions between Chris Evans as The Human Torch and Michael Chicklis as The Thing. Sure the writers took the silliness over the top a few times and some scenes just fell totally flat (I'm thinking the dance scene, ugh! or anything with Alicia) I really honestly enjoyed watching the Fantastic Four as a group in this film.

Perhaps the best thing I can say about the film is that I was sitting in the theater near a couple of kids who couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old and they really seemed to enjoy the heck out of the film. That makes it a success in all the most important ways my book.

I think this film is really solid film that's well worth watching. It's not mind blowing, and in a way it feels kind of small, and insular. But as long as you take it for what it is, I think you'll enjoy it. This film is not made on the scale of Spider-Man, or the X-Men films; but it has a charm and honest pulpy comic book feel that I liked a lot.

3.5/5

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That was another review from my Flixter page. Please if your interested feel free to friend me there. Or make any comments you like in the section below :)

One other very good piece of news that I thought I'd share, is that last week, in fact before Fantastic Four 2 even opened Marvel hired the excellent writer J Michael Straczynski to begin scripting the Silver Surfer prequel spin off film!!! This is exactly the news I've been waiting for ever since I was 9 years old and hung that Silver Surfer poster on my wall. I'm definitely going to be watching the word on this one.

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Have you seen it??? R.T's Sci Films - pt 2

Read - Part 1, Part 3, Part 4
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Continuing on from last post about Rotten Tomatoes 100 Best Reviewed Sci Fi Films we get into a bit more of the nitty gritty with #74 and up. I have to admit after finishing the last post I snuck a look ahead and it was NOT AT ALL what I expected to see... And then upon looking at their criteria for their choices I'm kind of more confused than ever. They say: "In order to get a nice mix of old and new flicks, we used a weighted system that factors both the Tomatometer and the number of reviews. Some weren't well reviewed enough to make the cut (tough break, Tron), and others didn't have enough reviews to qualify (sorry, Stalker)." I mean are these really the best reviewed films?! Really?! Somehow I thought popular turth would look different thanh this...

We'll get into some of the surprises later though, for now on with the show...

#74 - Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH is based on Jules Verne's 1864 novel. A scientist heads out on a treacherous journey to the center of the earth. With him are an intrepid student, an Icelandic guide and the widow of a geologist who steals his information in an attempt to beat him to the earth's core. Along the way the group are confronted by all manner of dangerous obstacles: excessive heat and cold, gale force winds, and tremendous floods.

I actually think I might've sen this at one point... I know for sure I read the book. I should see this again.

#73 - Alphaville (1965)
A bizarre space-chase across a glass and metal landscape of futuristic Paris--here called Alphaville--is the movie's premise. Creating a dystopian "tomorrow" characterized by alienation and cold corporate comforts, Godard slyly suggests that the future is now. Secret agent man Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) travels across the expanses of intergalactic space and time to uncover the fate of his missing predecessor. Working under the alias of Ivan Johnson, Caution is accompanied in his quest by the lovely Natasha Vonbraun (Anna Karina), the daughter of a supposedly missing professor. Caution later discovers that the elder Vonbraun is the mastermind behind Alpha 60--the rigid, masterful computer that governs Alphaville. Alpha's job is to crush individuality, eradicating any human being who does not conform. Ultimately, Lemmy is left with no other choice but to destroy the calculating chip-and-wire monolith, with the only weapons he has left: his heart and soul.

That sounds very interesting, if perhaps a bit overly weird. Almost liek a combination of Until the End of the World, Immortal, and Zardoz. Sometimes far out scifi, especially Foreign far out scifi can get a bit too much for me. Probably it makes more sense once you see it...

#72 - Seconds (1966)
John Frankenheimer's chilling vision of middle-aged malaise concerns 50ish banker, Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph). Bored with his wife and comfortably retired life, Arthur happens to run into Charlie Evans (Murray Hamilton), an old friend he believed to be dead. He gives Arthur a tip on a secret organization called The Company, run by the Old Man (Will Geer). For a hefty fee, they offer to provide the old with entirely new, vigorous bodies, through a mysterious form of plastic surgery, and with completely new identities. Arthur signs on and finds himself transformed into the much younger Anitochus "Tony" Wilson (Rock Hudson). After a suitably middle-aged corpse has been burned to cover his disappearance, Tony is relocated to an idyllic Malibu beach community, where he already has a reputation as an artist. He begins a relationship with the vivacious Norma Marcus (Salome Jens) and is happy for a time, before discovering that she's one of The Company's employees. As he peels back the layers from his other neighbors, he begins to realize that nothing is as it seems. This incisive twist on the Faust legend, a mordant commentary on the American obsession with youth, features Hudson in what is possibly his finest performance, as a man cast in a part he despises. Hudson's sense of irony, then necessarily private, is now public. The great cinematographer James Wong Howe creates a sense of quiet horror through a skillful variation of lenses.

John Frankenheimer and Rock Hudson. That's a good combination. I have a feeling though that I might be bored with this story. It sounds too much like some old Outer Limits episode. Anyone seen this and can give their opinion?

#71 - Farenheit 451 (1966)
Maybe my favorite Ray Bradbury story. The movie is fine but the book is just so amazing, that's the memory I'm more emotionally left with. Wasn't this going to be updated with Mel Gibson a few years ago??? Wonder what happened to that. For a semi-similar, only better dystopia sci fi film, check out Equilibrium.

#70 - Time After Time (1979)
Victorian Brits H.G. Wells and Jack the Ripper travel through time into late 70s San Francisco. While the author marvels at this Utopian Eden, the psycho killer discovers his spiritual home -- and goes out searching for his next victim.

WTF?! This sounds utterly ridiculous. I just don't know about this list...

#69 - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Finally a film I can really get behind. Just like San Dimas High School football, Wyld Stallions totally rule!

#68 - The Abyss (1989)
Why is this film #68 ??? this should be in the top 10.

#67 - Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
This is the one about the Klingons. No, I mean the other one about the Klingons... umm yeah.

#66 - Escape From New York (1981)
Snake Plisskin is one of the greatest anti-heroes of our time. Awesome. I'm not sure I'm ready for and yet cannot wait for the remake thats in the works starring our favorite Spartan Gerard Butler.

#65 - 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
I know its Disney but Kirk Douglas is great. I really enjoy this film, although as with Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne is such a great writer that it inevitably overshadows any mere adaptation. This is my favorite Verne book too, so while yes the film is a lot of fun, it merely pales in comparison.

#64 - Pi (1997)
I honestly thought my head was going to explode. Word of advice, don't watch this film high.

#63 - The Thing From Another World (1951)
I actually put the remake above this film in my mind, but I also really love this great suspense film. And they actually are totally different. If you want a fantastic character study of claustrophobia this is your film.

#62 - Jurassic Park (1993)
Such a great film. Should be higher on the list...

#61 - Open Your Eyes (1997)
Handsome 25-year-old Cesar (Eduardo Noriega) has it all--a successful career, expensive cars, a swank bachelor's pad, and an endless string of beautiful and willing women. Unfortunately, he can't get rid of his latest conquest, Nuria (Najwa Nimri) soon enough. When she crashes his birthday party, Cesar uses his best friend Pelayo's stunningly attractive girlfriend, Sofia (Penelope Cruz), as a means to her. The next morning, Nuria is waiting in her car outside his apartment and manages to coax him into the vehicle. The next thing Cesar knows, he's wearing a mask to conceal a horrible disfiguration while being interrogated in a prison held on a murder charge. Alejandro Amenebar's thriller distorts both the viewer's and Cesar's perception of reality with a series of mind-bending plot twists, ensuring that this intriguing Spanish production will keep you guessing until its final moments.

Wait, wait, wait... just hold on a friggin second. Vanilla Sky was a remake?! Why didn't anyone tell me???

#60 - Robocop (1987)
There is sooo much amazingness to this film. When I was a kid it was one of the goreyest films ever. Shooting his hand off, the spike through the neck, I'll buy that for a dollar, The chemicals melting that guy, the kickass hand cannon Murphy used, and of course Ed-209. What a fucking awesome film :)

#59 - Altered States (1980)
A psycho-physiologist doing experiments with human consciousness eventually decides to test his findings on himself. He becomes obsessed with performing these auto-sensory deprivation experiments until he actually changes form physically, ending up as a gorilla at a local zoo. He returns to his normal state, at which point he also involves his wife in the experimentation.

Doesn't sound that great to me...

#58 - The Brother From Another Planet (1984)
After escaping slavery on another planet, a three-toed alien (Joe Morton) crashes on Ellis Island and makes his way to Harlem. Assumed to be a homeless black man, the alien fits right into the multicultural swath of New York City, especially since he can fix both broken bones and broken machines just by touching them. Meanwhile, two men in black with unusual gaits and a fondness for DRAGNET-style dialogue prowl the streets of Harlem looking for the alien.

Sounds kind of heavy handed to me. But I suppose it could be good. Especially if its taken in the context of 1984.

#57 - Planet of the Apes (1968)
a true classic. And esily one of my top 5 Charlton Heston films.

#56 - Westworld (1973)
Michael Crichton's directorial debut, WESTWORLD is the direct precursor to JURASSIC PARK as the story of a technological amusement park gone out of control, with tourists becoming victims. For $1,000 a day, patrons can visit high-tech recreations of historically based mythical settings controlled by lifelike androids and synthetic environments: a Roman world that recreates tales of ancient Rome; a medieval world that recreates the legends of the Middle Ages; and Westworld, which recreates the myth of the classic Western. Two Chicago businessmen, Martin (Richard Benjamin) and Blane (James Brolin), spend their vacation in Westworld, where they live out their fantasies of the Old West mythology: chaotic barroom brawls, random love with beautiful prostitutes, and a violent jailbreak during which they shoot the local sheriff. But the complex technology that supports these fabricated worlds develops complicated syndromes faster than the scientists behind the scenes can resolve them. Soon the entire resort breaks down into chaos, and the androids turn hostile on the visiting tourists. WESTWORLD is both a retread on classic science fiction themes and a precocious critique of the false values and artificiality of the encroaching mass culture.

Man, I don't even have an excuse for not seeing this. I have no doubt in my mind that it rocks...

#55 - Fantastic Voyage (1966)
An important scientist is attacked by assassins and almost killed. When traditional medical methods are exhausted, a crew of scientists is shrunk to microscopic size and injected into the scientist's body to destroy a blood clot and save his life. An exciting adventure with colorful special effects. AKA Microscopia and Strange Journey.

Once again, I don't have any excuses.

#54 - Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
The one with the whales. After Generations I think this is definitely the best Star Trek film.

#53 - They Live (1988)
John Nada (Roddy Piper) is a quiet loner, a drifter who gets work where ever he can find it. While working on a construction site in L.A. and sleeping in a vagrant community at night, John stumbles upon a secret society of alien beings who pose as wealthy and powerful people in human society. John joins a rebel group commited to exposing this conspiracy, and becomes their reluctant leader and the only hope of the human race.

What? Oh man, yet another John Carpenter film I have yet to see. This one sounds great too. Kinda like a better version of The Arrival.

#52 - Save the Green Planet! (2005)
Lee Byeong-Gu (Shin Ha-Gyun, JSA) is a sensitive, blue collar sad sack hopped up on conspiracy theories and sci-fi films whose life has been derailed by one bad break after another. Yet he knows there's no such thing as bad luck. The only thing that could have made such a mess of his life are...aliens. Nasty, disgusting aliens who have infiltrated human society. Sly aliens who are planning to destroy our planet at the next lunar eclipse. The one alien possessing the Royal Genetic Code needed to contact the Crown Prince and stop the destruction just happens to be his old boss, CEO of Yuje Chemicals, Kang Man-Shik (Baek Yun-Shik).

So with the help of his circus-performer girlfriend he sets out to kidnap Kang and torture him until he confesses to his alien identity and stops the invasion. Of course, it's hard to confess to something that's just a delusion in a sick man's mind.

I've heard a few people say that this is a great film.

#51 - Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
I liked it. Although I think I've only watched it twice. The battle scenes were pretty damn cool.

#50 - Things To Come (1936)
In the years since they were published, H.G. Wells's words seem to have become prophecies...
Society in 2036 has devolved into a leisure-saturated body of mass consumers. Important decisions are relegated to an elite few. World wars have left parts of the globe in ashes; localized conflicts continue as a way of life. Social and medical epidemics rage.
The comfortable bourgeoisie dwells like moles, living below sea level. Its members rest on cellophane sofas, inhale filtered oxygen, ingest preserved food, and entertain themselves by synthetic light.
While the intelligentsia obliterates the sick to create a utopia for the earthlings who remain, others plan a mysterious trip to the moon, purportedly for humanity to reach the next rung on its evolutionary ladder.

Well, that sounds very interesting. I'd be really interested to see where a film like that goes. And I love it watching visions of the future from back in the day. When they're off its funny, and when its on, its eerie.

And so kids, that brings us up to #50. Halfway through, and I'm already disagreeing with a number of their choices. Also there were 11 films I'd missed from this batch! Ugh. That's no good. One thing for sure, the top 50 should be VERY interesting...

Stay tuned for more...

First Song

Ok, so I think Erica and I have agreed on this song as our first song to dance to at our wedding.

Aqualung - Brighter than Sunshine



only 3 weeks to go... eep!

Bernard very nicely pointed me towards this live version of the song. I definitely think the one thing I'd like is for a more chilled out first song. Like this is great but if it was acoustic or just more toned down I think it would work better. Hence the live version. This might be the way to go...

Have you seen it??? R.T's Sci Films - pt 1

Read - Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
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Rotten Tomatoes has compiled a list of The 100 Best Reviewed Sci fi Films of all time. As I've been toying with the idea of putting together a list of The Greatest Films I'm Most Embarrassed to Have Never Seen I thought I'd go through the list and focus on all the flicks I haven't watched. If you've seen any of the films I've missed and recommend them please let me know. I do consider myself a bit of a sci fi film buff; so I'm not sure if this will be a very long list.

hehe, so says the guy who has yet to even look through it. All the synopsis listed here are from Rotten Tomatoes, which is a wonderful film site that I hardly use at all. I wonder why that is... Ah well, on with the list. The films with descriptions are the ones I haven't seen yet. I'm listing the others here mostly for completeness. Ok, and maybe I'll make a comment or two on them as well. Which of these films have you seen? What do you love or hate about their list?

#100 - Escape From Planet of the Apes (1971)

#99 - Star Trek III: the Search For Spock (1984)

#98 - Primer (2004)
Totally awesome indie film. If time travel is ever discovered I bet it will look like this.

#97 - The Thing (1982)
I could easily write a whole post on how much I love this film

#96- A Boy and His Dog (1975)
Vic (Don Johnson), survivor of atomic holocaust, wanders hungrily across the bleak desert landscape in search of cans of food buried deep in radioactive ash. His telepathic dog, Blood (Tim McIntire) depends on Vic for food, but Vic needs Blood to find him something much more scarce: female companionship. The bedraggled duo eventually discover an underground society of survivors, called "Down Under," where they have reproduced the look of pre-apocalypse Americana but with frighteningly totalitarian politics. A cult black comedy based on the novella by Harlan Ellison.

While I haven't seen this film, I listened to a fantastic audiobook version of the story, on one of my favorite podcasts Escape Pod a few months ago. Now that I'm looking of course I can't seem to find it, but I would definitely recommend the cast for anyone who likes good dramatized short sci fi.

#95 - Dark Star (1974)
John Carpenter's low-budget debut feature is a hilarious romp set in the deepest reaches of outer space. The haggard crew of the dilapidated Dark Star spaceship--Doolittle (Brian Narelle), Boiler (Cal Kuniholm), Pinback (Dan O'Bannon), and Talby (Dre Pahich)--is on an extended mission to seek out and destroy unstable planets. But after 20 years of the same routine, each crewmember is reaching the end of his tether. The journey is fraught with mishaps, and danger seems to lurk around every corner. There are misbehaving pet aliens, suicidal bombs that dream of detonating, frozen crewmates dispensing advice from beyond the grave, and a surly, unhelpful main computer that holds the men it serves in total contempt. Despite all these problems, the crew is still bored to the brink of madness. Co-written by the multitasking O'Bannon, who is also credited as the film's production designer and editor, DARK STAR brims with giddy jabs at the science-fiction genre (including George Lucas's THX 1138), an approach that Mel Brooks would later take in his own sci-fi spoof, SPACEBALLS (1987). In addition to writing, directing, and acting, Carpenter also composed the film's atmospheric score.

This film definitely falls into the category of I'm embarrassed not to have seen it yet.

#94 - Mad Mad: Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
We don't need another hero! This film isn't as good as either of its predecessors, but I love me some Tina Turner, and Mel Gibson is totally badass. I sure hope we really get Mad Max Fury Road one day.

#93 - Dreamscape (1983)
A university dream research clinic is exploring "dreamlinking", a method by which conscious people can insert themselves into others' dreams. The research director recruits washed-up psychic Alex Garland for his experiments, and Alex proves a natural for dream manipulation. But even though the doctor overseeing the research has only the best intentions, someone else believes that dreamlinking can be the ultimate weapon... and he's determined to recruit Alex for his own evil ends.

I'm going to operate under the assumption that I will have seen more of these films the closer I get to the top. I don't know that I've ever even heard of this film. Notice that the main character in Dreamscape is named Alex Garland. I wonder if the author and screenwriter Alex Garland has seen this film... probably. Any film starring Dennis Quaid and Max von Sydow is good in my books.

#92 - It Came From Outer Space (1953)
A meteor crashes in the desert near a small Arizona town, and research scientist John Putnam (Richard Carlson) thinks it's a spaceship, but no one will believe him except his loyal girlfriend, Ellen (Barbara Rush). Weird evidence begins to back up his theory however, from the strange behavior of some of the locals, to the slime trails, the ghostly noises in the phone lines, and the apparitions of hideous alien eyes swooping down on passing cars. Director Jack Arnold (CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON) lets the story unfold deliberately, and infuses the desert locale with all the unearthly mystery of an alien landscape, helping to make this one of the best science fiction films of the 1950s. Charles Drake is Matt, the sheriff who first thinks John is a fool with all this flying saucer talk, and who later tries to lead a posse against the aliens when the truth is too blatant to ignore. It's based on a story by Ray Bradbury, with an eerie, theremin score, on which Henry Mancini is an unbilled contributor.

wow, I don't have any clue why I haven't seen this. Bradbury, Mancini, and what sounds to be an archetypal story... Sounds great!

#91 - A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
I wish Kubrick had been able to get this film made in his lifetime. It's not what it should be...

#90 - Death Race 2000 (1975)
I find this film is not as great as you remember or wish it was but I still hope the remake is cool.

#89 - War of the Worlds (2005)
ugh. Damn you Tom Cruise. Damn you...

#88 - Flash Gordon (1980)
Frankly, I felt like this movie has been overhyped for what it is. But don't miss the new Flash Gordon tv series, starting on Sci Fi Channel 08/10.

#87 - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Ewoks and all I love this film. I would almost definitely rate this film higher on the list.

#86 - Starman (1984)
A departure for director John Carpenter, STARMAN is a gentle, simple film that won accolades from critics and applause from audiences. Jeff Bridges plays the title character, an alien that has come down to Earth on a peaceful scouting mission. When he takes the form of a recently widowed woman's dead husband he unintentionally involves her in his mission. The alien only has a few days to reach a rendezvous point where he will be picked up by his mothership. Along the way he must discover what he can about human beings and our civilization. He finds out plenty very quickly, as his relationship with the young widow grows very strong as they make their way to the rendezvous point. Meanwhile, the FBI is in hot pursuit after it discovers the discarded landing vehicle, and the alien's own health is deteriorating in Earth's foreign atmosphere. The story tells of the struggle for communication, the pain of letting go, and the search for understanding. Jeff Bridges gives an unforgettable performance as the gentle alien trying his best to cope with being a human. With STARMAN, Carpenter proves he is a master storyteller, not just of horror and science fiction, but of subtle, emotional drama as well.

Yet another film I am ashamed to say I have never seen. It is currently on my computer waiting to be watched though... soon, soon...

#85 - Innerspace (1987)
I should see this again. I remember it being really funny...

#84 - Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
not as bad as people made it out to be.

#83 - Signs (2002)

#82 - Dark City (1998)
Another favorite of mine.

#81 - The Matrix: Reloaded (2003)
I believe history will look back at all 3 Matrix films as sci fi masterpieces.

#80 - The War of the Worlds (1953)

#79 - Total Recall (1990)
Utterly fantastic. I even love the book. Great all around.

#78 - Gattica (1997)
First time I remember realizing who Jude Law was. This is a very solid film.

#77 - Videodrome (1983)
This film, along with Cronenberg's other masterpiece Naked Lunch, changed my life. This is one of the main reasons I wanted to get into filmmaking. Take from that what you will...

#76 - X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
Ray Milland stars in this visionary sci-fi film as Xavier, a doctor who gains the power to see through solid objects; first it's women's dresses at a party, then people's bodily organs, and, eventually, God looking back at him from the center of the universe. Attractive Dr. Diane Fairfax (Diana Van Der Vlis) is Xavier's love interest, though he can’t stop seeing through things long enough to notice her--he can’t even sleep since he can see through his own eyelids. When he accidentally kills a fellow doctor, Xavier winds up at a carnival sideshow where he performs fortune-telling and faith healing for a sleazy barker (Don Rickles). Later he and Diane head to Vegas, where his see-through card abilities parlay into a small fortune, but then he's on the run again, going progressively more insane as the visions get too much to bear. An insightful script, a moody Les Baxter score, and Milland’s tortured performance amply compensate for the film’s low budget, and there’s a twisted shock ending. It's considered an intellectual peak in B-movie maestro Roger Corman's vast canon, with cheap but engaging "X-ray" optical effects that anticipate his later psychedelic freak-out THE TRIP.

I haven't actually seen much Roger Corman, other than Bucket of Blood. This sounds interesting. I wonder who plays God?

#75 - The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)
In Nicolas Roeg's sci-fi tale based on the novel by Walter Tevis, a humanoid alien from a dried-up husk of a planet falls to Earth in a spaceship--and later falls again metaphorically through alcohol abuse and the manipulations of a hostile culture. Arriving as a secret ambassador from a dying world, the masquerading Mr. Newton (David Bowie) patents several basic devices, including a self-developing color film and music recordings in the shape of small silver balls, in order to amass the tremendous capital necessary to build a spaceship. Along the way he solicits the help of a crack patent lawyer (Buck Henry) and a country-fried small-town girl (Candy Clark) who introduces him to gin, which he soon begins to substitute for his customary glass of water. Newton debates the reality of returning to his dead world only to have the choice made for him when he is swept from the launchpad by government agents. After serving his time with men in black, he is released, blinded by x rays, into the world. As a last drunken hurrah, he records an album under the name the Visitor with the hope that it may someday be broadcast and heard by his family and friends back home.

Well it looks liek once again I'm in desperate need of some edjumacation....

I do hope that part two of this romp through the most highly regarded classic sci fi films doesn't leave me looking worse than I do now. Then again as Rotten Tomatoes says, this is technically just the best reviewed films on their site. Not sure what that means precisely... I suppose its a really nod to the Wikiality of the Rotten Tomatoes system. And if I respect anything, its Turthiness...

It looks like I've already got some watching to do. 7 of 25 missed. Not good. How'd you do? Any of the other ones I caught that you maybe missed? Let me know in the comments.

And sorry if this post isn't your thing. I think I'm leading up to maybe eventually trying to put together a list of my own. Eventually...

ok, I'm off now. TTYL kids.

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What the hell is a Batpod?

Seriously, can we just call it a Batcycle and be done with it.


From the LA Times article that got the scoop.

"Goy is the only person who's ridden the new Batpod — a bike so outrageous it's hard to believe it was even built. It's not just because it's tricked out with grappling hooks, cannons and machine guns. The front and rear tires are both a monstrously huge 508 millimeters, and the engines are in the hubs of each wheel. Steering isn't by hand but by shoulder, since there aren't handlebars. Instead, there are shields that fit each arm like sleeves and have the ability to rotate around the bike's frame. The two foot pegs are set 3 1/2 feet apart on either side of the tank, which the rider lies on, belly down.

That tank also moves up and down — you know, in case Batman needs to dodge bullets or slide under semis. "

Over at Comingsoon.net they have a link to another picture, and some video of the new bike.

I think it looks kinda cool. We'll see how it looks on screen though. I would just hate to see this new Batman series get dragged down into too much gadget minutiae. That's one of the reasons the last series of films failed. I mean that, and Joel Schumacher. We'll have to wait and see how it all pans out next year as The Dark Knight isn't set to come out until June 18th, 2008.

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TF One Sheet and new Bat suit

Pretty sweet, eh? Click to enlarge...


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Drinking and BFD

man what a busy weekend.

On Friday night Erica went out with friends for a girls night, and since she wasn't coming home I decided that the only responsible thing to do would be to go out drinking with my new friend Chris. It was one of those kinda stupid benders that takes you to like 6 different bars, and leaves you completely wrecked. We hopped from one seedy Mission district bar to the next and ended up at Zeitgeist which is by all accounts a great look at the kinda dirty yet still hip SF bar scene. It is not a place to go and stay sober though.

I got pretty trashed, and eventually just took off. See there's one thing you'll have to understand about me and drinking if we ever go out on a bender. I sometimes get really really drunk. Not that I can't handle my alcohol, I think I'm actually a pretty good drunk. I get chatty, and sometimes a bit loud; but no ones ever told me I'm obnoxious. And I've only a handful of times gotten belligerent drunk; but that was always after drinking for like 10 hours straight. Once in a while though I will just take off. No 'goodbye', no 'I have to get to bed now'. No explanation at all. I don't really know why I do it; somehow it just seems easier that way. Screw explanations, I'm too drunk for that. So I ended up leaving Chris at the bar, which was the right thing for me to do.

The next morning I was completely wrecked, still drunk , leading into a hard hangover. I actually got a text from Chris around midday saying that he thought I probably got out at the right time. Not sure how things went after I left but I assume the word destroyed might apply.

Anyhow I had to get up at 6:30am to make it on the Caltrain and down to Mountain View for an all day concert being puty on by a local radio station. It was Live 105's BFD festival. BFD stands for Big Fucking Deal. And I have to tell you, despite being in pain for most of the morning it was really cool. After meeting Erica down the peninsula and heading over to the Shoreline Amphitheater I ended up planting myself on the lawn and for the most part just trying to keep my stomach settled. Although necessary this was unfortunate as I missed a bunch of the smaller bands I had wanted to see. I did manage to catch a few snippets of songs from The Lovemakers, Street to Nowhere, Silversun Pickups, and The Faint. There we're 3 stages and the big lawn is out behind looking onto the actual amphitheater stage. But that was the mainstage and wasn't up and running until later in the evening. So I spent the morning staring at an empty stage, trying to regroup.

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That said I managed to hear some good stuff too. This was one of those big all day dealios where they featured like 25 bands. And I DID get up and go see teh two bands I really wanted to catch. Cold War Kids, and The Bravery. Both were cool but I was impressed especially with The Cold War Kids live and would really like to see them in a smaller venue. And I think that would be good for them too. They mentioned a few times that they were, or at least felt like, the tiny small band who all of a sudden was in the big leagues. I also think maybe the lead guy from CWKs got into a fight or something with the Sum 41 guys, cause there was some a little completely serious sounding smack talking going on. For the Bravery it was a really weird experience. I actually took some video with my camera, maybe I'll post that later. But the weird thing was just how they performed. You know how some bands sound better live, and some sound worse? Well I thought The Bravery definitely fell into the latter category. It wasn't that bad, just really different. It had a very dirty, visceral, overlapping, and somewhat over modulated sound that they just don't have on their albums. But while that was cool at times, I think they sound much better after being 'produced a bit. That wasn't the weird part though. A lot of bands sound different live, and sometimes you really can't blame them if its not as good. What I thought was super strange was that they played not all, but most of their songs totally different. I mean it wasn't just live, it was that they emphasized different words, sang at a different rhythm, and generally played the same songs from their albums in a completely alternate way than I've ever heard. Oh sure the chorus for Honest Mistake was the same, and most of the new stuff felt intact as much as I know it.... But it would be like if the first time you heard Jane's Addiction, they played their Kettle Whistle live album.

After those guys played, I was feeling pretty good and the main stage got going. There was a pretty decent lineup, opened by a local band Scissors for Lefty who I've heard on MySpace and liked but wasnt oevrly impressed with live. Although I've heard said that they are much better in a bar setting, which I would believe. After they opened, we were treated to a very solid performance by Kaiser Chiefs, followed by a moody but great Interpol as the sun went down. Then it was time for Queens of the Stone Age, who while I didn't really like their music were very impressive musicians. Seriously they were playing up a storm; unfortunately I wasn't overly into that storm, but I can see how you might be... The night ended with performances by Social Distortion, who are a local band that was big about 5 - 10 years ago and I think would also be better at a smaller venue. And finally we watched a really excellent closing performance by UK sensation Bloc Party.

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What a night, seriously just tons of bands. And a bunch of em really cool. Check out the rest of these pics, and maybe I'll post some of that video later on. If the line up is this good next year I will definitely be up for another BFD. Even though there were a lot of kids around, and the sets were all pretty short (mostly 30 mins) I was very impressed overall. Espe4cially seeing some of these smaller bands. I just hope next year I'm in better shape to enjoy it.

Since we'd had such a big day on Saturday Sunday was pretty chilled. We went over to my folksd house and I built their new patio furniture. But today is my birthday (I'm 29), so we did have some cake which was very yummy. Anyhow, this post is getting to long and rambly. I'm gonna head out. Talk to you all later.

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Animated Tcats

Well it looks like there was a bit of an internet miscommunication last week over the Thundercats movie. Last week it was reported that the classic 80s toon Thundercats was being brought to the big screen. Now while this is all true, it has now been clarified that the film will NOT be live action as reported but instead it will be an animated feature.

This is good news, I know I was a bit concerned with the prospects of a live action film. I mean can you imagine any stars wanting to actually dress up like a big cat??? I guess maybe they could... but it would definitely be a hard sell.

So good job Warner. Now just bring us something cool, that respects the source material, while updating it for a more modern sensibility, with lots of action, a story that actually progresses, with real consequences for the players, some good funny bits, a few inside jokes, and plenty of heart, and I'll be happy :)

I Am Legend trailer

One of the coolest zombie flicks ever has been remade into the upcoming Will Smith action flick I am Legend. And the trailer has just dropped. Check it out below or go check it at the Apple trailer page.



And hey, If you liked that, why not check out another famous adaptation of this material. One of Heston's absolute best: Omega Man...



I Am Legend is set to come out December 14th. Just in time for Xmas :)
Omega Man can be found right now at every reputable video store.

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Awesome Transformers Video

So in case you missed it a couple days ago Michael Bay posted this great clip of a fight scene between Optimus and Bonecrusher on his blog. The video is short, but kicks all sorts of ass. Here it is for your viewing pleasure...



Seriously, the Transformers movie looks totally fantastic. It comes out the week of July 4th.

Yo Joe!!!

And the circle is now complete.

Everyday we're finding out about more old-turned-new nostalgia being revamped, updated, and repackaged for both current kids, and older kids with a disposable income. Today is no different with the announcement of Tundercats being brought to screen. But a few days ago there was another, in my opinion more significant property that we also, got a bit of news on. It's the last of the Great 80s toon to get the live action update nod G.I. Joe.

First things first. There has been no official announcement other than this: Hasbro, who own the franchise, has just struck a deal with William Morris to bring their properties to market. William Morris in turn has very smartly jumped on the opportunity, and is bringing it to Paramount in efforts to create a film. Since the previous options on a live action Joe film have recently expired. Nothing is actually known yet though. There has been no press release, or writer hired, nothing of the sort. But the red tape involved in bringing a film to us has finally been cut and if Paramount is savvy, and especially if Transformers is a big a hit as I expect it will be G.I. Joe will definitely be moving forward very quickly.

So since we have no hard information to go on I thought I'd bring you my take on what the Joe movie should be. Because I honestly love G.I. Joe. I was a fan, like most of you reading probably, from the 80s incarnation of the Joes. I own every dvd they've released of the 80s cartoon and watch them regularly. Yes; it still hold up incredibly well. I also collected the 3 3/4" action figures; and in fact, with my very first allowance ever got I bought a G.I. Joe figure. Roadblock. The only properties that I hold in as high standing as G.I. Joe in fact are probably Star Wars, and Transformers. And yes, I too despise Sigma 6. So to me the prospects of a calssic Joe movie are very exciting.

While I care about stuff like the director and the casting and the budget and whatnot. I am a big fan of the subject matter and that's what I'd like to talk about for a bit here. So lets think about this film for a minute. Obviously G.I. Joe is an ensemble film. Nominally you'll have one or two main protagonists but really its about the team as a whole. Just like in the cartoon, the potential cast of characters is really big, in fact far too big for a single film. So G.I. Joe is going to have to, at least hopefully, be a series of films. In my opinion the first film should be an origin story and should be plotted something like this.

COBRA, a ruthless terrorist organization bent on destroying the world has finally surfaced, and the only way to fight them properly is to create a hand picked super team of soldiers from varied backgrounds and skill sets. The film should follow the head of this new group Conrad 'Duke' Houser (my thought is just keep Hawk out of it for now) as he collects a ragtag team of offbeat heroes to fight this new and deadly villain. I can see the montage now... think Armageddon, only better, cause they're Joes :) Once he has the G.I. Joe strike force assembled everyone gets their code name, and they plan best how to defeat Cobra. Meanwhile Cobra Commander, a deadly S.O.B. worse than any Taliban militia man, is preparing to unleash the biggest terrorist strike on US soil ever. Alongside the shadowy international weapons dealer with a dark past Destro, and his cadre of hired goons, Cobra Commander has an insidious plot to destroy and conquer America that can only be stopped by A Real American Hero.

The one thing I'm not sure how to reconcile is the whole motivation for Cobra. World domination just doesn't fly anymore. Not in the way Cobra was out for it in the cartoon series. It's just a bit to 1970s James Bond villain. And if you want to make the story believable Cobra better be big, honestly dangerous, and damn evil. So a goal much smaller than world domination is kind of off limits too. hmmm.... we'll need to think about it. Can't be money, or something stupid like 'Destroying Freedom', it needs to be believable.... well, I'll think on it.

Anyhow, the more important thing I think is who exactly do you put in this cinematic opus??? What characters should make it, and who should be left out for the sequel? It can't be so big a cast that it intimidates newbies, and there can be any number of characters in the background waiting for a single line, or just there for the fans. For my money, here are what I think are the essential Joes for the film:

• Duke
• Flint
• Scarlett
• Lady Jaye
• Snake Eyes
• Shipwreck
• Roadblock

After that its a toss up between a number of characters: Alpine, Gung Ho, Cover Girl, Bazooka, Beach Head, Leatherneck, Rock n Roll, Lifeline, Dusty, Quick Kick, Barbeque, Spirit, Snow Job, Breaker, Cutter, Deep Six, Wild Bill, etc etc etc... You need to have a balance, Duke is the leader, Flint is the field commander, and I think should be the nominal protagonist. Their women need to be there for the love interest angle, so you've got Scarlett and Lady Jaye. The kids, heck everyone, wants to see a Snake Eyes/Stormshadow ninja showdown subplot, so you know those guys are in there for sure. Fan favorite Shipwreck also has to be in the main cast. He was such a foil to the regular army grunts that he makes a great addition. And while people might not agree with me I think Roadblock has to be in the film too. He was always one of my favorites. And I don't think the film would be the same without him. So that brings us to 7 regulars. I would increase that up a bit, maybe adding Gung Ho, Alpine, and Leatherneck, but I wouldn't want to go over 10 main cast members. It'll just get confusing after that. One request though, NO Sgt Slaughter... that guy got so overplayed.

As for Cobra, well there aren't quite as many great characters on this side. Since this is an origin story of sorts I suggest we keep Serpentor out of it. Have that be the main story for the second or third film. That said Dr Mindbender, and the BATs can probably be left off the list as well. The essentials are

• Cobra Commander
• Destro
• The Baroness
• Storm Shadow

That's all. After that you've got to decide how you want the story to go. Do you add Xamot and Tomax? Zartan and the Drednocks? Firefly and Scrap Iron can probably be thrown in the film, but so much of the plot of a G.I. Joe episode revolved around the circumstances of character that I think the choice for this first film should be clear. Cobra Commander vs Duke, that's the big showdown. That's what matters. In my opinion the rest of the team of baddies should just be wave upon wave of Cobra soldiers. That's the fight I want to see.

A few other questions present themselves when considering this film. Does anyone die? One of the staples of the show, although technically not entirely true, was that no one ever died. It wasn't until G.I. Joe the Movie, that anyone was set to die. But even then they backed away at the last minute and let Duke live. I think yes, you have to have the potential for death or there is no threat, no consequence. If anything this film MUST include is a modern sensibility of the consequence of war. Keep it free of gore, but don't kid yourself or the audience. We'll all be better served if the subject is treated with respect. I'm thinking a PG-13, although I know this in itself will be the hardest tightrope to walk while adapting this story.

As you can see. I really think this film has a lot of solid potential. I just hope they can do it justice. I suppose its funny in a way; seeing as I'm a Canadian, that I love this cartoon about US soldiers, but its really not about politics. This is a clear cut case of Good vs Evil. White hats vs Black, The Rebellion vs The Empire. And yes, I know that in today's world, we know better than ever that this is not really how things work. The real world is much more grey. I just know that despite any politics people may try to impose on a G.I. Joe film, from a character perspective, it's got a very solid grounding. The people in the G. I. Joe world were always 3-dimensional; and hopefully that too will translate to the film.

You can bet we'll be hearing more on this film in the near future. I for one am looking forward to it.

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Thundercats Hooooo!!!

Well kids its finally happened. The world has gone topsy-turvy and we're actually going to get a big screen, live action Thundercats movie! I know, totally insane. My inner geek may be squealing with delight over this news, but the entire rest of my being is just sitting back and saying oh my god, how the hell can this be anything other than total garbage...

Variety reports that the film, being penned by neophyte feature scribe Paul Sopocy, will tell an expanded origin story of the anthropomorphic kitties. Specifically the plot will focus on the coming of age of Lion-O, who as we all know, is the often petulant leader of the Thundercats. Of course defending Third Earth from the likes of Mumm-Ra, and the mutants is no easy task; so Lion-O will be assisted by a host of the original Thundercats on his mission.

What I really worry about though isn't so much the story. I've re-watched a lot of the old 80s cartoon series on dvd and while it moves pretty slow at times, there are flashes of creative brilliance that especially in the context of a straightforward comic book fantasy work very well. What I really worry about is the look of this as a film. How an third earth do you expect people to look at the cartoon colors, and anime hair, the barbarian warrior garb, and the mystical weapons of the Thundercats in live action and not find it absurd. Is this really a property that can be taken even tongue in cheek seriously as a live action film? I personally don't think so.

I know this is just a fan made example, but check out this live action Thundercats fan film.



For what its worth, I think they really did the best they could. It's not that the film is actually that badly made, particularly for a fan film. Look past the production value and I think the problem is really that these characters just look ridiculous in the real world. There's this Vincent from Beauty and the Beast quality to humanoid cats that just makes me think of cheesy special effects.

I hope to god the real aliens don't look like humanoid cats; or I'll never be able to take their threats of death ray annihilation for real. As for the Thundercats movie. well I am really extremely interested to see where they take it. I just hope that they can find a way for it to work. For now we'll just have to wait and see.

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Behold the Mach 5

As a fan of the super sweet 60s cartoon Speed Racer I can think of no better treat than this first official production photo for the upcoming Wachowski brothers live action Speed Racer adaptation thats coming to screens May 9th, 2008. Ladies and gentlemen, check out the true awesome magnificence of the Mach 5...

Speed Racer is filming now, and stars Emile Hirsch, of The Girl Next Door fame, as Speed, with Christina Ricci as Trixie, John Goodman as Pops, Susan Sarandon as Speed's mom, Matthew Fox as Speed's rival Racer X, and a real live chimpanzee as Chim Chim!!!

Thanks to USA Today for their article revealing this great pic of the tricked out super car, the Mach 5. If you haven't ever seen, or heard of the awesome old cartoon Speed Racer, I have to say you've missed out. It's chock full of tripped out stories, pretty choppy animation with cliched dialogue, and waaaay over the top action sequences. But after Astro Boy and Gigantor it was one of the first popular animes to make it in the western world. And once you watch it you'll understand why. Speed Racer is just plain fun. Its got lots of great cheesy impossible and thouroughly entertaining action, and has a fantastic retro look that only adds to the charm.

The show, and movie, follows young hot shot race car driver Speed as he battles to win races, often for desperate causes, like saving his family's workshop from closing down, or to rescue his kid brother Spritle from the trunk of Racer X's car. I have the first season of the show on dvd, and I have to say it holds up very well. Maybe because its past the point of being just old, its classic, iconic even. I really recommend you check out the show if you get a chance. This movie has the potential to be totally awesome.

One word of caution; if you are unfamiliar with the story of Speed Racer, there is one largish plot point that was, in the series at least, hinted at a lot but only actually revealed in the latter episodes. It concerns the origin of Speed's rival, the masked Racer X. I've been seriously disappointed to see a lot of the press carelessly tossing this spoiler about the internet. So if you're trying to avoid the potential big twist ending of the film next year, I would wait a little bit for more official press to start coming out regarding the film before you start reading.

Anyhow, you can just keep your eyes on this site right here, cause you know I'll be bringing you more info as it becomes available.

Go Speed Racer,
---------- Go Speed Racer,
------------------ Go Speed Racer GO!!!

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