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SXSW Review: The People Vs. George Lucas

John Gholson — 2010-03-16T21:15:00 00:00

My love affair with Star Wars stopped with Episode III. I was willing to put aside my issues with the weak, convoluted screenplays to Episode I and II, in the hopes that the third installment would tie every thing up nicely. It didn't. In this fan's opinion, Episode III felt just as disconnected to the previous two films as those felt to each other. I'd had enough of Star Wars.

I've only slightly recovered from the 2005 release of Episode III. It doesn't make me angry anymore, but I have little to no interest in the universe I once loved, and that makes me a little bit sad. I can still watch the original trilogy, and appreciate them as films, but I'm not buying the toys, the shirts, the bedsheets, the video games, the kitchen appliances, or the lingerie. My interest in the trappings of Star Wars fandom seems to be dead forever.

I wonder how much of my feelings on Star Wars and its creator George Lucas affected my enjoyment of Alexandre Phillipe's documentary The People Vs. George Lucas. I've not only internalized most of the thoughts conveyed in the film, I've had some of the exact same discussions with my friends that are presented here. Why did George Lucas add so much unnecessary crap to the Special Editions? Why did The Phantom Menace disappoint so much? And what's the deal with Jar Jar Binks?

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Tuesday's Sci-Fi TV: Sawyer Does Some 'Recon' on 'Lost'

Mike Moody — 2010-03-16T18:40:00 00:00

Filed under: Trailers/Clips, Fan Shows

Here's a look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Lost, "Recon" - We haven't seen much of Sawyer in the past few weeks, but the former Lafleur makes a big comeback on tonight's all-new episode. Our favorite literature lovin' grifter locks eyes and butts heads with a dangerous con woman in the sideways world. Back on the island, the Lockeness Monster sends Sawyer on a mission while Kate deals with Crazy Claire (Watch your back Kate!). (9 p.m. ET on ABC)

FlashForward, "What Did You See?" - If you're like me, you're just waiting to see Battlestar Galactica's James Callis show up on FlashForward to tell Joseph Fiennes and crew to go frak themselves and stop obsessing over the blackout already! Well, that's not gonna happen tonight, because this is just a clip show that recaps the first half of the season. (10 p.m. ET on ABC)

Head after the jump for clips and more TV picks.

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New on DVD and Blu-ray: 'The Fourth Kind', 'Astro Boy' and More

Mike Moody — 2010-03-16T14:18:00 00:00

Filed under: DVD Reviews, DVD News

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's new sci-fi DVD releases:

The Fourth Kind (DVD and Blu-ray)
Milla Jovovich stars in this sci-fi flick that, sadly, doesn't involve her firing two machine guns at once or kicking zombies in the face. But The Fourth Kind makes up for its lack of Resident Evil-style action with some decent chills and genuinely creepy moments. Jovovich plays a psychologist investigating a string of alien abductions in Nome, Alaska. But despite the fun scares, the film mostly falls apart when trying to balance its grainy "actual" footage of alien abduction craziness with its overstylized "reenactments."

Astro Boy (DVD and Blu-ray)
I don't know much about Astro Boy, the mega popular Japanese manga series first published in the 1950s. But I do know that Astro Boy fans were mixed over this derivative if ultimately good-hearted CGI kid's flick.

Also new this week: Mystery Science Theater 3000: XVII and Clash of the Gods: The Complete Season One.

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'Captain America' Casting Gets Silly: Channing Tatum and Ryan Phillipe?

Jacob Hall — 2010-03-16T12:32:00 00:00

Filed under: News/Reactions

Remember how Marvel was supposed to have locked down its new Captain America by early March? Remember how John Krasinski was all but confirmed for the role? Remember when Marvel seemed to suddenly cool on him and go back to looking at a few previous contenders? Remember how Chris Evans suddenly made his way onto the list of potentials?

This epic tale of casting misadventure continues with the news that Ryan Phillipe and Channing Tatum have been shuffled into the mix.

What does this mean? I don't know. I'm ready to throw my hands in the air and scream "Just figure it out already!" concerning this whole Captain America thing. Marvel's casting track record has been pretty darn solid so far, all things considered, so it's possible they're just trying to make sure they have the right guy. Or they're indecisive and terrified of getting this wrong.

My hands are in the air: "Just figure it out already!"

What of Phillipe and Tatum?

Personally, I like Phillipe just fine as an actor and he's played soldiers before in Stop-Loss and Flags of Our Fathers, but at 35, he seems a little too old and a little too well known considering that Marvel have explicitly stated that they're looking for a somewhat unknown actor in his 20s. I also don't see him as Captain America, but there are worse choices out there.

Tatum has also played soldiers before, in Dear John and G.I. Joe, and he has the natural build of a superhero. He also has that "hot, young rising star" thing going for him. However, muscular builds and a few previous lead roles do mean he has the ability to move his face or avoid being a black hole of anti-charisma. This is a bad choice, Marvel.

That's enough fanboy whining from me! Hopefully we'll get something concrete soon. Hopefully the final name will start with a John and end with a Krasinski.

(Via Hitfix and Deadline)

Sci-Fi Movie Poster of the Day: Star Trek - The Motion Picture

John Gholson — 2010-03-16T11:32:00 00:00

Filed under: Photo Galleries, Fan Picks

This is probably one of my all-time favorite movie posters, but I have mixed feelings about the film itself. No amount of rainbow colors on the poster can make me forget that Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a bit drab. J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek reboot was advertised with a poster that was black and white -- an unusual design move in modern movie posters. Do you think that might've been an intentional reversal of this poster's multi-colored array?

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SXSW Review: Monsters

Peter Hall — 2010-03-16T10:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Movie Reviews

Over the last few years the creature feature has undergone a bit of a micro-scale renaissance as filmmakers around the world have broken the mold of the classic monster movie. Matt Reeves' Cloverfield combined city-wide destruction with the new boom of single-camera, single-POV style filmmaking. Hitoshi Matsumoto's Big Man Japan was a wry love letter to Japan's fading fascination with its own Kaiju traditions. Joon-ho Bong put an energetic, fascinating South Korean flavor all over the science-run-amok niche with The Host. And with District 9 Neill Blomkamp proved that you can make a blockbuster spectacle without Hollywood's bloated budgets and fascination with A-list actors.

Now indie filmmaker Gareth Edwards has arrived on the scene with Monsters, yet another fresh, unique take on the creature feature. However, unlike all of the aforementioned films, Edwards' goal was not to make a giant monster movie, it was to make a small scale, intimate, on-the-road movie that happens to have giant monsters in it from time to time. It takes place in an alternate reality where a NASA space probe has crashed to Earth, releasing in the process the eggs of an alien race that soon spread across Central America. As a result, half of the United States is turned into a massive quarantine zone bordered by an enormous wall and military presence.

Six years after the world has become accustomed to the contaminated zone, Andrew (Scoot McNairy), a photographer in Mexico, is asked to escort his bosses' daughter, Samantha (Whitney Able), back to America. When an arrangement with a ferry back to America falls through, the unlikely pair are forced to hire a guarded escort to bring them through the contaminated zone over land. And so begins a most unique spin on what giant monster movies need to be.

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Sci-Fi Movie Poster of the Day: Spacehunter in 3-D

John Gholson — 2010-03-15T21:03:00 00:00

Filed under: Photo Galleries, Fan Picks

This 1983 film isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone in 3-D is a nice reminder of how far 3-D technology has come. The description on the poster sums up the movie nicely, and it bears a strong influence from both Star Wars and Mad Max, without being nearly as good as either one. Ultimately, it's just an interesting footnote in the checkered past of 3-D technology -- a creaky ancestor to modern day marvels like Avatar.

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Monday's Sci-Fi TV: Robert Patrick Guest Stars on 'Chuck'

Mike Moody — 2010-03-15T20:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Trailers/Clips, Fan Shows

Here's a look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Chuck, "Chuck Versus the Tic Tac" - The T-1000 himself, Robert Patrick, shows up on tonight's Chuck as an important figure from Casey's past. Chuck and Sarah team up to help Casey work a mission for his old handler while Morgan and Awesome help Chuck win back Sarah's heart. This sounds like a Casey-centric episode, which should please all the Browncoats out there. (8 p.m. ET on NBC)

Head after the jump for a clip and more TV picks.

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Sci-Fi Squad Movie Club Discussion: 'Runaway'

John Gholson — 2010-03-15T18:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Discussion Posts, Movies We Love

Every Friday we present a new film as part of the Sci-Fi Squad Movie Club (like a book club for movie geeks), asking some questions of our own while we watch the film, with the ultimate goal of starting a discussion about science-fiction and some of the movies we love. This was my first week to host, and I trotted out an old favorite from when I was a kid, Michael Crichton's Runaway (you can read Friday's post here).

The movie can be streamed through Netflix, so don't feel like you had to catch it over the weekend to join in on the fun. It's a 1984 techno-thriller about a beat cop (Tom Selleck) who handles robotic mishaps in the near-future, and uncovers a plot involving microchips that cause robots to go berserk (as well as powering experimental heat-guided bullets).

Let's get into some of the questions posed in Friday's post...

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Robert Downey Jr. May Defy 'Gravity' For Alfonso Cuaron

Jacob Hall — 2010-03-15T16:33:00 00:00

Filed under: News/Reactions

Last month, we heard the news that Angelina Jolie was looking to star in Gravity, a science fiction film to be directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Only a few days later, it was revealed that Jolie had passed on the project so she can adopt more third world children, leaving the film star-less and possibly in trouble.

Well...Iron Man to the rescue!

Deadline is reporting that Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to headline this nifty-sounding movie, which will, of course, by in "Eye-Popping, Mind-Belting, Ball-Busting 3D!" Before you think they're pulling a reverse Flightplan and rewriting the role that was offered to Jolie, hear this:

"[Downey] will play the leader of a team posted at a remote space station. While he and a female colleague are traveling outside the space station, the other team members are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite."

Interesting. The previous reports had suggested that this movie was a real one-woman show, think Moon with a sexy star instead of a disheveled Sam Rockwell, so it's interesting to know that while "much of the film is devoted to her struggle to get back to Earth and her daughter," there will be a male counterpart and/or foil to bounce off. In my previous report on this project, I commented that Jolie needed to get back into the A-Game and find roles that justify her fame and popularity. I honestly think an intimate but exciting 3D science fiction adventure opposite the genuinely beloved Robert Downey Jr. would have been the way to go.

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By Crom! 'Hellboy' Will Raise 'Conan'

Jacob Hall — 2010-03-15T15:02:00 00:00

Filed under: News/Reactions

News on Marcus Nispel's soon-to-be-filming Conan has been flying pretty fast and furious as of late, with Avatar's Stephen Lang and GI Joe's Rachel Nichols joining the cast as the titular warrior's nemesis and love interest. You can guess who will play which. The latest casting casting information to hit these here internets is that Mickey Rourke, who had previously been cast as Conan's father, is out of the film. His replacement?

Ron Motherf*cking Perlman. Yes. That is his real middle name.

Most audiences will remember Perlman as the heroic monster-hunting, world-saving demon in Guillermo Del Toro's excellent and waaay under-appreciated Hellboy films. Like Stephen Lang, he's one of those "Guys." You know, the guys who pop up in movies all the time and never give a bad performance but rarely, if ever, get the spotlight. Perlman's massive resume shifts rapidly between major studio films and direct-to-video junk and about 96.7% of his roles take full advantage of his terrifying physical presence and his trademark growling voice. Few actors look as prepared to kick your butt and abuse your arteries with sharp metal as Ron Perlman.

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Over Here! 'Predators' Sneak Peek Online

Jacob Hall — 2010-03-15T13:01:00 00:00

Filed under: News/Reactions, Trailers/Clips

Are you like me and are way too cool to be in Austin, Texas, attending this year's SXSW? I mean, who wants to spend a week in the city with the best movie theaters and BBQ in the country and attend a festival filled to the brim with amazing movies? Who wants to be there in person as Robert Rodriguez and Nimrod Antal premiere footage from the upcoming Predators?

Pssh. Certainly not this guy.

Because you and me are too cool to be blowing the roof off SXSW 2010, we get to stay at home and visit the brand-spankin' new Predators website and partake in a two-minute sneak peek, read an official synopsis and take a look at some concept art for a nasty looking "Predator Hound." The site is pretty bare bones right now, but the little details in the sound and imagery are going to send chills down the spines of any card-carrying members of the Official Predator Fan Club. You are a member, right?

Of course, the highlight is the sneak peek, which, for a minor promotional piece with very little footage, manages to deliver in spades. We get Rodriguez talking about this and that, we get some behind-the-scenes stuff, we get some gorgeous and atmospheric footage of Adrien Brody and company looking concerned in the jungle, we get some running, we get a two second of shot of- OH MY GOD IT'S A PREDATOR!

Will this be the return to form that so many fans are hoping for following the disastrous Alien Vs. Predator motion picture nightmares? It's too early to tell, but the fact that I'm seeing a lot more of Nimrod Antal's claustrophobic and intense style in the snippets of footage rather than Rodriguez's overly digital and silly style makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Meanwhile, Cinematical was on hand for the trailer footage from SXSW and they have a full report right here. Click on over there to check 'em out.

The full trailer for Predators will be online on March 18 and the movie will be in theaters this July.

'Green Lantern' Casts Some Kiwis

Jacob Hall — 2010-03-15T11:02:00 00:00

Filed under: News/Reactions

With cameras just about ready to roll, Green Lantern has added two more names to the ever-expanding cast list. Taika Waititi and Temuera Morrison are those names. And they're both from New Zealand. COINCIDENCE?

Maybe. Sure. I don't know. Neither are huge names, but I can guarantee that you're at least somewhat familiar with Morrison since he played the destined-to-be-headless plot device/pointless piece of fan service named Jango Fett in the Star Wars prequels. Waititi has acted in a bunch of stuff I've never heard of, but he gets props for working as a writer and director on the late Flight of the Conchords.

Waititi will play the best friend of our hero, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). I have nothing else to comment. Anyone know this guy?

Morrison will be playing a role that is vital to the Green Lantern mythos: Abin Sur. Even a Green Lantern novice like me knows the importance of this character, since he is one who gives Jordan his power ring in the first place. I know I derided Morrison above since he's spent the past decade waist-deep in Star Wars video game voice overs, but anyone who has seen Once Were Warriors can attest that this guy is a powerhouse actor. I don't think that Green Lantern will give him a chance to give those acting chops a good work-out, but considering how good he can be, his casting intrigues me.

Green Lantern is probably shooting right now. It'll be in theaters next summer.

(Via Coming Soon)

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SXSW Review: Hubble 3D

Micah Matthews — 2010-03-15T09:05:00 00:00

Filed under: Movie Reviews

Yesterday morning I caught a SXSW press screening of Hubble 3D at the Bob Bullock Museum's IMAX theater. Shot in part on a specially designed, 700-pound, space-ready IMAX 3D camera, the movie tells the telescope's life story, from construction and launch 20 years ago through the five subsequent servicing missions.

The primary focus of the film is the Space Shuttle Atlantis' May 2009 repair mission, the last-scheduled trip of its kind. Although not mentioned during the movie, one of the things the Atlantis crew installed on the Hubble was a device that will eventually cause it to de-orbit, making way for its successor, the James Webb Telescope.

And although the Atlantis crew's story is compelling, what really makes Hubble 3D worth seeing is its lengthy space-exploration sequence. Using detailed composite images taken by the Hubble, director Toni Myers leads us on a stunning journey from our solar system to the edge of the known universe. One moment we're viewing Orion's belt as we see it from Earth, the next we're zooming towards it at thousands of light years per second. We see galaxies being born, we see galaxies in the throes of death, and we fly right through the middle of a black hole in the Virgo Cluster, more than 2.5 million light years from Earth. There was was a SXSW panel today warning about the dangers of hyperbole in online film criticism, but I can honestly say that watching this movie in true IMAX 3D was an experience unlike any I've had before.

But fair warning: be prepared to feel more than a little frustrated by the time Hubble 3D ends. The Hubble telescope has allowed us to view countless new galaxies, and I want to visit them all. Right now. Unfortunately, I'll be dead and gone long before we discover and catalog (much less visit) more than the tiniest fraction of our universe. Unless we invent teleportation. I'm still holding out for that.

Hubble 3D is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio and is rated G. It will play select IMAX theaters beginning March 19.

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Sci-Fi Movie Poster of the Day: Brainscan

John Gholson — 2010-03-14T12:57:00 00:00

Filed under: Photo Galleries

Some of the marketing for this film seemed to position T. Ryder Smith, playing the mysterious video game host "Trickster," as a wannabe successor to Robert Englund's Freddy Krueger. Brainscan, written by Andrew Kevin Walker, is a bit of a relic from the dying days of virtual reality-mania, in which a teen looking for the ultimate video game experience finds a game that causes him to black-out and apparently murder real people while he thinks he's playing. Have you ever lost hours of your life to a video game?

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Sci-Fi Movie Poster of the Day: Man-Made Monster

John Gholson — 2010-03-13T12:45:00 00:00

Filed under: Photo Galleries

Do you ever wonder if the "mad scientist" movie will ever make a comeback? In Man-Made Monster (aka The Atomic Man), Lionell Atwill stars as the mad scientist who turns a likable circus performer (Lon Chaney Jr.) into a mindless human power station, with so much electricity coursing through his body that he can kill with one touch.

The mad scientist movie will make a bit of a return this Summer, when Warner Brothers releases Splice, starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley as geneticists with a dangerous experiment of their own.

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Friday's Sci-Fi TV: Vipers and Visions on 'Caprica'

Mike Moody — 2010-03-12T18:17:00 00:00

Filed under: Trailers/Clips, Fan Shows

Here's a look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Caprica, 'The Imperfections of Memory' - Joseph tours the V-world in search of Tamara and gets lost in the ultraviolent New Cap City game. Zoe takes a break from her mission to fly a virtual Viper (that's right!) with the geeky Graystone Industries tech. Back at Graystone Manor, Amanda begins to have strange visions about her dead brother, leading Clarice to exploit her vulnerable state. (9 p.m. ET on Syfy)

Head after the jump for clips and more TV picks.

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Special Edition 'Avatar' Might Return to 3-D Screens

John Gholson — 2010-03-12T15:32:00 00:00

Filed under: News/Reactions

What kind of a world do we live in where a worldwide box office take of $2.6 billion isn't a satisfying haul for a film? James Cameron and the folks at Fox feel that there's more box office life in Avatar yet, even after its April DVD release. They're talking about re-releasing Avatar in 3-D this Summer with an additional ten to twelve minutes of additional footage added in. Cameron confirms a scene where Jake Sully proves himself to the Na'vi (isn't that already in the movie?) and one where Tsu'tey gets drunk (is that worth a re-release?).

It seems like a very odd move to me, although I understand the business end of it. Avatar got booted from 3-D screens (including all IMAX theatres) to make room for Alice in Wonderland, while Avatar was still making money. I'm sure Cameron and company feel like they're just supplying for the demand, but what do you think the demand will be like for 3-D Avatar in the middle of the big Summer movie season, especially when you can already get it on DVD?

Are the ten minutes enough to spike an Avatar box office resurgence? Has Avatar become a poor-sport football team, just running up the score at this point to show that they can?

(via Hollywood Reporter)

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Sci-Fi Squad Movie Club: Runaway

John Gholson — 2010-03-12T14:45:00 00:00

Filed under: Discussion Posts, Movies We Love

I'm leading the Sci-Fi Squad Movie Club this week, and we're shifting gears a little bit with a 1980's action-thriller, that also happens to have an interesting take on how robotics might play a part in out future (or at least how our future was perceived in 1984, the time of the film's release). The film is Runaway, from writer/director Michael Crichton, who did a capable job in the director's chair, although the movie died a quick death upon release.

Runaway stars Tom Selleck as Sgt. Jack Ramsey, a cop in the "Runaways" unit, a special division of the police force that handles safety concerns caused by robots (almost like a futuristic version of animal control). When a household robot runs amuck and starts shooting people during a dangerous, but routine call, Ramsey discovers a trail that leads him into the most perilous case of his career, against techno-terrorist Dr. Charles Luther (Gene Simmons. Yes, The Demon from KISS). Kirstie Alley appears in an early role as Dr. Luther's mule and Cynthia Rhodes co-stars as Ramsey's partner Karen.

The film is available to "watch instantly" on Netflix, which should make it easy for you to join along. Here are some things to consider while you watch it...

--Does the mundane "everyday-living" approach to the robots help or hinder the film?
--Is Crichton's vision of the future obsolete or is this still a plausible direction for robotics?
--Cornfields and vertigo - Are these intentional nods to Hitchcock?
--What's your take on the acting style of Gene Simmons?
--Is the scene with the psychic necessary to the film?
--What elements make the film Michael Crichton-esque?

We'll be back with a discussion post on Monday. You can see the full trailer for Runaway after the jump.

For those following along at home, so far the Club has watched: Altered States - The Man Who Fell to Earth - Right at Your Door

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Will Hugo Weaving Play The Red Skull in 'Captain America'?

John Gholson — 2010-03-12T12:02:00 00:00

Filed under: News/Reactions

While Marvel still searches for the right person to play the Star-Spangled Avenger Captain America, they've also got to find someone to play his arch-nemesis, The Red Skull, in the upcoming Joe Johnston film. The right man should be able to play cold and frightening, not be afraid to tackle one of fiction's most heinous Nazis, and be ready to spend some serious time in the make-up chair.

While some fans may have declared Christoph Waltz the perfect choice (a little too on the nose if you ask me -- save him for Dr. Doom in that eventual Fantastic Four reboot, I say), the folks at Marvel Studios may have their sights set on British actor Hugo Weaving, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

I think Weaving is a very good choice for the part, although it might ruin my fanboy armchair casting of Weaving as The Riddler in Christopher Nolan's third Batman film. The role would reunite Weaving with his Wolfman director, and would be the second comic book film for the actor (he also appeared behind the mask as V in V for Vendetta). The First Avenger: Captain America is currently scheduled for Summer 2011.

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