moon

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.

Avatar won the Oscar for Best Cinematography last Sunday. It's not unusual for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to award the Best Cinematography Oscar to sweeping big budget epics. It is unusual for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to award the Best Cinematography Oscar to a film that was almost entirely created within the confines of a computer using motion capture technology.

There's an image that's been making the online rounds. Depending on who's posting it or tweeting it or linking it, it usually comes with a caption expressing bewilderment, disappointment or snark. I'm linking you to a snarky one because I'm that kind of guy.

What happened? Were Academy voters entirely aware of what they were voting for here? Did voters make the conscious decision to embrace the motion capture and 3D "revolution?" Or were they simply handing it the trophy because Avatar looked pretty? Both options taste sour in my mental mouth to be perfectly honest.

Before we go any further, let's make sure everyone reading this is on the same page.

By now, everyone knows how the Academy Awards tend to ignore science fiction films, relegating them to the technical prizes, so I won't bore you with that diatribe today. By now, everyone also knows that James Cameron's massively successful Avatar managed to beat the odds and squeeze out a bunch of nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, flying in the face of this trend and promising new hope for the genre at awards season.

By now, everyone knows that Avatar got squashed at the Oscars by Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker. Then again, so did everyone else. I was giving the superb Iraq War drama the edge to squeak out Best Picture and Director myself, but six wins is, by the definition I created for it in my head, a sweep.

However, this will be remembered as the year that science fiction made a big showing at the mother of all major media awards ceremonies. In addition to its many nominations, Avatar went home with Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction, the first an absolute no-brainer, the second a head-scratching affirmation that 3D motion capture is somehow equivalent to real camerawork and the third richly deserved, but the guy who pointed to James Cameron in the audience and said "This Oscar sees you" is never going to live that down. Ever.

I'm going to spoil Wanted in the next paragraph, so if you haven't seen it, just know the sequel's not happening because Angelina Jolie wanted to pull a Moon.

I clearly remember Angelina Jolie taking a slo-mo slug to the cranium at the conclusion of Timur Bekmambetov's violent, stupid and incredibly boring Wanted. That's why I was surprised to learn today that a Wanted 2 was almost ready to go and that it's been canceled completely because Jolie has dropped out. I guess that in the bullet bending, socipath wet dream world of Wanted, what explodes your brain with high speed metal only makes you stronger.

There are three pieces of good news here. There won't be a Wanted sequel, James McAvoy is free to pursue real acting projects and stay on track to being on the great actors of his generation and Angelina Jolie is going to star in Gravity, a science fiction film from Alfonso "Children of Men still continues to own your soul!" Cuaron.

Gravity, written by Curaon and and his son, Jonas, is about "the sole surviving human member of a space mission, desperately trying to return home to Earth and her daughter." The film is described as "artistically challenging" and will feature Jolie alone on screen for most of the movie.

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

Moon (DVD and Blu-ray)
Leading man Sam Rockwell and director Duncan Jones lit up the festival circuit with this smart, satisfying and suspenseful film about a lonely man who encounters a most unusual problem while working on the moon. I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't seen it. I'll just say that Moon is a must-see for sci-fi fans who care about character, ideas and plot and less about showy special effects and gadgetry. The DVD features a short film by Jones, plus commentary from the director and producer Stuart Fenegan.

Ghost in the Shell 2.0 (DVD)
Director Mamoru Oshii revamps his groundbreaking and influential 1995 anime with more sophisticated CGI and a brand new soundtrack. Fan reaction was mixed when GIT 2.0 was released in Japan and in the UK. Most GIT devotees dubbed it an interesting but ultimately inessential update.

Transformers: Season 2, Volume 2, 25th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
For those who couldn't pony up for the Matrix of Leadership full series set, Hasbro is releasing the 25th anniversary editions of the classic "G1" series in parts. (Now you can assemble 'em like you did with Devastator when you were a kid.) The second volume of season two features the fan-favorite "Vector Sigma" saga that gave us the Stunticons and the Aerialbots.

Can we all agree that the hype machine alone guaranteed Avatar a number one opening at the box office? I don't see narrowed eyes or shaking heads, so I don't think there are any dissenters out there and if there are...HA!

Avatar opened to $73 million from 7000 screens over the weekend. It's a very strong number, probably not something to write home about, but certainly something to drop an e-mail or make a quick call over (I Am Legend opened bigger for Eywa's sake!). However, if this was the only news, I wouldn't be wasting your time. The real news here is that $52 million of that gross came from 3D screenings, shattering the records held by Up and Monsters VS Aliens for 3D opening grosses (at $35.4 and $32.6 respectively). Apparently, IMAX opening records were also completely blown away, but at the time of this writing, the actual numbers have yet to be released. Oh, and there's the matter of the international gross of $159 million, the biggest ever for a non-sequel.

So, Dr. Hall, what does this mean?

2009 is almost over, and it's been a banner year for science fiction. More than three dozen science fiction themed films have seen release in the US. Some emphasize the science fiction more than others, and a couple may be more occult/horror than actual science fiction, but they're close enough.

While the quality of the films listed below varies wildly, the fact that science fiction elements are featured in so many wide released films is outstanding, and there are at least three critical and box office hits among the list below. At least three of the movies listed below give me hope that smart science fiction films are still viable.

I can't help thinking I'm missing something. I didn't include TimeCrimes because it came out on DVD. What else should be on this list?

9
2012
Alien Trespass
Astro Boy
Avatar
Battle for Terra
The Box
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Cold Souls
District 9
The Fourth Kind
G-Force
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Gamer
Gentlemen Broncos
Knowing
Land of the Lost
Men Who Stare at Goats
Monsters vs. Aliens 3D
Moon
Pandorum
Planet 51
Push
The Road
Star Trek
Stingray Sam
Surrogates
Terminator Salvation
Thirst
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Watchmen
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

TV and straight-to-DVD, or otherwise extremely limited theatrical release include: The Mutant Chronicles, Dante 01, Eden Log, Before the Fall, Sleep Dealer, The Objective, and Outlander.

What was your favorite?

My invitation to an early screening of James Cameron's Avatar got lost in the mail (cough, cough), so I'm just as eager as the rest of the world to see what a little imagination -- and $250 million -- has wrought when the flick finally opens in theaters tomorrow. We may never know the actual budget of Avatar, but if it delivers on the early buzz, we won't care. Money talks, but it doesn't guarantee that good scripts will be written or that actors will give good performances or that directors will find new ways to surprise and amaze us.

Here are ten sci-fi films from the past 40 years that delivered the biggest bang for the buck, in my estimation. Some had micro budgets, while others had $30-35 million at their disposal, yet still exceeded expectations, delivering thrills and chills that rank among the very finest the genre has to offer. As it happens, the list is weighted toward more recent fare, so feel free to share your favorite 'bang for the buck' sci-fi flicks.

1. Timecrimes
One of SciFi Squad's best science fiction films of the decade, Nacho Vigalando's stylish thriller gets tremendous mileage out of its simple concept: a man travels in time and wrecks increasing havoc upon himself. The script is clever, intelligent, thoughtful, and entirely logical as it plays out the consequences of the man's actions, progressing from lighthearted playfulness to something darker and richer. The film is aided immensely by Karra Elejalde's performance as that ordinary man caught up in extraordinary circumstances.

There will be a day, sometime in the next few years, when all stories concerning Duncan Jones -- the director of 2009's glorious sci-fi throwback Moon -- will get over the fact the guy's name used to be Zowie Bowie. According to a Tweet from Production Weekly, Jones should be getting back in the saddle for pre-production on his next project, Source Code, in early January, with shooting to start in Montreal in March. And if Ben Ripley's script (with revisions by Billy Ray) is any indication, this could very well be the one that really puts Jones into a spotlight that doesn't require references to dear old dad.

With slight nods to 12 Monkeys and Run Lola Run, Source Code centers on a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal, upgraded from the previously-attached Topher Grace) who awakes on a train to New York. He's sent to stop a terrorist attack as part of a military time-travel program. And really, what more do you need to know? There's a lot to work with in the concept and Jones seems like an excellent choice to helm. It'll definitely be interesting to see how he specifically handles the time-travel aspects, because it'd be great to see something we haven't already seen 1,000 times over. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled as more casting notes get out, so stay tuned.

It's been ten years since we crossed into the seemingly futuristic "Year 2000." While we didn't get moon colonies or hovercars, we did get a collection of amazing science fiction films, both blockbusters and indies. The staff of Sci-Fi Squad has compiled their top ten (okay, eleven) favorite films of the decade, a list that will allow you to nod your head in agreement or spit venom at us in the comments. So now, in alphabetical order...

Children of Men (2006, Dir. Alfonso Cuarón)

The opening scenes of Children of Men plunge the viewer neck-deep into an icy future with an expiration date firmly set. The human race faces extinction because women all over the world have become infertile: no children have been born for a generation. The British government endeavors to stave off chaos by deporting all foreigners, but many of its citizens have already succumbed to hopelessness and despair. Theo Faron (Clive Owen) strides through this terrible new world with a cynical air of resignation until a glimmer of light -- the possibility of a future - turns his head. Adapting a novel by P.D. James, director Alfonso Cuarón and his collaborators (notably cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and production designers Geoffrey Kirkland and Jim Clay) meticulously create a nightmarish future in which the walls are closing in, and then proceed to smash through the limitations of imagination. Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Clare-Hope Ashitey, and Julianne Moore bring varying shades of humanity to their ultimately haunted characters. (Peter Martin)