Films That Matter
Tempest FugID
hough today’s feature is immediately sited as a science fiction classic, Fred M. Wilcox’s Forbidden Planet (1956) is perhaps just as well remembered for its majestic original robot and pinup infused movie poster design (that is still, to this day, a costly collectible)... though the art is quite misleading when you know what the movie is actually about. Following a narrative loosely inspired by William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”, which, for those who do not know, is about a man forced to live stranded upon a magical island with his daughter, until he causes a shipwreck that brings with it possible rescue (and a man who may fall in love with his daughter)... this futuristic feature follows a somewhat similar sci-fi blueprint.
-
The Legend Grows
Star Wars: The Last JediDecember 15, 2017After a much lauded rebirth of the Star Wars franchise with 2015's The Force Awakens (directed by J.J. Abrams), it is understandable why the 2017 sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, this time written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper), is one of the most anticipated films of the year. To keep your mind at ease, I will attempt to keep this one mostly spoiler free. Picking up almost immediately after the 2015 offering ended (the first time a Star Wars film has done this), the remaining Resistance fighters are being mercilessly tracked soon after a First Order fleet has attacked their planetary base. Led by the unifying Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), she must try to navigate them away from General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson). By her side is the fast talking, wild-card hero fighter pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), who is no less spontaneous. Finn (John Boyega), having recovered from his injuries, has his own secret mission with Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) – a new addition to the franchise.
-
THORoughly Enjoyable
Thor: RagnarokNovember 8, 2017The third feature in the Thor franchise, 2017's Ragnarok, directed by New Zealander Taika Waititi (the talented filmmaker behind the comedic horror mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows), is like a well buttered (as in oiled) popcorn flick (of a machine). . . an entertaining, humorous, action-packed sci-fi extravaganza that does not take itself too seriously, all while showing an impressive amount of ingenuity and creativity for a multi-film Marvel saga. With three movies in this particular series (as well as several other mash-ups within the ever growing Marvel Universe), these actors, who we have known for some time, have grown into their respective parts, feeling fully meshed with their onscreen personas. Through the writing of Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost, as well as by way of the flowing direction of Waititi, the comedy is so smooth in Ragnarok that it feels as if we are watching a well-seasoned vaudeville act hitting every mark as they try to explain exactly ‘who’s on first?’ It is a very different tone that works, meshing with recent excursions in The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
-
Do Not Replicate
Blade Runner 2049October 6, 2017Coming to theatres thirty-five years after the original motion picture, Blade Runner 2049 is set thirty years after the original film, expanding the vivid dystopic universe and the deep philosophical questions brought forth all the way back in 1982. Perhaps the most unexpected query to come out of the movie. . . can a world truly be dystopic if people are still listening to the one and only Frank Sinatra? At least to me, it cannot be too far gone if there is still the music of Ol’ Blue Eyes. Transporting us into the world in almost the exact same fashion as the original, director Denis Villeneuve (with original director Ridley Scott now executive producing) miraculously captures the original fusion of futuristic sci fi and film noir, with touches of his own unique style – all done in a more expansive, epic way.
-
Star Pick with Tia Carrere
No Replicant RequiredBlade RunnerOctober 3, 2017The last few years have been a dream for fans of films and television series of the 1980s and 90s, as it seems like more and more are getting sequels (often after many long years), usually with at least a portion of the original cast (and often the director back in either the same role or that of producer) returning to play a part left behind long ago. Think, in no particular order, Dumb and Dumber, Full House, Mad Max, Rocky (Creed), Star Wars, Wet Hot American Summer (actually early 2000s), Jurassic Park, and, as of this Friday, add Blade Runner to the list. Returning to the silver screen thirty-five years after the original, Ridley Scott this time puts his executive producer cap on, with Denis Villeneuve taking over directorial efforts, while Harrison Ford delves into the Rick Deckard character once again. . . though, you’ll have to wait to hear more on that. As a lead-in to the long awaited sequel, the original 1982 picture is the focus today.
-
Star Pick with Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle, Ma Belle. . .Star TrekAugust 29, 2017It is rare to find a character so iconic that by simply uttering their last name, everyone is on point. One such case is Uhura. Brought to vivid life on the original Star Trek series (1966-1969) by the great Nichelle Nichols who developed an engaging, multi-faceted and wholly inspiring persona at a time when African American women were portrayed as maids or in other lowly servile positions on television. The fourth most powerful person on the USS Enterprise, Nichols was a part of a multicultural cast that was more than unusual for the era. The crew was comprised of African American, Asian American, Scottish, Russian (during The Cold War), half-alien, and white – symbolic that in the future, we, as human beings, would be able to come together to achieve something special, or as it was so aptly put: “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise. Its five year mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before”.
-
There’s No Escaping This One
Escape from New YorkAugust 20, 2017Uttered in the opening narration, the oft quoted line “the rules are simple: once you go in, you don’t come out” is in many ways symbolic of how John Carpenter’s 1981 motion picture Escape From New York has ensnared a passionate cult following. Set in a dystopic America in 1997, the crime rate has risen by four hundred percent, and the island of Manhattan has become an Alcatraz of sorts, only infinitely more secure and bizarrely intense. Surrounded by a behemoth of a wall and patrolled by the United States Police Force, all bridges leading out of the city are mined, making for a doom laden locale that has a semblance of inescapability. Carpenter carefully transports us into this eerie world at the movie’s opening, providing us with an eagle-eyed perspective of Manhattan and its near impenetrable defences.
