sci-fi
George Clooney’s The Midnight Sky Blandly Goes Where Plenty of Sci-Fi Has Gone Before: Review
The Pitch: It’s 2049, and the Earth is plagued by a mysterious apocalyptic event – details are scarce, but it seems as though the world is in its last gasps, and time is running out. Perhaps the only man left on Earth is Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney), an astronomer dying of cancer who chooses to stay behind while the rest of the personnel evacuate their observatory in the Arctic Circle. As he whiles away the days and weeks waiting for the world to end, two events force him into action: the arrival of a mute girl (seven-year-old newbie Caoilinn Springall) seemingly left behind in the evacuation, and the realization that a spaceship called the Aether is on its way back to the planet. They’ve spent the last few years scoping out a new planet for humanity called K-23, and are comin...
Ranking: Every David Fincher Movie from Worst to Best
Mank, the latest from director David Fincher, is yet another feat by a filmmaker who has notched a few of them. He’s in that holy trinity of modern directors right alongside P.T. Anderson and Christopher Nolan — auteurs whose films are so defiantly theirs. Fincher would be the first to tell you that his career started off disastrously (read on for info on the Alien 3 production), so who could have anticipated all of the success that would follow both critically and financially? Not only did our film staff agree on a ranking of Fincher’s 11 films, we went ahead and dissected each movie, as well. The director’s career is full of highlights, curiosities, and a small serving of disasters. However, all of his films remain interesting in their own ways. We hope you’ll dive into the 8,000+ words ...
Boba Fett Returns! The Mandalorian, Explained
If The Mandalorian Season 2 were a feature film, this week’s episode, “The Tragedy”, would set us firmly in the mid-point — that moment where all is lost, doom befalls our heroes, and the audience wonders how they’re going to get out of this particular pickle. It’s one of the shorter episodes in the season at 33 minutes, but a lot goes down in that jam-packed half hour: Boba Fett! Baby Yoda The Child Grogu gets Jedi-napped! Of course, all these developments are packed tightly into an action-heavy chapter courtesy of director Robert Rodriguez, filled with nail-biting developments, shocking twists, and more than a few Easter eggs (as per usual). So let’s strap on our jetpacks and dive in. Again, it goes without saying that there are some major, major spoilers ahead. You must b...
Kanye West Prefers the Star Wars Prequels to the Sequels
It’s not easy listening to Kanye West these days. So, you could imagine our surprise when we found ourselves nodding in approval as he discussed, of all things, the Star Wars franchise during a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience. “They said that George Lucas’ prequels are worse than the corporate-made Disney Star Wars,” West digressed. “Like, Revenge of the Sith? We saw how Darth Vader was made! Like, I watched that, like, 10 times during COVID.” He then went on to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi in that film’s climactic battle: “‘Don’t jump Anakin, I’ve got the high ground!’” Naturally, West pivoted to Disney’s recent run of sequels and spinoffs that have all proven polarizing, semi-arguing: “I’m saying even the prequels are better than anything that … And I’m sorry Disney Star Wars desig...
Simon Kinberg to Write New Battlestar Galactica Movie for Universal
The Cylons are preparing for a comeback. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal is working on a new Battlestar Galactica movie, and screenwriter Simon Kinberg has been tapped to both write and produce the franchise. If there’s anyone prepared to explore a beloved franchise like Battlestar Galactica, it’s Kinberg. He spent years building the backbone of the X-Men movies, writing sci-fi flicks like Jumper and Fantastic Four, and producing features like The Martian and Deadpool. Kinberg’s got the experience to helm a project like this, and luckily he’s already promised to remain faithful to the source material, too. “Battlestar Galactica is one of the holy grails in science fiction, and I couldn’t be more excited about bringing something new to the franchise, while honoring what’s mad...
US Republican senators confront Netflix over Chinese sci-fi show
Five Republican US senators have confronted Netflix over the streaming giant’s plan to adapt a Chinese sci-fi book trilogy, expressing concern over the original author’s comments about claims of forced labor in Xinjiang. Liu Cixin’s bestselling “The Three-Body Problem,” which tells the story of humanity’s first contact with aliens, is set to become a major Netflix series co-written by the creators of “Game of Thrones.” In a letter to content boss Ted Sarandos, the senators accused Liu of “parroting dangerous [Communist Party] propaganda” and suggested Netflix was “providing a platform to Mr Liu in producing this project.” They highlighted a New Yorker article from last year in which Liu is quoted defending mass internment in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, where activists say more th...
Raised by Wolves Renewed at HBO Max for Season 2
Good news for sci-fi lovers: HBO Max has already decided to renew Ridley Scott’s new apocalyptic drama Raised by Wolves for Season 2, mere weeks after its debut. While the new TV series just launched earlier this month, it’s already taken off as the streaming platform’s top-performing original by far. In today’s announcement, HBO revealed that Raised by Wolves saw an audience growth rate of nearly 50% (!) in its second week alone. In addition to serving as executive producer, Scott directed the first two episodes, marking his first-ever TV show for American audiences. “When I think of Raised by Wolves, I think of artistry; artistry in crafting a compelling storyline, artistry in the out-of-this-world production design, special effects and cinematography, artistry in our actor’s portrayals ...
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Gets Epic First Trailer: Watch
At long last, we have our first real look at the world of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. After much teasing and deliberation, Warner Bros. has let loose the first trailer for its star-studded epic in anticipation of its December 18th release. The trailer came packaged with a first look featuring the cast and crew that was hosted by uber fan Stephen Colbert. As you’ll see, Villeneuve has done his homework. The imagination within Frank Herbert’s iconic 1965 novel is on full display, and it appears the filmmaker may even surpass the creative heights he reached with 2017’s Blade Runner 2049. Everyone looks spectacular too, particularly Timothée Chalamet as Prince Paul Atreides. Villeneuve isn’t one to waste his star power, and it’s clear even now that this A-list cast will certainly add vivid s...
HBO Max’s Raised By Wolves Is Astounding Science Fiction: Review
The Pitch: On a mysterious virgin planet called Kepler 22-b, a small ship crash-lands, containing two androids and 12 frozen human embryos — a last-ditch chance to kick-start the human race after holy wars and devastation destroyed Earth. Following the programming of their atheistic Creator, Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim) successfully bring six of the embryos to term, and set up a kind of life on the dusty planet, farming potatoes and learning the rational ways of their maker. But the harshness of the planet, and the androids’ own imperfections as parents, cut the group of children down to one, a young boy named Campion (Winta McGrath), who represents the last of humanity. That is, until an Ark containing Mithraics (religious fanatics who praise a sun god called So...
Possessor Trailer Promises Body-Swapping Tension: Watch
One of the more talked-about genre films out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival was Possessor. The latest feature from Brandon Cronenberg — yes, the son of that Cronenberg — hits select theaters and in drive-ins on October 9th. Today, Neon has dropped a brand new trailer that promises an uncut version of the film. Featuring an A-list cast that includes Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Sean Bean, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, the film follows corporate assassins who use brain implants to transfer their minds into other bodies to go after high-profile targets. In his Sundance review, our own Clint Worthington wrote, “Like the best of his father’s works, Possessor is meant to provoke and prod at our deepest notions of self and our insecurities about the fleshy meat-bags we find ourselve...
Jared Leto’s Tron Sequel Finds Director in Garth Davis
Beam Garth Davis onto the Grid, as the filmmaker has reportedly been hired to direct the upcoming Tron sequel starring Jared Leto. Deadline has it that the director himself heavily pursued the job. It will mark the Emmy-winner’s first major tentpole feature, as he’s best known for smaller productions like 2018’s Mary… Please click the link below to read the full article. Jared Leto’s Tron Sequel Finds Director in Garth Davis Ben Kaye You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
What’s Streaming on Netflix in August 2020
Netflix is getting prehistoric in August 2020. The first three Jurassic Park films are stomping over to the streaming giant, leaving the newly minted confines of Peacock only 17 days after launching. That kind of coup would impress even the likes of Ian Malcolm. That’s not all! Those flicks join an onslaught of legitimate popcorn classics in The Addams Family, The NeverEnding Story, Mad Max, A Knight’s Tale, and Seabiscuit. Okay, maybe that last one is more wine and cheese than buttered popcorn… Hey, speaking of the wine and cheese crowd, Netflix is also bringing some high class cerebral fare. There’s An Education, Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and one of our personal favorites in Nightcrawer. In terms of originals, Netflix’s premiering a ton of documentaries...
