Why isn't Cinema SciFi about discovery anymore ?

[thatgui]

I watched "Star Trek Into Darkness" the other day, and what bugged me most about this ok movie wasn't the lousy script (Lindelof was part of the writing crew, so this did not came unexpected) but the whole movie is all about blowing stuff up.

My favourite Star Trek movie is the first one. Not because I saw it in the cinema (which I didn't, I'm not that old), not because I liked the original series so much (which I don't, never seen more than a handful episodes) and certainly not because its a non stop rollercoaster ride that glues you to your seat (which it is not, and I can't say people are wrong, if they say the movie is boring).

Because the whole movie says to me: "Come on, I'll take you onto a journey, we will discovery strange but also wonderfull things, that in the end will help us to look into ourselfs and helps us understand ourselfs". Sure, people also die in that movie and there is also some action, but the climax isn't some big shoot out or fist fight or whatever, just thinking about and understanding one of the most basic principles that drives us.

This should not be understood as a Star Trek reboot rant, I stopped liking the Star Trek movies after part six, and my least favourite parts are two and three. I even like number five in a way, as he at least tried to stay true to the concept.

I just wish it wasn't so action centered nowadays.

 

[Wrath Of Khan]

Totally agree. Piss poor compared to first film.weak script, non stop action and rehashes of the wrath of khan.im finiahed with that serues now. Film companies are afraid to be original and only want profit.


District 9 was awesome though. It was somewhat low budget though. Its got evwrything and yet it totally works as a film

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Because cinema, like music, is now an industry therefore sucks.

+1 for D9, an awesome movie !

 

[vcoleiro1]

I though it was good, much better than the Picard Star Trek movies, they were diabolically bad.  Particularly that one with the Borg - the worst movie ever.

They do need to start writing new scripts and stories though, rather than these almost prequels .

 

[Monkfish]

I refuse to see any of the new star trek movies because of the arbitrary decision to trash the time-line from the original series, seems to be all flash and no substance these days. At least the old movies (with the exception of Star Trek V) felt like watching long episodes keeping the same feel as the show. The less said about TNG or the movies based on it the better.

I totally agree that District 9 is an awesome piece of cinema and will be remembered as a unique classic.  

Prometheus while an interesting idea has far too many gaping holes in it for my liking: i still say Alien is by far the best in the series because as thatgui says it begins being about discovery but changes into a nerve-janglingly taught psychological thriller which is unusual in a sci-fi movie (yes i know 2001 - a Space Odyssey has similar themes, and nice cinematography, but it fails to reach the same level or raw tension that Alien achieves).

Saturn 3 was an awesome scifi movie, and very influential, but it might seem conventional today - i'd still recommend it to anyone, see it if you havent.

 

[Asmo]

I just recently watched "Welt am Draht" (1973) (English title "World On A Wire"), it's worth a few hours of your time!

The source material is the book "Simulacron 3" - which most recently was filmed as "The Thirteenth Floor" (1999). It's easy to see that the Matrix 'borrowed' heavily from it, but overdid the recipe.

Make no mistake, it's a 2 part made-for-TV movie from Germany in 1973 - so there's no special FX, some crazy editing and a cavalier approach to lip synch. But it's amazing to see how well-developed the notion of VR and simulation was at the time, even if they always substitute the term 'electronic' for what we would say is 'digital'.

Like a pretty epic Twilight Zone episode, on acid, in flares.

 

[Mr_Loon]

Loved district 9 as well.


Anyone looking for a bit of cerebral sci-fi could do a lot worse than watching Moon. Had the pleasure of watching this without any prior knowledge, awesome stuff.

 

[Fzero]

District 9 was good


I am looking forward to watching Pacific Rim.


Trailer looks good, I like mechs and I like a couple other films from the guy - he done Pans Labirynth too which I like


I watched Silent Running again the other day having picked it up cheap on DVD, I remembered watching it years ago when I was young.


Still enjoyed it, not exactly fast paced like a lot of sci fi and not too much blowing up... good film

 

[thatgui]

I just recently watched "Welt am Draht" (1973) (English title "World On A Wire"), it's worth a few hours of your time!

The source material is the book "Simulacron 3" - which most recently was filmed as "The Thirteenth Floor" (1999). It's easy to see that the Matrix 'borrowed' heavily from it, but overdid the recipe.

Make no mistake, it's a 2 part made-for-TV movie from Germany in 1973 - so there's no special FX, some crazy editing and a cavalier approach to lip synch. But it's amazing to see how well-developed the notion of VR and simulation was at the time, even if they always substitute the term 'electronic' for what we would say is 'digital'.

Like a pretty epic Twilight Zone episode, on acid, in flares.

I liked it a lot unfortunatly it wasn't widely available till 2010.Matrix borrowed heavily from many sources, but I can't see a connection (buts that's maybe because I haven't seen Matrix for years)

I am looking forward to watching Pacific Rim.

Trailer looks good, I like mechs and I like a couple other films from the guy - he done Pans Labirynth too which I like

I'm looking forward to it too (and Elysium). But, for me PR isn't really Science Fiction, but more Science Fantasy (like StarWars).

I watched Silent Running again the other day having picked it up cheap on DVD, I remembered watching it years ago when I was young.

Still enjoyed it, not exactly fast paced like a lot of sci fi and not too much blowing up... good film

Still on my list to watch (witch is already quite loooong)

 

[ingoreis]

I saw the new Star Trek Movie too and was very surprised.
I did not saw any Previews or making of.

The Handling is not bad and some funny Scenes are there too.
First i thought....
....not the Klingons again....
..but then???
Its Khan and i thought a Terrorist or so first.

In the whole Film was me not 5 Minutes Boring,but i must say there is little too much Action.

Discovering new Worlds would be better,than revive old Ghosts

 

[Asmo]

Matrix borrowed heavily from many sources, but I can't see a connection (buts that's maybe because I haven't seen Matrix for years)

The whole setup is a precursor to the Matrix's premise, but for just one example (I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might go looking for it now - come back when you have!), when Stiller enters the simulacron-1 simulation to meet Einstein, he enters and exits through a phone booth...!

 

[kuru]

(kind of off topic I guess~)

Silent Running is on my Watchlist for this weekend.. looking forward to it.

Another +1 for   District 9  , have seen it like 5 times. Gets a special bonus for the use of mecha

Incidentally, I watched   Moon   just two days ago.

Not space SciFi, but kind of SciFi anyway, Cronenberg's   Videodrome  .. pretty nice! Also,  existenz .. watch it, has its' fair share of twists and  turns.

In my Cronenberg fever I tried watching  naked lunch .. only made it halfway through though. I'll see if I can bring up the nerve to go all the way with this one, heh

One of my favourite SciFi apart from the obvious choices is  Virus . Love the mechanical design.

If animation doesn't put you off, which it shouldn't anyway, go watch  Cowboy Bebop  the movie and series aswell as Planetes! 

 

[Monkfish]

Matrix borrowed heavily from many sources

True, Saturn 3 as i've mentioned before was the film to introduce computer input via a port in the head/neck which is so widely used in the Matrix, not to mention other places too these days.

Iron Sky is always good for a laugh, especially if you drink every time theres a continuity error or something doesnt make sense.

If you're looking for sci-fi thats really about discovery though, you can do a lot worse than look at Ray Bradbury's short stories, some of these are crying out for a cinema release. Although it could be argued they arent long enough for traditional Movie format you could include several stories in the film (in a similar way to how they adapted Frank Millers Sin City to the big screen). 

 

[Gausen]

I will like to see a movie of "Rendez-vous with Rama" from Arthur C. Clarck.

 

[Christoph.Krn]

Please, if you write something about the plot of a movie, use the spoiler tag.

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[TrashyMG]

I will like to see a movie of "Rendez-vous with Rama" from Arthur C. Clarck.

There was a rumor several years ago of this, but I guess it never materialized.

 

[Asmo]

Maybe Arthur C.Clarke became a bit 'controversial'.

I always thought, as short as it is, The Nine Billion Names Of God could be stretched out into a movie. It's got an ending I'd love to see done well!

 

[Gausen]

There was a rumor several years ago of this, but I guess it never materialized. 

Hoping sometime it gets done.

 

[vcoleiro1]

Rendez-vous with Rama is tied up with Morgan Freeman . Here's the excerpt from Wiki

"In the early 2000s, actor Morgan Freeman expressed his desire to produce a film based on Rendezvous with Rama, however the film has been stuck in "development hell" for many years. In 2003, after initial problems procuring funding, it appeared the project would go into production.[8] The film was to be produced by Freeman's production company, Revelations Entertainment. David Fincher, touted on Revelations' Rama web page as far back as 2001,[9] stated in a late 2007 interview that he was still attached to helm.[10]

However, by late 2008, David Fincher stated the movie was unlikely to be made. "It looks like it's not going to happen. There's no script and as you know, Morgan Freeman's not in the best of health right now. We've been trying to do it but it's probably not going to happen."[11]

In 2010, Freeman stated in an interview that he was still planning to make the project but that it has been difficult to find the right script. He also stated that it should be made in 3D.[12] In January 2011, Fincher stated in an interview with MTV that he was still planning to make the film after he had completed work on his planned remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (which is scheduled to begin production in 2013). He also reiterated Freeman's concerns about the difficulty of finding the right script.[13]

In an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson in February 2012, Freeman indicated an interest in playing the role of Commander Norton for the film, stating that "my fantasy of commanding a starship is commanding Endeavour". Tyson then asked, "So is this a pitch to be ... that person if they ever make that movie?" to which Freeman reaffirmed, "We ARE going to make that movie." In response to a plea to "make that come out sooner rather than later", Freeman reiterated that difficulty in authoring a quality script is the primary barrier for the film, stating "... the only task you have that's really really hard in making movies, harder than getting money, is getting a script ... a good script"

"

 

[Gausen]

Thanks for the info vcoleiro.