They don’t make them like they used to: Science Fiction films Part II
Part II of a II part article
For Part I, CLICK HERE.
Part I of "They don't make them like they used to: Science Fiction" doesn't scratch the surface of science fiction films that I love and have inspired me when I was younger. This article, actually, can go on for another several parts if I was going to tell you all of the films I loved when I younger. I'm not going to do that however.
In part I, I spoke about five films - "Blade Runner", "Excalibur", "Krull", "The Last Starfighter", and "Total Recall", all films that bring me back to my earliest memories of science fiction and fantasy. Continuing this article I speak about another five films - lets find out what they are.
Legend - 1985
Just like part I, I start part II of with a Ridley Scott film called "Legend". This is probably the first full fledged fantasy film I've ever seen, at least from what I remember. When people today think of fantasy films, the first thing that comes to mind is "Lord of the Rings", and rightfully so because they're amazing films, but it always saddens me that people forget about some of the early fantasy works like "Legend". "Legend" is story full of unicorns, fairies, goblins, heroes, and a demon that would make LotR's Sauron piss his pants. Set "once, long ago" a forest dweller named Jack takes the woman he loves, Lily, to see the unicorns, a mythological creature conceived out of only good and beauty. Unknown to them, the Lord of Darkness has plans for the unicorns. Darkness sends his goblins to kill and take the horns of the unicorns so sunshine never comes again. He also kidnaps Lily and seduces her with his power trying to make her a dark queen. To avoid an eternity of darkness, Jack must set out with an elf, a fairy, and a couple of dwarves to stop Darkness from killing the unicorns and rescue Lily from evil. Directed by Ridley Scott, "Legend" stars a young Tom Cruise as Jack, a young Mia Sara as Lily, and Tim Curry as the awesome Lord of Darkness.
To sum up all of my thoughts about "Legend" in a couple of words - I think this is such a beautiful movie. Ridley Scott shows so much style in creating this fantasy world with the way Jack's forest is designed by making look so mythical. You've seen all the posts I made that feature fantasy illustrators - The vision that Scott created can be compared to those photos, minus the half naked women, and since "Legend" first came out I've never seen anything like it that could match its creativity except maybe "The Never Ending Story" and "The Adventures of the Baron Munchausen". You sure as hell won't see anything like those films today which is really sad.
I also can't forget how amazing Tim Curry looked as Darkness. You can't tell me that his costume wasn't the coolest thing ever created and if you did, you'd be wrong.
"Legend" is an amazing film and for those of you who want a taste of classic fantasy without having to sit through some of today's pictures, "Legend" is surely worth spending your money and time on.
Logan's Run - 1976
Unlike Blade Runner's dystopianfuture, Logan's Run is a depiction of a total, unapologetic utopian future. All of your wants are available - drugs, women, food, alcohol - whatever you want is at your door and for the taking with more where that came from. However, once your 30 years old, it's time to die. That's life in the City of Domes - total paradise for 30 years, then death..... or you become a Runner. In "Logan's Run" Logan 5 is tasked to find were escaped runners run to, a place called Sanctuary. Logan is a Sandman, a sort of police officer and executioner for runners. A runner is a person that's near 30 and refuses to enter Carousel, which is another word for population control but the people of Domed city don't know that. They believe that when you enter Carousel you'll be renewed into a new life, to be young again, however, that isn't true. To find this so called Sanctuary, Logan meets a young beautiful woman named Jessica 6 who shows him the way out of the Domed city which leads them on a wild journey through a world familiar to us but new to them. Directed by Michael Anderson, Logan's Run stars Michael York as Logan, Jenny Agutter as Jessica, Richard Jordan as Francis, and Peter Ustinov as the old man.
It's funny - Before I saw this film, I saw the television series first while it was on the SciFi channel doing a little marathon. I don't remember why exactly, but I loved it and I still do today - I wish it would come out on DVD already! Just like the short lived television series, I saw the film version on the SciFi Channel too, both of which I saw a very long time ago back when the SciFi Channel used to be awesome, but I already mentioned that in the part I.
The idea of our world being destroyed and ancient was a new and interesting concept to me. It's not like I want that to happen obviously but the sight of Washington D.C. under over grown trees and grass was an absolute amazing vision. I never saw anything like it and even today you won't see much stuff like that, except for the recent "I Am Legend" that showed New York City under over grown trees and grass, but not as extreme as "Logan's Run". It was a cool concept that our world was now the ancient civilizations of Egypt or Rome.
News has come out recently, that "Logan's Run" may be the next project for Bryan Singer ("Superman Returns", "X-Men"), but a "Logan's Run" remake has been in the works for a very long time. I would welcome a retelling of this story because it definitely could benefit from today's technology, but the classic nature of its design, vision, and mini modeled city will never get old for me.
Tron - 1982
In the first part of this article I spoke about "The Last Starfighter" being one of the first to use all CG environments - adding to that movie is the 1982 film "Tron". In today's cinema we can see an abundant of films that contain, what I call, visual eye candy. That's what "Tron" was in its time, visual eye candy, because it was a one of a kind movie that many movie goers didn't see everyday back then. Since its 1982 premiere, like most science fiction films of the 80s, "Tron" has become a cult classic that still holds up today given its status, with a sequel finally on the way coming in 2011. When a computer programmer named Kevin Flynn gets sucked into the digital world of computers, he fights along side a powerful program called Tron to defeat the MCP, the Master Control Program. Written and directed by Steven Lisberger, "Tron" stars Jeff Bridges as Flynn, Bruce Boxleitner as Tron/Alan Bradley, Cindy Morgan as Yori/Dr. Lora Baines, and David Warner as Sark/the MCP/Ed Dillinger.
"Tron" might not be the best science fiction film and its story may not be the greatest, but its idea is so fantastic that you can't help but love it. It's such a visual film more than anything else and although it might look ridiculous if someone made a movie that looked like "Tron" today, it was without a doubt a technological step into what we see today with CGI and motion capture.
I think it's safe to say that "Tron" should be in the starter kit for anyone who wants to step into science fiction. Do you want to see Jeff Bridges in an early film long before he did "Iron Man"?, "Tron" is the picture to see him in. Also, for those "Babylon 5" fans who never seen Bruce Boxleitner in anything else, he kicks total ass in this film.
Most of you should be very aware that a sequel is in production. We'll see the return of both Bridges and Boxleitner, something that I'm really pumped to see, as well as a bunch of other new younger cast mates. Tron 2 is going to take advantage of the technology today by using motion capture for its actors and its going to show us how the digital world has changed since the 80s. Hopefully we'll be able to see something groundbreaking as it was when the first film premiered.
End of line...
Flash Gordon - 1980
If there is anything that wins the Most Cheesy Award, it's the 1980 film Flash Gordon, but when your a little kid seeing this film for the first time, it's the greatest adventure to stimulate kids little imaginative minds. Based on the comic strip, Flash Gordon, Dale Arden, and Dr. Hanz Zarkov travel to the kingdom of Mongo to stop its ruthless Emperor, Ming the Merciless, from destroying Earth. There in Mongo, Flash Gordon unites Ming's subjects in an effort to defeat him and bring peace to the people of Mongo, also saving Earth from destruction. Directed by Mike Hodges, "Flash Gordon" stars Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Topol as Dr. Hanz Zarkov, and Max Von Sydow as the evil Emperor Ming. Also starring is Timothy Dalton as the Prince Barin, Brian Blessed as Prince Vultan, and Ornella Muti as Princess Aura.
"Flash Gordon" is for the advanced science fiction fan because, lets face it - if your not under 10 years old or a scifi veteran, you'll probably hate this film. It's ubercampy, but stylized. It has ridiculous over the top acting that only fans of the 80s could appreciate, and it gives science fiction fans the stereotypes that are untrue in most cases, ... but man is this a fun friggen movie.
"Flash Gordon" is one of those movies that saves itself by getting an awesome soundtrack and for the most part, that's what this film is known for. The soundtrack is of course by the legendary Queen who nobody can deny is awesome.
Other than that, I got nothing. "Flash Gordon" is a crazy movie that I totally love for all the wrong reasons and is probably on my top 10 list of guilty pleasures.
Dune - 1984
Without any doubt, the 1984 Dune has mixed reviews, leaning towards negative reviews and even 25 years later people still don't like it, but I'm not one of them. Critics from the 80s leading up to today say that Dune is incomprehensible, ugly, hollow, and just plain bad and although I don't agree, I will admit it takes several viewings to really get it. Directed by David Lynch from a novel by Frank Herbert, Dune tells the story of a prophecy - a story that brings freedom to the universe - a story about a boy named Paul Atreides that changes the face of Arrakis, a desert planet, also known as Dune. Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV feels a growing threat from Duke Leto Atreides from planet Caladan. In a plot to destroy House Atreides the Emperor gives them control of Arrakis where soon after House Harkonnen would launch a sneak attack to destroy Atreides and his army thus relieving the Emperor from his fear of Duke Leto. However, standing in the way of House Harkonnen and the Emperor is the son of Duke Leto, Paul, a young man who prophecies his destiny by becoming Muad'Dib. Dune stars a major cast of people with Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides/Muad'Dib, Sean Young as Chani, Everett MGill as Stilgar, Francesca Annis as Lady Jessica, Patrick Stewart as Gurney Halleck, Kenneth McMillan as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dean Stockwll as Dr. Yueh, Max von Sydow as Dr. Kynes, Sting as Feyd-Rautha, and Jose Ferre as the Emperor with Jurgen Prochnow as Duke Leto Atreides.
When I was a kid, one of the things that drew me in and made me love "Dune" is the fact that it's so different from regular mainstream films, and different from your run of the mill science fiction but lord knows science fiction wasn't just run of the mill back in the 80s. They say "Dune" is visually ugly, but I say it's visually different and isn't that what movies are supposed to do? Be different from everything else? I'd say so.
"Dune" is by no means for the casual scifi viewer because there is a lot to understand in this film and most of it is difficult to pick up. It took me years to start understanding what this film was really about but after many many viewings, it never gets old. Despite what things people have to say about "Dune", it has become a cult classic and it is really up to you, whether you think it's good or not, but take with you that everything about this film screams science fiction classic and just like many films from this era it was all done with classic practical special effects. I could only imagine how the proposed remake would look like, but than again, you can watch the SciFi Channel version which is a good adaption but not as classic as the original.
This movie also has just an incredible cast of actors who've mostly had fantastic careers.
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I love these issues, it gives you a glimpse of what was. You could definitely extend the series because there’s plenty of other scifi films worth mentioning. Back to the Future series, original star wars series, the thing, alien, close encounters of the third kind, e.t., .. just to name a few more. There’s also this movie that I can’t remember the name for where this business has people go into dreams and a killer is in there, our hero goes in there to stop him and finds that he can control dreams. I want to say dream master but that’s not it
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