A-List: Science Fiction
By Josh Spiegel
March 26, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Yet, even before then, science fiction was filled with more drama, romance, action, and comedy than most mainstream films. Nowadays, seeing a science fiction movie at the theatres is as common as the horror-film remake, the romantic comedy, and the action movie. What with that J.J. Abrams' version of Star Trek and this week's 3-D animated release Monsters vs. Aliens, science fiction is closer to the norm than anything else. On television, it's almost the exact same, with buzzworthy shows like Lost, Heroes, and Battlestar Galactica dominating the watercooler talk. There's no question that science fiction films and TV shows are filled with classics, and now, the A-List will take a little look back at some of them.
Alien
Like most science-fiction films, 1979's Alien owes many debts to past works. Based in no small part on the Howard Hawks sci-fi thriller The Thing, which was later remade, Alien has a simple premise: seven people are on a spaceship, they investigate a distress call, and the thing causing all the distress comes on board and wreaks a lot of havoc. Alien was the beginning of a long-running series, kickstarted the career of Sigourney Weaver, and also made Ridley Scott a star among directors. Though many people got a bigger adrenaline rush out of the 1986 sequel, Aliens, the original film is still the best, thanks to the growing tension that arises not only between the humans and the terrorizing title character, but the humans. Weaver's Ellen Ripley is often at odds with Yaphet Kotto's Parker and Harry Dean Stanton's Brett, even after the alien has made its infamous appearance straight from the stomach of one of their colleagues. More like a haunted house movie instead of a normal, ultra-futuristic science-fiction film, Alien remains one of the great science-fiction/horror movies, one that has more scares than gore, more thrills than spills, and a more lasting effect than any of its wanna-be follow-ups.
Blade Runner
Yes, it's Ridley Scott again. The director was behind the camera for this 1982 cult classic. Many film buffs know the lengthy history of this film's production as much as they know how many versions and "director's cuts" of Blade Runner there are. Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, Blade Runner is set in the near future in Los Angeles. The lead is Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a detective tracking down four rogue replicants, also known as humanoid robots who rebelled against their creator. Deckard ends up falling in love with a potential femme fatale (Sean Young, before her career went south) and questioning his own humanity. Featuring a great cast including Rutger Hauer (who delivers his final monologue so brilliantly, it doesn't even matter that the content makes little sense), Daryl Hannah, and Edward James Olmos as a snarky detective who knows a bit more than he should, this is one of the great movies, even if it didn't catch on until the following decade. The original release was a flop, with plenty of fighting amongst the producers and the studio. Some versions of Blade Runner feature a noir-esque narration from Deckard, some versions end happily, some end vaguely; in late 2007, a final DVD and Blu-ray was released called Blade Runner: The Final Cut. Apparently, this is the final version; who knows if Scott and company will come out with a new "final cut" a few years from now, but this much is clear: the stunning visuals, gritty tone, sly performances, and special effects add up to Blade Runner being one of the great all-time films.
Battlestar Galactica
Yes, this is the sole television entry this time around (no offense to Star Trek fans, of course), but a show like Battlestar Galactica is proof positive that science fiction doesn't have to be filled with completely outlandish and unbelievable plots to be compelling and entertaining. Suicide bombers, abortion, genocide, revolution, terrorism; sounds like something out of a truly dark season of 24, but all can be found in the recently finished Sci Fi (no, I will not be using the new name for that channel) TV program that lasted 4 seasons and 73 episodes. Though it was a remake of a late-1970s show that was more of a Star Wars rip-off than anything else, the new version of Battlestar Galactica captured the brain more than the heart. After the Cylons, a group of menacing humanoid robots, rebel against their creators (yes, it's a familiar idea) and destroy the majority of humanity, the survivors stay on the remaining battlestar spaceships and begin the fight to live. The only cast members who are widely known in the States are Edward James Olmos, playing the commander of the title ship, and Mary McDonnell, the ex-teacher who becomes President of the human race after the Cylon attack. That, and the stigma of being a science-fiction show, may surprise you, when you consider how powerful the performances are, how shocking the twists are, and how close to home many of the plots hit. If you're like me and missed Battlestar Galactica when it originally aired, find it on DVD, and find it right now. Despite its finale, which was satisfying but had some question marks, this show wasn't just great science-fiction entertainment, but one of the best TV shows in the past decade.
Brazil
Who's up for a road trip? Kidding, of course, but if you haven't seen Brazil, the 1985 Terry Gilliam film, don't expect to see any on-location settings from the title country. Named after the old song, Brazil owes a big debt to George Orwell and his book 1984. Set in an oppressive, futuristic society where the government controls everyone's movements, thoughts, and actions, the movie focuses on one of the cogs in that system, an average guy named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce). Sam works for the government, in a drab job that promises no upward mobility. The only satisfaction he gets from his life is the many daydreams he has of flying through the skies with a beautiful blond angel of a woman. When, one day, he sees the woman of his dreams (Kim Greist), he tries to make those dreams come true. However, that same woman may be a terrorist accomplice (although the definition of the word "terrorist" in this society is slightly different in this movie), and is being hunted by the government. Sam, of course, lets love conquer his entire being, which sets him free...and doesn't. If you haven't seen Brazil, and you probably haven't, I won't ruin the film for you, but there are many surprises, and the ending doesn't shy away from leaving you with a bad taste in your mouth. Pryce is agreeably meek as Lowry, but the best performances come from Michael Palin (a member of Monty Python, just like Gilliam), Bob Hoskins, and Robert De Niro (as the terrorist the dream woman's helping out). Like Blade Runner, Brazil was beset with problems during and after production; Gilliam had to take out a full-page ad in Variety Magazine to let the film get released to anyone, at one point. Just like Blade Runner, there are many cuts, and just like that film, Brazil is a cult classic, one well worth your time.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
OK, so this movie is a little more of an action movie than anything else, but don't forget: Terminator 2: Judgment Day is about two robots duking it out over the existence of the human race. If that same movie happens to have wall-to-wall action, so what? All the more for the viewer. Even though the Terminator series, which gets a new entry in May, hasn't really gotten any better than the second film, released in 1991, that doesn't mean people aren't going to stop trying to make lightning strike twice. As I mentioned above, the story's pretty easy: a troublemaking teenager is the key to the survival of humanity (another repeat offender on this list); two robots have been sent from the future, one to protect the kid, and one to kill him. That's about it. James Cameron has made more movies, more successful ones, but it's hard to deny how awesome Terminator 2: Judgment Day is, from the early fight scene between the evil T-1000 (Robert Patrick) and the Terminator himself (Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course) in the middle of Los Angeles freeways, to the final nighttime battle. Watching the shocking special effects as the T-1000 changes bodies and shapes only adds to how incredibly cool this movie is. Of the five on this list, you're probably likely to have seen this one, so you should either just watch it again or, if you're one of the uninitiated, rent the movie immediately. You will not be sorry, believe me.