Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Short Film: Soulbot
“They say that we all lose 21 grams at the exact moment of death. They say that it’s the weight of the human soul.
Well, it was Dr. Duncan MacDougall of Haverhill, Massachusetts who first attempted to weigh the human soul. In 1907, he placed 6 dying patients on a homemade scale, which also acted as a bed for the patients. More recently in Dan Brown’s novel, “the Lost Symbol”, there is a segment that explains how “The Institute of Noetic Science” uses noetics to weigh the human soul. After tests on terminally ill patients, it came across that immediately after death, a person’s weight dropped.
So, what would happen if they found a way to contain this invincible mass.. this soul.. Obviously the only reason to do this would be to put it in some kind of awesome robot.. yeah!”
Link Round-Up: August 26, 2011
Science fiction Travel Posters
Neal writes: "I've been beavering away on some new print designs to release by the end of summer. This one is actually for Planet Pulp's August submission (the theme is fictional travel posters). I've researched my old, childhood favourite Dan Dare and created a Space Cruise Poster based on an old Frank Hampson strip from the 50s called Terra Nova. I've not printed it yet – I'll let you know when it's available though ."
Interview: CG Society has posted an interview with production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas.
Interview: The Fantastic in the Fine Arts: The Work of Sam Valentino
6 Oliver Sacks covers by Cardon Webb
Awesome Art Picks: Wolverine, Psylocke, Thor & More. The coolest comic book art you won't see in comics.
Han Sulu the Ultimate Cross Over Star
Leadership Lessons From Burning Man
Leo Firebrand of Firebrand Creations pays tribute to Captain Malcolm Reynolds with this Papercraft version of his Pistol from Firefly, complete with realistic faux wood grip. Check out this gallery of progress shots of its construction.
Most Popular Design Blogs By Social Media
Short Film: Robots of Brixton
Robots are rioting on the streets of south London in this movie by architecture graduate Kibwe Tavares of Factory Fifteen. The movie mixes animation with architectural drawing, overlaid with photographs from the Brixton riots of the early 1980s.In the film, Brixton has degenerated into a disregarded area inhabited by London's new robot workforce - robots built and designed to carry out all of the tasks which humans are no longer inclined to do. The mechanical population of Brixton has rocketed, resulting in unplanned, cheap and quick additions to the skyline.The film follows the trials and tribulations of young robots surviving at the sharp end of inner city life, living the predictable existence of a populous hemmed in by poverty, disillusionment and mass unemployment. When the Police invade the one space which the robots can call their own, the fierce and strained relationship between the two sides explodes into an outbreak of violence echoing that of 1981.
Short Film: Out in the Street
In the future, recycling is murder.In an effort to avoid a demeaning and de-personalising recycling process, domestic helper robots choose a violent end in traffic in order to take the ontological kool-aid, activate their preferred end sequence and attain robot-rapture.Out in The Street is a music video for Africa Hitech's new album "93 Million Miles."
Short Film: The Archiver
The Archiver from Artfx
Fan-made CG films don't get much cooler than "The Archiver" by Artfx. It's basically "an all-out sci-fi visual feast and no worse for it." In it, a pilot, traveling through space, returns from a mission... Via: Dvice
Short Film: Mongrel's Creed
Mongrel's Creed by Tom Noakes
Set in the dungeons of a futuristic rehabilitation centre Gravel must confront his superior officer, Mr. Cod, in order to save his close friend Robbie from becoming reprogrammed.
Short Film: Ollie Klublershturf vs. The Nazis
Before Lost made him one of Hollywood’s hottest writers, Damon Lindelof wrote a one-act play about a time-traveling kid reminiscent of the lead character from Meet the Robinsons and a group of Nazis intent on launching the Fourth Reich.
According to Script Shadow, “Ollie” is the one-act play Lindelof specifically wrote to try and impress Carlton Cuse. The story goes that Cuse was talking to Damon’s agent, and he asked the agent if there was anything he could read, and the agent gets back to him a few days later and says there’s a one-act play he can read. ... Cuse was impressed, stating that the pages “were funny and well-written.” So, that got Lindelof in the room with Cuse, and they immediately hit it off and the rest is presumably history. But, here’s the kicker, according to Cuse, “Little did I know that Damon wrote this original material for the purpose of the meeting.”
In 2010, Director Skot Bright turned that play into a short film staring Zach Mills of Super 8 as boy genius Ollie and a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth as a Nazis. The results are unbelievably brilliant. Make certain you watch it all the way through to the punchline!
Short Film: Plot Device
Plot Device from Red Giant
A young filmmaker obtains a mysterious device that unleashes the full force of cinema on his front lawn.
Short Film: Connected
Connected
Written and directed by Jens Raunkjær Christensen & Jonas Drotner Mouritsen
Set in the distant future, Connected is a story about survival and greed with a post apocalyptic wasteland as its backdrop. Survivors of an unknown disaster shuffle through a desolate landscape, as it quickly becomes clear that not everybody has the strength to survive.
Short Film: Bartholomew’s Song
Bartholomew’s Song
Written and Directed by Destin Cretton & Lowell Frank
In a strict society, stepping out of line holds great consequence for pre-programmed Bartholomew 467. It features a little nod to Shawshank and one of the hands-down best surprises in the history of short films.
What Sci-Fi Universe Would You Live In?
Yes, I know, it’s kind of a geeky question.... okay, it's a very geeky question. But I can’t help but ask it – where would you rather live, the Star Trek universe or the Star Wars universe? How about the Logan’s Run universe or the Buck Rogers universe of the 25th century? Inquiring minds want to know. Don’t answer too quickly. Let’s take a minute to look at each of these and more, and then come to an informed decision.
Blade Runner
A shitty dystopian cesspool, but maybe not too shabby if you like city life. However, the level of pollution and overcrowded dinginess is a little over the top, so I’d have to rule it out.
Star Trek
Sure, it’s got a unified multicultural peace going for it, but how fun would it be for the Earthlings? Not everyone can be Captain Kirk cruising around the galaxy doinking every sexy alien that comes his way. No, the Star Trek Earth is a socialist communal never-never land. Too kumbaya for me.
Star Wars
Unless you’re a Jedi, this Universe sucks. Tattooine and Geonosis are godforsaken deserts. Hoth is a godforsaken ice cube. Dagobah is a godforsaken swamp. Mustafar is a godforsaken lava planet. Alderon gets blown up. There’s the Ewok and Wookie forest planets – no thanks. Naboo is boring as hell. Coruscant is the city planet, but not exactly a dream world. Then there’s all these wars raging. Not “no”, but “hell no”.
Logan’s Run
Upside: Every woman on this planet is smoking hot and wears skimpy miniskirts. And you males can order up one of these dynamite foxes to materialize into your living room at the press of a button.
Downside: The whole planet is air conditioned and looks like an 80s mall. Plus you get exterminated when you turn 30. Yeah, I think the cons outweigh the pros in this universe.
Firefly
This is the anti-Star Trek universe. It certainly would make for an interesting place to live, but I can’t say I’d be chomping at the bit to live there. I’ll pass.
Dune
Sandy ultra-serious downerville (aka Arrakis) isn’t calling my name. Plus, everyone’s forever talking about “the spice”. Shut up about the spice already!
UFO
Now we’re getting warmer. Everything’s groovy and those Moon Maidens are the very definition of shagadelic. However, not to nitpick, things just aren’t that different. Other than SHADO headquarters) things look pretty much as they really were. It was supposed to take place in 1980, so I guess it’s to be expected. No thanks.
Battlestar Galactica, Lost in Space and Space:1999
I never watched the new Battlestar, so I’m going purely on the original series. All I can say about these shows is – who the hell wants to be stuck on a space ship forever? Can you say “cabin fever”? No thanks.
A Clockwork Orange
A grahzny place with ultra-violence and dratsing. For the old in-and-out it’s real horrorshow. But too much krovvy and tolchocking for my tastes.
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
It’s got all the benefits of Logan’s Run without the mass murder of all 30 year olds. The 25th Century has smoking hot chicks everywhere you look with all the amenities of The Jetsons. Plus, the people of 2430 obviously appreciate the awesomeness that was 1979. Discos are "in", as is the Farrah look and the macho Burt Reynolds style.... and there's wisecracking chauvinist robots to boot. Indeed, there's literally no downside to this universe. Who needs a freaking "holodeck" when you're livin' the dream, baby!
Mind Bending Movies Through the Decades
I was watching Moon (2009) the other day and it struck me that there's been a lot of really good mind-bending movies out in recent years..... and there were hardly any during the 1970s and 80s. We are truly living in the Golden Age of Cinematic Mind Blowers. I'm not talking simply "science fiction"; I'm talking "this movie literally hurt my brain!"
The 1960's had precious few mind blowers - the penultimate being 2001: A Space Odyssey. Another film, Seconds, starring Rock Hudson, was so brain busting, it kept Brian Wilson away from movie theaters for 15 years! Other than that, films tended to be either straight or artsy-fartsy avant garde. Roger Corman drug culture movies made stabs at being transcendental, but weren't particularly deep, they were mainly just trying to look hip. The television provided most of the mind blowing via The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and Doctor Who.
The 1970's was perhaps the worst decade for trippy films. After Easy Rider, things tended to be gritty and realistic.... there wasn't much room for science fiction mind games. Sure, there was A Clockwork Orange and Solaris, but that was just about it. When Star Wars came around in the latter part of the decade, there was no hope whatsoever for mind blowers - science fiction had to be swashbuckling adventure. Giant black obelisks on the moon were out; lightsaber duels were in.
Of course, the 60s and 70s had tons of great mind blowing fiction published during this time, which makes it a bit surprising that none of it never made its way to film.
The 1980's weren't much better. Still heavily influenced by Star Wars, science fiction had to be exciting, not mind blowing. E.T. didn't help matters either. Eraserhead is by far the biggest mind blower to emerge from this decade, with The Wall, Repo Man and Blade Runner trailing far, far behind. It wouldn't be until well into the 1990's that we'd get a flood of mind blowing goodness to movie theaters.
I can't begin to list them all, but among the most notable are: The Matrix, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Primer, The Man from Earth, Donnie Darko, Oldboy, The Fountain, Mulholland Drive, Martyrs and, most recently, Inception.
What the hell? Why all of a sudden? It's not like CGI is necessary to make a mind-blower. Why are we suddenly inundated with these films? I can tell you both Donnie Darko and Martyrs made my cerebrum convulse for days.... I literally felt like I'd taken a severe blow to the head.
In summary, the seventies and eighties produced some great films. I'd much rather watch the gritty realism of Dirty Harry or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest than just about anything. But, when it comes to making movies that hurt the brain, there's been no better time than the present.
The Boob Tube #23: The Greatest Sci-Fi TV Themes and Intros
Like any "greatest ever" list, it's just someone's opinion. Take it or leave it. I've had over forty years of science fiction intros entering my skull. Before I could even walk, I was watching Doctor Who with my dad. Naturally, my choices are affected by nostalgia and sentimentality, and not a purely objective look at the pieces themselves. It's unavoidable.
Before I ramble on even further, here's my choices for the greatest science fiction television show intros and theme songs. The best part is, I've included audio clips so you can listen to each one!
1. Star Trek
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How can the Star Trek intro not be at the top of the list. No matter what you think of the show, you'll have to agree this intro captures the thrill of exploration about as good as can be done. We may be office workers or school children, but when this intro plays, the dashing and adventurous Magellan lurking deep inside all of us gets conjured up.
2. Doctor Who
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Ominous and futuristic, this theme song has been going strong for decades, and it's been imitated countless times. Nostalgia aside, for my money, the sound of this track captures the "sci-fi feel" better than any other. Only Star Trek trumps it due to Kirk's brilliant prose.
3. UFO
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Takes a few seconds to kick in; but once it does, this theme music is about as groovy as it gets. You can just picture the Moon Maidens in go-go boots rockin' to the groove.
4. The Twilight Zone
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Is there an intro to any show, science fiction or otherwise, more iconic than this? The "doo dee doo doo, doo dee doo doo" notes have become a part of our lexicon.
5. The Tomorrow People
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Like Doctor Who, the theme for this one has that kinda creepy vibe, with nice science fiction sound to it. While not as recognizable as many other on this list, it's no less amazing.
6. The Six Million Dollar Man
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“We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better...stronger...faster.”.... Yes! Gives me goosebumps to this day.
7. The Outer Limits
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"There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture."
8. The Jetsons
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Like The Brady Bunch theme and The Flintstones, you've got to give it props for being so damn catchy. People will probably be reciting the lyrics till the day we actually are flying around in space cars.
9. Lost in Space
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10. The Bionic Woman
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11. Thunderbirds
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12. Time Tunnel
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13. Max Headroom
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14. Fireball XL-5
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15. My Favorite Martian
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16. V: The Series
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17. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
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Retrospace Mix Tape #6: Sci-Fi-O-Rama
Guess what, folks? The last two Mix Tape posts were among my least popular posts of all time; I think a grand total of 28 people downloaded it. In other words, of the thirty thousand or so of you who viewed the post, roughly 0.09% were interested enough to download it. Wow!
So, why bother? Well, yours truly has wanted to be a DJ for a long time..... I have a desk job, about the farthest thing from Wolfman Jack you can think of. This is me livin' the dream. I even hand selected the album art for each song.... I'm just that retarded.
Plus, my track selection isn't exactly mainstream. But the thing is, if you're as old as me and you've been listening to music for as long as I have, you start to get tired of the well-known stuff. I mean, "More Than a Feeling" was great when I first heard it, but 10,000 times later, I'm ready to kill myself. The more obscure the better.
Thus, my science fiction mix tape doesn't have the obvious "Rocket Man" and Bowie's "Space Oddity"; instead, it's got disco versions of Star Wars songs and other bits of obscure vintage artifacts. Some aren't necessarily science fiction related ("Cosmic Cowboy" and "Universe", for instance) but the titles have a sci-fi feel.
So, without further ado, here's the mix tape. Save the file to download it, or hit "open" to stream. I hope all 28 of you enjoy it.
Track List
| Artist | Title |
| Mass Production | Cosmic Lust |
| Carpenters | Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft |
| Billy Preston | Space Race |
| War | Galaxy |
| Deodato | Space Dust |
| Boris Midney | The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) |
| Meco | Theme From 'Close Encounters' |
| Cherie Currie | Science Fiction Daze |
| Schoolhouse Rock | Interplanet Janet |
| Parliament | Mothership Connection (Star Child) |
| Mike Theodore Orchestra | Cosmic Wind |
| XTC | Science Friction |
| Ventures | Theme From Star Trek |
| Space | Tango In Space |
| Slade | Universe |
| Klaatu | Anus Of Uranus |
| M.B.T. Soul | The Chase |
| Michael Murphey | Cosmic Cowboy, Pt. 1 |
| Level 42 | Starchild |
| Boris Midney | Han Solo And The Princess (Love Theme) |
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Vintage Tech #8: Science Fiction's Broken Promises
Shouldn't we have robot maids by now? Shouldn't I get to work via spaceship? Or at least a hovercraft? Not that long ago, most Americans thought we'd be living in the space-age by 2010. Indeed, Blade Runner is set in 2018 and the sci-fi show UFO was set in 1980. Land of the Giants was supposed to take place in 1983 and let's not forget Space:1999. Well, it's 2010 - where's my robot maid and all the effing space ships?
The Jetsons originally aired in 1962..... who'd have guessed that 48 years later we'd still be traveling by the same ol' internal combustion engine (with a few more whistles and bells) rather than jet packs and space cruisers? What a disappointment. Here's my list of empty promises brought to us via science fiction:
- Star Trek doors
- Jet packs
- Food in a pill
- Cryogenics
- Colonies on the Moon and Mars
- Robots to do our bidding
- Computers that can talk to you
- Laser guns
- Teleportation and Time Travel
- Dazzling sci-fi duds
I don't think anyone predicted the level to which we as a planet have all become interconnected to each other and to information. On my little hand-held Android I can send photos to someone on the other side of the world, get my GPS location, watch a movie, listen to any song ever recorded, read a book, etc. It's mind boggling when you stop and think about it.
So, although I'm disappointed I can't travel to work via posh hovercraft, I am blown away by how far we've come in terms of communication. And what's really strange is that I remember being blown away by technology in 1983 with those crappy little computers that could barely do anything.
This begs the question: Will I look back in 2033 and marvel at how I could possibly be impressed by the iPad and the Internet? It's an interesting thought.
Vintage Scares #21: Gerry Anderson
We all know ventriloquist dummies are scary as hell, you don't need me to tell you that. But I've got to come clean, Gerry Anderson's "supermarionation" creeped me out a kid..... still does.
No doubt, Gerry was a genius. UFO, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Supercar, Firball, Stingray.... all freaking brilliant. Unfortunately for me, they were also freaking scary. There's something about the way they looked and moved, and those vacant stares...
Particularly troubling was Joe 90, Anderson's last supermarionet TV show. It was all very surreal - something about a boy and this all-controlling super computer. It's been a long time since I've seen it - all I have is some old magazines to refresh my memory.
I think a lot of the trouble comes with the odd realism of Anderson's marionetts. The Muppets never scared me, nor did Davey and Goliath.... they were cartoonish. Joe 90's marionetts were the most realisticly proportioned of all his shows... inded, it was all too real.
Foxy Ladies #13: The Women of Buck Rogers (Part 2)
Here it is, folks. The second part to my concise encyclopedia of babes from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Fans will notice that I don't include any from season two, which was total crap. Erin Grey was still there, but the sexy mojo was DOA by season two. That's okay, because, as you'll see, there's plenty to keep us happy in season one. Enjoy!
Dorothy Stratten as Miss Cosmos
Episode: "Cruise Ship to the Stars"
The murder of Playmate Dorothy Stratten has been the subject of two movies: Star 80 and Death of a Centerfold, starring Jamie Lee Curtis (who also appeared on Buck Rogers).
Trisha Noble as Sabrina
Episode: "Cruise Ship to the Stars"
Trisha was actually a very famous singer in Australia during her teenage years in the 1960s. She also seduced Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Kimberly Beck as Allison Michaels
Episode: "Cruise Ship to the Stars"
Kimberly is a fairly well known "Final Girl" for her appearances in several slasher movies, namely Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) as Corey Feldman's older sister.
Morgan Brittany as Raylyn Derren
Episode: "Happy Birthday, Buck"
Morgan was a regular on Dallas as the character who (fans will remember) made an attempt to murder Bobby Ewing. These pictures may look familiar to those who read my post way back in January 2009, where I broke down an entire episode.
Eddie Benton as Stella Breed
Episode: "Twiki is Missing"
Eddie (in purple, center) is best known for her role in Sledge Hammer! in the 1980s. I loved that show, and she was great in it.
Judith Chapman as Lara Tizian
Episode: "Olympiad"
Judith is a longtime soap opera veteran; she's been a daytime actress for over thirty years and has starred in numerous soaps.
Anne Lockhart as Lela Markeson
Episode: "A Dream of Jennifer"
Anne is the daughter of June Lockhart, the mom on Lassie and Lost in Space.
Judy Landers as Joanna
Episode: "Space Rockers"
Judy needs no introduction - if you were old enough to remember the seventies, you remember the Landers Sisters (Judy and Audrey) - they were omnipresent in the late 70s - Vega$, The Love Boat, BJ and the Bear, etc. Maybe not the greatest actresses in the world, but they had other assets that more than compensated.
Nancy Frangione as Karana
Episode: "Space Rockers"
Elizabeth Stack as Vionne
Episode: "Buck's Duel to the Death"
Elizabeth is the daughter of Robert Stack (The Untouchables, Airplane!)
Kelley Miles as Chandar
Episodes: "Flight of the War Witch", Part 1 & 2
Kelley is the daughter of famous actress, Vera Miles
...and last but not least - Erin Grey!
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