Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

Themescules · 2003-02-01 16:44:08

Can't forget "Forbidden Planet", with Walter Pidgeon, Leslie Nielson, Anne Francis and of course Robby The Robot, that was like the God-Father of most present day SciFi movies, it pretty much had it all.

I also like "The Day The Earth Stood Still" with Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Billy Gray and of course Gort. "Klaatu Barada Nitko". Those were good SciFi movie's.

I wouldn't even put LOTR in this category, LOTR should be in the exclusive (Fantasy) Category not SciFi.

Luis G Jimenez · 2003-02-04 20:21:22

Hello all. I'm new around here and this will be my first post. My favorite sci-fi movie would have to be Dune (1984). I'll throw in Tron as a second feature.

Echus_Chasma · 2003-02-04 22:35:47

My favourite sci-fi movie would have to be erm... I dunno, I'll be unoriginal and say "The Matrix"

oh BTW, the big battle scene at the end of LOTR 2 is filmed in a quarry thats about 5-10 km in a straight line across the hills, about South Eastish from where I live. Also, Rivendell is is about 10-30 minutes drive away from my house, near this campsite thing.

Edit: Welcome Luis!

Luis G Jimenez · 2003-02-05 10:31:56

Also, Rivendell is about 10-30 minutes drive away from my house,

Awesome. And I thought it was all make-believe. Thanks for the welcome, Echus.

wccmarsface@msn.com · 2003-04-20 20:00:38

My favorite "sci-fi" movie was a made-for-TV miniseries that was really a horror story rather than anything with a science theme: Stephen King's "The Stand." Years later I read the novel (all 1241 pages!), so at least I knew what many of the characters looked like, you know, Stuart Redman is, of course, Gary Sinise and Randall Flagg is, obviously, Jamie Sheridan, etc. etc. I confess I've always had a rather morbid fascination with, not so much end-of-the-world stories, but end-of-the-global-civilization scenarios that I fervantly hope not to be around to actually witness! Didn't you know, though different from Stephen King's escaped manufactured super-flu scenario, the Yellowstone magma chamber may be overdue to catastrophically burst with a kinetic energy yield of perhaps 2,500 Mount St. Helens? I can just hear that oh-so-spooky slide guitar just a twangin'........ wccmarsface@msn.com

Nidan512 · 2003-04-22 07:54:03

Blade Runner was a good, visually impressive film with plenty of star power, but fortunately had a different ending than the Phillip Dick novel it was based on-that ending made you want to blow your brains out. 2001 gets my vote for the best of all.

PaganToris · 2003-04-22 15:33:57

Ya id have to say Blade was a pretty good movie!

Bill White · 2003-04-22 16:00:45

PaganToris - I have a personal theory that you are an alternate persona of another well known contributor at NewMars.

*IF* I am right - and its only a hunce - maybe we can have a contest to guess your true identity. Whadda say?

Sadly, I do know where those song lyrics come from. The co-host was better when paired with Dr. Drew, IMHO.

Bill White · 2003-04-22 19:16:12

Many apologies, Cindy, for any misunderstanding.

In truth you are certainly the least likely person to be PaganToris and therefore I had thought suggesting it was you would be funny since it is so obviously wrong. If I were to guess "for real" -- you would actually be one of my very last choices.

Apologies again and I will delete the offending message.

PaganToris · 2003-04-22 19:53:11

Bill White why do u say i have a wierd personality?
do i since jelliousy here?

PaganToris · 2003-04-22 19:56:32

And man saying that u thnx im Cindy man i aint a girl in real life u can see that in my picture LOL!
and cindy feels insulted saying that u thnx im her!
I feel insulted becuseu thnx im a Girl!
U should be ashamed of yerself!
Now LEAVE ME BEE! :angry:
Good Job Cindy!

Bill White · 2003-04-22 20:01:33

ZIGIE ZOKKIE ZIGIE ZOKKIE OY OY OY

<chugs beer>ZIGIE ZOKKIE ZIGIE ZOKKIE OY OY OY</chugs beer>

BE COOL - OBVIOUSLY YOU NOT BE CINDY MAN

Palomar · 2003-04-22 21:22:36

*Okay, Bill, got your message. Matter resolved, apology accepted. I deleted my post wherein I questioned you.

--Cindy

PaganToris · 2003-04-22 21:50:26

ahhh i see you whatch the Man show Bill white
Verry intrasting show

Earthfirst · 2003-04-25 11:48:33

My favort scfi movie is 1.Star Gate, then 2.Red Planet, 3. The Matix, 4.Planet of the Apes the one with Charsleton Heston.
By the way I like the Man Show to, but its a little childest some times. I also like crankyankers created by the man show to. :laugh: Very funny stuff!!!!

Palomar · 2003-05-20 15:22:00

*Okay, has anyone else here yet seen "The Matrix: Reloaded"? Here's my opinion of it:

The special effects were stunning, magnificent, wonderful.

Keanu Reeves is (as always) a hot little studmuffin.

The story line itself? Big disappointment.

In the first movie we are under the impression that *few* humans have awakened from The Matrix and discovered the truth. In M:R we find *thousands* of inhabitants of "Zion". "Zion" is sustained by a huge system of machines, independent of The Matrix (i.e., the humans control them). You'd think such a large power supply would have been detected by The Matrix long ago and obliterated, no matter how deeply into the ground it was built.

Neo's powers are now super-human...including flying through the air like Superman. A reference to Superman is made at the beginning of the movie, when Neo flies up through the clouds, momentarily pirouettes on the tips of his shiny black boots against a full moon, then rockets back down to Earth. Um...yeah.

The female inhabitants of "Zion" either look like gypsies, leftover cast from Star Trek, or dominatrices (sans whips). Very impractical, IMO. "Zion" also has a large group of orphans and beggars in it (they woke up from the nefarious control of The Matrix only to beg in Zion?), with scores of machines all around and not a single green plant or tiny strip of garden to be found anywhere. How do all these inhabitants of "Zion" eat? Well, who cares; after Morpheus' mystical speeches to this vast crowd, they sound the gongs and start having sweaty orgies.

What's really interesting to me is the racial makeup of the cast. All the Agents and the Architect are white. Can we say "changing of the guard"? Interesting sociological stuff there.

The final straw for me was the scene wherein Persephone leads Morpheus, Neo and Trinity into the recreation room on their way to find The Key Maker. The "old programs" (who, of course, look human) are watching an old movie, which continues to play behind the main characters as the scene continues. The movie? The old "Hammer" film about Dracula, starring Peter Cushing. I think the writers of the movie were getting desperate, at that point. Ridiculous.

--Cindy

Josh Cryer · 2003-05-22 00:28:55

Heh, I saw it, too. Let me just nitpick some of your points.

In the first movie we are under the impression that *few* humans have awakened from The Matrix and discovered the truth. In M:R we find *thousands* of inhabitants of "Zion".

Yeah, and those few humans decided to procreate and make a city. Remember, the first ones were freed from the Matrix 100 years ago, with respect to the age of this Zion. So the size of the city (a few hundred thousand) is not that inconcivable, considering the orgies we see going on.

If you recall, Morpheous claimed that they'd been freeing more minds than ever before, a legitimate claim, they have Neo, they're getting better, and most importantly, the Matrix is allowing it.

Zion" is sustained by a huge system of machines, independent of The Matrix (i.e., the humans control them). You'd think such a large power supply would have been detected by The Matrix long ago and obliterated, no matter how deeply into the ground it was built.

Well, the argument is basically that Zion is too deep and basically to hard to get to for it to be worth it. Since more and more minds are being freed, the Machines are getting deseprate, and so it becomes worth it. That's how the characters see it.

But that's irrelevant, because the movie clearly makes it obvious that Zion exists as another level of control. The characters don't realize this, and it's not until the end, does Neo begin to have a sort of epiphany.

Neo's powers are now super-human...including flying through the air like Superman. [...] Um...yeah.

Neo was shown to basically be god-like at the end of the first Matrix. He could manipulate the Matrix how he saw fit. Indeed, he even flew away at the end of the first one. So this isn't really surprising.

What's more annoying to me is that he'd even consider hand to hand combat, after having gained the ablity to basically rip an agent apart from the inside out. But I guess I can overlook it since everyone has upgrades, and he's having to fight programs, etc. In the end he's not stronger than everyone.

The female inhabitants of "Zion" either look like gypsies, leftover cast from Star Trek, or dominatrices (sans whips). Very impractical, IMO.

Well, I'm having a hard time trying to understand the people of Zion, too. But all I get is basically, ?These people are trying to survive.? We don't, unfortunately, get any idea as to the psyche of the normal Zion member (save Link's wife, but that doesn't give us a big enough view). Almost everything we did see, was basically during a mating scene, which could mean anything, really.

"Zion" also has a large group of orphans and beggars in it (they woke up from the nefarious control of The Matrix only to beg in Zion?), with scores of machines all around and not a single green plant or tiny strip of garden to be found anywhere. How do all these inhabitants of "Zion" eat?

Actually, this is where I do take issue with Zion, especially since the engineering level itself seems to be completely self contained (rarely does anyone go down there, except to repair stuff, said the council guy). The people shouldn't be in a begger position (the orphans come from the fact that ?no one who has stood up to an agent has lived?- people die). And in fact, though I only saw it once, I don't think they actually were. I think we were seeing people who were basically worshipers of Neo, depicted in a light which made them, well, poor. However, on the scale of things, since humans are important (remember, everyone is getting it on with everyone), everyone is provided for. Everyone does get food, a place to live (looking at the housing structures, there was plenty of room for hunreds of thousands of people), and so on. No beggers. Maybe shitty conditions, but not utterly despotic.

BTW, remember, the first Matrix had everyone eating, basically, genetically engineered protien slop. You don't have to grow plants or any of that stuff to have protien. Not to go off on a tangent, but that's the kind of food we'd be eating on Mars, most likely.

Well, who cares; after Morpheus' mystical speeches to this vast crowd, they sound the gongs and start having sweaty orgies.

Yeah... that's what you have to have when you're a small population and you're trying to bring back the human race. True, it may be racey, and a lot of people might be turned off by it (I've read plenty of reviews to that effect), but I think it was appropriate. If the human race was wiped out by an asteroid, we'd be getting it on like rabbits, especially if we had the growth capablity. You don't want a society like that being discreet with their sexuality. Get it out in the open, and there ya go.

I read some parallels between this scene and the spice scene in Dune. In Dune, the desert people, who were basically struggling against the imperial bastards or whatever, had open sessions right then and there. Desperate situations require deseprate measures.

What's really interesting to me is the racial makeup of the cast. All the Agents and the Architect are white. Can we say "changing of the guard"? Interesting sociological stuff there.

Since The One is allowed to chose 16 females and 7 males (or however that works, I can't recall exactly) to rebuild Zion, the last One chose all black people, maybe because he himself was black. I think the various One's (Neo's) at the end, were just representations of the One. The One could be any color, any race. Or, it's also possible that the One (assuming that the One is always Neo) chose the most warrior-like people; thinking that they could prove useful in some sort of battle in the end. Remember, this iteration of Zion is one of many.

I don't know about the evil cast being all white, except that white people in western society have more authority than other minorities, and the machines think that somehow this makes them superior.

Here's my theory, which, actually, isn't all that original, after all. Zion is another part of the Matrix. And basically exists to make sure all the people who reject the Matrix have something to live for without actually getting anywhere. And plus, it allows the machines to get a better idea of the human psyche.

I think the Oracle has been trying to help Neo because she's tired of the system or whatever. Chosing Trinity over a potential human victory was the motivation Neo needed to realize that Zion was also part of the Matrix.

Palomar · 2003-05-22 05:40:20

Well, who cares; after Morpheus' mystical speeches to this vast crowd, they sound the gongs and start having sweaty orgies.
Yeah... that's what you have to have when you're a small population and you're trying to bring back the human race. True, it may be racey, and a lot of people might be turned off by it (I've read plenty of reviews to that effect), but I think it was appropriate. If the human race was wiped out by an asteroid, we'd be getting it on like rabbits, especially if we had the growth capablity. You don't want a society like that being discreet with their sexuality. Get it out in the open, and there ya go.
Here's my theory, which, actually, isn't all that original, after all. Zion is another part of the Matrix. And basically exists to make sure all the people who reject the Matrix have something to live for without actually getting anywhere. And plus, it allows the machines to get a better idea of the human psyche.
I think the Oracle has been trying to help Neo because she's tired of the system or whatever. Chosing Trinity over a potential human victory was the motivation Neo needed to realize that Zion was also part of the Matrix.

*Oh, I don't have a problem with sexual expression in movies, per se; it's simply that I thought the sexuality in the movie was displayed in a juvenile manner. For instance, Persephone's manipulation of Neo, Trinity and Morpheus: She won't lead them to The Key Maker unless Neo kisses her "like he'd kiss Trinity." What? A curvaceous, supersexy bombshell like Persephone has to BLACKMAIL guys into kissing her? She's lonely -- and deprived? Ha ha ha...give me a break. I bet Pamela Anderson has to coerce guys into kissing her as well! Puh-leeze. I figured at the very least that lipstick she applied prior to the kiss might have had some sort of poison in it. ::shakes head with exasperation::

As for breeding in Zion...well, of course the human race would have to propogate itself, but it could easily become an underground Easter Island.

I wasn't under the impression that Zion is part of the Matrix.

As for The Oracle, I feel the writers of the movie made a mistake revealing what she is. They should have retained an aura of mystery about her, because any explanation of what she is, how she came to be, how she continues to exist (and why the hell she likes candy and cookies!) can't easily be explained anyhow.

--Cindy

Josh Cryer · 2003-05-22 16:51:20

I actually agree, Persephone's desire for a ?real kiss? was unneeded, but I can see where she's coming from. She's no longer loved. Yes, even beautiful babes who some would consider ditzes, can feel love, or lack thereof. She admired the love Neo and Trinity had between one another. A love I really didn't actually notice until the elevator scene... and it was mild at that... the characters are, perhaps purposefully, somewhat bland in that respect; crews probably don't allow much fraternization for obvious reasons, which would explain why Neo and Trinity were all over each other once they were alone.

Overpopulating is obviously an issue, that's why I mentioned ?growth capablity.? I think it's made rather clear that those in Zion are ?using machines? just as much as the machines are using humans for batteries, so they have plenty of growth capablity- I don't understand why their clothes are so raddy, but perhaps lots of hygine isn't part of their culture (it's not like ardurous, western-style hygine is necessary to survive). I think Neo lacked a good retort to the council guy, though. I would have simply told him that the machines we were controlling don't have higher level thought, and so it's not exactly the same as controlling something which is arguably sentient.

I guess they chose that particular scene to show that Neo wasn't much of a philosopher though.

Or maybe this is a characteristic of The One. Perhaps that explains why, even after knowing that everything in the Matrix isn't real, The One still manages to trust those within it. (If I were Neo, I wouldn't trust anything I saw or heard within the Matrix. Nothing.)

Might I ask how you would explain Neo's destruction of the Sentinals at the very end of the movie? He basically put his hand up and stopped the damn things. ?Feels different.? Two things could've happened:

1) They didn't jack back into the real world, and Neo realized this.
2) The real world is just another part of the Matrix, and Neo finally became so in tune with the Matrix that he realized this.

I prefer the latter, because it would fit with the Architect's speech. In either case, Neo does have some sort of realization.

Persosonally, I don't really care if The Oracle is a program or not. I am just annoyed by some of her double talk, which can be quite confusing. I'm going to have to watch it again to see if what she was saying during the bench scene was even somewhat coherent.

clark · 2003-05-23 11:34:13

I'm going to have to watch it again ....

Every artists dream.

Not to mention the bank rollers. :laugh:

Palomar · 2003-05-23 11:58:23

I actually agree, Persephone's desire for a ?real kiss? was unneeded, but I can see where she's coming from. She's no longer loved. Yes, even beautiful babes who some would consider ditzes, can feel love, or lack thereof. She admired the love Neo and Trinity had between one another.

*Yes, yes...but my point being that they could have come up with a far more ingenuis motive for blackmail! It's along the same line as the blond in the upscale restaurant eating a piece of chocolate cake and having an "accident." I mean, c'mon...the writers of the story could have done better than resorting to prankish high school stuff in order to fill up celluloid time.

Uh-oh...hey, it just occurred to me, after I used it...do you suppose the smiley with the sunglasses is part of The Matrix?

--Cindy

Bill White · 2003-05-23 12:03:36

I'm going to have to watch it again ....
Every artists dream.
Not to mention the bank rollers. :laugh:

In the greatest marketing coup of all time, a single word doubled shampoo sales.

Lather;

Rinse;

Repeat.

Josh Cryer · 2003-05-23 14:38:13

clark, heh, who says I'm going to go to the theater for my next viewing? Much less rent the DVD? I saw Attack of the Clones a week before it came out in theathers... guess how.

cindy,

It's along the same line as the blond in the upscale restaurant eating a piece of chocolate cake and having an "accident."

They were showing that Persephone's husband has other indulgences...

No, I don't know, I could do without all the personal sexual stuff that seems to have very little or no plot point, so I definitely agree with you about those two scenes (the bathroom blackmail and the chocolate cake orgasm). I mean, Persephone could have simply become ?fed up? of her husband for no reason at all, they could've just left it up in the air, and I would've just shrugged it off. But as for the mass sex scene, I thought it was important. I wasn't annoyed by the similar scene in Dune, but we all know what happened there. Why didn't anyone complain about that? I don't recall anyone, at least.

Palomar · 2003-05-23 15:03:42

But as for the mass sex scene, I thought it was important. I wasn't annoyed by the similar scene in Dune, but we all know what happened there. Why didn't anyone complain about that? I don't recall anyone, at least.

*Who's complaining?

The issue with me is that we supposedly have a large number of people in Zion with not tiny, itsy-bitsy hint of agriculture in sight, yet we have masses of people getting into orgy mode.

Sorry...I'm just a practical gal.

--Cindy

Josh Cryer · 2003-05-23 16:04:31

Ahh, technology takes the place of agriculture, supposedly. The engineering level scene makes it quite clear that everything we need to exist is provided by the machines of zion. That's the beauty of the discussion Neo had with the Council guy.

Counsellor: Have you ever been to the engineering level? I love to walk there at night. It's quite amazing. Would you like to see it?

Neo: Sure.

AT ENGINEERING LEVEL, STANDING ABOVE HUNDREDS OF COMPLEX MACHINES

Counsellor: Almost no one comes down here, unless of course there's a problem. That's how it is with people, they don't care how it works as long as it works. I like it down here. I like to be reminded the city survives because of these machines. These machines are keeping us alive while other machines are coming to kill us. Interesting isn't it? The power to give life, and the power to end it.

Neo: We have the same power.

Counsellor: Ahh, I suppose we do, but down here sometimes I think about all those people plugged into the matrix, and when I look at these machines I can't help thinking that in a way we are plugged into them [nodding to the machines on the engineering level].

Neo: But we control these machines, they don't control us.

Counsellor: Of course not, how could they? The idea is pure nonsense but it does make one wonder just... ?What is control??

Neo: If we wanted we could shut these machines down...

Counsellor: That's it. You hit it. That's control, isn't it? If we wanted, we could *smash* them to bits. But once we did, we'd have to consider what would happen to our lights... our heat... our air...

Neo: So we need machines, and they need us. Is that your point, Counsellor?

Counsellor: No. No point.

New Mars Forums

Announcement

#26 2003-02-01 16:44:08

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#27 2003-02-04 20:21:22

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#28 2003-02-04 22:35:47

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#29 2003-02-05 10:31:56

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#30 2003-04-20 20:00:38

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#31 2003-04-22 07:54:03

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#32 2003-04-22 15:33:57

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#33 2003-04-22 16:00:45

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#34 2003-04-22 19:16:12

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#35 2003-04-22 19:53:11

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#36 2003-04-22 19:56:32

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#37 2003-04-22 20:01:33

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#38 2003-04-22 21:22:36

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#39 2003-04-22 21:50:26

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#40 2003-04-25 11:48:33

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#41 2003-05-20 15:22:00

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#42 2003-05-22 00:28:55

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#43 2003-05-22 05:40:20

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#44 2003-05-22 16:51:20

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#45 2003-05-23 11:34:13

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#46 2003-05-23 11:58:23

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#47 2003-05-23 12:03:36

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#48 2003-05-23 14:38:13

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#49 2003-05-23 15:03:42

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

#50 2003-05-23 16:04:31

Re: Favorite Sci-Fi Movie? - Blade Runner for me. . .

Board footer