When Stephen King published his novel The Running Man under the name Richard Bachman in 1982, the book must’ve been seen like a piece of cynical dystopian fiction. Instead, like Jules Verne with the submarine and space shuttles, it turned… Read More ›
science fiction
Sci-fi satirical dark comedy “The Saviors” posits an inevitable destiny for all via humanity’s rush to cast heroes and villains. [SXSW]
Trigger Warning: The opening sequence features flashing lights and quick-cut imagery that may be triggering for photosensitive individuals. “DESTINY! DESTINY! NO ESCAPING THAT FOR ME!” – Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) in Young Frankenstein. In storytelling, there are two pretty… Read More ›
Gore Verbinski’s “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” arrives on physical formats which means it’s game on at home.
Photosensitivity Warning: The climax of the film includes an extended sequence of flashing that may prove triggering for photosensitive individuals. Take precautions. Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead … only try to realize the… Read More ›
“Resurrection” is the can’t-miss Criterion of the year.
“The day the world almost ended at 8 p.m., a tree fell down. No one heard it, but later I saw it.” – Andrew J. Eisenman No one knows what to do with the film spoken of as “Bi Gan’s… Read More ›
Screenlife real-time techno thriller throws everything at you except what it needs: “Mercy.”
The insertion of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in storytelling used to be entirely science fiction in the same way that submersible technology (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea) or watch phones (Dick Tracy) were. Now, however, A.I. is being worked into… Read More ›
The Home for Anime Podcast: Talking “Cosmic Princess Kaguya!”
As a writer, my comfort zone is putting my thoughts on paper and hitting publish, but there’s truly nothing like having a conversation with a fellow film nerd. In this case, joining fellow NCFCA member Cameron Allison on his The… Read More ›
“Affection” keeps audiences off kilter and guessing during its entire runtime in the best way. [The Overlook Film Festival]
No one knows the name BT Meza, but after his feature debut, which he wrote and directed, everyone is going to have some Affection for him. The film is an unsettling nightmare that no one ever wants to experience. Whenever… Read More ›
Head back to 1987 with Paul Michael Glaser’s “The Running Man” on Blu-ray.
Most folks know a dystopia when they see one. It’s not all Escape from New York (1991), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), or The Hunger Games (2012); sometimes it looks exactly like your regular life does just with more distinct… Read More ›
Caleb Phillips’s sci-fi thriller “Imposters” demonstrates the cost of living an inauthentic life. [SXSW]
“Victims; aren’t we all?” – Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) in The Crow (1990) The beauty and horror of life is that there’re many different ways to look at a situation. Because of this, whether it’s a massive life event or… Read More ›
“DRAGN” Digital Code Giveaway
Since the age of machines, horror stories have found various ways to incorporate them into our nightmares. Did the toaster become sentient? Is our relaxing trip to the local galleria about to turn into a chopping mall? Is that Furby… Read More ›
“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” 4K UHD Giveaway
Last month, Cult Epics released another restoration from Japanese filmmaker Nobuhiko Ôbayashi’s catalogue of titles, the sci-fi romance The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Courtesy of Cult Epics, we reviewed the standard edition of their new 4K UHD restoration and, now,… Read More ›
The Criterion Collections brings the nuclear fallout of “Testament” back to life in a stunning restoration.
Originally made for television, Lynne Littman’s 1983 film Testament takes a human, grounded approach to the sensationalized topic of nuclear devastation. Based on the short story “The Last Testament” by Carol Amen, Testament is as prevalent today (given recent world… Read More ›
The 1973 film “Westworld” gets a 4K home release by Arrow that does not wrong.
If you fell in love with the 2016 tv show Westworld and never saw the original movie that the show is based on, you’re definitely in for a wild wild west journey. Westworld (1973) is a mixed bag that mostly… Read More ›
Sci-fi action comedy “Operation Taco Gary’s” is a frustrating mission: unaccomplished.
Operation Taco Gary’s has all the ingredients of a modern cult comedy on paper: an absurd premise, a self-aware tone, and a cast filled with performers who understand how to toe the line between satire and sincerity. With Simon Rex… Read More ›
Nobuhiko Ôbayashi’s 1983 sci-fi romance adaptation “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” receives a first-time North American release via Cult Epics.
By the time of his passing in 2020, filmmaker Nobuhiko Ôbayashi had directed nearly 80 films, features and shorts, with his most recent, Labyrinth of Cinema, released in 2019. It would be his feature debut, House (1977), that would make… Read More ›
Filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg’s third “Predator” adventure, “Badlands,” lands on home video packed with in-depth bonus materials.
Writer/director Dan Trachtenberg’s feature film debut, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), not only helped reenergize the Cloverfield franchise, it established the filmmaker as one to watch. He’s since been handed the reigns to three different Predator-related projects and each one, unique… Read More ›
Open Dialogue with “Arco” director/co-writer Ugo Bienvenu.
In this episode of Meet Me at the Movies, Thomas Manning is joined by Ugo Bienvenu, the writer, director, and producer behind the Oscar-nominated animated film Arco. Bienvenu opens up about the years-long creative journey behind this deeply personal project… Read More ›
Filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s “Scarlet” riffs on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in a time-bending animated adventure that challenges the validity of revenge.
Photosensitivity Warning: Several scenes in Scarlet may prove triggering for photosensitive viewers through the use of stylized lightning. It occurs a handful of times in the film and can often be predicted, enabling a viewer to shield oneself, but it’s… Read More ›
Jonny Campbell’s sci-fi comedic thriller “Cold Storage” is a hilarious midnight creature feature for any time of day.
Photosensitivity Warning: The film takes place primarily in a storage facility which uses sensors to turn on lights, resulting in several moments of unexpected light activation that may prove triggering for photosensitive viewers. Stop me if you’ve heard this one:… Read More ›
A Conversation with “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” director Gore Verbinski.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Gore Verbinski joins EoM Senior Interviewer Thomas Manning for a discussion on Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. This is Verbinski’s first film as director since 2016, and his signature kinetic energy is back and better than ever…. Read More ›