Web Series Tied to ‘Blade Runner’ Is In the Works.
Here is some news that will make fans of the 1982 science-fiction cult film ‘Blade Runner’ shudder with either anticipation or trepidation.
Archive for the 'Sci-Fi' Category
My girlfriend’s hot, but she has a built-in cooling system.
In what is billed as a world first, a life-size robotic girlfriend complete with artificial intelligence and flesh-like synthetic skin was introduced to adoring fans at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas on Saturday.
‘Moon’ is the debut feature for writer/director Duncan Jones, who would probably like to be known in his own right rather than as the son of David Bowie. He has certainly earned his own notoriety with this stunning sci-fi – a wonderfully unique, character-driven story set on the dark side of the moon.
Sam Rockwell (Frost/Nixon, Choke) gives a lovely, understated portrayal of Sam Bell, a contractor harvesting Helium 3 to supply the world’s energy needs. Nearing the end of his three-year stint with only GERTY the computer for company (voiced perfectly by Kevin Spacey), Bell begins to question both his identity and his sanity as life on the base becomes a little less ordinary.
Rockwell again proves his versatility in this convincing performance that has us empathising both with his exhaustingly lonely situation and his existential dilemmas. It’s difficult to explain the details of Rockwell’s achievement in this film without any spoilers, so suffice to say he’s a delight to watch. And Spacey provides a great sounding board, allowing depth and interest for a minimalist cast.
As with most genres, originality is scarce in sci-fi these days. Accordingly, there are many elements of ‘Moon’ with which the sci-fi fan will be very familiar. Jones however takes these elements and, more importantly our expectations of them, shakes them up, turns them inside out and rearranges them in a way that is completely unexpected, and wonderfully effective. After watching the trailer, armed with my knowledge of sci-fi canon, I thought I knew what I was in for with ‘Moon’. I couldn’t have been further from the truth, nor more delighted by it.
Filmed in just 33 days during the writers strike, Jones has said that he was able to use top-class effects people on the crew because of the lull. Given the recent trend of did-he-film-that-on-his-mobile-phone? digital effects, it’s great to see something with solid production values, especially important when there’s not a lot going on. Yet they’re downplayed, and serve to support the story rather than overwhelm it. I can’t wait to see what Jones does next – said to be another sci-fi, but more akin to ‘Blade Runner’ – hopefully this is the start of a refreshingly original, passionate contribution to modern cinema.
‘Moon’ has just shown at the Melbourne International Film Festival, and is slated for general release in October.
Easily one of my fave Nine Inch Nails tracks from the epic ‘Fragile’ opus ‘The Day The World Went Away’ features in the amazing looking Terminator Salvation trailer. Check it out!
Veteran actor and stuntman Bob May, best known for donning The Robot’s suit in the hit 1960s TV show Lost in Space, has died at the age of 69.
May died of congestive heart failure at a hospital in Lancaster, Los Angeles, his daughter Deborah said.
He was particularly fond of his Robot role, once saying he came to consider the suit a “home away from home”.
May wore the suit for hours and learned the lines of every actor in the show so he would know when to respond to them.
June Lockhart, who played family matriarch Maureen Robinson in the show, recalled how May had landed the job.
“It was one of those wonderful Hollywood stories. He just happened to be on the studio lot when someone saw him and sent him to see [producer] Irwin Allen about the part.
“Allen said ‘If you can fit in the suit, you’ve got the job’.”
Lost in Space was a space-age story about the Robinson family who were on a space mission when they became trapped in space.
The Robot was the Robinson family’s loyal sidekick, warning them of approaching disaster at every turn, although May did not provide the voice to the character.
May went on to appear in numerous films with Jerry Lewis and in such TV shows as The Time Tunnel, McHale’s Navy and The Red Skelton Show.
He and his wife lost their house in November when a wildfire destroyed their mobile home park in the San Fernando Valley.
