# Science Fiction



## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Anyone see The Thing with Kirk Russel, which was essentially a remake of the old black and white film where James Arness played the monster.

Carpenter's remake has to be the best Sci Fi horror film ever made. The special effects were fantastic

WHY didn't they make a sequel to it, as the ending left matters somewhat unfinished.

Bloody fantastic film!!!


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## odklizec (May 19, 2004)

Yes..it was great (and still one of the best) sci-fi movie. But I'm afraid the sequel would never have the same atmosphere of the original movie. You know..ALIEN was also a great movie, but starting from "Aliens" the quality of each new sequel was less than previous. The same for Matrix..MatrixI was great, but personally, I was disappointed with II and III...yes..great FX..great actions..but where did go the original idea? And next example...Terminator! TI was great..TII OK..better effects and actions, bigger explosions..but the movie??..and the last TerminatorIII???














Personally, I don't like the sequels


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm not sure I'd rate Carpenter's "Thing" as the _best_ Sci-Fi Horror film ever made (for me it would probably be "Alien" or maybe even "Event Horizon"), but it's one of my favourites nonetheless. The special effects were breathtaking for the time and still look awesome today.

I love the tag line: "Man is the warmest place to hide"

I've been intending to read the short story for years; can't remember who wrote it off the top of my head, but it's called "Who Goes There?".


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Terminator 3 and Matrix 2 were both pants I thought..

Jason


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

odklizec said:


> Yes..it was great (and still one of the best) sci-fi movie. But I'm afraid the sequel would never have the same atmosphere of the original movie. You know..ALIEN was also a great movie, but starting from "Aliens" the quality of each new sequel was less than previous. The same for Matrix..MatrixI was great, but personally, I was disappointed with II and III...yes..great FX..great actions..but where did go the original idea? And next example...Terminator! TI was great..TII OK..better effects and actions, bigger explosions..but the movie??..and the last TerminatorIII???
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Alein 3 was rather good though, with a return to a single alien, and a clammy setting in the prison colony. Using Brian Glover as the prison governor was an utter joy!!!

Not all sequels have been bad though...............French Connection 11 was at least as good as the first, and Carpenters The Thing was much better than the original black and white.

By far the worst sequel I EVER saw though was the second Dirty Dozen. It was the utter pits, and the same with the Magnificent Seven!!!!!!!!!


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Just found the complete text of "Who Goes There?" by John W . Campbell online for anyone who fancies a read


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Best Sci Fi flick for me has to be Alien - it absolutely terrrified me when I saw it at the cinema - I think the sequels have been consistently good too, helped hugely by the performances of Sigourney Weaver (she was superb in the last one). I think the first Alien film was also based on a 50's film about an alien picking off members of a spaceship crew. The Thing was pretty good too, the best bit being when the head sprouted legs and scuttled off
 






!

I tend to agree about most other sequels though - neither of the Matrix sequels were as good as the first (though I stiill enjoyed them both very much). The first Terminator was a tight, lean film without any excesses (no doubt due to the fact that the budget was about 50p!) - just a straight nail biting chase from start to finish, but both sequels (especially the latest one) were nothing but huge overblown messes (2nd one was cool though)? How can John Connor have changed from being such a streetwise, confident teenager in the 2nd film, into such a complete wet, indecisive drifter in the 3rd one??

Other science fiction films which I've enjoyed have been Minority Report and Pitch Black. In fact this last one is a classic with a great "anti-hero", there's a sequel (called The Chronicles Of Riddick) out soon and that looks bazzing









I seem to have rambled on a bit ................. sorry


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

2001: A Space Odyssey

"Open the pod bay doors, HAL."

I was never the same person again


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

pauluspaolo said:



> I think the first Alien film was also based on a 50's film about an alien picking off members of a spaceship crew.


Yes, I think it was called "It..the Terror from Beyond Space" or something like that.

Anyone see "Dark Star"? Directed by John Carpenter and co-written by/starring Dan O'Bannon (of Alien fame) . It's a Sci-fi comedy with exactly the same plot but revolving around a bunch of spacemen blowing up planets. They have a web-footed alien on board that looks like a beach ball and Bomb No. 20 that has a mind of its own and is determined to detonate in the bomb bay!

"Let there be light"


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## Paul (Mar 2, 2003)

Hi all,

These two do it for me,

Brazil:-

"This is your receipt for your husband ... and this is my receipt for your receipt"

Bladerunner:-

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die"

Paul D


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Clatu barada nicto.









I think that's how you spell it.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I liked 'Brazil' a lot. About the unhappy sequels check 'Highlander'.









Has anyone seen 'Riddik 2'? I want to go but 710 doesn't so I'll go alone but wanted to know if is any good.

One my favorite lines is from 'Shrek 1' (not a SF movie), when Donkey said:

'I have a dragon and I'm not afraid to use it'!


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Oh good grief!!! How could I have forgotten about Bladerunner it's a classic!!!!!!!!!! 2001 is another classic that I forgotten about - but do you understand what happens in it? Didn't know the new Riddick film was out yet but if it is then it's a must see







It's about time Darkstar was shown again on tv - I've only seen it once and it was great. That's the one where the astronaut "surfs" at the end isn't it? Must be the cheapest "alien" ever used in a film


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Stan said:



> Clatu barada nicto.
> 
> I think that's how you spell it.


Well, Michael Rennie's character was "Klaatu", but hopefully "Gort" wont take offence and destroy the Earth









- The Day the Earth Stood Still -

paulusaolo said:



> Oh good grief!!! How could I have forgotten about Bladerunner it's a classic!!!!!!!!!!


I'd forgotten too! Shameful! Another Ridley Scott classic. I actually preferred the cinema release with Harrison Ford's narrative voice-over than the "Director's Cut" version.

Deckard: "You're reading a magazine and you come across a full nude page photo of a girl"

Rachel: "Is this testing whether I'm a Replicant or a lesbian Mr. Deckard"

Deckard: "Um, well, now you come to mention it..."

OK, I so I made up the last bit


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Rachel was cool and 'Bladerunner' is a good movie but too far from Philip K. Dick book. I like when she talks about the baby spiders.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Philip K. Dick is a cocaine addict, if you didn't know.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Short biography Philip K Dick


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I never did manage to read the book (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep). I always got two or three pages in and had to put it down. Never could get into it







I've still got it somewhere and might give it another go.

How about "Andromeda Strain". Great book (Michael Crichton) and brilliant film (Robert Wise - who also did "Day the Earth Stood Still", Stan referred to above)


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

rhaythorne said:


> How about "Andromeda Strain". Great book (Michael Crichton) and brilliant film (Robert Wise - who also did "Day the Earth Stood Still", Stan referred to above)


 Haven't seen the movie/read the book.

I also like Serge Brussolo, it's a French writer and I'm a very big fan of him. I read most of his books but I don't think he was translated int English.







He is very good, if you like unusual SF (horror-like). Unique stile.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

"Woooshhh"

That's the sound of Serge Brussolo zooming over the top of my head. Not heard of him. Sorry









A few more from my top ten might be:

- Westworld (directed by Michael Crichton; not sure who wrote it)

- Forbidden Planet (always did kind of fancy Anne Francis in that short skirt)

- Altered States (typical excess from Ken Russell, but a cool movie)


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Sorry, never seen them









Brussolo is really good, if you come across 'Le carnaval de fer' or 'Territoire de fievre' do not hesitate, I liked them a lot.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Always keen to follow up on a recommendation







I shall have a look around for Serge Brussolo.

"Westworld" is set in the near future. It's about an ultimate theme park populated by robots that run amok and start killing all the tourists. Stars Yul Brynner almost reprising his role as Chris in "The Magnificent Seven".

- "Your move..."

"Forbidden Planet" is Shakespeare's "Tempest" set on another planet inhabited by a lone scientist (Walter Pidgeon), his daughter (Anne Francis), and Robbie the Robot. Everyone else has been killed by a mysterious force, including the original highly advanced civilization known as the Krell.

- "Would twenty gallons be sufficient"

"Altered States" is about a scientist who takes mind-altering drugs given to him by South American Indians and combines them with sleep deprivation techniques to the point where he physically regresses into an ape-like prehistoric man. Sounds stupid, and it is, but it makes for a fun film









- "Ug"


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I will try to see if I can find the movies but if they are too old the chances are minimal. I got my first TV just last year so I'm a little behind with movies. I always liked SF, it's my favorite. Also about books, I also liked the sequels for Dune written by Frank Herbert son. They are 5 books so far. Not exactly as the original but good enough.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

"Dune"







Another of my favourites. I did manage to read the orginal book for that one. The movie was slated but I loved it. Magnificent cast!

- "...the Spice must flow!"

Can't remember the exact years but "Westworld" was early/mid 1970's. "Forbidden Planet" was mid-1950's and "Altered States" early 1980's I would guess.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I have all 'Dunes'. There are 8 novels by Frank Herbert and 5 by his son. Great books but I hated both movies. I also have all the 'Foundation' novels by Asimov.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Adrian,

Now you are talking mate.
















I read the Foundation trilogy many years ago. I still haven't read anything as "clever" as this.

Babylon 5 came very close, it was a TV series though. I would love to read the books in Joe's head.









Asimov was a genious, he wrote stories from the end backwards.









Respect to Isaac Asimov and JMS too.









Harry Seldon where are you now, when we need you?


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Well, Stan, you might be surprised that they've made "I, Robot" into a movie, out soon I believe. Strangely enough, though I never read this book, I knew what it was seconds into the preview. I think I heard asnippet of dialog about "the Laws".

I'll never understand how the Foundation Trilogy never got made. Unfortunately, I don't think it could these days - not enough action to do well at the box office. It would have been tremendous as a 50's B&W epic. And I wish they'd made "The Forever War" in lieu of "Starship Troopers". The counterpoint to my wish is that ST was OTT, jingoistic and xenophobic enough to serve as it's own litoty, rather than making a purely sarcastic movie as the Forever War (Joe Haldeman) would have had to be.

Blade Runner is top ten all time movies, SF or otherwise! The book does more with the sub-plot of Deckard as a Replicant, but it's not nearly as dark - more depressing than dark, I'd say. "Chu, if you could only see what I've seen with your eyes..." Rutger Hauer had all the good lines in that movie. I named my Siberian "Leon" after the strong but dull-witted Replicant played by Bryon James in that movie ("Q: What's a tortoise? A: You what a turtle is, Leon? Q:Yeah. A:Same thing. Q: Oh."). Fit him perfectly.

"The Thing" is a favorite too. Read the short story first, then saw the movie years later. The extreme paranoia of the story was perfectly recreated by the movie - very well done. I saw an interview with the FX supervisor - said he got his ideas from his dreams







- valium please!

"Alien", "2001" (I used to have that Windows 'sudden stop' sound replaced with "I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that" on my laptop), "Brazil" (Robert Deniro as a rogue AC repairman!), "Altered States", "Highlander", and "Pitch Black" are all good calls. I'd add "Planet of the Apes", "The Time Machine", "20,000 Leagues" and "Clockwork Orange" as favs too. Emotional favorites, though lacking in some classic 'good movie' values are "Wrath of Khan" and Episodes IV-VI.

Any Buckaroo Banzai fans? A star studded, camp SF comedy from the 80's. Had more stars-to-be than any movie I've ever seen. Effing hilarious and eminently quotable!


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Forgot a few other SF cult classic favs: "Wizards" (animated SF fantasy feature by Ralph Bakshi), "1984" (great adaptation of a classic story), and "Videodrome" (worthwhile just to see Debby Harry's breast!).


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

I don't go bonkers for sci-fi. I find this world and the present weird enough.

Only books I've read are by Iain Banks and I got into them through reading his "straight" books.

Dune directed by David Lynch. I'll watch anything by Lynch and I think he'd have made a better fist of this if he'd had the money provided. Twin Peaks was brilliant and other television is still catching up.

Altered States directed by Ken. Yes he does go too far but I love him. I took a group of friends to see it. One of them had to go and see her priest for spiritual counselling the next day- poor lass.

2001 - Such a slow film but spellbinding. Good with LSD I hear.

Brazil - Frank Tuttle heating engineer. A film with more to say about the present than the future IMO.


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Oh I forgot "Dark Star" Dir. by John Carpenter. I nearly pissed myself laughing the first time I saw that







. The beach ball with feet creature and the philosophising bomb.

I also liked "Silent Running" for the cute robots Huey and Dewey







.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

I'm a huge sci fi movie fan. The Chronicals of Riddick was pretty to look at but full of holes and very disappointing. Whoever made the fourth Aliens movie should have been shot. Dune is one of my favorite movies though full of holes and impossible to follow unless you've read the books. Just hope these terrorists don't see themselves as fremen and stop the flow of spice (oil). The Thing was utterly fantastic.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Sargon said:


> Whoever made the fourth Aliens movie should have been shot.


Unfortunatelly it was Luc Besson, I like this guy a lot but Alien 4 was the worst of the series. The first film was fantastic, the following went from bad to worse.

Thx for 'The Chronicles', I think I will still go but not sure. I like this kind of movies and I've seen 'Van Halen', 'Hellboy', 'LXG' and the likes. I'm not 16 anymore but it was fun. Of course at the end you say: 'C'mon, grow up!' but can't help it. I will see Spiderman 2 too.























Another book series I liked was 'Mars' (Red/Green/Blue) by Kim S. Robinson. An interesting view about a corrupt Terran society dominated by multinational corporations. At least a worth read, IMO.

About 'Foundation' novels, they are seven: 'Foundation', 'Foundation and Empire', 'Second Foundation ', 'Foundation's Edge', 'Foundation and Earth', 'Prelude to Foundation' and 'Forward the Foundation'.







Asimov was a very prolific writer. He wrote not only SF (Short stories/Novels/Mystery/Fantasy) but also Mathematics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. His work contains more than 400 books (close to 470).


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

The 'Pandora' series by Frank Herbert (4 books).









Hey, guys I'm glad I found you. Most of the novels I read were SF







. Too bad there are no Serge Brussolo fans among you.


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## ericp (Feb 23, 2003)

I always thought 2001 captured the essence of space flight.... The pace is just right...

The scenes where you can hear bowman labouring to breathe in his space suit...Very authentic...The vastness of space is beautifully conveyed, a masterpiece.

In complete contrast is Aliens...A cracking film.

Solaris is also good, well worth watching if you have never seen it (both the original and the remake)

As far as Sci-Fi books go, I really like Doc Smith, Asimov and Capt. W. E. Johns (not biggles in space, but it is worth a read)


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## gravedodger (Feb 15, 2004)

If I was only allowed to choose one sci-fi film it would have to be "The Forbidden Planet" an oldie but an absolute classic.

The special effects were spectacular for it's time but the story was just excellent ... true sci-fi go to another planet stuff .... click to jog your memory


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Another movie after a Philip K. Dick novel is 'The Impostor'. Great book, great movie. Not many special effects but the course of action will let you flat out. It's a relativelly new movie, I rented the DVD at the shop near me. Didn't know anything about it but when I saw it's after a P.K.D. novel I gave a go and liked it. It's worth a rental.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

raketakat said:



> I'll watch anything by Lynch


I was hunting through my video collection last night (looking for Altered States, which I found and watched again







) and turned up a copy of Eraserhead. Not sure it really qualifies as Sci-Fi but I recall it was a pretty disturbing film from the last time I saw it. Might get a chance to watch it again this weekend.


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## gravedodger (Feb 15, 2004)

Erasorhead totally freaked me out .... I saw it when it was first released so I was only about 13 or 14 ....




























..... weird weird weird stuff


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

gravedodger said:


> Erasorhead totally freaked me out .... I saw it when it was first released so I was only about 13 or 14 ....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Erazerhead deals with our (men's) innermost fears







. It can be a difficult film to watch. I find it hilarious but uncomfortable







.

Blue Velvet is disturbing for many people. My wife wanted it out of the house when she first saw it but she has grown to love it







.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Adrian - I thought I was the only one who read the Mars series my Robinson. I'll tell you I really liked it, but somehow grew bored as it went along. I think I started Blue, but never finished it.

The best sci fi book series going now is the series of books written by Alastair Reynolds starting with the book Revelation Space.


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## Ron Jr (Sep 10, 2003)

A group of friends and I went to see Eraserhead at a midnight show (it had to be over 15 years ago) at a high brow art cinema. Well my one friend Jim could not contain the laugh that erupted from his mouth at the first shot of the main charecter. The film buffs in the theater kept turning of SSSSSHHHHHHING him, and he just laughed and laughed harder. There are to many great Science Fiction films out there I couldn't even begin to pick a single favorite.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

'Star Wars' was also good (I mean the trilogy). Maybe they should use the same technology in the new movies, too much digital these days.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

raketakat said:


> Oh I forgot "Dark Star" Dir. by John Carpenter. I nearly pissed myself laughing the first time I saw that
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Dark Star was superb.

Carpenter seems to be able to bring massive amounts of atmosphere, and disturbingly real visions into his films..................brilliant stuff!!!


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## chrisb (Feb 26, 2003)

I'm still waiting for the movie versions of "Ringworld" and "Riverworld"(to your scattered bodies go)


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Dunno about Ringworld, but coincidentally I was going to raise the subject of Hideo Nakata's "Ring" movie and it's various sequels and alternative versions. I guess it might be considered more horror/sci-fi than sci-fi/horror if you see what I mean.

This is the story where the basic premise revolves around people dying mysteriously (and horribly) precisely one week after watching a videotape cursed by a ghoulish well-dwelling character called Sadako. It was recently remade (and ruined as usual) by Hollywood









I've got all five movies (excluding the hollywood remake) on DVD. I've watched the basic trilogy. The original "Ring" gave me the creeps, the sequel "Ring 2" had a couple of creepy moments but was a bit disappointing. The third film "Ring 0" was excellent but a bit of a tear-jerker in places. I've yet to watch "Rasen" (Spiral) which was the alternative sequel to the original movie and "Ring Virus" which I think was an alternative Japanese/Korean co-production of the original movie.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Or are there tumbleweeds blowing across the forum at this point


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## AlexR (May 11, 2003)

I have seen the first,and it is much better than the Hollywood re-make.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Ringworld would be awesome Chris, but it would have to be mostly CGI I'm afraid. Two others that would make great films would be Startide Rising and it later books and The Many Colored Land and the Gloden Torque. Anyone read these books?


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## chrisb (Feb 26, 2003)

Startide Rising rings a faint bell in my memory...author ....Brin?


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## Ron Jr (Sep 10, 2003)

chrisb said:


> Startide Rising rings a faint bell in my memory...author ....Brin?


Yes David Brin wrote that. It would be a great movie. I saw part of a series based upon Riverworld on the Sci-Fi channel here in the US, it was pretty bad so I switched it off. I hope someone does Ringworld the scale of the ring alone would make it.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I've seen "The Ring" (probably the last Hollywood remake) and think is pretty good. Didn't see the original so I can't compare.

Sargon: I just bought Absolution Gap by Alastair Reynolds, I donâ€™t know if itâ€™s a part of a series but Iâ€™ll let you know my impressions after reading it. Thanks for suggestion.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Adrian - DON'T READ IT! That's the last book! The books do I believe stand on their own, but would probably be more satisfying starting with the first. That just came out so I'll buy it when I'm done with what I'm reading now. Can't wait.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Yes Chris Startide Rising and the rest of the Uplift novels are by David Brin. Wonderfully written and fairly plausable as things go.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Can anyone remember the name of the film that starred the Americanised Scot Roddy Piper(boy, can he fight!), where he puts on a special pair of sunglasses that enable him to see we've been infiltrated by aliens disguised amongst us. Without the glasses people can't tell who's an alien, and that newspapers and adverts/TV have hidden messages to kind of hypnotise the public at large.

It was both weird, but fascinatingly different, with some great fight scenes that Piper seems to revel in. Someone told me he is an ex wrestler. Very good film, with a twisty type ending!


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## AlexR (May 11, 2003)

They Live.

A John Carpenter film.A great movie


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## AlexR (May 11, 2003)

They Live webpage


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Carpenter..........again!!!







...........just shows you then........a great Sci Fi movie maker!!!!!


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## AlexR (May 11, 2003)

I like all his films.

Christine was a good one,and Escape from New York and its follow up were great


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Yeah..............Russel was great as Snake Pliskin.............a sort of piss take on Eastwoods character


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

... and as Jack Burton (Big Trouble in Little China), a sort of piss take of Snake Plissken


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## AlexR (May 11, 2003)

Big trouble in little China,is great


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

rhaythorne said:


> ... and as Jack Burton (Big Trouble in Little China), a sort of piss take of Snake Plissken


Yes! I was going to mention "BTiLC", but I've never been certain of what genre it fits into. IMHO it's in a class by itself, kind of like Buckaroo Banzai (screenwriter for both was W.D. Richter).

Never felt like Escape From NY hit it's stride - it seemed to just miss all the things it needed to hit in order to be either a solid post-apocalypse SF movie or a send up of one (e.g. Omega Man). It could have been a spaghetti western or blaxploitation piss-take also, but again I feel as if Carpenter missed some opportunities (although he did have plenty of Adrienne Barbeau on display - for that alone he should be applauded).

BTiLC on the other hand, was nearly perfect in every scene and the casting (when will there finally be an award for casting







) was superb.

"... and if we're not back by dawn... call the President!"


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I L-O-V-E-D the "BTiLC"









Thank you Sargon, I only leafed the book and read the first 2 pages







. I will try to get the others in proper order. A.R. wrote the following (in chronological order): 'Chasm City', 'Revelation Sapce', 'Redemption Ark' and 'Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days'. Are they all from the same cycle?


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Word up!

JMS has "The memory of Shadows" in the pipeline.









Bet it gets screwed like his last works.









Now I know why Joe likes the Brits so much, we held on to his dream so well.









JMS, continue the novel.









Why haven't the Americans been so bold in the recent past? Desilu gave the world "Startrek".







And "Mission Impossible".









Money, just money.









JMS is a solid bloke IMHO.









We need people like him to enrich our imagination,


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Revalation Space is the first followed by Chasm City, Redemption Ark, and now Absolution Gap is the final chapter. If you like Sci fi, and haven't read William Gibson he is a must. They are also best in chronological order starting with Count Zero I believe.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Thank you, I'll look for William Gibson too.







To be honest I don't like the idea of a sequel or followup after a good book and I like to read something which has a begining and an end and not waiting 1 year to see what the author has done whith his characters. Besides, you have to buy on and on... even it is bad you still buy it because you're curious what is going on after.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

I agree. Both of these "series" however are actually complete novels. The same charicters are not followed throughout, but may make appearances, situations devlope and evolve between books.


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

The Fifth Element on now on ITV in London

Mila Jovovich


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Yes it is.







I missed that listing. Is there a dick head smilie?


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

It's not yet on the screens but it turns me on...


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

JoT said:


> The Fifth Element on now on ITV in London
> 
> Mila Jovovich


 How the hell did she get those knickers on when she was strapped down







.

"Activate the restraint AND modesty straps!!"














.

Most disappointing














.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Perhaps you're thinking a little too deeply on this....?


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Sargon said:


> Perhaps you're thinking a little too deeply on this....?


 Contrary to popular belief, I do think deeply about some issues














.


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## Andy Mac (Jun 11, 2003)

I saw Dark City last night.

It was made in 1998 and the Matrix pinched the whole story from this.

It even has the phone boxes and roof jumping sequences.

They are even all dressed in long black coats.

Check it out here Dark City IMDB

I downloaded it from a bittorrent link as a full 4.3GB DVD, recording quality was excellent.

If you have never seen or heard of this film and liked the Matrix, you MUST check this out.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

And a more interesting and better film


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm listening to "Earthsearch" at the moment. It was a BBC Radio play by James Follett first broadcast in 1981 and repeated last year. I heard it first time round and a friend gave me a recording. Gripping stuff









It concerns three generations of astronauts aboard a spacecraft on a hundred or so year long mission searching for planets that may be suitable for colonization by Earth. Unfortunately, a meteor hits the ship and everyone is killed except for the third generation of the ships' inhabitants, who are all still infants.

The ships' two "Guardian Angel" computers, Angel 1 and Angel 2, raise the youngsters until they are old enough to pilot the ship so that they can return to Earth. But the computers' desire to return to Earth may be more sinister than the four young astronauts realise, and perhaps the meteor strike was no accident after all...

...DA DA DA DAAAAA (cue dramatic music







)

Quite a good Earthsearch site HERE with a synopsis of each episode.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

For those in the UK, "The Thing from Another World" (the original version of Carpenter's "Thing") is on BBC2 tonight at 12:30. Keep watching the skies!


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I just finished 'Absolution Gap'. I know it is the last of a series but couldn't help not to read it.







I'll look for the rest of them.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

I'd like to wait for it to come out in paperback, but I know I'll never be able to wait. Did you like it? Enough to read the others? Do the Shrouders come out of retirement and help repel the Inhibitors?


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

It's a good book and I enjoyed it. Even it has many references to past events, it is a self standing novel. It is well written and made me curious enough to start looking for the others. Thank you for recommending it.
















About the Shrouders and the Inhibitors, a sort of, I don't want to ruin your reading.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I just ended 'Roma Eterna' by Robert Silverberg. I liked it: what will happen if Roman Empire never fell? Somehow same speculative reading with Norman Spinrad 'The Iron Dream' in which Hitler never achieves power so he becomes an obscure SF writer.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Another book read. It seems I can read only SF novels









The 'Prince of Nothing' series by Scott Bakker. So far only 2 novels were published: 'The Darkness That Comes Before' and 'The Warrior Prophet'. I read them both. Scott is a young Canadian writer but these two novels are impressive. He likes to play with words and it was intersting to follow the several threads our heroes are caught within. Most likely at least one sequel but I liked the way he tells the story. The style is heroic fantasy and this is my first book of this genre (after 'The Rings') I have read. I hope you will enjoy it as I did.

PS: Still no Serge Brussolo fans here?


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Just ended reading 'The Battle of Corrin' by Brian Herbert from the new Dune series. The action takes place before the events from classic Dune happened. So far the new series have 6 books but they were not published in the chronological order of the thread. If you are a Dune fan it is a must read, even if it doesn't have the same charm as the original story. If you follow the events in time this sequels should be read like this:

The Butlerian Jihad

The Machine Crusade

The Battle of Corrin

House Harkonnen

House Atreides

House Corrino

I'm also going today at the premiere of "The Sky Captain" featuring miss Angelina Jolie. I'm sure it will be enjoyable.


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## namaste (May 8, 2003)

What's this Sky captain thing ? I guess it won't be out for anothe month in the uK? Looks like Thunderbirds meets Metropolis meets Tomb Raider meets 1984?

(Sorry, never heard of Serge Brussolo, and Dune is probably the only movie I got too bored watching to sit out)


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## joolz (Jan 9, 2004)

Is Sky Captain the new Computer generated movie with Jude Law?


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I hated the several "Dune" movies and I just read this today



> Never judge a book by its movie. - J. W. Eagan


The Sky Captain was supposed to be released in February but due to expensive special effects it was delayed for many months. After I will see the movie I'll let you know if I liked it or not. I don't care who Jude Law is but as long as A.J. is there, then it's enough for me. Not a big fan of Tomb Raider but she is a good actress, you should see "Gia" and I'm sure you'll like it.


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Adrian,

Don't know if you were a fan of "Farscape", but I just saw an advert last pm that it's coming back to the SciFi channel next month. It sounds as if it will be a limited series, oxymoronically subtitled "The Peacekeeper Wars"


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Sky Captatin does look interesting. Someone gave me the first three dune books (the prequils) and they were interesting enough I guess. The writing was horrible, but the stories were interesting. I've got the Butlerian Jihad but have not read it yet. Like I said I couldn't wait for Absolution Gap to come out in paper back and have read it. It was good, but not as good as the others. I kind of hated the ending. If you haven't read anything by William Gibson yet everything he's written is a must read.


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## Ron Jr (Sep 10, 2003)

Saw Sky Captain yesterday with my Daughter (played hokie from work). Not a bad movie. It takes place in an alternate late 1930's and is very stylised.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

I saw SkyCaptain but after the movie had to go to work and I have overslept the whole Saturday. It is a very slick movie with a lot of special effects but I was a bit disappointed because I expected a longer part for Angelina Jolie instead of seeing Jude Law posing.







It had a lot of action and if you like SF movies with nice special effects then is worth seeing. The manner they did it is unique in our modern times and has a lot borrowed from 'Metropolis', even the way the actors move is made to look 30's.


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

Nalu said:


> Adrian,
> 
> Don't know if you were a fan of "Farscape", but I just saw an advert last pm that it's coming back to the SciFi channel next month. It sounds as if it will be a limited series, oxymoronically subtitled "The Peacekeeper Wars"


 I don't like much TV and don't have cable/satellite, but I have seen some "Farscape" episodes. "The Peacekeeper Wars" looks like a nice idea, I only hope it will reach the intended auditorium.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I've been on-call all weekend. Couldn't go anywhere and yet haven't had much to do, so I've watched the original Star Wars trilogy back-to-back









Star Wars

The Empire Strikes Back

Return of the Jedi

All good fun









I've not seen any of the new films though. Any good? Or do they pale next to the original three?


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Well you might say that. They are like an entirely different species all together. Most enjoy the originals best however. They are set to be released to DVD for the first time on Tuesday here. Can't wait.


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## chrisb (Feb 26, 2003)

For those in the UK, "Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy" is starting (again) on Radio 4 Tonight at 6.30 pm


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