sci fi

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IFC Films Acquires Austrian Sci-Fi Disaster Thriller, RUBIKON

While I do not like real-life disasters (I have had enough of those), I do love a good science fiction disaster film. IFC Midnight has recently announced that they have acquired the North American rights to Rubikon. The film is directed by Magdalena Lauritsch and has been shown in other countries, but now it can be distributed in North America. So what’s the film about? Disaster strikes on earth. In RUBIKON, the crew of a space station, Hannah (Julia Franz Richter), Gavin (George Blagden) and Dimitri (Mark Ivanir) must decide whether they risk their lives to get back home during a global catastrophe and search for survivors or stay safe in the sophisticated station’s algae symbiosis system, which makes them fully self-reliant. RUBIKON questions whether we have the right to seal ourselves off in safety and ignorance from the ongoing problems of the world, as three people with three very […]

THE LONG WALK: Creepy Kids, Ghosts, and Time Travel in the Official Trailer

Christina Ortega

Now, you know me and you know I love my scary movies and I know I say I’m excited to see a lot of films, but this is so true for The Long Walk, which is Lao-based director Mattie Do’s third feature film. Why? Let’s watch the trailer together and I’ll break it down for you: Okay, so right off the bat I know this film has a chance of actually scaring me (have I mentioned I’ve only ever been scared of like two films?). Horror films do not normally scare me, but this one opens with a kid and if you’re a fan of the genre you know that kids in horror films are creepy and are about to bring about some messed up things. So, when the kid says at ten seconds in that he is going to take me to see something I’m thinking I need to […]

ALPHA RIFT Unlocks The Fantasy And Adventure In The Official Trailer

Christina Ortega

“What if I told you the stories you grew up with were all true?” All I needed to see in my inbox to capture my attention was “starring Lance Henriksen.” I met him once at a convention and each time we passed each other he greeted me like an old friend. So after seeing his name, I eagerly opened the press release for a fantasy film called Alpha Rift. And was awed. We open with a heist, but a clumsy participant breaks an odd-shaped object. It shatters, releasing a malicious looking green smoke. Next we cut to an over-sized D20 (a twenty-sided dice) and my inner nerd is excited. There is talk of fairy tales, but a familiar voice says the line that opened this piece. And then we get a montage of a seemingly normal kid thrust into a heroic path that is his destiny that involve some modern-day […]

Your Next Viewing: VALLEY OF THE GODS

Christina Ortega

When I received an email about a fantasy/sci-fi drama including a writer, the Navajo community, an ancient legend, and Josh Hartnett, I knew I had to see the film. I sent out my screener request immediately and am glad to report that I was not disappointed in Well Go USA Entertainment’s latest: Valley of the Gods. Here is the official synopsis: Starring Josh Hartnett, Bérénice Marlohe and John Malkovich, VALLEY OF THE GODS contrasts abundance and poverty through three separate storylines, featuring a middle-class writer (Hartnett), an eccentric trillionaire (Malkovich), and a struggling Navajo community. Post-divorce, copywriter John Ecas undertakes the biography of the richest man on earth, who is dead-set on mining sacred lands for uranium. When modern advance runs afoul of long-dormant guardians from ancient legend, even the most unimaginable wealth may soon meet its match. I am a big believer in viewers forming their own opinions on […]

G-LOC: Don’t Miss The Official Trailer For The New Tom Paton Sci-Fi

Christina Ortega

When Earth is no longer inhabitable, humans will look to outer space for other planets. This may sound like a common trope in science fiction, but trust me, G-LOC is not just another sci-fi tale. What is G-LOC? Linguistically speaking, it’s the loss of consciousness from exposure to excessive amounts of g-force. Theatrically speaking, it’s Lionsgate’s upcoming sci-fi adventure. Here’s the official synopsis: With Earth virtually destroyed, Bran Marshall flees to the Rhea, a planet hostile to Earthlings. Escaping onto a Rhean supply ship, he finds the crew slaughtered, with the only survivor a female warrior named Ohsha. As the two try to kill one another, the ship is damaged by meteorites. Bran (Moyer) and Ohsha must join forces to salvage the craft before it impacts the planet below — and the humans that live there. If that storyline does not peak your interest, maybe the participants will hook you: […]

WAVELENGTH: A Word With ‘The Wave’ Writer Carl W. Lucas

Christina Ortega

About a week ago I was given the opportunity to see The Wave before it’s limited theatrical and video on demand release (January 17th, mark your calendars). I enjoyed the film so much that I just had to request an interview with the writer, Carl W. Lucas. He was kind enough to take the time to answer my emailed questions. If you’re curious about the writer of the sci-fi comedy, read on to learn more about him: I just watched The Wave and thoroughly enjoyed it. I know this is probably too common of a question, but where did you get the idea from for this film? So glad you enjoyed it! The inspiration came from multiple sources. I was incredibly inspired by the surreal and trips visuals that Gille Klabin was making for his low budget music videos and I really wanted to write a script that showcased those […]

Your Next Viewing: THE WAVE

Christina Ortega

Have you ever watched a movie that when it ended, you wanted to watch it again, but still wondered what you had just watched? The Wave is kind of like that, but not in a bad way. I mean, the main character spends most of the movie tripping on some drug, so of course not everything is very clear. This film is what you get when you mix drugs, Justin Long, some trippy maybe time-altering drug, Donald Faison, and a missing wallet: a trippy but funny tale with a twist of time travel. Interested? Here is the synopsis from Epic Pictures: Frank, an opportunistic insurance lawyer, thinks he’s in for the time of his life when he goes out on the town to celebrate a soon-to-be promotion with his co-worker, Jeff, but their night takes a turn for the worse when Frank is dosed with a hallucinogenic that alters his […]

STEAMING PILES: Profiling The World Of Steampunk In Media

Christina Ortega

Goggles, top hats, airships, and, of course, gears. These are the things that most often come to mind when someone hears the word “steampunk” but what is steampunk actually? Boiled down to the simplest explanation, steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that includes steam-powered technology. The technology can be current (like a computer) or based on older inventions, but is powered by steam. Most commonly, steampunk is set in the 19th century Victorian era. However, America’s Wild West is also a common setting. (Remember that Will Smith movie Wild Wild West?). That is just the basic concept, though. There’s much more to steampunk, a lot of which has found its way into literature, movies, video games, clothes, and music. Let’s take a look at each of these: What does steampunk read like? Many people associate the works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne with steampunk. This is kind of […]

AFFD XVIII: Inuyashiki, Miss Baek, Fly By Night, Samurai Marathon, Zombie Parties And SO Much More Fun Starting Tonight!

Lee B. Golden III

The 18th annual Asian Film Festival of Dallas kicks off as of today through July 25 with a tasty raft of titles. Lee Min-Jae’s undead rural comedy, The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale, is poised to launch this year’s events, screening at the Angelika Film Center (Mockingbird Station) at 7pm, followed by a zombie-themed party at AKAI, a speakeasy inside Musume, located in the Arts District. This festival is ripe with other titles that have already drawn acclaim and movie fans are gonna want to sink their teeth into, including Zahir Omar’s seething Malaysian crime thriller Fly By Night starring Sunny Pang, and director Lee Ji-Won’s evocative and captivating Han Ji-Min drama, Miss Baek – both delighful feats for their screenings earlier this year at the NYAFF Winter Showcase and you can read my reviews and coverage here and here. Other titles attendees might take interest in include Well Go […]

Review: ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016) Brings Ample Balance To An Awakened Force (Reprint)

Lee B. Golden III

I have to credit a large part of my nerdiness to my Dad. I remember my sister and I going over on weekends and he’d have comic books all around the house and a movie collection that could rival no other. Of course he gave us a proper education by having us watch the cult action favorites, new releases, and gems from his ever-growing collection of flicks. I was in elementary school during the time when word had started to circulate that the Star Wars movies were going to get a digital remastering. Mom (the other half of my nerd genes) wanted to make a big event out of it, we were going to go to the Uptown down in Northwest DC to go see it. Dad, upon hearing about this, sat my sister and I down, pulled out the VHS Box set of Episodes 4-6, and we marathoned the […]

Review: ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016) Brings Ample Balance To An Awakened Force

[Video] REFLECTIONS ON STAR TREK: Fandom After 50 And A Plea To Future Generations

Lee B. Golden III

I’m a bit far apart from the inner workings of the Star Trek fanbase, but I am familiar with the ceremonial nature of this year in the wake of the release of Star Trek: Beyond and the forthcoming CBS series, Star Trek: Discovery. Looking into the matter further with the hopes of attaining a bit of a sci-fi angle to our readership, I took to a friend of mine on social media named Ben Riddle, an avid Star Trek fan and cult follower to delve into his own thoughts about in an article at his own behest. He obliged accordingly and you can check it out for yourself by clicking here in case you missed it, while you might be keen on his stronger suited work in providing video lectures on things he enjoys talking about via his YouTube channel. This ultimately includes sci-fi, film and television entertainment, and incidentally, […]

ROGUE WARRIOR: ROBOT HUNTER Film Expands Into Sci-Fi Series Order For GODS OF WAR

Lee B. Golden III

Courtesy Of Pacific Coast Entertainment Writer and director Neil Johnson is currently on the way with the new action sci-fi adventure, Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter. The film is set for an early 2016 release with actress and producer Tracy Birdsall starring as the female heroine on Earth as mankind faces the threat of assimilation into machine technology. Dread Central revealed the first poster art late last month with Birdsall front and center, although it looks as if that won’t be all for the film and its company. The word from Deadline now states that Pacific Coast Entertainment, the folks behind the film, now have plans in the making for the series expansion titled Gods Of War. Johnson is expected to write the treatments and scripts while Pacific Coast plots the course of six-to-eight episodes to film in different locales around the world. No word yet on the initial film’s release. […]

The New Poster For HARDCORE Is A Fistful!

Lee B. Golden III

Director Ilya Naishuller isn’t here to bullshit you. The popularity of his direction on Biting Elbow’s Bad Motherfucker music video has gone ridiculously viral in the last year or more, and its given him just the momentum he needed to film his latest first-person endeavor, Hardcore, centered on a resurrected robot who must rescue his wife/creator from an evil telekinetic with the help of actor Sharlto Copley. The film already has a teaser clip now making the rounds as of last year, offering an amazingly gruesome and awesomely brutal sample of the delightful that awaits, and no less muscled in further with Wanted helmer Timur Bekmambatov producing. Alas, there’s no need to take my word for it with tickets now available for Midnight Madness premiere next Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the new poster along with Colin Geddes’s program notes pretty much do all the talking from […]

PREDATOR: DARK AGES Is The Shortfilm You Want More Of!

Lee B. Golden III

Getting my day off to a bit of an abrupt start while blogging, director James Bushe’s newest homage to epic sci-fi, Predator: Dark Ages didn’t upload to its channel right away before could add it to this week’s Hit List last night prior to clocking out. Anyway, it’s finally online and comes just off the heels of its positive response by comic-con attendees in London just this weekend, and having screened and reviewed it for myself on Saturday, I’m long proud to know everyone will have been in for a real treat. SYNOPSIS: Set during the Crusades, the faith & fighting skills of a group of Templar Knights is put to the test when they encounter the Predator. Their battle is the thing Myths and Legends are born from. Adrian Bouchett and Amed Hashimi lead the ensemble cast with actor Phillip Lane as the iconic alien hunter. Watch it right […]

Catch The Latest Trailer And Featurette For FOX's New Series, MINORITY REPORT

Lee B. Golden III

I always figured that Steven Spielberg’s 2002 sci-fi murder thriller, Minority Report was a standalone flick, so you may imagine my surprise when news of a television series came last year. That said, FOX announced its Fall line-up of shows to air through 2016 with the television show slotted for Mondays at 9:00pm EST (including a second season of Gotham based on the hit DC Comics Batman franchise) and the way that director Mark Mylod and his team are going about this looks very interesting. Given what the most recent trailer and featurette present, I’m sure viewers at home will find themselves quite entertained. DESCRIPTION: Based on the international blockbuster film by executive producer Steven Spielberg and the first of his films to be adapted for television, MINORITY report follows the unlikely partnership between a man haunted by the future and a cop haunted by her past, as they race […]

Watch The New Teaser For Upcoming Sci-Fi Thriller, TEMPLE, And Then Pray It Becomes A Full Movie!

Lee B. Golden III

Following the unveiling of a batch of new stills several days ago, the folks over at 3 Arts Entertainment are kindly keeping their word with its base and have released the trailer for yet another ambitious new project in the making. And no, I don’t use the word ambitious loosely, as it perfectly describes just the kind of filmmaker Nguyen-Anh Nguyen is in the wake of the growing fandom long after the release of his concept trailer, The Akira Project last year. Temple is the name of the project now on par for a fantastic shortfilm release this June with action star up-and-comer Osric Chau starring and a trailer is now online as well. The short is also being primed as a pitch for financing a bigger feature film, so if all goes well on that end, those who were fond of The Akira Project may very well get to […]

Check Out 17 Glossy Stills From 'The Akira Project' Director's Latest, TEMPLE

Lee B. Golden III

Considering the electrifying responses that lit up the internet roughly one year and three-million views ago with the release of the independently-produced anime/manga-inspired fan trailer, The Akira Project, it’s reasonable to wonder what else the crew behind it has been up to since then. Well, indeed, the team has moved on to other matters of creativity which will no less continue to appease the masses of fans they’ve earned with a fresh new project that is just as slick and full of action and promise. I’m talking about the new shortfilm, Temple, and the return of filmmaker Ngyuen-Anh Nguyen, now represented by 3 Arts Entertainement and back at the helm with a feat in which he aims to harness everything he loves with film, martial arts, manga and science fiction wrapped into one. Also seen is the return of action actor Osric Chau who previously worked on The Akira Project, now […]

Watch Amy Johnston's Teaser Announcement For RAZOR SHARP: RENEGADE

Lee B. Golden III

The last few years have taken off quite well for stuntwoman Amy Johnston who’s managed to find her route in applying her craft toward becoming a formidable actress as well. A sample of her talents are presented in numerous online projects on top of her highly popular action demo from several years back shot at the formerly-titled White Lotus Kung Fu Academy in California, as her resumé expands further into stunts in leading roles as of late, notably the upcoming release of Chris Nahon’s Lady Bloodsport and series premiere of R.L. Scott’s Option Zero, and as of this week, the currently-developing sci-fi actioner, Razor Sharp: Renegade. Writer and director Marcus Perry leads the way with his own script as a concept that has otherwise been long in the making with at least one iteration of the project listed circa 2006 in shortform with a different cast. With Razor Sharp: Renegade looking […]

BFI, Warner Bros. To Re-Release BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT In U.K. Theaters. Watch The Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

Wishing actor Harrison Ford a speedy recovery following the crash of his single-engine plane last week from which his injuries have been deemed non-life threatening, hopefully this won’t diminish his recently-announced involvement on, among other things a long-awaited sequel to the 1982 sci-fi noir cult classic, Blade Runner. In lieu of this and with the approval of director Ridley Scott, Warner Bros., the British Film Institute and the Blade Runner Partnership have commissioned a trailer for the 2007 ‘Final Cut’ version ahead of it’s theatrical release in the U.K. set for April 3, which you can now watch below, courtesy of Ignition Creative London. Based on late author Phillip K. Dick’s original 1968 publication, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner is set in November in the year 2019, with Ford in the role of semi-retired LAPD detective Rick Deckhard, who, in the course of being pulled back to […]