SciFiDrive

Waiting for "Superman'

2010-07-30T09:31:00.000-04:00

HOLLYWOOD, CA (July 29, 2010) - Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media announced today the addition of two new partners in the online "Take the Pledge" campaign supporting the national release of the award-winning documentary film WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN" this fall. DonorsChoose.org and Chicago-based office supply retailer OfficeMax(R) have joined the WaitingforSuperman.com "Pledge Progress Meter" at the 30,000 and 40,000 levels, respectively.

When 30,000 people pledge to see WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN," thanks to the generosity of its funders, DonorsChoose.org will donate $5 gift cards to every person who pledges to see the film by September 15th. The gift cards can be used to fulfill requests made by public school teachers from every corner of America who post classroom project needs on DonorsChoose.org. The mission of DonorsChoose.org is to improve public education by empowering every teacher to be a change-maker and enabling any citizen to be a philanthropist.

The efforts to reach a milestone of 40,000 people pledging to see this important documentary film will get an additional boost with OfficeMax(R) aligning their "A Day Made Better" program with the movie campaign. Now in it's 4th year, the OfficeMax(R) program helps defray the out-of-pocket expenditures on school supplies by dedicated teachers by awarding 1,000 outstanding teachers with $1,000 in school supplies. To help build awareness of the new film, the retail giant will now boost the annual award to include 40 additional deserving U.S. teachers when the pledge level reaches 40,000.

"I made this film for and about kids and their parents, struggling to get a quality education in the United States, and it is inspiring to see the momentum pick up as people really begin to rally behind it," said Director Davis Guggenheim. "Organizations like First Book, and now DonorsChoose.org and OfficeMax(R), are generating innovative ways to join the conversation. My hope is that people continue to pledge, demonstrating to teachers, parents and children that they have support and real change is coming to the public school system."

WAITING FOR "SUPERMAN" directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth") will be released under the Paramount Vantage banner and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding "Take the Pledge" campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids' lives for the better. The "Pledge Progress Meter" launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools. First Book was the first organization to take the pledge, by agreeing to donate 250,000 new books to schools and programs in low-income communities across the country once the pledge meter reaches 50,000 pledges.

People who have pledged are encouraged to see the film when it opens in their area beginning September 24.

For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to
http://www.WaitingForSuperman.com

To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at
http://www.Facebook.com/WaitingForSuperman

What does your school need? Tell us by Tweeting #MySchoolNeeds at
http://www.Twitter.com/WaitingSuperman

On Location Videos Transformers 3

2010-07-13T05:08:00.003-04:00

Transformer 3 - Optimus Prime avoiding explosions!

Michael Bay's T3 will be shooting in Chicago's Michigan Ave. ("The Magnificent Mile") other locations will take place in L.A. (4th Ave. and Main), Milwaukee, Washington DC, Texas, Florida, Africa, Moscow, and China. T3 will also be partly filmed in Russia and Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.

"there will be big action sequences shot in Chicago and Moscow". -Michael Bay

New Transformers

Shockwave - The main villain for T3

Ferrari 458 Italia -Rumored new Autobot?

Sideswipe's New Look - Top Down Corvette Stingray Concept with Bumblebee and Ferrari 458 Italia

Bumble Bee Music Video- a very cool working costume

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley the new Transformers babe!

From IMDB:
Due to the revived interest in 3D technology, talks between Paramount, Industrial Light & Magic and Bay have considered the possibility of the next Transformers film to be filmed in 3D. Bay has said that he's currently working on the process of filming "Transformers 3" in 3D and is currently Testing 3D for Use in Transformers 3.

It has been Confirmed that the movie will be in 3D.

Romancing Star Wars

2010-05-22T22:32:00.003-04:00

Romance and love in the Star Wars Universe three love birds bringing heart to a scifi saga!

Padme + Anakin

Anakin 

Don't be afraid.

Padme 

I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.

Anakin 

What are you talking about?

Padme 

I love you.

Anakin 

You love me? I thought we had decided not to fall in love. That we'd be forced to live a lie and that it would destroy our lives.

Padme 

I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway. I truly... deeply... love you and before we die I want you to know.

A lovely couple with a tragic end that gives birth to a renewed hope. We wouldn't have the twins, Luke and Leia if it wasn't for their union.

Poor Ani turned to the dark side in his misguided attempts to save Padme. Ani never foresaw in his visions that it was he who kills her not just with the force choke but also with the betrayal of the Republic and the Jedis.

"There is still good in him," Padme's words before death, leaving hope for Ani's redemption and a final balance to the Force.

Leia + Han

The Princess and the Scoundrel meet for the first time during her rescue in the Death Star, their love sparks up after escaping Imperial destroyers attacking the Rebel base on the planet Hoth. The relationship matures when Leia rescues Han from Jabba's Palace. In the novels, Leia and Han eventually marry and have kids.

Princess Leia and Han Solo shared many interesting conversations here's a sample:

(a tremor knocks Leia into Solo's arms)  

Princess Leia

 Let go.

Han Solo

 Shh.

Princess Leia

Let go, please.

Han Solo

 Don't get excited.

Princess Leia

 Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited.

Han Solo

 Sorry sweetheart. I haven't got time for anything else.

Han Solo

 Well Princess, it looks like you managed to keep me here a while longer.

Princess Leia

 I had nothing to do with it. General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for anyone to leave the system until they've activated the energy shield.

Han Solo

 That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight.

Princess Leia

 I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain.

(Chewbacca laughs)

Han Solo

 Laugh it up, fuzzball.

Han Solo

 Hey, Your Worship, I'm only trying to help.

Princess Leia

 Would you please stop calling me that?

Han Solo

 Sure, Leia.

Princess Leia

 You make it so difficult sometimes.

Han Solo

 I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right.

Princess Leia

 Occasionally, maybe... when you aren't acting like a scoundrel.

Han Solo

 Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that.

(Han starts to massage Leia's hand)

Princess Leia

 Stop that.

Han Solo

 Stop what?

Princess Leia

 (timidly) Stop that. My hands are dirty.

Han Solo

 My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?

Princess Leia

 Afraid?

Han Solo

 You're trembling.

Princess Leia

 I'm not trembling.

(Han moves in closer)

Han Solo

 You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.

Princess Leia

 I happen to like nice men.

Han Solo

 I'm a nice man.

Princess Leia

 No, you're not. You're...

(they kiss)

They're in love, they know.

Mara + Luke

High assassin for the Emperor, as the Emperor's Hand, Mara carried out his orders with skill and efficiency, after Palpatine's death Mara turned to a life of smuggling. She bided her time, plotting to kill Luke for the death of the Emperor but Luke explains to her what happened in the Death Star that it was Vader who killed Palpatine. They bump into each other on numerous adventures in the novels. Forced to team up in tight spots realizing how well they work together, their love blooms and eventually they marry.

Some Mara Jade Quotes from various Star Wars novels:

"Let me tell you something, Skywalker. I've wanted to kill you for a long time. I dreamed about your death every night for most of that first year. Dreamed it, plotted it- I must have run through a thousand scenarios , trying to find exactly the right way to do it. You can call it a cloud on my judgement if you want to: I'm used to it by now. It's the closest thing I've got to a permanent companion."
    ―Mara Jade to Luke Skywalker

    "The other reason I came in person, is that occasionally - for some unknown reason - I almost look forward to seeing you, Skywalker. Not often....... but there are times."
    ―Mara Jade to Luke Skywalker

    "For a relationship that started with me trying to kill you, this has become more than I could have imagined. I have never felt more complete than now, knowing we will be together, for eternity."
    ―Mara Jade to Luke Skywalker

Queen and Padawan, Princess and Scoundrel, Assassin and Paladin their union brought
more than just action and adventure but heart to a SciFi saga.

Star Wars Blogathon 2010

2010-05-18T04:34:00.015-04:00

Welcome to the ScifiDrive Star Wars Blogathon! Here's a list of blogs participating with articles on all things Star Wars. Click on the image to visit, leave a comment if you will and may the Force be with you!

Angie and Chantale from CinemaObsessed sent their Star Wars caricature-Vader and Threepio!

33 Years of a Beloved Saga - Star Wars!

SimonZ

Singing & Grooving in SciFi Movies

2010-05-03T09:14:00.004-04:00

A previous blogathon I participated and enjoyed, read on!

Singing and grooving to the music, here's a look at some SciFi movie scenes with a touch of song and dance.

Metropolis (1927) Yoshiwara

Yoshiwara's House of Sin from Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" - a place of illicit activity, beautiful showgirls, and a hangout for the power class. The robot Maria performs a salome style dance and mesmerizes the panting, clubgoers into a lustful frenzy.

The evil robot's seduction triggers a revolt among the workers a portent of things to come at the end of the dance when she sits on a multi-headed dragon/beast, a symbol of Revelation's Whore of Babylon. Metropolis' lower levels are flooded to quash the riot leaving the city in destruction.

A Clockwork Orange (1971) Singing in the Rain

Stanley Kubrick's Dystopian film follows the life of an adolescent boy, Alex DeLarge and his gang, the Droogs. They invade a secluded writer's home beating him and raping his wife while Alex DeLarge belts out his irreverent version of "Singing in the Rain".

Young Frankenstein (1974) Puttin' on the Ritz

Mel Brooks hilarious satire on the Frankenstein films. Victor Frankenstein played by Gene Wilder trains the Monster (Peter Boyle) for an upcoming press conference- in order to convince the locals that the Monster is "safe". At the conference, they do a song and dance number to the tune of Irving Berlin's, "Puttin' on the Ritz".

Dressed in tuxedo and cane mimicking Fred Astaire's "Man about Town", the duo do a tap dance routine and gets a positive response from the audience. The Monster's fear of fire interrupts the act, going on a rampage, destroying Dr. Frankenstein's hopes for the Monster's acceptance by the populace.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) The Time Warp

The longest running film release (thirty-three years) "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a musical parody of scifi and horror movies. Stuck with a flat tire, Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) seek help from a nearby castle inhabited by strange and outlandish costumed people holding an annual Transylvanian convention. The couple watch as the Transylvanians dance "The Time Warp".

Movie audiences have fun re-enacting the dialogue and dance in front of the screen while watching the movie. "The Time Warp" the most popular song, comes with instructions on how to do the dance while watching the scene.

Doing The Time Warp:

It's just a jump to the left.
And then a step to the right.
With your hands on your hips.
You bring your knees in tight.
But it's the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane.
Let's do the time-warp again.

Turn around and repeat the steps

Xanadu (1980) Whenever You're Away from Me

Musical Fantasy starring Gene Kelly, Michael Beck and Olivia Newton-John. Belonging to a family of muses and goddesses Kira (Olivia Newton-John), the Olympian Muse of Dance, descends to Earth as Gene Kelly's inspiration. Gene Kelly's character, Danny McGuire, a former band leader dreams of opening a night club, Kira inspires Danny in a song and dance "Whenever You're Away from Me".

Return of the Jedi (1983) Lapti Nek & Jedi Rocks

The Max Rebo Band , an eclectic group of alien musicians and singers plays gigs at Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tatooine. "Lapti Nek" was sung by the group in the film's original edition. The band's performance was accompanied by Jabba's two slave Dancers, the Twi'lek Oola and the six-breasted Askajian Yarna d'al' Gargan. The performance is interrupted when Jabba feeds Oola to his pet rancor.
In the special edition the song was replaced by "Jedi Rocks" sung by Joh Yowza and Sy Snootles.

Lapti Nek

Jedi Rocks

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Anything Goes

Kate Capshaw's character, Willie Scott performs the film's opening sequence singing Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" in Mandarin.

Together with chorus girls, they do a Busby Berkley-style number with glitter and legs at the Club Obi Wan.

Back to the Future (1985) Johnny Be Goode

Time-travel comedy by Robert Zemeckis . Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) plays his version of Chuck Berry's "Johnny Be Goode" at a high school dance in 1955. McFly adds some Van Halen and Pete Townshend inspired riffs and moves to the song way before heavy metal rock was born and before Berry wrote the song.

The Mask (1994) Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You

The Mask drops by the Congo Bongo Club watches Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz) perform a sexy rendition of "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You" (Susan Boyd dubs).

The Fifth Element (1997) The Diva Dance

Tall and all blue Diva Plavalaguna (MaÃ¯wenn Le Besco) performs at the Spaceliner, Fhloston Paradise singing an aria from Gaetano Donizetti's Opera, "Lucia di Lammermoor" (voiced by Inva Mula-Tchako). Later the Diva shifts tempo singing and dancing to a pop beat cutting into another scene with the Fifth Element, Leeloo does a ballet - choreograph fight scene with the Mangalores.

The Diva's vocalization was electronically altered to achieve the extreme tonal range.

Star Trek Insurrection (1998) A British Tar

Captain Jean Luc Picard attempting to disarm a renegade Data distracts him by singing "A British Tar" from Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore".

Dark City (1998) Sway

Alex Proyas' SciFi Film-Noir features Jennifer Connelly as Emma Murdoch singing a sultry version of "Sway" in a local night club. "Sway" was dubbed by singer Anita Kelsey.

Mission to Mars (2000) Dance the Night Away

The Mars crew takes a break and do some zero gravity dancing to Van Halen's song, "Dance the Night Away".

Woody with no talent for dancing, takes advantage of the zero gravity environment to fulfill his wife Terri's wishes for a dance.

Battlestar Galactica (1978) The Man with Nine Lives

Acceding requests from his grandchildren to appear on their favorite television show, Fred Astaire asked his agent to get him a role in Battlestar Galactica. Fred Astaire made a guest appearance in the episode, "The Man with Nine Lives" as Chameleon, a con man on the run pretending to be Starbuck's long lost father. One of the memorable episodes of the classic Battlestar Galactica series.

Adding just a touch of song or dance (or both), a musical number enhances the film's entertainment value. It's a beautiful way to liven up the plot or give the audience a respite from the story. The film's memorable scenes are usually the musical numbers. We need more films spiced up with some singin' and groovin' to complement their storyline and may the studios be more forthcoming.

Hope you enjoyed the show and drop by Ferdy on Films, etc for more great posts on the Dance-Movie Blogathon.

Singing & Grooving in SciFi Movies Playlist

Iron Man 2 Review: See Mjolnir at the End Credits

2010-04-30T09:08:00.002-04:00

Spoilers ahead but just so you know, Iron Man 2 is Awesome!

It begins where the first film ends, with the press conference, zooming into the city to a small run down Moscow apartment where Tony Stark's press conference is visible on TV. A dying man says his last words, the son cries out, the scene shifts to the walls covered with news clippings from another era including the blueprints of the ARC reactor with two names visible - Howard Stark and Anton Vanko.

Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) builds a chest piece similiar to Tony Stark's - the title sequence runs.

Jon Favreau has done a fantastic job creating a sequel worthy of the first Iron Man film from setting up Ivan Vanko's reason for destroying Stark to the introduction of new characters, Scarlett Johansson does a beautiful job portraying Nastasha Romanoff including the action, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury has better visibility, Don Cheadle is just great as Lt. Col. Rhodes. Original cast members Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau replaying Happy Hogan - all great and nice to see them again. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) gets limited viewing but with a key scene in the end.

Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer isn't as mean and serious as Jeff Bridges'
Obadiah Stane. He comes out more weasel than warlord. Mickey Rourke - great character portrayal as the vengeful Whiplash.

Storyline suffers a bit in the middle when Stark has to confront his imminent death due to toxic blood chemistry caused by his body's reaction to his chest piece. It slows down a little while Stark's re-invents a new chest piece (triangular) plus an alcoholic bout but gets back with a vengeance when Iron Man with War Machine battles Crimson Dynamo/Whiplash and armored drones. Amazing!

Where does it go from here? Its time to reveal the Mandarin and the origin of his ten rings - the starship that crashes to Earth containing the rings that will transform him into Iron Man's deadliest foe - plus an additional villain, Fin Fang Foom one of the ship's occupants. There's a huge potential story for Iron Man 3 director Jon Favreau has done a great job with the franchise, its in good hands Marvel should consider themselves lucky to have his dedication and craft.

RDJ is as usual, fantastic as Tony Stark, nuff said!

(Spoiler below!)

Stark mistakenly refers to Stan Lee as Larry King.

The legendary Hammer of Thor (Mjolnir)

Martin Scorsese:Early Films

2010-04-26T06:25:00.005-04:00

Scorsese born in New York grew up watching films at an early age,developing a love for the cinema. He got in NYU film school, his first production, It's Not Just You Murray! won the 1964 Producer's Guild Award for Best Student Film.

Influenced by Italian cinema's neo-realism, Scorsese early works was a window to his New York childhood a mixture of street life and movies he watched. The early films showed the energy and grit that will evolved in his future films.

Here are two films Scorsese has done as a student filmmaker at NYU. The third, Who's That Knocking at my Door, is his first feature.

It's Not Just You Murray! (1964)

A short film on the life of a small time hood and his back-stabbing associate, in Murray Scorsese just holds the camera going about New York filming with close ups and zooms. Its well paced, clever, satirical and this is a student film. Scorsese has a natural talent for interpretation - visualizing his ideas to the point, no more no less.

The Big Shave (1967)
A man gradually shaves his hair eventually shaving off his skin. The scene gets graphic and bloody Done as a project for his film class Scorsese depicted the Vietnam war's self destruction in a shave.

THE BIG SHAVE - MARTIN SCORSESE
Uploaded by BobbyMilk. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Who's That Knocking at my Door (1967)
Featuring a young Harvey Keitel in his debut film. The first of the J.R. trilogy clever camera work and the use of rock music as a soundtrack was a first before Easy Rider. But Who's That Knocking at my Door was shown publicly three years later. Scorsese did some experimentation on camera angles, rythmn, etc, an early work that shows the evolution of a master director.

LAMBS in the Directors Chair:Martin Scorsese Index

Can't Get Enough of Kick Ass? Listen to the Soundtrack!

2010-04-16T22:57:00.001-04:00

A collection of You Tube videos from the Kick Ass movie soundtrack. Enjoy!

By now it is clear that Mika is not as other artists are. His surname could just as well be ‘Singular’. Enveloped in an imaginative musical world of his own creation, he is one of the few British male pop stars of his age that doesn’t run with the pack. Classically trained, racially mixed and prone to theatrical physical gesture, he has become a scion of ambitiously delivered self-expression. He says his music can be condensed easily, ‘the basic principals are that it is joyful and empowering and doesn’t cowtow to fashion or convention,’ calling to mind an old and almost forgotten pop notion: individuality. About Mika

Kick Ass-the Movie.com

Kick Up a Good Time with Kick Ass!

2010-04-16T11:38:00.001-04:00

It's a fun funny movie with incredible action stunts Chloe Moretz is amazing as Hit Girl! The movie does a homage to the 60's Batman TV series and Quentin Tarantino films and yes, the action has a lot of gore giving the movie an R rating.

Kick Ass gives a good blend of funny and reality Aaron Johnson's superhero fantasies are tempered by cold reality when as Kick Ass he gets stabbed, ran over and left for dead. It becomes more fantastic with the introduction of Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) again, tempered by cold reality with their origins.

Once the action starts you begin to feel your in a Tarantino flick (more like Kill Bill) and its an amazing feeling you won't forget!

Planning to watch it again soon. So, go kick up a good time with Kick Ass, Big Daddy and Hit Girl! Can't wait for the next!

Whedon Helming Avengers

2010-04-14T13:20:00.005-04:00

Might be able to yell "Avengers Assemble!" soon.
-Joss Whedon's Tweet

Marvel Studios and Joss Whedon are wrapping up talks for the Avengers Movie slated May 4, 2012. Whedon will direct the superhero team of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk. Reworking Zak Penn's script, Whedon will be bringing in that creative strorytelling, humour and action that has attracted a huge fan base for his works.

Whedon, a third generation writer, created the cult hit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer he followed up with Angel and Firefly. Dollhouse is his latest venture all for Fox TV. Serenity - based on the scifi series Firefly, is his sole film work. Whedon spun out his TV shows to comics having done Astonishing X-men in 2008.

Trade Marks
Plans storylines far in advance for all his television series, allowing for remarkable long-term continuity.
Frequent use of nouns as adjectives, by adding the suffix "-y"
Features tough, strong female characters
Kills off characters who are among his most popular, to keep his audiences surprised.
Supernatural and science fiction themes
from IMDB

"The Avengers" would star Robert Downey Jr. (as Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Hemsworth (Thor) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury). Edward Norton may also return as the Hulk.

Splice : A Nightmare Future?

2010-04-13T05:25:00.002-04:00

Splice Movie Synopsis
Elsa and Clive, two young rebellious scientists, defy legal and ethical boundaries and forge ahead with a dangerous experiment: splicing together human and animal DNA to create a new organism. Named "Dren", the creature rapidly develops from a deformed female infant into a beautiful but dangerous winged human-chimera, who forges a bond with both of her creators - only to have that bond turn deadly.

Parahuman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A parahuman or para-human is a term used to describe a human-animal hybrid. Scientists have done extensive research into the combination of genes from different species, e.g. adding human (and other animal) genes to bacteria and farm animals to mass-produce insulin and spider silk proteins. Note that individual genes can be transplanted between species without the transplantation of whole cells.

Xenotransplantation - Profits vs. Risk
From insulin to organ transplants research into crossing human genes to animals (xenotransplantation) have been the forefront of biotech corporations-lives can be saved and profits made from a cure for diabetes while the waiting list and demand for donor organs rises. Weighing out the risks involved from viral contagion, these corporations are risking a pandemic from these short lived experiments. Patients with organ transplants from pig liver or baboon heart lasts, at most, a month. H1N1, a flu virus transmuted from pigs (first thought to come from Mexico, now believed to have originated from asian swine) started a global pandemic. Diseases are just the beginning, as science find ways to advance anti-rejection drugs for transplants research will evolve into parahumans - animals with human genes to create "spare organs" for the organ donor market.

So far, the WHO has instituted guidelines for future xenotransplantation research to reduce risks of future diseases.Other government agencies have followed suit. Right.

Will the 21st century be the harbinger of a nightmare future of epidemics, organ factories and parahumans? We can only await the fruits of these xeno-research for better or worse. Splice gives a contemporary glimpse, a fictional but thought provoking future (H.G. Wells' "Dr. Moreau", Shelley's "Frankenstein" comes to mind, and "Species") of things to come...

Resident Evil AfterLife 3D

2010-04-10T09:27:00.007-04:00

Afterlife is the fourth installment in the Resident Evil movies based on Capcom's survival horror video game of the same name (first released in Japan as Bio-Hazard). Escaping the zombies from Extinction, Alice (played by Mila Jovovich) and clones bring their battle with the Umbrella Corporation to Los Angeles with help from Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and K-Mart (Spencer Locke).

The movie's 3-D is brought to you by James Cameron's innovative Fusion technology used in Avatar. Afterlife is the most expensive of the Resident Evil films (estimated budget $80 Million). Taking its cue from Clash Sony is making sure everyone knows (horror and 3D fans) Afterlife is true 3D (will anyone settle for a 3D converted theater or go for Imax?) USA release date Sept 10, 2010.

How much did they make? With an average budget of $43 million, The Resident Evil films took in triple their budgets worldwide with Extinction the top grosser.

Resident Evil Total Film Gross (courtesy -The Numbers)

Released	Movie Name	1st Weekend	US Gross	Worldwide Gross ↑	Budget
9/21/2007	Resident Evil: Extinction	$23,678,580	$50,648,679	$146,162,920	$45,000,000
9/10/2004	Resident Evil: Apocalypse	$23,036,273	$50,740,078	$128,940,078	$50,000,000
3/15/2002	Resident Evil	$17,707,106	$39,532,308	$103,200,000	$35,000,000

8/27/2010	Resident Evil: Afterlife	-	-	-	-
Totals			$140,921,065	$378,302,998	$130,000,000
Averages			$46,973,688	$126,100,999	$43,333,333

Space & Time: SciFi Cinema of the Sixties

2010-02-26T03:48:00.005-05:00

Groovy like Barbarella and psychedelic as 2001, a look at the imaginative SciFi movies of the sixties.

Time Machine (1960)
George Pal's version of H.G.Wells' classic science fiction novel. The Wells estate was impressed by Pal's War of the Worlds they let him choose another story for a future project. George Pal picked Time Machine.

The story of George a Victorian gentlemen who invents a machine that travels in time. George discovers a future where humanity is divided into two species, the Eloi who live above ground and the subterranean dwelling Morlocks.

The film starred Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux.

The ingenious use of time lapse photography to speed up time for the time travel sequences won Gene Warren and Tim Baar an academy award for special effects.

Village of the Damned (1960)
The English village of Midwich falls prey to an anomaly that knocks everyone unconscious. Months later all women of childbearing age are giving birth to blonde children who manifest telepathic powers.

Directed by Wolf Rilla based on the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. Professor Gordon Zellaby was played by George Sanders.

A low budget scifi horror film eerily depicting an alien invasion through children. Another version by Anton Leader, Children of the Damned set in London would also give a good scare.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
Irwin Allen's film adventure aboard the submarine Seaview. The movie has an all-star cast starring Walter Pidgeon as Admiral Harriman Nelson, Robert Sterling as Captain Lee Crane with Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, Michael Ansara and Peter Lorre in supporting roles.

Plot involves a burning Van Allen radiation belt and the Seaview is tasked to stop the "Skyfire" by launching a missile from the Marianas Trench at a precise moment. In a race against time, the Seaview confronts a giant octopus, a hostile submarine and a saboteur before completing its mission to save the world.

The submarine's unique design with its eight window panoramic view, shark-like frontal flare and Cadillac tail fins gave the Seaview a pop icon status for fictional ships.

Voyage became a box-office success Irwin Allen would later recycle the props to make the hit TV series with the same title.

Day of the Triffids (1962)
After a meteor shower spores begin to grow into plants called Triffids beginning its carnivorous attacks on civilization.

Based on the novel by John Wyndham, directed by Steve Sekely and starring Howard Keel as the central character, Bill Masen.

A low budget movie with not so special effects the film has become a cult favourite for B-movie fans. The novel, established author John Wyndham and remains his best known science fiction writing.

La Jetee (1962)
Paris in the apocalyptic future after WWIII, survivors research time travel sending one traveller back to obtain food, medicine and technology. The traveller's obsession from childhood recalling an incident at the airport's boarding ramp (the jetty) takes him to that moment at the jetty where he discovers his own death.

Directed by Chris Marker, the film is a black and white photo montage with voice over narration running 28 minutes. The pacing of the montage gives the film the progression of a graphic novel. The still images freezes each moment in a temporal memory like a narrative photo album.

Terry Gilliam adapted the plot for the film Twelve Monkeys.

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Ray Harryhausen's landmark film based on the mythical hero Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece.

Directed by Don Chaffey with music by Bernard Herrmann. The film's numerous Dynamation animated monsters- Harpies, the bronze giant Talos and the Hydra is an unparalleled achievement without use of computer graphics.

Jason's spectacular battle with the skeletons is regarded as one of the greatest special effects in motion pictures. Harryhausen took four months to finish the three minute scene.

Ray Harryhausen's elaborate special effects gave the film the look of a big budget production turning Jason and the Argonauts into a box-office hit and a memorable classic.

7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)
A travelling circus ran by Dr. Lao brings wonders and a moral lesson in life to a small town.

George Pal directs from the novel by Charles Finney starring Tony Randall as Dr. Lao and featuring Barbara Eden.

The film won an honorary Oscar for William Tuttle (Outstanding Achievement in Make-Up).

Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Stanley Kubrick's satire on the Cold War and the idea of mutual assured destruction (MAD).

Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper launches a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union with B-52 bombers. Claiming the communists are out to "sap and impurify" the "precious bodily fluids" of the American people with fluoridated water and causing his impotence.

The Soviets reveal to the Americans they have a "Doomsday" device that in case of attack will destroy all life on earth. The Soviets turned it on a few days before a planned public announcement.

Starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott with Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, James Earl Jones, Keenan Wynn, Peter Bull, Tracy Reed. Sellers plays three roles; President Merkin Muffley, Group Captain Lionel Mandrake and Dr. Strangelove. The film launched Peter Sellers to Hollywood stardom.

First Men in the Moon (1964)
Adapted from the H.G. Wells Novel directed by Nathan Juran starring Edward Judd, Martha Hyer and Lionel Jeffries

The U.N. launches the first moon mission only to find a British flag and the names of the first explorers. Authorities on Earth trace one survivor who retells their first journey to the moon.

Ray Haryhausen animates the various moon creatures with his trademark Dynamation.

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)
Adapted from Daniel Defoe's novel and directed by Byron Haskin. Starring Paul Mantee, Victor Lundin and Adam West.

A mission to Mars malfunctions leaving one surviving astronaut and a monkey trapped in Mars.

The Martian war machines from "War of the Worlds" which Byron Haskins also directed were recycled for use as the alien mining ships.

Haskins decision to film at Death Valley gave the "Mars" landscape a striking similarity to the real Martian landscape. NASA tested their Mars Rovers at Death Valley.

Alphaville (1965)
Jean-Luc Godard's "SciFi Film Noir" about a secret agent transported to the future city of Alphaville ran by a sentient computer, Alpha 60.

A tale of emotional suppression, loss of individual freedom and a society controlled by a dictatorial AI Godard pits brawn versus logic eventually destroying that logic with the emotional power of poetry.

Though set in the future Godard filmed the locations in modern day Paris.

Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature book paper catches fire. Ray Bradbury's dystopian future looks at literary and intellectual suppression via the burning of books. Firemen are charged with hunting down books and burning them. One fireman, Guy Montag eventually reads some of them and begins a journey of self discovery.

Though shot in England, the monorail exterior was done at France's SAFEGE test track which no longer exists. Directed by Francois Truffaut starring Oskar Werner and Julie Christie.

Fantastic Voyage (1966)
A defecting scientist from the Soviet Union escapes an assassination attempt but is left comatose. A team of specialists attempt to remove a blood clot by entering the body in a microscopic miniaturized submarine, the Proteus.

Amazing special effects brings a surreal journey through the human body. Human tissues and cells become larger than life transforming them to something out of this world.

Written for the screen by Harry Kleiner, novelization by Isaac Asimov.
Directed by Richard Fleischer starring Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, and Donald Pleasence. Special effects by L.B. Abbott and Art Cruickshank.

One Million Years B.C. (1966)
Hammer Films Production starring Raquel Welch, John Richardson.
A fantasy adventure film set in prehistoric times about humans struggling to exist in a dinosaur world.

Dinosaur animation by Ray Harryhausen. Humans and dinosaurs never co-existed but the producers thought it might make a good subject for a movie. Filmed mostly in the Canary Islands, Raquel Welch's publicity shot got better notoriety than the movie.

Barbarella (1967)
Roger Vadim's groovy SciFi erotica based on the French comic strip by Jean-Claude Forest. Starring Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg, Marcel Marceau.

Jane Fonda's opening sequence stripping in zero gravity has become a cinematic icon. The film bombed at the box-office but became a pop culture influence ranging from the band Duran Duran, pop music, and films The Fifth Element and Austin Powers.

Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
SciFi horror film by Hammer Productions released in the United States as Five Million Years to Earth. Directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by Nigel Kneale based on his television series, Quatermass.

A unique scifi film from Hammer (compared to what they regularly produced) that ends with an element of the supernatural. An extension for a London subway unearths fossils and a five million year old spaceship. Quatermass investigates and discovers something not right and people around Hobbs station begin to experience disturbances.

Starring Andrew Keir as Prof. Bernard Quatermass with James Donald, Barbara Shelley, and Julian Glover.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick's surreal journey of human evolution, extraterrestrial life and space exploration. Collaborating with renowned SciFi author Arthur C. Clarke from his short story, The Sentinel, 2001 is the SciFi movie fans of the genre have been waiting for Hollywood to produce.

Kubrick's artistic manipulation of space and time coupled with minimal dialogue conveys a visual sense of the vacuum of space and its isolation. The film is a visual experience (sometimes termed "psychedelic") complemented by the use of classical music. Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra will always be identified with 2001.

2001's pioneering special effects achieved a realism and authenticity that made it the breakthrough film in SciFi moviemaking history. Cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth did all effects in-camera, doing multiple passes on the same negative giving the film's space scenes a first generation quality minimizing degeneration inherent in special effects. The film won an academy award for special effects.

Arthur C. Clarke & Stanley Kubrick

Arthur C. Clarke wrote further sequels 2010 was the only story developed into a movie. 2001 starred Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester and Daniel Richter as Moonwatcher.

Charly (1968)
Charlie Gordon is a mentally challenged man who volunteers to undergo experimental brain surgery. His progress parallels a mouse named Algernon. Both regain their intelligence Algernon can do complex mazes, Charlie becomes a genius. Algernon's memory begins to deteriorate Charlie finds out the treatment is temporary and realizes he will revert back to his former self.

Poignant drama on mental retardation and social behaviour. Cliff Robertson's portrayal of Charlie Gordon won him the Oscar for best actor. The film stars Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney and Dick Van Patten.

Directed by Ralph Nelson and adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the Hugo and Nebula award winning story, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.

Planet of the Apes (1968)
A spaceship crash lands in an unknown planet three astronauts find their way to a civilization ran by apes and humans are considered a lesser animal species.

Based on the French novel, La Planete des Singes by Pierre Boulle from an adaptation by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans.

Ground breaking make up effects to recreate the apes delivered make up artist John Chambers the Academy's Honorary Award for outstanding achievement in Makeup.

The surprise ending is considered one of the most memorable in film history.

The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
A struggling Wild West rodeo discovers a valley where dinosaurs exist. The cowboys try to capture the dinosaurs for the rodeo show ending up with more than they can handle.

Great creature effects by Ray Harryhausen. "Gwangi" in the movie is an Allosaurus but Harryhausen modeled it to a T. Rex. The roping of Gwangi remains a memorable sequence of the film. The story was based on an early concept, Valley of the Mists from King Kong animator Willis O' Brien.

Directed by Jim O'Connolly and written by William Bast starring James Franciscus, Richard Carlson and Gila Golan.

Marooned (1969)
Three American astronauts returning home from a space station mission are unable to fire the main rockets stranding them in orbit while rescue efforts are hampered by an approaching hurricane.

The suspense filled movie delivers an edge of your seat tension as ground crews attempt a rescue mission to the stranded Apollo module.

Based on the novel Marooned by Martin Caidin. Caidin rewrote and updated the novel to reflect the movie he also acted as technical advisor. Directed by John Sturges and starring Gregory Peck, Richard Crenna, David Janssen, James Franciscus and Gene Hackman.

Great special effects plus some creative stories were a good balance in 60's SciFi films, the special effects techniques developed for 2001 added an authentic realism never before seen in cinema. The pioneering work of these films will bring the future generation of SciFi Cinema to new heights.

SciFiDrive SciFi 60's Movie Playlist

Rocketships, Monsters and Flying Saucers: SciFi Cinema of the 50's

2010-02-26T02:29:00.005-05:00

The 50's, a time of monsters, rocketships and flying saucers.The Cold War has began and Hollywood's film production was an all time high varying from big budget productions to cheap knock-offs. SciFi films in the 50's were either great or schlock. It was the "Golden Age" and the rise of the "B-Movies".

Two notable icons of the era, George Pal and Ray Harryhausen, created films that have become timeless classics. Advancing special effects with their techniques in stop motion and model animation, George Pal and Ray Harryhausen brought a sense of "realism" to SciFi cinema, amazing audiences with their ingenuity and imagination. Though George Pal would receive a number of academy awards for special effects, Ray Harryhausen received the Gordon E. Sawyer Award from the Academy in 1992.

Here's a list of some of the memorable films of the 50's.

Destination Moon (1950)
George Pal's first feature film based on Robert Heinlein's novel, Rocket Ship Galileo. This is the first SciFi film shot in Technicolor. Destination Moon depicted rocketships, spacesuits and the moon landscape in a realistic manner. A space battle with the USSR added a touch of the Cold War to the film.

When Worlds Collide (1951)
Produced by George Pal based on the SciFi novel by Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer. One of the earlier doomsday movies about Earth getting hit by another planet. Filmed in Technicolor, directed by Rudolph Maté and winner of the 1951 Academy Award for special effects. Inspiration for the movie "Deep Impact".

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Robert Wise directed this film about first contact. The strong non-violence message contrasted in the era of the atomic bomb and The Cold War. The classic line "Klaatu barada nikto" and the robot Gort are familiar pop culture icons.

The Thing from Another World (1951)
The first SciFi horror movie about an alien spacecraft discovered buried in the Arctic. After recovering the occupant the arctic base is victim to The Thing's terror. The film reveals only glimpses of The Thing riveting audiences in suspense. Directed by Howard Hawks (uncredited) and Christian Nyby released through RKO Radio Pictures Inc. "The Thing" is a precursor to "Alien" and future SciFi horror movies.

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Ray Harryhausen's first solo production based on "The Fog Horn" a short story by long time friend Ray Bradbury. The first film to use "Dynamation" Harryhausen's trademark model animation. A low cost special effect with effective results, the technique combines live actors with stop motion models. While rear projecting the live actors shot, animators can blend the model animation giving it an illusion that both elements are interacting. Harryhausen's "Dynamation" films never failed in thrilling movie audiences.

War of the Worlds (1953)
George Pal's film adaptation of H.G. Wells SciFi novel. Pal reinvented the story by setting it in 50's Los Angeles California. The Martian Tripods are replaced by sleek manta ray shaped crafts floating above ground with "invisible" legs. Attempting to use stop motion animation on the Martian's machines proved impractical and time consuming Pal decided to use wires instead. The film became a box office hit and a memorable classic.

Gojira (1954)
Japan's first successful monster movie was a box office hit in its first release. Inspired by Harryhausen's "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" Gojira is Japan's first "Kaiju". Due to budget and lack of skilled animators Gojira was originally planned as a stop motion movie but later changed to a man in a rubber suit stomping miniature cities. The movie's plot was inspired by an incident were Japanese fishermen came too close to a nuclear test site and got contaminated. Gojira would spawn numerous sequels and keep the tradition of a man inside the rubber costume. In later releases "Gojira" is renamed "Godzilla".

This Island Earth (1955)
A big budget production directed by Joseph M. Newman and adapted from the novel by Raymond F. Jones. Though shot in Technicolor, the groundbreaking special effects was done with the new standard colour Eastman process. The film was the first to depict faster than light travel and interplanetary battles. Later spoofed in Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The Movie (1996).

It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)
A six tentacled octopus terrorizes San Francisco after being awakened from the deep by a hydrogen bomb test.
Producer Charles H. Schneer and special effects visionary Ray Harryhausen first collaboration would be the beginning of many films to come. Due to budget restrictions the octopus had only six tentacles instead of eight.

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen's next project about flying saucers invading Earth. Precursor to Independence Day.

20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
A showcase of Ray Harryhausen's special effect wizardry. A returning space mission to Venus crash lands in the Mediterranean bringing with them an alien creature that grows to the huge "Ymir". A low budget film, Harryhausen wanted the film to be in colour. In 2007 he worked with Legend Films to create a colorized version it was later released in the 50th anniversary version.

Forbidden Planet (1956)
Based on Shakespeare's "The Tempest". A big budget film production with amazing special effects for its time. The film features a young Leslie Nielsen in command of the United Planets Cruiser C57D the spaceship journeys to the planet Altair-IV investigating the fate of colonists from an earlier expedition. Forbidden Planet's look and feel became the inspiration for Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" and George Lucas' "Star Wars". The film introduces Robby the Robot for the first time.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
SciFi paranoia at its best an invasion film without invaders the film only shows people being victimized by "pods" and the resulting conspiracy of infected hosts out to take over the world. In the time of the McCarthyist witch hunt and Soviet Red scare of the 50's the movie grew in popularity for its allegorical message of losing one's individual freedom.

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Inspired from Tales of the Arabian Nights. The movie retells the voyage of Sinbad and his encounters with fantastic creatures.
The incredible special effects without the use of computers or CGI is the culmination of Ray Harryhausen's "Dynamation". The movie needs to be mentioned here for reason that this film, Harryhausen refined his Dynamation techniques to a science. It took Harryhausen 11 months to finish the film's animation.

The Blob (1958)
A meteorite falls in a small town revealing a jelly like amoeba that later grows as it devours more people. The Blob is eventually defeated by freezing and dropped in the North Pole.
SciFi horror film introducing a young Steve McQueen. Produced with a budget of $120,000 it would later gross $4 million.

The SciFi films of the 50's have become a source of inspiration and remakes for today's studios. Special effects have taken a leap from early cinema with advances in film technology and colour film adding more realism. SciFi cinema will still go further to achieve greater believability and realism.

Evolution of Science Fiction Cinema: The Early 20th Century

2010-02-26T00:10:00.006-05:00

Modern day science fiction (scifi) films can find its roots in the beginnings of cinema in the early part of the 20th century. Filmmaking evolve together with photographic and special effects technology. Some of which are still adapted in one form or another in modern cinema. Contemporary scifi films can find its influence from this early period.

Regular camcorders have built in special effects features that were derived from this early film making techniques.

This article will touch on some of the films that have been an influence in the evolution of science fiction cinema.

The early silent films were short and a novelty, mostly to show off the technology of the new entertainment rather than tell a story. The subject could be everyday life, events or comedy usually accompanied by live music as the medium had no sound.
Films were increasingly drawing crowds who can't get enough. The film industry boomed churning out more movies to supply demand. Film studios became lucrative, people got into the film business.

George Melies was a stage magician when he watched his first demonstration of the Lumiere brothers' camera. Melies then bought a camera and begun his film career. Georges Melies would bring magic to the cinema with his photographic effects and tricks that were a marvel at the time.

He would introduce multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves and other effects. His most well known movie, the blockbuster of its time was "Trip to the Moon".

Trip to the Moon

Written and directed by Georges Melies in 1902, with help from his brother Gaston. The first scifi film ever made had a running time of 14 minutes at 16 fps; Where the average running time for films of that era was 3 minutes. The most famous and popular of all George Melies films its special effects and animation were innovative for its time.

Loosely based on Jules Verne's Earth to the Moon and H.G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon. The film depicts man's first attempt to the moon. The film includes the familiar scene where the spaceship hits the eye of the man in the moon.

Film directors were experimenting in cinematic style. Movies were evolving into an art form. German cinema was a leader in the early days with its expressionism, One of the well known directors was Fritz Lang and his most famous film was Metropolis.

Metropolis

Fritz Lang's dystopian vision of the future set in the year 2026. The silent scifi film was released in 1927 produced with the budget of 7 million Reichsmark (equivalent to around $200 million in 2005.)

Metropolis depicts a social struggle between the thinkers/planners living high above in the skyscrapers of Metropolis and the workers living below who toil endlessly for them.

The film's epic detail in design and its elaborate visual effects would influence later scifi films like Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, The Matrix. Metropolis' Robot-Gynoid Maria inspired the design for Star Wars Droid C3PO.

Novel
Official Site

The advent of sound captivated audiences, movies began having "sound effects" while music was utilized to give an emotional impact.

King Kong

The movie that popularized the giant monster genre retells the story of beauty and the beast. Produced and directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack its innovative special effects and stop motion animation was done by Willis O'Brien who brought the monster gorilla to life. Willis O'Brien pioneered stop motion techniques that later SFX artists would honor him as founder and father. CGI animation can trace its roots to this film.

King Kong broke box-office records at its opening in 1933, its success saved RKO studios from bankruptcy. In later re-releases it still managed to gross at the box office. King Kong inspired a number of remakes the best one by Peter Jackson in 2005.

The image of King Kong on top of the Empire State building has become a familiar pop icon.

Flash Gordon

Adapted from the popular comic strip Flash Gordon by Alex Raymond was a space opera serialized in 1936. Budgeted at $350,000 the most expensive serial at that time.

Movie serials were 30 minute shorts shown before the main feature. Serials introduced the cliffhanger ending, making movie audiences return and watch the next episode.

Flash Gordon introduces many plot elements common in scifi films; The evil ruler bent on conquest, a hero fighting impossible odds, friendly allies or sidekicks. It also introduced the use of "ray guns" and other high tech props.

Flash Gordon used the scrolling text introduction to brief viewers on previous episodes. George Lucas's Star Wars films adapted the scrolling text at the beginning of each film, homage to the early movie serials.

Early Science Fiction films were known for its innovation in visual effects that have evolved and adapted in today's computerized technology. Common scifi story elements introduced in this early era would show up in later generations of films. Science Fiction in cinema wouldn't be the same if not for these early pioneers.

SciFiDrive Early SciFi Playlist