Xenomorph March is here! All this month we are going to explore the Aliens universe and we start with the sci-fi noir horror/survival classic that started it all - Alien. Ridley Scott's tour de force of non-verbal story telling holds up remarkably well almost 40 years later, including the facehugger prop and the overall feel and design of all the sets used in the film. It is insane to think this was done on an 11 million dollar budget.
Next week, Aliens.
He's back. Well, Lord RageMaster is back. It's been a minute since we had a Rips A Clip supplemental. This time, Lord RageMaster turns his ire toward unnecessary and over the top fight scenes, such as the one that occurred in The Hobbit - The Desolation Of Smaug. I can't say I disagree. An awesome fight seen is one thing, concluding that the hero or villain in the fight is a godling or can only killed by a supernova, and maybe not then and only by direct impact from a gamma ray burst, well that is too much.
Fantasy February wraps up with a discussion of how exactly Fantasy films have become mainstream. At one point in the past fantasy movies and stories were only for the nerdy. Today fantasy if for everyone. In Symptom 58 we discuss, sometimes contentiously, what the tipping point of this was. Was it as Lord Ragemaster says, DD? Or as Thomas feels, the internet allowing wider distribution and access? Did anime, Pokemon and Dragonball Z have a part in this journey? Was it Harry Potter? Or was Harry Potter and the success of the Lord of The Rings movies simply the proof that fantasy had at some point prior "gotten over" to steal a pro wrestling term for popular acceptance? We try to answer this question and I don't think we arrived at complete consensus, but undeniably, the main stream success of Game Of Thrones, The Lord of The Rings, The Hobbit and Harry Potter have proven that fantasy is no longer relegated to nerds dwelling mom's basement.
Fantasy February takes a trip on the Hogwarts Express as we leave the land of Muggles and head into the Wizarding World.
Lord Ragemaster was unable to join us this week for our discussion of all things Harry Potter. Clearly it would be impossible to discuss seven movies and books in one podcast, well, not one that we reasonably expect anyone to listen to, it would become and audio book. So, given the daunting task of compressing the Harry Potter universe into a one hourish podcast, this pair of muggles chose to focus on the three main characters of Harry, Hermione and Ron, as well as Dumbledore, Snape and Voldemort.
Next week we wrap up Fantasy February with a discussion of how Fantasy became mainstream. Next month we begin our review of the Alien franchise with Xenomorph March.
Fantasy February continues on Sci-Fi Malady as we review The Hobbit. Prepare yourself for endless exposition, narration, voiceovers and well, occasionally, the advancement of the plot and action scenes. If you have ever wanted to spend nearly two entire movies traveling to a mountain to fight a dragon, and watching a wizard do no wizarding for nearly two movies, well, this is your trilogy.
Jokes aside, The Hobbit is a classic and J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a powerhouse work of fantasy that will be read as long as books and civilization exists. With the films there are great messages, such as what keeps evil at bay is everyday average people choosing to be good. While overly long The Hobbit, both film and novel, remains a must read and must view for any fan of fantasy.
Fantasy February kicks off with a discussion of Game of Thrones, both the TV series and the books, although admittedly heavy on the TV series. We talk about the character arcs for all of the primary players, as well as some themes and get into some theories as to where this thing may end up. We also try to figure out what happened with books four and five that really slowed down the series, and explain why we (Corey and Scott) believe the TV show is better than the novels.
This week, Lord Ragemaster makes an appearance and he is very confused about this modern world he has found himself in. We also see a return of that Nick guy people swear was once on the podcast in that one episode or two.
This week we conclude Black Mirror Month - well, Black Mirror half month, thanks to Old Man Winter. For Symptom 54 the crew discusses the season four, and maybe series, finale, Black Museum. This episode asks again if synthetic intelligence is truly alive but more directly asks the question of how extreme can a punishment for a criminal be? We spend a good part of this episode discussing just what cruel and unusual is. As you should expect, we did find consensus on any of these issues.
This week Sci-Fi Malady returns to the twisted world of Black Mirror, the Netflix original series as we discuss the season four premier - USS Callister. Black Mirror has again returned to its stomping ground - artificial, or synthetic, or as we argue, non-biological life versus biological life. In this episode the writers of Black Mirror are also discussing cyber bullying and how the bullied can sometimes become the bully, although we don't really get to that aspect as we spend most of the show discussing whether the virtual copies of Robert Daly's co-workers are indeed alive and have any rights. The argument breaks along the lines it usually does when we discuss this, as you might expect.
Next week we will stay in the Black Mirror universe and discuss either MetalHead or ArkAngel before concluding with Black Museum. While this symptom may have been more heated than others and with less consensus, one thing is sure, the Sci-Fi Malady crew loves Black Mirror.
This week was supposed to be a review of a season 4 Black Mirror Episode - but Snowmageddon scrapped that plan. So while we work on getting out next weeks Episode, a review of the Black Mirror Episode USS Canister - here is a replay of an episode from way back at the beginning of Sci-Fi Malady - our review of the video game FallOut 4. There is no Ragemaster in this one but you do get Corey, Scott and that Nick guy in one of his rare appearances.
New Years Day is usually a time for reflection and thinking back on the year that was. Here at Sci-Fi we decided to do the same and this week we are amending prior opinions or expanding upon prior podcasts. Maybe we got something wrong, such as Scott's view on the Orville, or Ragemaster's original dislike of the score for BladeRunner 2049, or maybe, as in Corey's case, he wanted to discuss the DLC War of The Chosen for XCOM2. This week we re-visit our prior topics and either admit where we were wrong or add some new information.
Next week we begin a three week coverage of Black Mirror Season 4 which will take us into Fantasy February, to be followed by Xenomorph April.
It is time to talk about The Last Jedi. Yes, as the Ragemaster says in the open, it is a divisive movie. Critics almost universally love it, fans seem split. Depending on which fan you talk to, either most fans love it or most fans hate it and there is no way to factually prove it as different surveys say different things.
This week Corey, Scott and the RageMaster discuss The Last Jedi, its strengths, weaknesses and why this movie seems to be either loved or reviled. While we disagree on many things and two of us loved the movie and one of us very much disliked it, we are agree that this movie represents an evolution of Star Wars and that Rian Johnson has taken the franchise in a new direction. Not only has Star Wars departed from its traditional mythological epic roots, all of the original trilogy character, except Leia, who will not be in Episode 9, and Chewbacca, have been killed, so the slate has been cleared for Episode 9 and beyond to tell new stories, in a new style, with a focus on new characters and new story lines. Additionally our heroes have become human, with all the inherent flaws, instead of larger than life perfect archetypes.
Some fans love this. Some fans of a traditionalist nature, hate it. At its core this is the nature of the divisiveness. This Star Wars is a departure from all that we have seen and sends a clear message that we are never returning to the Star Wars of our childhoods. If you are ok with this, then The Last Jedi was a great and enjoyable film hat guarantees this franchise will be around for many more years with many new tales to entertain and thrill us. If you are not ok with this new direction then The Last Jedi represents a defilement and hijacking of something you loved and treasured and hence, you revile it.
Regardless of whether you liked or disliked The Last Jedi one thing is certain - Star Wars is here to stay and it is not going anywhere anytime soon and Rian Johnson will be the man shaping the future vision. The Last Jedi is the indicator of what is to come.
The Last Jedi has been released to a wave of controversy. Some fans love it, some fans hate it. Of course critics have reviewed the film with a fine toothed comb and are quick to point out all its flaws. The thing is, flaws don't make a movie bad. This week is not about The Last Jedi - this week looks at Episode 4 - A New Hope, which is my favorite Star Wars movie and one of my favorite movies period. To prove that even movies that most fans think are great, and most fans think ANH is one of the best after Empire, I am going to point out some the cringe worthy ugliness in A New Hope - and at the same time tell you why it does not matter. Movies have flaws, that's not what matters, what matters is - did you enjoy the movie.
Sometimes bad TV gets green lighted by absentee and clueless network executives. Sometimes the final product is so bad you wonder who had blackmail photos on who. And sometimes the TV show in questions is The Star Wars Christmas Special. This abomination is so bad that you can only conclude everyone involved was either high or attempting to destroy their own careers and Star Wars, or both.
Seriously, this thing has something that looks like the Jolly Green Giant as the Pied Piper if he as the Devil, 15 minutes of non-stop Wookie speak with no subtitles, Chewie's wife making dinner in a mop bucket and Art Carney giving Chewie's Dad soft core porn as a christmas gift, which we watches in the family living room. Not to mention, Chewie's kid - who once you see his serial killer eyes can never be unseen.
It is the Star Wars Christmas special - it is so bad you can only laugh.
It is time to kick off Star Wars December and we start by ranking the movies. While we enjoy all the movies and hated none of them, we all have our favorites and least favorites. Of course, this list is entirely subjective, except that my rankings are correct.
Phillip K. Dick Month concludes with our discussion of Blade Runner 2049. We both love this movie. This movie, and the 1982 Blade Runner - are the movies Ragemaster and I have been asking for over the last year. Blade Runner 2049 is a heady, deep, high science fiction masterpiece that is visually amazing and inventive, as well as being immersive. It discusses no less than what it means to be human, otherwise as the meaning of life. It also deals with sub themes of slavery, class divisions and the importance of ecological responsibility. It does this while being entertaining and emotionally investing the viewer in the characters on screen.
Blade Runner 2049 is, for my money, a perfect science fiction movie. Not perfect for what it set out to be, but simply a perfect movie.
The Ragemaster found a clip that made him irate again, and as we all know, when he's irate, he's irate. This time, Stranger Things and the Duffer Brothers - Sci-Fi/Horror/Pop Culture legends, icons, dare I saw gods amongst men, have fallen under his crosshairs.
Phillip K. Dick month rolls on. This week we discuss the 1982 tour de force - Blade Runner and the novel that inspired it - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Both the movie and the novel are fantastic. Both tell deeply impactful stories examining what it means to be human and what makes one uniquely human. The movie however, is a work of art. We have clamored on this podcast for a year for movies that tell the story non-verbally, with layered symbolism and meaning that can only become truly clear upon multiple viewings. Blade Runner is the movie that I at least (Scott) have been asking modern film makers to emulate.
This one runs a little long because well, there is so much to unpack but I think there is enough good stuff in here that it won't seem that long to you.
Phillip K. Dick month concludes next week with a discussion of Blade Runner 2049 and then we will move onto Star Wars December - and i think the reason is obvious.
PKD Month continues on Sci-Fi Malady. This week we review The short story and film - Minority Report...or The Minority Report, depending on which version we are talking about. Minority Report is another fine example of PKD's themes of a dystopian future where technology will be abused by those in power as well as examining the subjective nature of reality. At the heart of both the short story and movie is a great ethical conundrum - how many innocents would send to jail to save a single human life? How many to wipe out murder entirely? If you are John Anderton in the movie - none. If you are John Anderson in the story - as many as needed, murder has been eliminated so pre-crime works.
Next week - probably Blade Runner - or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - depending on if we are talking about the movie or the book.
And no - Android's don't dream of electric sheep. Data dreams of weird 1850's railroad workers, birds, anvils and his deceased creator. Star Trek settled this PKD. Not electric sheep, weird railroad workers and birds.
Symptom 44 kicks off our review of the works of Phillip K. Dick, legendary science fiction novelists and short story writer. Today we discuss his short story We Can Remember it For You Wholesale, or by its better known movie title Total Recall. We talk a little about PKD and his writing style and themes, the short story and mostly about the amazingly awesome movie that is 1990's Total Recall.
We had a great time at Akron Comicon this weekend. We met some great people, saw some awesome costumes and amazing displays. While there we discussed the question of whether comics and superheroes are part of science fiction or their own genre. We also interview various con-goers and asked them the same questions.
Thanks to everyone who talked to us and checked out our podcast. Special thanks to the 501st for speaking with us twice because I lost the first audio. Thanks to Akron Comicon for a great event.