BBC Focus Magazine

[The Beige Avenger]

Got any good ones that flew under the radar?

I need some good scifi.

For instance, a couple of years ago, I just happened to come across a film I'd never heard of called "Dark City" and it was ace.

[Shadowwolf]

Ahhh Dark City, now that's a fine piece of work.

As for others, well there was the recent Moon with Sam Rockwell which despite being made a year or two ago it goes all old skool and uses models instead of CGI, very good if you ask me, which you did. There is the tad B-Movieish Impostor with Gary Sinise - currently in one of the s**t CSI but then aren't they all - and Madeline Stowe which I think is well worth a look. Uh, one could try The Jacket with Adrien Brody and a very fetching Kiera Knightley which is all time travelly 'n' stuff but not via some magic machine. Oh and Screamers wiv Peter Weller, again a bit on the B-Movie side but an interesting concept and reasonably well made. Last one I can think of would be The Cube, list of recognisable but not terribly well known actors - though one is the cute lass who played Ezri Dax - and it's the original I speak of, the second one might be ok but I don't know about any subsequent sequels.

Now some of those are as I say B-Movieish but that's when the term B-Movie still meant a certain level of entertaining quality to be had. These days it's awful scripting, awful acting, balderdash plots and over used CGI that would be ashamed to appear as an FMV sequence on an average PS1 title.

[The Beige Avenger]

Ahhh Dark City, now that's a fine piece of work.

As for others, well there was the recent Moon with Sam Rockwell which despite being made a year or two ago it goes all old skool and uses models instead of CGI, very good if you ask me, which you did.

I really enjoyed Moon. Sam Rockwell is a damn fine actor.

There is the tad B-Movieish Impostor with Gary Sinise - currently in one of the s**t CSI but then aren't they all - and Madeline Stowe which I think is well worth a look.

Never heard of it... might give it a shot despite the bad reviews!

Uh, one could try The Jacket with Adrien Brody and a very fetching Kiera Knightley which is all time travelly 'n' stuff but not via some magic machine.

I'm not interested in what The Queen would watch.

I used to be a fan of Brodie... until I saw Predators

Oh and Screamers wiv Peter Weller, again a bit on the B-Movie side but an interesting concept and reasonably well made.

Haven't seen Screamers in ages! I'm going to watch that for sure... might go and get Phantoms too while I'm at it

Last one I can think of would be The Cube, list of recognisable but not terribly well known actors - though one is the cute lass who played Ezri Dax - and it's the original I speak of, the second one might be ok but I don't know about any subsequent sequels.

I think Philip Schofield might have ruined it for you :p

Now some of those are as I say B-Movieish but that's when the term B-Movie still meant a certain level of entertaining quality to be had. These days it's awful scripting, awful acting, balderdash plots and over used CGI that would be ashamed to appear as an FMV sequence on an average PS1 title.

Are you talking about the Warhammer 40k movie?

[Shadowwolf]

Well despite his later faux pas The Jacket is still worth a look as is The Impostor, well I at least think it is.

I think Philip Schofield might have ruined it for you :p

Never seen it but I do get irked when I think the damn movie is getting a showing only to notice that it only lasts an hour, thus is that swill with the aforementioned Phil.

Are you talking about the Warhammer 40k movie?

Okay so there was a lot wrong with it but for what they had budget wise it wasn't too shabby, not great but not gawdawful either. No I refer to dreck like Transmorphers and if you are unacquainted pray such a state of affairs remains to be so.

What's Phantoms btw?

[Lateralman]

"GATTACA" there is no gene for the human spirit.

[The Beige Avenger]

....

What's Phantoms btw?

Ben Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms yo!
-J.

It's a fairly crappy horror that I remember watching around about the same time as Screamers.

[Hyrulian Outlaw]

I would recommend Primer, a clever little movie made with an astonishingly low budget.

I would also check out Tartan Asia, movie distributors who pick up the rights to lots of obscure eastern films, lots of horror etc but they also distribute lots of films that win various festival awards. Oh and they have som supernatural sci-fi stuff.

[Shadowwolf]

Primer, that's one that needs a few views to get your head about what's going on.

As for Asian Film, there is The Host, that's kinda sci-fi but often in a satirical manner, kinda black comedy movie at points.

[Healerman]

I'm all on board with "Dark City".

On the subject of low budget ,corny classics, you can't really do much better than "Dark Star"

[M Paul Lloyd]

Oh yes Dark Star is a classic in its own right. I have it on vhs somewhere.
I really enjoy 'B' movie sci-fi and horror, you know the sort of thing that you don't have to take to seriously.

[Dark One]

Phantoms!
I...fall...to...pieces....wah wah wah wah each time i see you, again Man that is a hell of a film. So bad its good.

Give Splinter a try...great film about a parasitical lifeform.

Rec and Rec2, in the original spanish.

Splice, a much better adrian brody film.

Triangle.

Stalker...now thats quite a strange one, and not much happens...but its well worth a look. Oh and its all in russian

[Shadowwolf]

I heard bad stuff about splice and it didn't look all too hot in the clips I saw either.

[Healerman]

"Rec" I've seen and that was a good movie. "Rec 2" I didn't know about, but it is now on the list.

On the lighter side, go see "Attack the Block", from the same source as "Shaun of the Dead". Best laugh I've had since "Lesbian Vampire Killers".


On the side to Site Admin: Has there been any problems this morning? I posted this "Reply", though not perhaps word for word, earlier this morning, but lo and behold, there it was, gone! :?

[Shadowwolf]

Best laugh I've had since "Lesbian Vampire Killers".

Well, in fairness coming from there you could say that about almost anything

Oh and no, nothing I'm aware of to make posts vanish.

[M Paul Lloyd]

"

On the side to Site Admin: Has there been any problems this morning? I posted this "Reply", though not perhaps word for word, earlier this morning, but lo and behold, there it was, gone! :?

Me neither.

[The Beige Avenger]

Watched Primer... it was ok but as usual with a lot of scifi, there is often confusion between the plot and the gimmick.

Cool quote from it though...

"You hungry? I haven't eaten since later this afternoon..."

[Dark One]

highlander

[Shadowwolf]

Nah, methinks that one is closer to swords 'n' sorcery fantasy.

[Dark One]

Ah indeed in that first film 'tis, but if you watch the somewhat lamentable sequels, it is explained that they are (depending on the version you watch); aliens from the planet Zeist, or immortals from a pre-historical technologically advanced human civlisation. Pretty sci-fi I think.

A remake is in the pipeline I believe.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Yes the Germanic geezers blade in the last film is very 'off world' if you ask me.