Science Movie Reviews

As those of you familiar with "V" already know, human looking alien visitors landed on Earth, led by an alien innocuously called John (Richard Herd), who gave Earth a benevolent message that fooled many into thinking that the visitors came in peace. Some humans even ended up working collaboratively with them. There were some, however, that were skeptical of the visitors' motives, and mistrust turned to fear when scientists and doctors began to be rounded up and mysteriously disappeared.

Mike Donovan (Marc Singer), a hunky cameraman, had his own misgivings about the aliens, but once he observed the visitors literally shedding their skins, revealing that that they were not human at all, but rather, nothing more than reptilian looking aliens, his misgivings were reinforced. Mike also discovered that they meant mankind harm and were hell-bent of the conquest of Earth and divestiture of one of Earth's most important natural resources without which humans cannot live.

Mike joined the resistance, headed by beautiful medical doctor, Julie Parish (Faye Grant). As the underground resistance battled the visitors, many humans were still convinced that the visitors were benevolent and being misjudged by these so-called freedom fighters. As fascist rule supplanted democratic government throughout the world, under the pretext of law and order and at the direction of the visitors and at the behest of their human puppets, the viewer cannot help but be aware of the allegorical implications.

This two disc DVD provides three episodic treats. The resistance continues its struggle against the visitors with the assistance of an alien fifth column, working secretly together, side by side. Mike Donovan and Julie Parish are now joined by irascible and laconic Ham Tyler (Michael Ironside), a former special forces agent with a chip on his shoulder and the military strategy necessary to coalesce the resistance movement into a lean, mean, fighting machine.

This sequel mini-series is action packed, as the visitors and the resistance fighters duke it out for control over the Earth. The exquisitely beautiful, evil alien, Diana (Jane Badler), stops at nothing to secure her ambitions. Not content with being the science officer for the invading forces, she seeks military glory at all cost. She is the one from whom both humans and aliens have much to fear.

The allegorical thread also continues, as humans begin to be rounded up routinely and trucked off to a processing plant. After all, it is the visitors fervent desire to serve man...literally. It seems that in addition to the Earth's water, the visitors are secretly looking to humans as a food source.

There are some interesting special effects for its time, as well as some cheesy ones. There are also some key performances. Most notable are those of Jane Badler, in the role of the diabolical Diana, and Michael Ironside, as Ham Tyler, the alien hating resistance fighter. Look also for Robert Englund, who would go on to Freddy Kreuger fame the same year as the release of this mini-series sequel. He continues in the role of Willie, a peaceful loving visitor who allies himself with the resistance.

This film has everything, suspense, action, thrills, a gripping story line, a moral message, and an inter-species birth. How can anyone resist? This is sci-fi as it should be. Bravo!

The DVD provides a crystal clear, widescreen picture and perfect audio, but little else. It provides none of the interesting extras found on the "V" DVD. Instead, the buyer will have to be satisfied with the usual interactive menus, as well as scene access, and subtitles available in English, French. Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Bahasa, Thai, and Korean. All in all, notwithstanding its shortcomings, this is a DVD well worth having in one's collection, if one is a sci-fi diehard.

It is unfortunate that the television series based upon this highly successful mini-series did not fare well. The knuckleheads in charge of programming sentenced it to death right from the beginning by scheduling it opposite the then number one television show, "Dallas". The series never even had a chance coming out of the gate. I only hope that a DVD collection of the series will be forthcoming.

"Westworld" begins with a lengthy commercial touting the benefits of vacationing at Delos, a company that runs a most unusual theme park. For only one thousand dollars a day (in 1973 dollars!), the curious can star in their own version of the Wild West (Westworld), Medieval Europe (Medievalworld), or in the decadent splendor of Rome (Romanworld). A steep price to play for such diversions, to be sure, but Delos employs amazingly realistic robots and stylish props to completely recreate these eras. A visitor to the Delos amusement park can fight a knight to win the hand of a queen, gun down outlaws in the streets, or take part in a Roman banquet. The robot characters look so real that it is difficult to tell them apart from the other guests, a fact that adds a real dimension of excitement to the experience when you stand down someone at the end of a gun barrel. Obviously, Delos cannot have guests dying violently left and right, so they engineered the props, like guns, to only fire at "cold" machines. An enormous army of technicians runs the show from an underground control center where the worlds undergo constant scrutiny and where employees repair robots "killed" or "injured" in the day's activities. Despite a few worrisome problems, mainly regarding some sort of emerging computer "virus" that mystifies the techies, Delos operates without many serious hitches.

Enter the main characters of the film, two business types looking for fun played by Richard Benjamin and James Brolin. Both decide to go to Westworld, and after donning western style clothing complete with firearms, they start their adventure. What follows is every western film cliché imaginable. The two take part in a bar brawl, share special relationships with the local ladies, and orchestrate a jailbreak. Moreover, the two soon earn the enmity of the local gunslinger, a sinister, shining eyed figure clad in black played with frosty efficiency by Yul Brynner. The shootouts involving the gunslinger look as though Crichton lifted them from a Sam Peckinpah movie, with blood spraying in slow motion splendor. "Westworld" even includes a nicely done "guy on fire scene," one of the best in cinematic history. The movie occasionally shifts to Medievalworld to follow the exploits of one of the park visitors there, but most of the action involves what is going on in Westworld. Look for Dick Van Patten in a smaller role as a white bread businessman who soon learns a thing or two about manhood at the theme park.

The last part of the film, after the computer virus causes the robots to rebel against their human masters, shifts the focus of the film from science fiction fare to a harrowing thriller. I think one of the grimmest, chilliest sequences in film history involves Brynner's single-minded pursuit of Richard Benjamin through the desert and mountains surrounding Delos. I can still hear the sound of the gunslinger's boots clicking down the long hallways of Delos's control center as he marches to the final showdown with his prey. Who will win in the battle between technology and man? Benjamin's character must apply the lessons he learned about being a man during his stay at Westworld to save his own life at the conclusion of the film, but it won't be easy triumphing over an unthinking killing machine.

Flaws do abound in this movie. How does Delos insure that swords and similar weaponry in Medievalworld won't hurt real guests? Why do the hands on two immobile robots change position in various shots? How can the gunslinger detect the heat patterns from Benjamin's feet on a sunny day, especially considering Benjamin was wearing boots and had left the tracks at least ten minutes before the gunslinger saw them? These are minor problems, but they are noticeable after repeated viewings. Overall, "Westworld" is a grand slam homerun that every science fiction fan must watch at some point. Regrettably, the movie did not receive a worthy DVD release. The film's transfer quality isn't bad, but it isn't great, either. A trailer is the only extra, so forget about listening to a commentary or seeing any production stills, cast bios, behind the scenes footage, or deleted scenes. Oh well, at least "Westworld" made it to DVD. For that, we can all be thankful.

"Westworld" begins with a lengthy commercial touting the benefits of vacationing at Delos, a company that runs a most unusual theme park. For only one thousand dollars a day (in 1973 dollars!), the curious can star in their own version of the Wild West (Westworld), Medieval Europe (Medievalworld), or in the decadent splendor of Rome (Romanworld). A steep price to play for such diversions, to be sure, but Delos employs amazingly realistic robots and stylish props to completely recreate these eras. A visitor to the Delos amusement park can fight a knight to win the hand of a queen, gun down outlaws in the streets, or take part in a Roman banquet. The robot characters look so real that it is difficult to tell them apart from the other guests, a fact that adds a real dimension of excitement to the experience when you stand down someone at the end of a gun barrel. Obviously, Delos cannot have guests dying violently left and right, so they engineered the props, like guns, to only fire at "cold" machines. An enormous army of technicians runs the show from an underground control center where the worlds undergo constant scrutiny and where employees repair robots "killed" or "injured" in the day's activities. Despite a few worrisome problems, mainly regarding some sort of emerging computer "virus" that mystifies the techies, Delos operates without many serious hitches.

Enter the main characters of the film, two business types looking for fun played by Richard Benjamin and James Brolin. Both decide to go to Westworld, and after donning western style clothing complete with firearms, they start their adventure. What follows is every western film cliché imaginable. The two take part in a bar brawl, share special relationships with the local ladies, and orchestrate a jailbreak. Moreover, the two soon earn the enmity of the local gunslinger, a sinister, shining eyed figure clad in black played with frosty efficiency by Yul Brynner. The shootouts involving the gunslinger look as though Crichton lifted them from a Sam Peckinpah movie, with blood spraying in slow motion splendor. "Westworld" even includes a nicely done "guy on fire scene," one of the best in cinematic history. The movie occasionally shifts to Medievalworld to follow the exploits of one of the park visitors there, but most of the action involves what is going on in Westworld. Look for Dick Van Patten in a smaller role as a white bread businessman who soon learns a thing or two about manhood at the theme park.

The last part of the film, after the computer virus causes the robots to rebel against their human masters, shifts the focus of the film from science fiction fare to a harrowing thriller. I think one of the grimmest, chilliest sequences in film history involves Brynner's single-minded pursuit of Richard Benjamin through the desert and mountains surrounding Delos. I can still hear the sound of the gunslinger's boots clicking down the long hallways of Delos's control center as he marches to the final showdown with his prey. Who will win in the battle between technology and man? Benjamin's character must apply the lessons he learned about being a man during his stay at Westworld to save his own life at the conclusion of the film, but it won't be easy triumphing over an unthinking killing machine.

Flaws do abound in this movie. How does Delos insure that swords and similar weaponry in Medievalworld won't hurt real guests? Why do the hands on two immobile robots change position in various shots? How can the gunslinger detect the heat patterns from Benjamin's feet on a sunny day, especially considering Benjamin was wearing boots and had left the tracks at least ten minutes before the gunslinger saw them? These are minor problems, but they are noticeable after repeated viewings. Overall, "Westworld" is a grand slam homerun that every science fiction fan must watch at some point. Regrettably, the movie did not receive a worthy DVD release. The film's transfer quality isn't bad, but it isn't great, either. A trailer is the only extra, so forget about listening to a commentary or seeing any production stills, cast bios, behind the scenes footage, or deleted scenes. Oh well, at least "Westworld" made it to DVD. For that, we can all be thankful.

Like "Independence Day" the movie is a race against time -- the scientists and military must find a way to defeat the aliens before they succeed in their plan to conquer the Earth-- but "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" is a better movie than "Independence Day". It's leaner, meaner and better-written. And Ray Harryhausen's special effects still look great today.

And what a great, great job Columbia did with this disc. The film has been digitally cleaned up and presented in widescreen, and there are some great extras -- Joe Dante interviews Ray Harryhausen about the film, and there is a short promotional film about Harryhausen's Dynamation process. A commentary track would have been welcome, but for a B-movie from the 50's, this is above and beyond. Thanks to everyone at Columbia who made it possible.

The film follows Walter Tevis's novel very well and adapts to the screen to create a very saddening tale of corporate America and how it can be a boon or a bust to some, including aliens.

That alone is a scary thought.

Upon his arrival from a dying planet, Thomas Jerome Newton sets out to create an empire to obtain money to purchase water for his dying planet. Occasional scenes are shown of him leaving his wife and children behind, and throughout the film we see other scenes of them waiting for his return.

What is never shown is how he is going to transport this to his home planet.

Along the way to his path to success, he is plagued by metaphorical leeches who will do anything to stop him. Greed, lust, and several other deadly sins are thrust upon our protaganist as he tries in vain to overcome them in the process.

David Bowie was the perfect person to be cast for this movie. He moves along in it with an icy perfection that is or was appropriate to his character at the time.

Keep in mind, this film is not without it's flaws. Some scenes were restored to make this the original theatrical release. One involving Rip Torn and his student could have been done without as it makes no sense and attributes nothing to the overall affect of the movie. Again, that is just an opinion, and die hard fans of this movie will be happy that it is included.

This film, upon it's release, was well ahead of its time and to this day, many of the themes implied still are appropiate to what constitutes success vs. failure in the American business sense.

The films ends on a saddening note, however, and should be a reminder that what goes around, comes around. You do not have to be a fan of David Bowie to appreciate this film, he just makes it all work and the end result is stunning. Nicholas Roeg did everything possible to steer away from the persona of David Bowie and his music. The end result is a very good solid acting part on his behalf. Ironically, some of the incidental music later became working pieces on David Bowie's LOW album, which has a stunning shot from the movie. Highly recommended, and not for anyone looking for a quick plot or storyline and a happy ending, this film is chock full of storylines and plots that keeps you interested throughtout it's prescence.

The film follows Walter Tevis's novel very well and adapts to the screen to create a very saddening tale of corporate America and how it can be a boon or a bust to some, including aliens.

That alone is a scary thought.

Upon his arrival from a dying planet, Thomas Jerome Newton sets out to create an empire to obtain money to purchase water for his dying planet. Occasional scenes are shown of him leaving his wife and children behind, and throughout the film we see other scenes of them waiting for his return.

What is never shown is how he is going to transport this to his home planet.

Along the way to his path to success, he is plagued by metaphorical leeches who will do anything to stop him. Greed, lust, and several other deadly sins are thrust upon our protaganist as he tries in vain to overcome them in the process.

David Bowie was the perfect person to be cast for this movie. He moves along in it with an icy perfection that is or was appropriate to his character at the time.

Keep in mind, this film is not without it's flaws. Some scenes were restored to make this the original theatrical release. One involving Rip Torn and his student could have been done without as it makes no sense and attributes nothing to the overall affect of the movie. Again, that is just an opinion, and die hard fans of this movie will be happy that it is included.

This film, upon it's release, was well ahead of its time and to this day, many of the themes implied still are appropiate to what constitutes success vs. failure in the American business sense.

The films ends on a saddening note, however, and should be a reminder that what goes around, comes around. You do not have to be a fan of David Bowie to appreciate this film, he just makes it all work and the end result is stunning. Nicholas Roeg did everything possible to steer away from the persona of David Bowie and his music. The end result is a very good solid acting part on his behalf. Ironically, some of the incidental music later became working pieces on David Bowie's LOW album, which has a stunning shot from the movie. Highly recommended, and not for anyone looking for a quick plot or storyline and a happy ending, this film is chock full of storylines and plots that keeps you interested throughtout it's prescence.

This is a very effective ghost story with great visual effects, a few gorey death scenes, and just an overall creepy atmosphere. You get the sense of being trapped in the submarine, with its cramped quarters and tempers on edge, the periods of complete silence, and even suffer along with the crew when a German ship drops explosives all around them. (A visually great sequence, too.) Some of the dialogue is a bit cheesy and some of the performances just manage to go overboard (no pun intended). But the visuals and the story more than make up for that.

The picture quality of the DVD is fantastic, very crisp and clear. Soudn quality is very good, too. Not a lot of extras, but the deleted scenes are worth watching. (I even prefer the "Red Flare Ending" to the original.)

Director David Twohy (Pitch Black) directs a script that Darren Aronofsky (Pi) has had his hand in to bring us a smart and downright frightening movie about a haunted submarine during WWII. Forget that pile of MTV Junk "Ghost Ship" and watch this vehicle instead.

The story is a simple one but there are plenty of twists, plot and scares along the way. Basically a submarine called the Tiger Shark is given orders to head back the way it came to pick up survivors that are drifting in the sea. After they do, strange mysterious things start happening on board the submarine while at the same time it is trying to evade the detection of a German destroyer. As the story moves forward you start to learn that everybody is keeping some sort of a secret and that there is a connection between some crew members and the haunting. Bad guys turn good and good guys turn bad and as a suspense piece you never know what is going to happen next. There are plenty of times in the film when you genuinely want to cover your eyes, or hide behind the sofa.

The other great thing about this movie is that it is crammed full of supporting actors in lead roles and you will have a lot of fun trying to put some of these faces to pictures that you have seen recently (Fight Club - Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Training Day... to name but a few.) The special effects are actually well done and even though a huge percentage of the special effects are CGI you will be hard pressed to notice it. In my opinion, this is a better submarine movie than the recent U-751 and a lot more suspense driven that I actually expected.

It is odd that Dimension films did very little in way of actually promoting this film. Maybe they felt that the story was not coherent or believable enough as a horror yarn to merit much advertising.. but then again we are talking about the same company that brought us the absolutely awful Dracula 2000 (with two sequels in the pipeline!). Okay the story does bend the rules of reality here and there but the acting is solid, the story is original and it looks visually wonderful enough to cast any flaws aside.

If there is any submarine horror movie that you would like to see then make it this one (probably the only one) and if you have seen this movie at the DVD rental store but don't know what to do with it, then get it next time because you will be in for quite a pleasant surprise.

It is rather very good after all is said and done. In fact I am now going to buy myself a copy of this little gem.

This DVD edition is good--for the price. The movie has not been restored by any means, but seeing it widescreen for the first time in a long time is a treat. The vintage promo "making of" documentary is of the classic mold, deep voiced narrator and all.
BUT Norman Jewison's commentary track is absolutely worthless; a prime example of the worst kind of blah blah commentary there is. This is the kind with a LOT of silent time. When he does talk, the guy can't even seem to get the words out ("Uh.....uh....this....uhhh...). And if he does get the words out, he usually just tells us what's happening on the screen (something we can obviously see for ourselves, given that this isnt' a radio play). Or he pontificates endlessly on the film's themes, explaining them as though we're all to stupid to understand the "individual v the corporate" storyline. Mention it, sure, but Norman, we don't have to be told for twenty minutes! Damn!
The only worse commentary I've heard was Kinka Usher's on the "Mystery Men" dvd. But at least that revealed something of interest--that the self-impressed Usher didn't have a talented bone in his body.
Directors who are not natural raccontours should be paired with (or replaced by) film historians on commentary tracks, the better to pull out of them the interesting stuff we know they must have in their heads. Not everyone is a John Carpenter or Larry Cohen, two of the best at this there are, no matter what you think of their films.

Anyway, Rollerball is still worth 8 or 9 bucks. Buy it.

The action is great and strangly hypnotizing as skaters and motorcyclists race around a large circular track, trying to throw a steel metal ball into a basket.

John Housman makes one of the best establishment heavys as he hints, demands, and threatens Johnathan to retire. For people that like gladiator movies, sports action, or the lone man trying to survive, Rollerball will excite you. You'll be shouting Johnathan's name along with the crowd. And after it's over, you'll feel like taking on the world. Yes, a great motivational movie as well.

Pay no attention to remake. This is the one and only "Rollerball".