marcusq22

I watched The Neverending Story many times as a kid. Back then, I knew very little about the use of use of dualism in fantasy (i.e. "light" vs. "dark" as seen in LotR & Harry Potter), the meta-aspects of fiction, or the three-act structure. As an adult, I watched Neverending Story with my kids. It was rewarding to watch this film again with adult eyes and catch some things I never picked up on before.

Falkor and Gmork played dual roles, with Falkor as the "white dog in the clouds" and Gmork as "the black dog on the ground". Symbolically, they represented childlike imagination ("head in the clouds") and adult apathy & cynicism ("keep your feet in the ground").

I've heard it said that a book is a magical contraption that enables an author to record part of their mind and allow readers to crawl around inside it. I have likewise marveled at how the reader's mind merges with the author's as the reader creates (vivid) pictures inside their head. Some examples from TNES:

• When it rained outside the school atic, it rained in Fantasia as well.

• Atreyu is described only as a "warrior". Bastian looks at the picture of the Indian Brave on his notebook and when Atreyu enters the scene, he looks almost the same.

• The reader is supposed to identify with the protagonist. We see a nearly literal realization of this when Atreyu looks into the mirror and sees Bastian in his reflection.

It also struck me just how symmetrical the plot is, with the pivot point around the "mirror that shows your true self" scene.

*First Act:*

1 Bullies / alley / dumpster

2 _Inciting Incident_: Bastian starts reading the story, Fantasia introduced

3 Atreyu visits the Ivory Tower

*Second Act:*

4 Bastian screams and is heard by Morla & Atreyu in the swamp

5 Artex dies in the swamp

6 _First Pinch_: Gmork chases Atreyu, who is rescued by Falkor

7 Atreyu is told what tests are to come by Engywook (the Gnome)

8 golden sphinxes (1st gate)

9 *Midpoint:* mirror that shows true self (2nd gate)

8 blue sphinxes (southern oracle)

7 Atreyu sees the tests that have passed in the stone murals

6 _Second Pinch_: Gmork fights Atreyu, who is then found by Falkor

5 Atreyu dies in the palace

4 Bastian screams a new name for the Empress

*Third Act:*

3 Bastian visits the Ivory Tower

2 _Climax_: Bastian starts writing the story, Fantasia introduced anew

1 Bullies / alley / dumpster, this time with Falkor

I have outgrown many of the fantasy movies I saw as a child, but there are a handful that have grown with me; I have found in them new insights and relevance as I've grown older and my worldview has expanded. Dark Crystal and Labyrinth are two of these, Neverending Story is another.

I remember watching Encounter at Farpoint with my kids for the first time. My middle daughter was taking a Sci-Fi Philosophy class in school (lucky kid!) and they showed this episode on a day when she stayed home sick, so she wanted to catch up with the class. Naturally, I was only too happy to help her with her homework.

I had watched a lot of TNG episodes with my daughters over the years, but I avoided the pilot because I remember it being a little cheesy. Upon rewatching, it was better than I remembered. They did a good job of introducing the new Trekosphere.

There was a "bit of the old, bit of the new" feeling to the pilot. On the "old" side, we had the ladies wearing mini-dress uniforms, a cameo by McCoy, an all-powerful being behaving badly, and a plot that was very much in the "seek out strange new life" vein. On the new side, there was the holodeck (fun!), children on board (what?), a Klingon on the bridge (gasp!), an Enterprise that could separate the saucer (squee!), and a Captain that was very much Not Kirk. (In the future, we will have evolved beyond the need for toupees...)

I told my kids that when TNG first aired in 1987, loyal fans of the original series had been waiting 18 long years for another ongoing Trek series, and the anticipation was huge. I still remember the closing scene where Picard leans forward in the captain's chair and exclaims "Let's see what's out there..." I got a charge out of that line Back In The Day, and I got a charge out of it again.

It was fun to boldly go again, and especially fun to watch it with The Next Generation of fans in my family.

My favorite science fiction poses the question "How do humans react to the emergence of some new tech?" I always like seeing an author explore how our philosophies / moralities / laws would be shaped by some (disruptive) new invention.

I think 'Her' did that very well. The best example was the mixed responses Theodore got when he told people he was having a relationship with an OS. I thought it was a very sincere relationship they had in that there was no physical component, they were just connecting mind-to-mind.

Side notes:

Scarlett Johansson impressed me with her acting ability. She emoted and reacted well by only using her voice. She proved that she's more than just a pretty face.

I was impressed at the candid and genuine portrayal of Theodore's depression, especially at the beginning of the movie. The director effectively used silence and lighting to show how empty Theo felt. That resonated with me.

Some tips for anyone who had difficulty with this film (from a guy who gained an appreciation for it after his first viewing):

Don't go into it expecting a traditional three-act structure with rising/falling action and a resounding conclusion. This is more of a "show about nothing" a la Seinfeld (and even Catcher in the Rye). We're basically just following these quirky characters to see what crazy thing they'll do next.

Another lens through which you can view this film: I suspect that Mamet penned this story as a form of therapy. It just seems "too real" to be pure fiction. I think it was cathartic for him to write it, and could potentially be therapeutic for anyone else who's had an awful, high-pressure, job.

All the time I was watching Pacific Rim, I thought of myself as a little boy playing with my robot & dinosaur toys in the tub. Further proof that men are always boys at heart, no matter how old they get.

If I wanted to criticize PR, I'm sure I could say that it was a bit cliched or over-the-top, but movies like this are like comfort food: you' know what you're getting and it just feels good.

Cook up some popcorn, get in touch with your inner child, and enjoy the ride. :-)

One of my favorite Star Trek Next Gen episodes is 'The Offspring', where Data creates a child (named "Lal"). I first saw it when I was a twentysomething with no wife or kids. I watched it again as a family man, and I had a very different perspective on it, now that I have daughters of my own.

When I first watched it, I never understood the closing scene following the death of his child, where Data comes onto the bridge. Picard expresses the crew's condolences, and then Data sits down at his station, expressionless, and does his job. They played this triumphant fanfare as he sat down, and I didn't get why.

I get it now: Even when his world is falling apart, the dad still has to go to work, put on a face, and do his job. The music was celebrating this small act of heroism. The irony is that Data, who tries so hard to be human, but never quite succeeds, showed that he could do this better than any human could.

Forbidden Planet starts off with a premise reminiscent of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest': A spaceship lands on a remote planet where the captain, his daughter, and the rest of the crew are exposed to perils that they must overcome 'ere they escape.

What sets this film apart from its contemporaries was how many "firsts" it achieved: It was the first high-budget sci-fi film, the first film to depict humans traveling to another planet on a spaceship of their own making, the first film that takes place entirely on an alien planet, and the first film to feature an entirely electronic musical score (called "electronic tonalities"). Pretty good bragging points.

Forbidden Planet cast a long shadow over the sci-fi genre, serving as an inspiration for many future offerings, especially Star Trek TOS. Notable parallels: a saucer-shaped ship, sliding doors, phaser pistols, military/naval crew exploring a new planet and finding that things are Not What They Seem, the perils of toying with super-advanced alien technology, and discovering that the inner workings of the mind are just as fathomless as the vast reaches of space.

Elements that I personally found amusing: Leslie Nielsen in a serious / dramatic role, the super-intelligent / super-strong Robbie the Robot (who would later make an appearance in The Twilight Zone), delving into Freudian psychology, the Disney-style animation, and the 50's haircuts / 50's attitudes / 50's turns of phrase that firmly anchor this film to a specific decade.

An unqualified 10 stars for a film that still inspires wonder over half a century later, and a must see for any old-school sci-fi / Star Trek fan.

1) It has a Star Trek-esque "optimistic" tone to it. Rather than villains suffering a violent defeat at the hands of the protagonist, villains are often forgiven, healed, given a new perspective, or revealed to be "misunderstood monsters". (Exemplary line: "Because I'm The Doctor and I cure people!")

2) It's a show with "boundless horizons". There aren't a lot of settings that can potentially be a mash-up of any / all other genres. Superhero & Anime milieus are about the only ones I know of. Dr. Who is another one. On any given day, you could go from the stone age, through the Renaissance, up to modern times, and on into the far-flung future. Along the way, you could find magic, science, superstition, the mundane, and the supernatural all colliding together. Infinite possibilities.

3) It has the charm of a British hero. There's something quaint about a protagonist who saves the day at the same time that he's checking his pocket watch, or pining for a cup of tea. This is a quality we love about Bilbo Baggins, Arthur Dent, and Sherlock Holmes. Turns out we love The Doctor for the same reason.

4) It's a show that mixes mystery, terror, humor, and romance all very well. Not a lot of shows can do this. Buffy pulled it off week-to-week. Supernatural has done a reasonably good job. Dr. Who mixes them all expertly, sometimes blending them all together in the same scene. (The episode "Doomsday" is perhaps the best example.)

5) It has cute trappings / furnishings: A time machine shaped like an old 60s police box, it's bigger on the inside, the sonic screwdriver is the universal do-it-all tool, psychic paper is the license to go anywhere. Not only are these intriguing in their own right, they're also useful plot devices.

6) It evolves over time. The ability to have The Doctor regenerate and pick up new companions keeps things from getting stale. There aren't a lot of shows that have run since the early 60's (with one large break in the middle). If you don't like the set of characters they've got now, wait a bit and they'll deal out a new hand that they might like better.

7) It's welcoming to newcomers. You don't need to start at the very beginning and ingest hundreds of episodes to get up to speed. Just jump in anywhere you like 'cuz they'll re-explain things like the TARDIS and Time Lords and whatnot to the viewers at regular intervals.

8) It's a show that can be watched with the whole family. There are some scenes that are a little scary / frightening, but not gory or disgusting. There is occasional romance, but it's pretty innocent stuff. It means something to me to have a show I can watch with the wife & kids that we can all enjoy and talk about later.

9) Many of the scripts feel like they're written by a 6-yr old (kind of like "Axe Cop"), to wit: "The Doctor falls out of the sky! Then some green, spiky-headed, aliens show up! Then a bunch of planets appear in the sky!" Instead of rolling my eyes though, I'm delighted with this. I think it helps me to tap into my own "childlike sense of wonder" from days of yore.

A delightfully nerdy mash-up that is a kitchen sink of genres. It had all the major players in the MCU to date, but they were still able to balance things out and avoid it feeling too busy / crowded. Incorporated themes that cut across time, space, death, and reality. The story kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the end. Not since 'Wrath of Khan' has a movie left me with a feeling of "Holy crap, what are they going to do next!" Must-see.

Premise: Plucky outlaw Stella Star is conscripted by the galactic emperor to travel to the "haunted stars", and destroy a planet-sized doomsday weapon under the control of the eeeeevil Count Zarth Arn.

Component Parts: Spaceships from old-skool Battlestar Galactica, Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon, Barbarella from her eponymous movie, and Luke Starkiller from a very early draft of Star Wars. Put 'em in a blender and hit "frappe" and you've got this movie.

Highlights: plastic spaceships with visible model glue, Ray Harryhausen-esque stop-motion animation, a wise-cracking robot sidekick with Roscoe P. Coltrane accent, and David Hasselhoff: the lightsaber-wielding space prince.

Bottom Line: Campy, guilty pleasure, 70's sci-fi. I lost track of all the times I exclaimed "Oh no they didn't!!!" (And yeah, they always did.) Pair it with 'Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone' for a cheesy sci-fi double feature.

I've watched numerous Twilight Zone episodes with my daughters. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, I watched the episode "Death's Head Revisited" with them. In this installment, a former concentration camp captain returns to the ruined remains of Dachau 17 years after the war only to find the ghosts of the people he killed. They try him for his crimes against humanity, and sentence him to insanity for the rest of his life. I could tell it had an impact on my daughters.

I gave them this backstory: In 1960, Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust, was captured from his hiding place in Argentina. In 1962, he was executed. However, in 1961, during the time that he was on trial, this episode aired. And so, judgment was handed down to Eichmann, not only from the courts of men, but from the shadowy courts of the Twilight Zone.

Executive Summary: A He-Man wannabe (complete with furry underwear and pageboy haircut) dukes it out with rubber dinosaurs, Morlocks, and androids with Darth Vader helmets, while 80's New-Wave rock plays in the background.

Favorite Scene: Our Hero hang-glides on an unconscious pterydon into a Morlock/Neanderthal/goon and then does the Captain Kirk double-leg judo kick to chase him away from the love interest.

Ratings Quandary: This film, like many B-movies, is extremely difficult for me to rate on a 1-10 scale. In terms of my personal enjoyment, 8/10. In terms of the production / acting quality, probably about a 4. Split the difference and call it a solid six.

Bottom Line: A laugh-out-loud cheese-fest. Watch it for a bad movie night with a roomful of riffers and give it the MST3K treatment it so richly deserves.

'Lower Decks' is in my top 5 favorite Star Trek Next Gen episodes. A must-see ep for everyone. There were several things that made Lower Decks work, IMO.

The first thing they did right was instant characterization of these new recruits. This was something TOS did well. On any given episode, if you heard Scotty say a line, you knew that he was a hard-working, extremely capable, slightly cantankerous, individual. If you heard Spock say a line, you knew he was a very intelligent, scientifically-minded, misfit. If you heard Chekhov say something, you knew he was a plucky, young, happy-go-lucky type. Whenever they showed up on the screen, we fell in love with them (again). (Aside: I think this is one reason why JJ chose to use the TOS characters for the ST reboot films, rather than the characters from any other incarnation of Trek.) The characters in TNG, by contrast, were less well-defined, and less distinct from each other. We eventually learned who they were, but it had to happen over the course of many episodes (seasons, even).

The Lower Decks recruits had a little of that TOS magic in that, every scene we saw them in, they revealed who they were and made us fall in love with them. When we saw Sam Lavelle trying to hobnob with Riker and mistakenly calling him a Canadian, we knew that this was a kid with big plans, he was gonna go places, he was a bit of a brown-noser, and boy was he wet behind the ears. When we saw Taurik's cold, dry, wit when addressing the "roommate" issue, we knew that this was an irritating, cynical, cold-blooded individual who didn't care what other people thought of him. (The head-butting between Lavelle & Taurik also reminded us of the similar, uneasy, relationship between Spock & McCoy, which made me reminisce.) When we saw Sito Jaxa sparring blindfolded with Worf, we learned that this was a young girl who wanted to prove herself, and wasn't easily duped. At last, she did get a chance to prove herself by helping the Cardassian to return in the escape pod. We were saddened at her loss along with the rest of the Enterprise crew when Picard announced she had been killed.

Another thing LD did well was giving everyone a chance in the spotlight. This is a hard thing to do with a large, ensemble, cast. They did it well in ST4 by giving every member of the crew a job they needed to do to help get a humpback whale back to the future. The three young recruits all had their individual moments (Taurik with La Forge in engineering, Lavelle with Riker, Jaxa sparring with Worf), and their occasional "come togethers" (playing poker midway through the ep, sitting together in Ten-Forward remembering Jaxa at the end). It also helped that in their individual/"spotlight" scenes, they connected with a TNG crewmember that we already knew and could foil off of them.

It's just a pity that these recruits didn't become the cast of Voyager.

My eldest daughter has told me before that she sometimes regrets past choices and even views younger versions of herself with disdain. By way of response, I suggested that we should watch the Star Trek Next Gen episode "Tapestry" together as a family.

In this episode, Q gives Captain Picard a chance to go back to an earlier point in his life and change some decisions that he regrets. Things don't work out for him so well though: his "wiser" choices ruin some friendships and he ultimately ends up a mediocre man in a tedious job. Q lets Picard go back (again) and put things right by making his youthful mistakes (again).

In the closing scene, Picard tells Riker: "There are many parts of my youth that I'm not proud of. There were loose threads, untidy parts of me that I would like to remove. But when I pulled on one of those threads, it unraveled the tapestry of my life." When my daughter heard that, she said "Wow", and I got the impression that she had really grokked ("drunk deeply") the message of this episode.

And you know what, I grokked it too.

I've heard about Dracula my whole life (first exposure was in Bugs Bunny cartoons), so it was nice to finally watch the 1931 Dracula movie starting Bela Lugosi. One of the biggest sources of suspense was the complete obliviousness of the other characters. This is a common trope now: characters in scary movies do not watch scary movies so they don't know what to look out for; they just blunder right into obvious traps. Some example dialogue:

Dracula: (appearing at the theater) I... am Count Dracula!

Witless Male: Well, it's very good to meet you, Count.

me: (yelling at TV) OMG! It's him! Kill him!!!

Witless Male: I imagine you'll be fixing up that place you moved into.

Dracula: Oh, I don't intend to make any repairs.

me: Seriously?? Who doesn't make repairs? Read the signs, people!

Dracula: It reminds me of the broken battlements of my old castle... in Transylvania!

Witless Female: A castle? How romantic!

me: Lambs to the slaughter...

I see Blade Runner as a hybrid of three different genres: sci-fi, art-house, and film noir.

One thing I've long appreciated about sci-fi is that, at it's best, it provides a platform for a treatment of philosophical topics. The "what makes us human?" topic is a meaty one, and they give it the treatment it deserves in Blade Runner. The opening scenes with the Voight-Kampff tests are an excellent lead-in to this discussion as they challenge the viewer to ask themselves "How would I react in these situations?" That engagement with the viewer does a lot to draw them into the story. The vivid setting elements pull the viewer in even deeper.

Art-house films are more of an acquired taste; they require some patience from the viewer. 2001 kind of set the example for art-house/sci-fi, and I think Blade Runner was following in it's wake. A lot of people badmouth Alien 3 for similar reasons. The big issue there, I think, was that audiences were expecting a sci-fi/action movie (like they got with Aliens (2)) and were served up a slower-paced, more arty, piece instead. Mismanaged expectations. Zardoz is another art-house/sci-fi film along these lines.

Classic Noir films (e.g. 40s-50s era) are typified by bleak tones: people are trapped in unpleasant situations, the world around them is corrupt, and the characters typically drive toward a doomed fate. (The "Private Eye giving a voice-over" is also a hallmark of the noir genre.) I've typically described noir as "part crime drama, part psychological thriller, part bittersweet romance." Neo-noir builds on the genre and typically adds the following elements: identity crises, memory issues / subjectivity, and -- most importantly -- technological problems and their social ramifications. All of these things describe Blade Runner to a 'T'.

The movie 'Labyrinth' had something for everyone:

For little kids: It's got muppets, cute songs, and that marvelous "You remind me of the babe" mantra.

For teens: The protagonist is an adolescent that teens can identify with. Plus, David Bowie and his too, too, stylish, music.

For adults: They get the blessed feeling of nostalgia when they watch the show again, possibly with their own kids.

The thing that ties it all together is the "coming of age" theme. We first see Sarah acting out her fantasies as a little child would. Her perilous journey through the labyrinth is reminiscent of the turbulent teen years. And when she tells the Goblin King "You have no power over me", and rescues her little brother, she's crossed over into adulthood and is ready to be more responsible.

But the cherry on top is the closing dialog when she sees her old friends from the Labyrinth in her bedroom mirror:

Ludo: Goodbye, Sarah.

Didymus: And remember, fair maiden, should you need us...

Hoggle: Yes, should you need us, for any reason at all...

Sarah: I need you, Hoggle.

Hoggle: You do?

Sarah: (nods) I don't know why, but every now and again in my life, for no reason at all!

My takeaway: grown-ups can still indulge in fantasies once in awhile, and in so doing, feed their inner child.

As a long-time Star Trek fan, Galaxy Quest felt like a personalized love-letter. The writers really did their homework, too. Notable examples of attention to detail include: Dr. Lazarus' name as an homage to Spock returning from the dead; Commander Taggart doing the signature Captain Kirk shoulder roll (and getting his shirt off during a fight); and Guy Fleegman's horror at realizing that he might be the redshirt who's supposed to die to show the seriousness of the situation.

The film begins as a rather satirical, tongue-in-cheek, review, depicting a show that's been relegated to cult status, the fans as obsessive social misfits, and the show's cast as washed-up actors. Around the midpoint of the film, we see a change in attitude, though. All the fans who were along for the ride with the crew get the chance to see their fondest dreams come true:

• A convention-going fan got to go with the crew on a mission, and eventually landed a role on the reboot of the show.

• A group of fans got to use their collective knowledge of the minutia of the ship to help guide crewmembers through the hall of big, smashy/crunchy things.

• A fan (nee disciple) of Dr. Lazarus got to hear him say his signature quote on his deathbed.

• We got to see the crew come to terms with their misgivings about this old, cheesy, TV show they were once on, and learn to embrace their fans, warming to them in the convention in the final scene.

• But the best part, was that the fans learned that their heroes weren't just actors, they weren't just pretending, and it wasn't just a TV show; it was really, really, real.

And that's why, whenever anyone asks me what my favorite Star Trek movie is, I always reply "Galaxy Quest".

I'll present my reasons for why The Dark Crystal may be the best fantasy movie ever:

It used the marvelous medium of muppets. CG has come a long way, but it still can't quite convey the tactile, palpable quality that muppets can for portraying fantasy characters. (With a nod to Aughra.)

The sets were amazing. Not only were they wonderfully otherworldly, but they complemented the muppets perfectly, oftimes including muppetish, living creatures themselves (e.g. the giant cave that was actually a mouth that swallowed up a little creature.)

Some fantasy stories start off in the "real world" and then you follow the protagonist into the "fantasy world". Examples include Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, and The Neverending Story. Dark Crystal simply starts off with the narrative "Another time, another world, in the age of wonder." and that's all you get. I gotta admire the not-spoonfeeding-the-viewer chutzpah of that move.

I really liked the theme of overcoming dualism, personified by the split between the mild Mystics and the brutish Skeksis, and brought to fruition when they merge at the end. You have to pick between either seeing a) good effects or b) a good story, with Dark Crystal you get both.

It's a film that grows with you. I enjoyed it as a kid, I still enjoy it as an adult. My hat's off to you, Jim Henson, for this accomplishment.

This film is based on the true story of British mathematician Alan Turing who designed the Enigma computer that enabled Allied forces to crack the secret codes used by the Axis powers in WWII.

Turing was a nonviolent man who helped to bring one of the world's most violent conflicts to an end. His experience keeping secrets about his own homosexuality no doubt prepared him to keep secrets about the important project he was working on. He loved solving puzzles and he solved the most important puzzle of his generation.

As a math / computer / retro-tech nerd, this movie was right in my wheelhouse. I gained new respect for Benedict Cumberbatch's acting abilities, too.

The reason why this gets 9/10 and not 10/10 from me is because I felt like the "Turing Test" used between Turing and the reporter as a framing device was a little forced and clunky. That said, I'm not really sure how they could've found a seamless way to include it. Might've been best to leave it out.