Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

1977 was named one of the best years in science fiction by the sci-fi blog i09.com. This was due to George Lucas' Star Wars, and this film directed by Steven Spielberg. Directly after the wild success of Steven Spielberg's film, Jaws, he was essentially allowed the rare privilege to do whatever he wanted for his next project. He chose this film as his next endeavor. One that he not only directed, but wrote as well, which is a rarity for Spielberg. After this film Spielberg would continue to tackle the ideas of aliens with E.T. & War of the Worlds. But I feel this is his best endeavor into the alien realm.

The film is cinematically beautiful, and it's ideas and themes are graspable and I can see them being true. An example being that humans use colors and music to communicate with the alien beings, that is an idea I can grasp and get on board with. This is Spielberg's best alien film, and I would go as far to say as the best film about aliens in cinema. Nothing seems far fetched, everything from acting to effects is executed with great detail and care. I think the film is underrated and should definitely be way above many other films on various best of sci-fi lists.

Story
The film begins with French scientist Claude Lacombe and his American translator, David Laughlin, who find a lost squardron of World War II aircrafts in the desert. The planes are nearly completely intact and operational, but the pilots are not in them. Later an air traffic controllers listens to two airline flights who nearly have a head on collision with some unidentified flying objects. To add to the eeriness of these events, a three year old boy, Barry, wakes up when his toys start working on their own, automatically.

Later we finally encounter our main character Roy, a electrical lineman, who is on his way to fix a line that has caused a large scale power outage. On his way his car becomes immobile and he encounters a strange light that lifts his car upwards. This not only terrifies, but fascinates Roy, and he becomes obsessed with the idea of UFO's. Although his wife becomes worried after Roy starts obsessing over mental images of some mountain like image, that he continuously makes models of. Roy's increasingly erratic behavior causes Ronnie to leave him, taking their three children with her. Later Roy sees a television news program about a train wreck near Devils Tower in Wyoming, and he realizes that this is the mental image that has been plaguing him. This immediately causes him to head directly to the site.

Meanwhile Claude and David are investigating claims around the world of UFO's with United Nations experts. The witnesses report hearing a 5-tone musical phrase in a major scale. Later Claude is listening to music sent from somewhere in space, and realizes it is coordinates to a specific site, Devils Tower. After the discovery nearly all parties arrive at Devils Tower and build a landing site for a UFO they are sure is coming. They tell all nearby residents that they have to evacuate the area due to the train wreck, which is spilling nerve gas. Although many residents are determined to make it to the site, and are apprehended by Army officials. But somehow Roy and his companion Gillian persist and make it near the landing site. The government and army officials have created a large light board, with a musical keyboard attached to the colors. They communicate with the UFO's through this light & sound combination. Soon the mother-ship lands on the site, which opens up and a crowd of humans exit the ship, all people who have been abducted over the years. Soon Roy makes his way onto the landing strip and gets talked into entering the mother ship. He is hastily prepared. Then alien beings begin exiting the ship. All are different races of aliens, in all shapes and sizes. They choose Roy to join them on their ship and they enter the mother ship. The ship flies off and the film ends.

My favorite thing about the film is the perception of the aliens. They are peaceful, and gentle, not bring a war of the worlds between them and Earth like nearly every other alien depiction. Although Spielberg would return to the idea of peaceful aliens, and getting along with humans (E.T.), I believe this is much stronger execution of the idea. The other idea of Spielbergs I drool over is the communication between aliens & humans. Unlike most other sci-fi films, the aliens do not know English and do not look like us (The Day The Earth Stood Still). How would we be able to communicate with them? His conclusion that we should use a system of music & light. This idea takes on the conclusion that all species in the universe would be able to understand both of these tools. I think is one of Spielberg's strongest ideas in both alien films, and all of his film. In the end the story is magnificent and you are thrust into the best alien adventure film of all time.

Directing
Now I know when you ask the average movie goer (my family for example) and you ask them to name a director, Spielberg is always the name that comes with it. His name is sin-ominous with film directing, and for obvious reasons. The man has directed some of the most classic films, not only in science fiction, but in cinema history. Everything from Jaws to Raiders of the Lost Ark to Schindlers List to Jurassic Park. Time and time again he has proven himself to be a director that should looked up to a revered by his peers and the general public. That is not to say he hasn't directed some flops, but he has a larger body of great work then mediocre. This is one of the examples of some of his greatest work.

One of the great parts of Spielberg's directing skill in the film is the acting of the 3 year old boy, Barry. For example there is a scene where supposedly the young boy is seeing aliens run around his house, the camera stays on the boy as we watch his face track something off screen. Since Spielberg was working with such a young child and didn't want to rely and normal acting techniques he went a different route. For this section he had two crew members hide in boxes off camera, one in a clown suit and one in a gorilla suit. One popped out, then the other as the cameras rolled, catching young Cary Guffey's (Barry) bewildered reaction. Spielberg then whispered to the gorilla to remove his mask, eliciting a smile from Guffey. He used techniques like this over and over again for all scenes with Barry. I think it is a stroke of genius because without knowing this, I would never have guessed that's what occurred on set for the boys acting. Overall I think Spielberg's enthusiasm about UFO's and aliens is what makes his directing so poignant and rich in this film. Everything from shots to acting to SFX was all filled with great care and love, which is something that is rarely seen on screen.

Acting
This is something that Spielberg will always have over his close friend George Lucas, he can actually direct actors. Unlike many great directors, he does not see his cast as cattle, much like Hitchcock did. He sees them as one of the many tools to be able to tell your story. In this film my two favorite actors were Richard Dreyfuss and the famous French director Francois Truffaut (who directed the classic The 400 Blows). Dreyfuss delivers a character who has been psychically implanted with images and sounds from alien beings, and plays it perfectly. You feel for him, you want to help him as does everyone else, but the only thing that will help him is finding the images in his mind.

And along with Truffaut, who makes him American acting debut, you have two lovable characters are who chasing the same thing: aliens. They don't seem like people you could never meet, or could never be, but certainly feel real and tangible to the audience. Although Truffaut is not an actor, he certainly does a great job with his character, who is based on a real-life French UFO expert Jaques Vallee. Overall from the boy, to Dreyfuss, to Truffaut, they all deliver each section of the story in great prowess.


After viewing the film again, I am certain that this is hands down my favorite alien film. I like the idea of them being peaceful and the humans not screwing it up with war. We are able to communicate with them in a way that seems logical and now obvious. It gives you hope for a future were this event might actually happen. I hope we will meet alien creatures with music and lights, and not war and guns. This still remains a classic in sci-fi and in film history.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

In 1956 the United States was at one of the peaks of the Cold War with Soviet Russia. And here at stateside, Senator Joseph McCarthy was continuing his senate hearings on who was a communist. His witch hunt for communists in the midst of our own government began to infect the public conscious, known as McCarthyism. This also, either purposely or sub-consciously, infected the minds of filmmakers in Hollywood. Step in the classic sci-fi psychologically thriller known as Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

The idea that the people around you were being infected and became soulless doubles of themselves seems to mirror that of McCarthyism. The film is still frightening today because it is simple, smart, and nearly all psychological. It was named the #9 best sci-fi film by the American Film Institute in 2008, and although I don't know if I would put it that high on the list, it certainly is still a classic in my eyes.

Story
The film is set in a fictional town of Santa Mira, California, and follows a local doctor, Miles Bennell. The doctor comes back from a medical convention to hear that while he was gone there was countless patients wanting to see him. He discovers that the ones he missed, and current patients are all complaining about the same issue. They are all saying that a close friend, family member, or loved one is not the real person and that they are an impostor. Soon he rekindles an old sweetheart of his, Becky, who claims her cousin is also saying the same thing, that her Uncle Ira isn't her Uncle Ira. Miles & Becky are assured by the town psychiatrist that this is just an "epidemic of mass hysteria" and there's nothing to worry about.

Soon after Miles gets a call from his friend Jack, who tells him he has to come look at something. Miles arrives with Becky and Jack shows him a body on his pool table. The body though is almost a blank body with no lines, scars, or even finger prints. The mysterious body is also the same height & weight of Jack. While making a drink Jack cuts his hand, and later on his wife discovers the body now has a cut on its hand. This sends the couple leaving their home and running to Miles house. They call the town psychiatrist who comes to Jack's home to find that the mysterious body is missing, and he once again tries to convince them their minds are simply playing with them. They are unsure of what is going on, but coupled with Miles erratic patients, they all feel something is going on, they are unsure of what it is though.

The two couples are all staying together at Miles home, trying to forget what is going on. While grilling outside, Miles goes into his greenhouse to discover a haunting site. There are four leafy pods in his greenhouse that are opening up as he watches. Soon the foamy mist disappears and out of the pods come human like bodies that resemble each of them at the house. They figure out that the townspeople are in fact being replaced by perfect physical duplicates, simulations grown from plantlike pods. The pod people are indistinguishable from normal people, minus their lack of emotion. Miles kills the pod people, and the four of them make a run for it. The couples split up, Jack and his wife try to find others, and Miles & Becky head for the highway after they are unable to get a hold of the F.B.I.

Soon the entire town is after Miles & Becky. They become trapped in Miles office, and soon find out that Jack & his wife have become one of the pod people. They escape and soon the entire town is hunting them down through the mountains. Miles & Becky hide in a cave, but soon after Becky falls asleep and is duplicated by a nearby pod. Miles is now alone and makes a run for the highway nearby. He makes it there frantically yells about the alien force that has taken over his town. Soon after he is picked up, and to newcomers he seems deranged and insane. But while he is in the hospital, being interviewed by a detective, the police receive news of an accident in which a truck carrying strange giant bean-pods is opened. They make calls to Washington, and all local police forces to stop the menace.

The story is more psychological then anything else, and that is it's strongest suite in the film. Although most of the film is just Miles unraveling the mystery, that is the most suspenseful part. You are given tid bits, clues of information that lead you to the frightening end where everyone you know and love has become a soulless alien creature. Although I believed the story to be an allegory for communist invasion of American culture, it does not seem that way. One of the producers, Walter Mirsch, released a book titled I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History. In the book he writes: "People began to read meanings into pictures that were never intended. The Invasion of the Body Snatchers is an example of that. I remember reading a magazine article arguing that the picture was intended as an allegory about the communist infiltration of America. From personal knowledge, neither Walter Wanger nor Don Siegel, who directed it, nor Dan Mainwaring, who wrote the script nor the original author Jack Finney, nor myself saw it as anything other than a thriller, pure and simple." From that it seems fairly clear that that was not intended for the film. But perhaps that's what it made it so successful in the 1950's. Although I'm sure people didn't know they were enjoying it for that reason, perhaps in their subconscious it struck a cord with what they were feeling at the time.

Directing
I'm afraid before this post, I had never heard of director Don Siegel. After doing some research, it turns out he was quite a working director of his time, and mentored many future directors. One of them was his assistant for a long time, Sam Peckinpah, who would go on to director the classic The Wild Bunch. The other more notable actor turned director is Mr. Clint Eastwood. Clint has been quoted as saying that everything he knows about filmmaking he learned from Don Siegel. Which is a big statement, seeing that he has won two Oscars for Best Directoring. Eastwood actually dedicated his film Unforgiven to Siegel.

For this film, Siegel shows great talent in being able to keep an audience interested with very little to work with. Most of the film are simple suspicions, clues to a larger picture, and a few odd discoveries. And somehow, even over 50 years later, he still has audiences terrified. That is because the film stills works as a psychological thriller. It's slow pace and impacting ending keeps you at the edge of your seat the entire time, rooting for Miles to get a hold of some high-up authorities. I think this tension built in the film keeps it from being an average B-movie from the 50's. The concept, and acting, could have easily fallen to the waste-side and Siegel could have focused all his attention on the pods, but he didn't. He focused the film and his attention on the people being infected by this strange and alien force, and the people who are affected by these consequences. Overall I think Siegel did a great job from acting to cinematography, all which keep this a A-movie, not a forgettable B-movie.

Acting
As I've stated before, I usually can not stand 50's acting. It is usually over the top, over stated, and very on the nose. But this film, while following a level headed doctor, keeps the people at a normal level. They are not acting as if on a stage play, and are acting as normal people being thrown into extraordinary circumstances. The lead role of Miles, played by Kevin McCarthy, was nearly pitch perfect. He is essentially playing the audiences point of view, filling us in on every clue he comes across, and we are supposed to feel his emotions, which we do. When watching the film I was bothered by the actors face, one of those, "I know that guy from somewhere." Turns out Mr. McCarthy has acted in nearly 200 pieces, and the one I remember him from is from the comedy cult classic, UHF, where he plays the evil R.J. Fletcher. But I digress.

The film's acting I think is a credit to Don Siegel, who as I stated before, kept the film from being a forgettable 50's B-sci-fi film. You are terrified for these characters who can trust anyone in their small town, and must run from becoming the next pod person. They all tap into that 50's paranoia that was so rampant in the time. I think they are a part of the reasoning for the film to have been a critical and commercial success in it's time. You feel for every character in the film, and are saddened to see them turn into pod people, who are emotionless and frightening. The actors of the film definitely hold the film up to a classic level.


Although I have not seen the other remakes, adaptations, or sequels to this film, I would hope that this is the best of them all. Although you never really see the grotesque world of the pod people or their hatching, you are tapping into the scary side of the film: the psychological. This is it's strongest suite, and it was refreshing to see a film that did not show the gore and horror show that it could have been, which would have cheapened the suspense of the film. Overall it is a great film, and still scared me on my most recent viewing. There is a reason the Library of Congress inducted it in National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." That is because it is! And it is still a classic today.

Frankenstein (1931)

Some may think that this is not a science fiction film, but I assure you it is. Science fiction has evolved into more space, planetary events in the last sixty years. But at it's birth it was much more about science, especially in the industrial revolution of the 19th century. Mary Shelley is considered the mother of science fiction with her 1817 novel, Frankenstein, giving birth to a completely new genre. She tackles the ideas of letting technology get beyond the reach of man, and attempting to play God. The warning against technology is still seen today in more modern science fiction stories/films, for example Terminator.

In 1931 her book was made into a film directed by James Whale for Universal Studios. Frankenstein has been adapted many times since and before, but the monster we have become so familiar with is from this film. Before the film the incarnations of Frankenstein's monster had him in rags, had him with crazy mad scientist hair, and some even had him faceless. But the flat face, limited hair, and electrode bolts in the neck all come from this adaptation. Universal Studios actually own the rights to the look of Frankenstein, which was done by make-up wizard Jack P. Pierce. Overall the movie stays somewhat faithful to Mary Shelley's book, but takes many liberties. And the creature we have all come to know and, possibly, love comes directly from the choices made in this classic of the horror/sci-fi genre.

Story
In the middle of the night Dr. Henry Frankenstein and his loyal hunchback assistant, Fritz, dig up the recently deceased. They plan to piece together a new body from various bodies they dig up. Frankenstein's plan is to give birth to dead tissue, and to give life to this dead body. They have constructed their body, but now all they are missing is the key element: a brain. Fritz is sent out to take a human brain from the university. He drops the normal brain he is supposed to retrieve, and in his hurry he grabs the abnormal & criminal brain right next to it. Later Frankenstein & Fritz have placed the brain in the body and are ready to start the experiment. Suddenly there is a knock on their watch tower door and it is Henry's fiancee who has become worried about her future husband. She has brought their friend Victor, and Henry's old medical teacher, Dr. Waldman. Since they have shown up right at the moment he is ready to do his final test, he has them watch as he and Fritz send the body up to the top of the watch tower. Lightening strikes and they bring the corpse back down to the ground. Soon the hand of the creature begins to move and Frankenstein uproariously shouts, "It's alive! It's alive!" Life has been given to his subject and he claims now he knows what it's like to be God.

After learning that a criminal brain has been placed in the creatures body, Frankenstein is worried what it might do. But they learn that he might be a innocent creature, and not a blood thirsty monster. Henry tries to teach the creature, and he sees that he is able to sit. But their moment is ruined when Fritz enters the room with a torch and the creature becomes afraid. Henry and Dr. Waldman misinterpret this as an attack and chain the monster up in the dungeon. Later Fritz terrorizes the monster with the torch. As Henry & Dr. Waldman try to determine the creatures fate, they hear a loud shriek from the dungeon. They discover that the monster has strangled Fritz. Realizing the monster must be destroyed they decide to inject him with a powerful drug. Although the monster harms both of them, they are able to inject him with the drug, and the becomes unconscious.

Henry leaves to go prepare for his wedding, and Dr. Waldman stays behind to do an examination of the creature. The monster awakens and strangles Dr. Waldman, then leaves the watch-tower and wonders the hill side. The monster comes upon a little girl, Maria, who asks him to play with her. The two throw flowers in the lake and watch them float, but when he runs out of flowers to throw he grabs the little girl and throws her in the lake. Realizing he has made a mistake, he runs away with fear and remorse.

With all the wedding preparations made, Henry is finally happy with Elizabeth. As they ready themselves for the wedding, Victor tells Henry that they found Dr. Waldman dead at the watch-tower. Henry becomes worried then hears a loud shriek, he rushes in Elizabeth's room and finds her unconscious, but alive. The monster tried to kill her but left. Soon after Maria's father carries her into town, dead, and says someone murdered his daughter. The town forms a mob and decides to search for the murderous monster. Frankenstein leads a group into the hills and has a confrontation with the monster which leads them to an old windmill. In the windmill the monster attempts to kill Frankenstein, but he survives. Then the mob sets fire to the windmill, with the monster one top becoming terrified of the fire below him. The windmill continues to burn with the monster inside.

The film tackles some of the great themes of Mary Shelley's original work. About man and technology going beyond the grasp of man, and the consequences of these actions. Although there are many differences between the book and the film, I think the film does some things better then the book. One of those being that in the film, unlike the book, the monster never speaks. Overall I found the story of the film to tackle many elements from ethical issues, to spiritual ones. Is it ethical to accomplish something that Frankenstein did? And does these creature have a soul or is it just alive tissue? I have my own conclusions, but I think these are always intriguing themes to bring up.

Direction
After Todd Brownings wildly successful Dracula film, the studio wanted to continue with the next logical choice: Frankenstein. James Whale was one of the top directors at Universal Studios at the time, and was tapped to helm the project. When he come aboard, Bela Lugosi, who just won over everyone with his performance as Dracula, was on board to play Frankenstein's monster (here is the promo poster they already made with Lugosi as the monster). Whale's though this would be too confusing for audiences who just seen him play Dracula, so he was let go and in a chance encounter Whale's bumped in to Boris Karloff on the back lot. He asked him to come in and audition for the role, which he did, and movie history was made.

James Whale's made many choices in the film that I think kept it from being a comical joke. He turned Dr. Frankenstein & the monster into two of the most tortured characters in film history. And I don't think anyone has portrayed them better then in this film. They easily could have went down a different path that would have made them both into comical characters, but instead you get deep heartfelt performances from both actors. Whale's also had some great camera work in the film which he insisted the film be up to par and better then all other horror films. He didn't want it to be cheap and wanted it to be a step above the rest, which he certainly accomplishes. From make-up to acting to camera work, Whale's made great choices all around which remain in the collective consciousness of the world population to this day.

Acting
I don't think I've been this impressed with acting from that era, which I usually find dull and over the top, but this film is above the rest. Hands down the man who steals the show is Boris Karloff as the monster. Karloff was a relatively unknown actor at the time, but after this film he was an icon. After the death of Lon Chaney in 1929, Hollywood was missing it's great character actor, but after Frankenstein Karloff filled that slot. He become known (as Chaney was previously known as) as "the man with a thousand faces." He loved delving into a good character and could play nearly anything that was given to him. Not only did he play Frankenstein but he went on to play many other roles, such as The Mummy and countless others (mostly in the horror genre).

Karloff basically gives a silent film performance, and with no dialogue you feel everything that the monster feels. He could have made you feel just sympathy for the character, but that along with being fearful of the monster, he gives a loaded performance. With only his walk, movements, and face, you understand, feel, and fear the monster that Karloff creates. He sat for hours in the make-up chair every day to have the look of the monster, along with wearing 13 pound shoes to help off set his walking. He did everything he could to become the creature. And somehow you are not just scared of the monster, and you are not just sympathetic to him, you feel both, which is a true test to the masterful work that Karloff did on this film.


Frankenstein is of course still a classic today. I think that this is the best of any Frankenstein movie I have seen, besides maybe Young Frankenstein. And I would like everyone not to simply consider it a horror film, but also a sci-fi film. It may not be in space or involve alien life, but it is much truer to the word science when it comes to sci-fi. This film lives on in the minds of countless people across the world, even if they don't know it. Their ideas of Frankenstein and his monster all go back to the work that James Whale & company did on this film. And after nearly 80 years, it is still a classic film today.

Westworld (1973)

This is one of those films that sits in your Netflix (or other) que, that you never quite get to. I've had this movie, burnt, in my possession for nearly two years but never got around to watching it. Luckily I have a class and a blog that propels me to watch countless sci-fi films, so this was a perfect opportunity to take a shot at a film I had not seen before, and I was more then pleased with the film.

Westworld, written & directed, by the famed author Michael Crichton, takes place in the distant future. There is a new vacation resort which lets you play out one of three fantasy worlds; a medieval world, roman world, and west world. There you can live out violent, sexual, or any fantasy on a one of a kind vacation. But what happens when the different worlds, filled with humanoid androids, starts to grow dim and the androids start malfunctioning? That is the plot of 1973's Westworld, which Crichton was inspired to write after a trip to Disneyland, where he saw the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and was impressed by the animatronic characters. With Crichton's talented writing, Yul Bryner's chilling portrayal of The Gunslinger, and a plot that doesn't seem too far fetched, you have a underrated sci-fi classic.

Story
In the near future a company, Delos, has created the ultimate adult amusement park. Have you ever dreamed of playing real-life cops & robbers? Or dreamt of courting the Queen in medieval times? This resort lets you play out these fantasies, for $1,000 a day. The story follows two tourists (James Brolin & Richard Benjamin) who are vacationing in WestWorld. Brolin's character, John, has been there once before and Benjamin's character, Peter, is a virgin to Delos. Through the course of a day or two the characters are enjoying their stay in WestWorld. John explains to Peter some of the rules there are in WestWorld. All the people in the "town" are androids, you can do whatever you like there, and the guns that you are given aren't able to be used on humans due to a heat sensor in the gun, thus protecting you from hurting other guests or vice versa. On their first day, John & Peter encounter their soon to be rival of the town, The Gunslinger (played by Yul Bryner). After killing him once in the saloon, he returns in their room and Peter has to take him out once again. Sadly it will not be the last time.

While the guests are enjoying their stay we are shown the inner workings of the resort. At night while guests are asleep a crew comes into town and picks up dead (broken) androids and takes them to a repair station. In the station there is a lead technician who notices in the last couple days there have been many malfunctioning androids, which hasn't happened yet. In what may be the first mention of the concept, the technician suggests a type of computer virus running through the high-tech androids. After a robotic rattlesnake actually bites John and a knight kills a guest in MedievalWorld, the supervisors of the company decide to shut down the resort until things can be figured out. But when they shut the power off they also trap themselves in the control rooms and the androids are allowed to run amok in the resort.

Peter & John wake up after an all night drunken bar fight, unaware of what is going on in the resort. They walk into the street to find The Gunslinger challenging them to a showdown. John treats the situation like any other part of the resort, fake, until the robot shoots him and kills him. This sends Peter on the run from The Gunslinger, who is on the hunt for him. Peter runs through the other parts of the resort only to find dead guests and robots. He goes down a manhole cover to find the technicians area of the resort, only to find them all dead due to suffocation of the closed doors. He battles the The Gunslinger with a few attempts, first trying to burn him with acid, then setting him on fire. Finally, after coming back one more time, The Gunslinger succumbs to it's damages and Peter survives, most likely the only survivor on the resort. As he sits on the steps of a fake dungeon he thinks back on the Delo's slogan, "Have we got a vacation for you!"

From beginning to end I was caught up in the concept of the film. Going to a resort to live out a fantasy of the old west or medieval Europe, does not seem far fetched by any means. And it also seems like something that thousands of people would flock to, even despite the heavy price tag. But it does seem that Crichton certainly re-hashed this idea for a more successful venture later on: Jurassic Park. The idea of tourists going to a place filled with robots/dinosaurs, and soon everything goes bizerk and everyone must fend for themselves. I don't have a problem with the similarities since it was Crichton who took his own ideas to, I think, make them better and more finely tuned. Either way I loved this film and was very surprised by the story and the depth they go into the resort. He shows you just enough to hook you and make you want to go to this resort, until the robots start killing everyone, but before that I was ready to book a flight.

Direction
When I saw Michael Crichton's name appear in the opening credits, I was surprised that he didn't just write the film but also directed it. This was his first feature film that he directed, and I was immensely surprised how well of a job he did. Unlike when a different author, Stephen King, thought he could direct and ending up giving the world a forgettable waste of time: Maximum Overdrive. Crichton does a wonderful job and bringing his script to life. He takes you into a distant future and makes you believe that this concept is 100% believable, and as I've stated before, if you can do this then you have a great sci-fi film in your hands.

Not only does he know what to show you (shots, action, etc), he actually gets a bone-chilling performance out of his actor Yul Brynner, The Gunslinger. Not that Brynner is not capable of a performance, I was more surprised that Crichton collaborated, tweaked, and worked on that great of a performance. He was able to pull something completely and utterly terrifying out of Brynner, in what I would call one of the scariest performances I've seen in a long time. Although I wouldn't say that he has a great, one of a kind touch to directing, he certainly did a exceptional job, which still surprises me since he is/was primarily a writer. Crichton is able to make you believe what is happening before your eyes and also get some great performances from all the actors involved. As a director myself, I give much credit to Crichton for jumping into directing and actually doing a great job, which is beyond rare. If your interested in seeing Crichton in the directed chair, there is a doc about the making of WestWorld.

Acting
Let's get the boring ones out of the way. James Brolin & Richard Benjamin both do a great job of playing the average joe, audience point of view, characters of the film. But the man who, with no question, steals the show is Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger. His character was based off his character in the 1960 film Magnificent Seven. They are both physically identical. He wears almost all black and does not show much emotion on his face. But unlike Arnold in Terminator, he is not wooden, but blank. That is until he begins fighting back and starts killing guests, he begins to smile and shows more chilling emotion as an unstoppable killing machine. Yul brings something to that character that is haunting because he is a broken robot, out to kill the man who has killed him twice. One of the elements that help his haunting look are the reflective contacts in his eyes that give him an always glowing cornea. Creepy.


All around WestWorld was a great discovery of an underrated science fiction classic. I had always heard the name come up, and I'm more then pleased after watching it. Crichton brings a story that can be completely plausible and shows us, like in most of his stories, when a civilization becomes too technologically advanced, it will fall to the ground. WestWorld has a great concept, a one of a kind performance by Brynner, and robots! I would suggest that if you are a fan of sci-fi, then you will be a fan of this film like myself.

The Matrix (1999)

Imaginative, epic, original, and completely one of a kind. It was a phenomenon in 99, and I hope it carries the same weight for the rest of film history. I have utterly loved The Matrix since I was eleven, and I don't see that going away. Every time I watch it, I always have the same feelings I did the first time I saw it, which can be simplified to one word: awe.

From the original story, the well composed shots, the sound design, bullet time, jaw dropping action sequences, and Keanu Reeves best role, you have the experience that is The Matrix. To this day I still find it to be a one of a kind experience that has not been seen before or after (especially in the mis-directed sequels). The film was an instant classic and has spawned a community of followers that love the film, so much so that some believe that the Matrix is real. Real or not, the film itself is the most modern classic in the sci-fi genre, and I hope will remain a classic for centuries to come.

Story
Computer hacker Thomas Anderson lives a double life under the nickname Neo. Cryptic messages begin appearing on his computer, telling him to follow the white rabbit. He follows a girl with a white rabbit tattoo to a trendy club where he meets a mysterious woman, Trinity, who takes him to meet the leader of her underground group. Their leader, Morpheus, tells Neo that he can tell him what the Matrix is. Morpheus gives Neo a choice between two pills: red to learn the truth about the Matrix, or blue to return to the world as he knows it. Neo takes the red pill and soon finds him self awakening, hairless and in a pool of goo. He is connected to many wires, which soon all disconnect and he is flushed out of his pod. He is caught and brought onto Morpheus' ship.

After Neo has recovered from shock, Morpheus informs him of the truth. He tells him that it is actually not the year 1999 and closer to the year 2199. There has been a battle between humans and machines since the 21st century. The sky has been turned black, and the machines use humans as a battery source. They have created an alternative reality, known as the Matrix, to keep humans occupied but still producing electricity. Morpheus and his group are free humans who try and unplug them to try and recruit them to fight the machines. He has unplug Neo because he believes he is "the One" who will bring about the destruction of the machines, and bring human freedom.

Neo begins training to that he may be able to fight off the army of Agents that are always after free humans inside the Matrix. He struggles with realizing or believing that he is truly the One. But Morpheus is confident that once he believes in himself, the Agents will be no match for him. After seeing the Oracle inside the Matrix, the group is ambushed by Agents and a SWAT team. They take Morpheus captive, and it is up to Neo & Trinity to rescue him. Neo becomes more confident in manipulating the Matrix in this rescue, and after dodging bullets much like an Agent, and nearly holding a helicopter, he becomes whole and realizes that he is in fact the One. Morpheus & Trinity escape and Neo is left to handle the main Agent, Agent Smith. They battle it out and Neo ends up dying due to bullet wounds. But after a kiss from Trinity in the real world, he becomes whole again and rebirths in the Matrix, thus destroying the agents, and ending the film.

Of course everything about the Matrix is grand in scale, but nothing in the film compares to the originality and scope of the story line. The Wachowski Brothers combined philosophy, religion, and an original sci-fi story to combine a complex but easily accessible story. Not only is it great on a surface level, with taking you into an alternative reality and a war between man & machines, but it goes much deeper then that. Believing in yourself and falling in love makes you whole, which makes Neo become the One. There is actually whole books on just the philosophy of the Matrix. Overall the Wachowski's seemed to have rolled all the great sci-fi ideas of the 20th century into one grand work of true art. It is a vision that has not been seen in many years before or since it's release.

Directing
There are a few good directing teams out in the industry. Most noteably is the Coen Brothers, but I would say number two on the list (most due to this film, not Speed Racer) is the Wachowski Brothers. Although they are now the Wachowski Siblings (Larry is now Lana Wachowski), I'm going to continue to call them Brothers since they were at the time of this film. Before they had done one film, Bound, which shows a few signs of their future work, but not really. The Matrix is great on all levels due to the directing, and it works for two unknowns because of one thing: passion. M. Night Shyamalan praised the Wachowskis' passion for the film, saying, "Whatever you think of The Matrix, every shot is there because of the passion they have! You can see they argued it out!" Which I completely agree with. They clearly came across a one of a kind idea and through their hearts & souls into every frame of the film.

From storytelling, structure, and depth, the film works on every level. And as director Joss Whedon stated, "It works on whatever level you want to bring to it." The Wachowski's are able to bring you into a new idea, take you down the rabbit hole, and by the end of the film you understood every part and are (hopefully) never lost. They never take it too far, but they never hold back. I think they made every right decision in the film and it shows in the final product. Overall the Wachowski Brothers did a beyond superb job that they have never been able to match.

Acting
Through my research I found out some interesting facts about casting. The part of Neo seemed to have been offered to almost every leading man in Hollywood. Here is a short list of the people considered for the role: Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Will Smith (which he turned it down to do Wild Wild West), Ewan McGregor (which he turned it down to do Phantom Menace), and even Nicholas Cage. But in the end Warner Bros wanted either Johnny Depp or Keanu Reeves. Reeves was cast mostly due to how tuned in he was to the concept and the film. It is hard to imagine the film with anyone else playing that role. I think it absolutely Keanu Reeves best role of his career both for character and his acting.

Keanu works as the role of Neo because he is allowed to be a little wooden, but at the same time curious of what is going on around him. I think this role fits perfectly into what Keanu can deliver as an actor. He doesn't have to deliver an Oscar winning performance, but he just needs to bring you into the world and make you root for Neo, which he accomplishes. The other actors of the film all bring solid performances, but nothing over the top or over dramatic, everyone is just right. You believe Laurence Fishbourne as the wise rebel leader, and you believe Carrie Ann Moss as the loyal #2 of the free humans. Everyone delivers and no one disappoints.


The Matrix is one of those few movies in cinema history that is a classic the instant you leave the theater. I know it will stand the test of time because if you have a great story and bring cinema to a new plane, then you will ensure that people will continue to watch and enjoy your film. The Wachowski's have yet to match the bar they set with this film, and I hope that some day they will be able to come back with something as carefully crafted and masterful as this film was. But if they are unable to they will have their place in sci-fi and film history with this one of a kind, imaginative vision of a dis-utopian future.

The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

When approaching the film, I was unsure what I was in for, and I walked away with much more then I had anticipated. This is the ultimate alien invasion/meeting film there is, and has been parodied numerous times (Mars Attacks). This sci-fi film, #5 on AFI's top sci-fi films, still resonates today. It has messages of anti-war, anti-violence, although some of it is rooted in the Cold War/Atomic Age, it still carries the same weight today.

You have the classic woman in the arms of a robot, a well designed space-craft, special effects that still hold up today, along with Bernard Herrmann's magnificent score, this film has classic written all over it. Here is the trailer:



Story
The film begins with a flying saucer that lands in Washington D.C. Out steps the pilot, Klaatu, who brings a message of goodwill to the people of Earth. He is surrounded by bystanders and the Army. Klaatu pulls out a gift, and one of the nervous soldiers shoots him. In response this awakens a large robot, Gort, from within the spaceship, and he disintegrates all weapons near him using a beam from his head. After this Klaatu is brought to the hospital where he heals quickly and tells the secretary under the President that he wants to meet with all world leaders. He has a message for the world and needs to speak to them immediately, for the Earth is at stake. The secretary tries to explain that that will not be as easy as it sounds and that Klaatu should stay in protective custody until they can work something out. Klaatu breaks out from his cell to try and integrate with the people of Earth, to better understand them.

Klaatu assumes the name, Mr. Carpenter, and rents a room at a boarding house. There he befriends a boy and his mother. Carpenter takes the boy to various historical sites around Washington to try and better understand human beings. Since world leaders won't meet with him, he tries to meet with the "smartest man in the world," a scientist named Bernhardt. He is able to meet with the scientist and tells him that he is the man from the spacecraft and that he must arrange a meeting with the worlds leading minds, who can then bring the message to their leaders. He warns that the development of atomic weapons is concerning to other planets, since human beings may use this against them, and if so the planet will be eliminated. Bernhardt assures him that he can get the worlds leading minds to meet, but Carpenter must try and do something dramatic but not destructive, to grab their attention.

Carpenter/Klaatu shuts down the worlds electricity for 30 minutes. This sends the world in a panic, and makes the worlds leading minds interesting in meeting "the spaceman." This intensifies the government search for him and he is found and shot by the Army. Soon after Gort awakens with the help of a friend of Carpenters, and he brings Klaatu back to the life. Klaatu steps out of the spacecraft and addresses the worlds leading minds in front of him. He warns that if Earth decides to bring their aggression and war into space, the other worlds will have the planet eliminated, since such a threat is not tolerable. He enters the spaceship and they fly off into space.

The strongest part of the story is the clear anti-war sentiment. Klaatu travels 250 million miles to bring a message of peace, and is met with hostility. He tells the people of Earth that they can have their wars on their own planet, and that is no concern of his, but if they bring it into space they will be met with a wall of destruction. He tells them that his supieror race has moved on from war. As I've stated before, the best parts of science fiction is when it holds a mirror up to ourselves and makes it peer into our own views and our own planet. This film does exactly that. In the time of the Cold War this resonated with audiences, and it did with me today as well. In a country that is currently in two wars, and has been for 7 & 8 years, the message of anti-war is as strong today as it was right after World War II. Overall the story accomplishes many feats of not being cheesy, and not being cheap, but still holding a strong message of peace and anti-war. That's what science fiction should be doing.

Direction
Robert Wise is not an unknown in Hollywood. The man directed the classics West Side Story (which he won an Oscar for Best Director), Andromeda Strain, The Sound of Music (another Best Director Oscar), Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and this film. He was also the editor on Citizen Kane, which he was nominated for an Oscar. So pretty much, he's a down-right great director and I give Mr. Wise all the credit on this film. With the script and story it could have easily turned into another generic 50's alien movie that no one remembers, but it didn't, and I give him the credit. And honestly I don't like many (if any) movies from the 1950's. I feel they are melodramatic, cheesy, and usually over the top. But this film, although you can tell it is from 1951, is none of those things. The acting is fairly good, the production design is top notch, the shot composition is beautiful at times, and the score is superb. All of these elements lead straight back to the director. And with 2 Best Director Oscars, he clearly has talent.

The film has a wonderful pace as well. It isn't rushed, you have enough time to fall for some of the characters, and the story line is completely believable. And since the production design still holds up today (the spaceship was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright), you are able to fall into the story and not laugh at shoddy effects. According to research, Wise said that he wanted the film to appear as realistic as possible, in order to drive home the work's core message against armed conflict in the world. Which completely pays off and is nearly flawless. I would say without Wise, this film would have been forgotten because I don't think another director would have made so many right choices with this subject matter.

Acting
Let me start by saying I can't stand 1950's acting. I always find it over the top, melodramatic, and ghastly. But this film is an exception, due to the superb work of Robert Wise. Although I am not in line to hand over the actors an Oscar for their work, for the 1950's I think it is great. I wasn't ever distracted by the acting, like with Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but never really through twice about it. My favorite actor in the film was Michael Rennie, who played Klaatu. I am unsure if it was the writing or his acting, but I completely fell for him as a character. I was rooting for him and wanted him to get any meeting he wanted. I found him charming, understanding, and empathetic. But as for the other actors, they were over shadowed by Klaatu and his mission.


Overall the film has many elements that still remain classic. So much so that to celebrate their 75th anniversary, 20th Century Fox is releasing some commemorative posters of their most classic/memorable films. One of them being The Day the Earth Stood Still. If after 59 years, the studio that made it, find it to be one of their best, I think that is recognition of a classic.

TRON (1982)

A young Jeff Bridges, some of the first CG used in cinema, and the inner world of a computer combine to form the 1982 film Tron. I'm not sure how many great science fiction films Disney has been apart of, none come to mind, but Tron is certainly one of them. Although overall I don't think Tron is an Oscar winning piece of pure gold, or something that should be drooled over by the populous, but I do think it is a fun, innovative ride that takes you to places you haven't been: inside a computer.

Story
The film begins with a gifted software engineer, Flynn (Bridges), who is running a local arcade. He gets a visit from his friends Alan & Laura who tell him that his former employer, and their current boss, is shutting down certain parts of the company. The three decide to go back to the company and try and get Flynn into the mainframe. Flynn suggests that their their boss, Dillinger, stole his ideas for some of the most popular arcade games that are now making millions. He wants to try and prove that Dillinger, who is now promoted to President of the company, stole his ideas, thus getting credit for these popular games. The three of them make it inside and Flynn tries to hack into the company's super computer, the MCP (Master Control Program), to try and find the files he needs to prove Dillinger stole his ideas. As Flynn attempts to break in to the system, MCP controls an experimental laser and digitizes Flynn, which brings him into the computers mainframe.

Flynn finds himself standing in a digital world inside the computer. He is taken to a holding pit where he meets two programs, RAM & Tron. The three of them break out of the holding cell and escape. Their goal is to bring down the MCP and make the system free again for any programs and users to use. After escaping tanks, light cycles, and guards, they are finally able to reach the heart of the MCP. After battling a giant Dillinger, they defeat the MCP and make the system free again. Afterwards Flynn escapes the digital world and gets his proof that Dillinger did in face steal his ideas. The film ends with Flynn becoming the President of the company.

The greatest attribute the story has is that for the first time in cinema history, we are taken into the inner workings of a computer. It is the first imagining of what it would be like to be inside that world and what goes on in there. This is easily the best part of Tron. The other interesting part of Tron is the idea of a free system and battling the establishment, and other parts are not so interesting. I can't say from a filmmaking/sci-fi perspective that I enjoy the programs being tiny people in my computer racing each other and battling one another. It has it's pros and cons, but he pros outweigh the latter.

Direction
The film was written & directed by the relatively unknown Steven Lisberger. He was inspired after he saw the video game Pong in the 70's. He had the idea of what would happen to someone if they got trapped inside a computer and what it would be like to be in that realm. He brought the movie to nearly every studio in Hollywood and was turned down by everyone, until he brought the idea to Disney. Disney at the time was interested in more daring and interesting projects and gave the film a budget of $10 million.

Although I am not blown away by Lisberger's direction on acting or story necessarily, what I am impressed with is what he wanted to do with the film. He wanted to bring you into a world that you have never seen and wanted to use different techniques to differentiate it from reality. For example they filmed all the computer world scenes in black & white, and colorized them later using a photo technic called "back-lit animation." Also the computer animation in the film, which is only 15 minutes total, is a milestone in the computer animation industry. It was the first film to use computer animation extensively. In the end Lisberger garners my respect for having vision, and taking the film in directions never before seen in film.

Acting
After I watched the film, the one thing that never made me once think, "Oh that was great" or "Wow, how well crafted," was the acting. It's not that it's anywhere near bad, it's just nothing spectacular or different. Jeff Bridges is entertaining, and the others are the same, but nothing pops out at me. But then I realized that I had just finished watching a Disney film and there you go. I also don't believe Lisberger's focus was on acting, or acting that is beyond and above the norm. Although not bad, not great acting in the end.


Is Tron a classic? Yes. It is a milestone for two big reasons in science fiction and in film. It is the first film to use CGI extensively, and also the first film to take you inside a computer. Although you may not have Oscar winning performances, or spectacular dialogue, you have a entertaining ride throughout that takes you to places you've never seen before. To me, for those reasons, it is still a classic today.