Aliens (1986)

The holiday season is always a great time to catch up with friends and family, but also a great time to revisit some of the classic horror/sci-fi flicks of the past decades. Last night, I finished reviews of the Phantasm franchise, now my plan is to continue with the Alien franchise, with the 1986 sequel Aliens.

Plot/ Fifty-seven years after Ripley survived the moon LV-426, all communications with the terraforming colony on the outpost have been lost. The Company enlists Ripley to aid a team of space marines on a rescue mission to the moon to find out if there are aliens or survivors.

It isn’t often when a sequel may be more satisfying than the source material, but that may indeed be the case with the classic franchise. Aliens is both more entertaining and more diverse than the original Alien. While this may not be by a gigantic amount, it is still the case. This one has all of the elements that made the made the original fun with an awesome soundtrack, a claustrophobic atmosphere, a tremendous cast with outstanding performances, and of course the tension that continued to build throughout. Really, every part of this movie was just as good (if not better) than the original including the action and scripting. If there were a downside, it would be the fact that the computer technology presented in both the facility on the ground and in the ship did not really seem to develop as much as it should considering the timeframes that were being used  (57 years in a long time), but that would be nitpicking. In the end, this film is one of the best Sci-Fi movies ever made and one of the most memorable. With another sequel on the horizon, it is a great time to revisit all of these to get primed. Check it out!

Alien (1979)

Being back into the swing of some horror flicks this weekend; I figured that it was time for me to revisit a classic. While at Family Video, I saw the perfect film to fill that void. That movie is the 1979 classic Alien.

Plot/ After a space merchant vessel perceives an unknown transmission as distress call; their landing on the source moon finds one of the crew attacked by a mysterious life form. Continuing their journey back to Earth with the attacked crew having recovered and the critter deceased, they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun.

I know that there are movies that need no introduction or lasting homage, and this is one of those films. Really, there is nothing more that I could add about this classic, except maybe the fact that it holds up tremendously well even after all of these years. Honestly, it is incredible that this movie came out in 1979 and remains one of the greatest and most influential Sci-Fi/Horror films ever made. The cinematography and direction is perfectly done and helps develop the dense and claustrophobic atmosphere that saturates the entire movie. The performances are outstanding and take the script to a very memorable level with actions and dialog that also stand the test of time. On top of that, the special effects are amazing and the soundtrack blends in with the darkness and creates something that may never be duplicated. In the end, this is a movie that will definitely outlive many films that have been considered classics and should always find a new fan base to entertain. If you have not seen it, what are you waiting for?

Hackers (1995)

After going back into the world of the slasher, I decided to venture into another type of wormhole. While all of my work lately has been rather serious, I decided I needed something more comedic to help change my mindset. After some debate, I decided to dive back into the 1990s with the 1995 cyberpunk entry, Hackers.

Plot/ A young boy is arrested by the U.S. Secret Service for writing a computer virus and is banned from using a computer until his 18th birthday. Years later, he and his new-found friends discover a plot to unleash a dangerous computer virus, but they must use their computer skills to find the evidence while being pursued by the Secret Service and the evil computer genius behind the virus.

It had been a long time since I entered this world and I forgot how entertaining and funny Hackers is. As a movie, there is a lot to like, with cool cyberpunk attitudes mixed with non-stop schlock and over-the-top performances all-around. The storyline and plot, while unbelievable, are both interesting and work well (especially as a flashback toward the authenticity of the 1990s), the soundtrack is awesome, the cast and performances are solid, and the characters are hilarious. Yes, you must suspend all you know of computers and reality, plus, remember the crazy style and wardrobes of the 1990s, and if you do that, you should have some fun with this one. In the end, this may be a schlockfest and one of the most unrealistic and unbelievable films of the era, but it is also a fun way to pass some time inside a fun time warp. If you have not seen it, check it out!

Total Recall (1990)

Yesterday was a long day, as I had to pull a late night at the institute. Yes, it was only a few hours, but that time seemed to drain the life out of me and when I got home, I did not feel like doing anything. Tonight, I decided to get back on track by reviewing another one of the retro flicks I have watched over the past few days, 1990s Total Recall.

Plot/ When a man goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real, or does he?

This was a movie that I recently searched out for many reasons. Based on the Phillip K. Dick short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, I decided to venture into this one again to see some of the areas I may have missed when it came out. While what I found was a touch dated, it was definitely worth watching again. The storyline is fantastic, the action scenes were solid, sets interesting, and the performances were actually better than I remember. Sure, some of the effects see out of date and the dialog is all over, but that was somewhat expected from what I had remembered. In the end, this was an entertaining trip into a strange and layered storyline. If you have not watched the original, give it a shot, it is worth it.

The Machine (2013)

The Fourth of July is often one of those days that cause mixed emotions. While I enjoy the cookouts and relaxation, the drunks with the fireworks on every corner can make it a touch annoying. But, I would prefer dealing with those idiots more than dealing with a totalitarian society that wants to control everything… Oh wait this is the Obama administration. Next up for review is the 2013 Sci-Fi / Thriller The Machine.

Plot/ Two artificial intelligence engineers come together as they work to create the first ever self-aware artificial intelligence. Things go wrong when the Ministry of Defense takes over and advances the researchers' work to the next level, teaching the AI to kill with its new and nearly indestructible body.

Sci-Fi films have been all over the place recently, with the art of the Sci-Fi / Thriller almost non-existent. That was definitely not the case with this low budget but stylish independent flick. There was a lot to like in this one with a thought provoking storyline, solid acting, and an atmospheric realm. Sure, there were some scripting issues and the ending felt a bit abrupt, but those were not a deal breaker. In the end, this was an entertaining flick with some nice visual elements. If you are a fan of the Sci-Fi / Thriller genre, give this one a look.