Currently browsing the "Science Fiction/Fantasy" category.
Melancholia
Posted by Arty Chick on December 3, 2011
Danish director Lars von Trier is not known for happy movies (Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark) and with Melancholia he keeps true to form. The title clues you in to the mood of the film centered on two sisters Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), which is told in two chapters. The first is Justine’s story – the saga of her wedding reception at her sister’s mansion, in which she has a slow and painful meltdown, revealing herself to be a deeply disturbed, depressed woman, incapable of being in any relationship, much less married. The second part belongs to Claire. It concerns her growing terror that a planet called Melancholia that has been hiding behind the sun is soon going to crash into the earth.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
Posted by Mainstream Chick on November 22, 2011
Yes, I was indeed among the masses who helped Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part One reap nearly $140 Million at the box office in its opening weekend. And I make no apologies. I read the books and liked them (for the most part). I saw the first three movies in the series. The first one was quite bad; the second one was better; the third one was quite good. And now, the fourth – well, it’s definitely weak. But it doesn’t really matter. Once you’re sucked into the franchise, you have no choice but to see it through (thus the boffo box office numbers for this penultimate installment of the franchise). My only hope is that Part Two somehow manages to provide a more satisfying conclusion than the book itself, which was my least favorite of the bunch.
In Time
Posted by Mainstream Chick on October 29, 2011
The “Occupiers” of Wall Street and throughout the world should take a massive field trip to see this movie. I have a feeling they’d like it – a lot. It definitely delivers a timely and thought-provoking message in an intriguing and entertaining way.
Cowboys & Aliens
Posted by Mainstream Chick on July 28, 2011
If you like westerns and you like sci-fi then trust me, you’ll like Cowboys & Aliens. It really is that simple. This movie is a strange hybrid that somehow works, mostly due to its stars (Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford) and its director, Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf) who knows how to make a crowd-pleaser. The best way to describe it is True Grit meets Independence Day. Chew on that for a while.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Posted by Mainstream Chick on July 21, 2011
Holy androstenedione, Batman! Or whatever else it is that’s in the experimental serum that transforms a scrawny kid from Brooklyn into the ultra-buff Super-Soldier known as “Captain America.” He’s really hot, but the movie’s just luke-warm.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part Two
Posted by Mainstream Chick on July 13, 2011
When Part One left us hanging back in November of last year, it seemed so cruel to have to wait until July 2011 for the epic finale of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But time has flown faster than a broomstick in a quidditch match – and now we must bid a fond farewell to the boy wizard and the entire HP universe. Thankfully, the much-anticipated conclusion doesn’t disappoint.
Super 8
Posted by Mainstream Chick on June 9, 2011
Super 8 is a blast from the past – especially for those of us who, um, grew up in the 1970s.
X-Men: First Class
Posted by Mainstream Chick on June 2, 2011
This movie is everything a prequel should be: entertaining in its own right and true to the characters we’ve come to know in the previous franchise films. For the uninitiated, the X-Men (and women) are a superhero team sprung from the pages of Marvel comic books. They are considered mutants because they have an extra “X” gene that gives them each a unique power or ability that normal humans lack.
Midnight in Paris
Posted by Mainstream Chick on May 19, 2011
I’m not (book) smart enough to fully appreciate Midnight in Paris, but I would certainly encourage fans of the literary and art world of the 1920s to check it out. The movie presents an interesting, somewhat whimsical Woody Allen-ified twist on the time travel genre.
Source Code
Posted by Mainstream Chick on March 31, 2011
Don’t be scared away by talk of quantum mechanics, complex mathematical equations, and computer source codes. You don’t have to understand any of that to enjoy this movie (trust me, I know). Source Code is a bit like Groundhog Day meets Speed meets Inception meets 24. It’s a sci-fi thriller that takes place primarily on a commuter train that is – literally- about to explode.
