1990s To The Present Sci-Fi Thread.

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Yup.

I love the Predator creature.

It's a shame they had to **** about with them don't you think?

I mean take us, humans, that's it humans, we don't have dog humans and hawk humans as well.

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

err have you ever seen Nord?

Mr. Abberline. That is naughty

Funny, but naughty!

[Inspector Abberline]

Fortress (1992)

Fortress (1992)

In the future you are only a loud one child,so John Henry Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife Karen B. Brennick (Loryn Locklin) try to escape but are caught when the guards notice that Brennick's wife is wearing a magnetic vest which hides the fact that she is pregnant from the guards scanners.But like everything else set in the future nothing works as it should and they are caught,Brennick getting arrested and sentenced to 31 years in prison . As in the film The Running Man (1987 ) trying to escape futuristic prisons is always a bad idea,in Fortress due to Intestinators being implanted into the stomach of the prisoners ,means if you cross a certain line then your stomach explodes,ouch pass the indigestion tablets.Stuart Gordon directs the kind of science fiction action film,which resembles those low budget mad max rip off's that came out of Italy in the 1980's,and it has a cast of some of the best B-movie actors that were doing the rounds at the time ,Kurtwood (Robocop) Smith as prison director Poe ,Jeffrey Combs as D-Day,Tom Towles as Stiggs and Vernon ( Commando,Mad Max 2) Wells as Maddox and of course not forgetting Christopher Lambert an actor destined for greatness but never really got there. Fortress seemed to be part of a trend for science fiction prison films at the time with Alien 3,No Escape and Demolition Man all giving there own versions of the short,sharp shock treatment so beloved by the Conservative Party back in the 1980's.Fortress is a decent enough action pot boiler,it has all the relevant cliches of any prison movie, the threat of sodomy, getting into a fight with the prison's bad ass and inevitably getting into trouble with the prison governor. Fortress does try to tackle social problems like over crowding,famine and what to do with an over populated prison system,but Stuart Gordon's direction is so heavy handed and lacklustre,and seems out of step with his other movies ( and I haven't seen Robot Jox (1989) in years) It's a fun enjoyable exploitation movie,but not a great Suart Gordon movie.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

Fortress (1992)

Fortress (1992)

In the future you are only a loud one child,so John Henry Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife Karen B. Brennick (Loryn Locklin) try to escape but are caught when the guards notice that Brennick's wife is wearing a magnetic vest which hides the fact that she is pregnant from the guards scanners.But like everything else set in the future nothing works as it should and they are caught,Brennick getting arrested and sentenced to 31 years in prison . As in the film The Running Man (1987 ) trying to escape futuristic prisons is always a bad idea,in Fortress due to Intestinators being implanted into the stomach of the prisoners ,means if you cross a certain line then your stomach explodes,ouch pass the indigestion tablets.Stuart Gordon directs the kind of science fiction action film,which resembles those low budget mad max rip off's that came out of Italy in the 1980's,and it has a cast of some of the best B-movie actors that were doing the rounds at the time ,Kurtwood (Robocop) Smith as prison director Poe ,Jeffrey Combs as D-Day,Tom Towles as Stiggs and Vernon ( Commando,Mad Max 2) Wells as Maddox and of course not forgetting Christopher Lambert an actor destined for greatness but never really got there. Fortress seemed to be part of a trend for science fiction prison films at the time with Alien 3,No Escape and Demolition Man all giving there own versions of the short,sharp shock treatment so beloved by the Conservative Party back in the 1980's.Fortress is a decent enough action pot boiler,it has all the relevant cliches of any prison movie, the threat of sodomy, getting into a fight with the prison's bad ass and inevitably getting into trouble with the prison governor. Fortress does try to tackle social problems like over crowding,famine and what to do with an over populated prison system,but Stuart Gordon's direction is so heavy handed and lacklustre,and seems out of step with his other movies ( and I haven't seen Robot Jox (1989) in years) It's a fun enjoyable exploitation movie,but not a great Suart Gordon movie.

I haven't seen Fortress in years. I'd pick a blu up in a heartbeat.

[Inspector Abberline]

There's a US Blu,but it look like it has gone OOP, due to the silly asking price.But a uk Blu-ray would be good,and would improve the viewing no end.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

There's a US Blu,but it look like it has gone OOP, due to the silly asking price.But a uk Blu-ray would be good,and would improve the viewing no end.

I asked 101 about releasing Fortress cos it seems there type of fare. As i recall they told me it was owned by Columbia, now Sony, and therefore very difficult to license.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

It's a fun enjoyable exploitation movie,but not a great Suart Gordon movie.

Look forward to your review of the wonderful Space Truckers , in time, Inspector.

[Inspector Abberline]

Jason X

In the grand scheme of good film ideas,im sure the writer Todd Farmer thought this was a beauty,Jason Voorhees in outer space,Im sure the men in suits thought this would be the ultimate way of re-booting the slightly flagging franchise. And you can not really fault its optimism that this was some how going to relight Jason's fire after the some what lacklustre Jason Goes To Hell,(which was basically a rip off of the film The Hidden,not a bad film just poorly executed,and who could not love the Freddy glove at the end). Jason X does need a major leap of disbelieve in its story line,well no more than any of the other films in the series I suppose,Jason a super zombie is being recruited into the army by Dr. Wimmer (David Cronenberg),only Rowan (Lexa Doig) wants the mummy's boy cryogenic frozen. Of course things go wrong,people get killed and Jason and Rowan get frozen together in sickness and a machete in the guts.445 years later hey presto a landing party arrive and the two are rescued and taken aboard the rescuers spaceship and hopefully will be returned to Earth Two,not yet knowing who there special guest is.Once the novelty of the outer space setting has worn off,its just the usual over sexed teenagers getting slaughtered in various different ways scenario we have come to know and love.There are a few nice ideas thrown into the mix,like the virtual reality hologram of Crystal Lake,where Jason gets to kill some nubile campers,also the medical station that can rebuild body parts and unfortunately for the crew re-build Jason into a bigger and better Cyber Jason.Really silly and so far removed from the series that I sometimes wonder if i had actually dreamed the film,but no it does exist.Not a favourite of mine from the series,but you have to forgive it,for being such a goof-ball idea,and the fact they actually made it.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

Jason X

In the grand scheme of good film ideas,im sure the writer Todd Farmer thought this was a beauty,Jason Voorhees in outer space,Im sure the men in suits thought this would be the ultimate way of re-booting the slightly flagging franchise. And you can not really fault its optimism that this was some how going to relight Jason's fire after the some what lacklustre Jason Goes To Hell,(which was basically a rip off of the film The Hidden,not a bad film just poorly executed,and who could not love the Freddy glove at the end). Jason X does need a major leap of disbelieve in its story line,well no more than any of the other films in the series I suppose,Jason a super zombie is being recruited into the army by Dr. Wimmer (David Cronenberg),only Rowan (Lexa Doig) wants the mummy's boy cryogenic frozen. Of course things go wrong,people get killed and Jason and Rowan get frozen together in sickness and a machete in the guts.445 years later hey presto a landing party arrive and the two are rescued and taken aboard the rescuers spaceship and hopefully will be returned to Earth Two,not yet knowing who there special guest is.Once the novelty of the outer space setting has worn off,its just the usual over sexed teenagers getting slaughtered in various different ways scenario we have come to know and love.There are a few nice ideas thrown into the mix,like the virtual reality hologram of Crystal Lake,where Jason gets to kill some nubile campers,also the medical station that can rebuild body parts and unfortunately for the crew re-build Jason into a bigger and better Cyber Jason.Really silly and so far removed from the series that I sometimes wonder if i had actually dreamed the film,but no it does exist.Not a favourite of mine from the series,but you have to forgive it,for being such a goof-ball idea,and the fact they actually made it.

Must be honest Inspector i really like Jason X and you've just made me want to watch it.

[Inspector Abberline]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Must be honest Inspector i really like Jason X and you've just made me want to watch it.

I certainly don't hate the film,far from it,Its just I do wonder how far you can push credibility when it comes to outlandish film ideas. What next Alien Vs Predator ,Batman Vs Superman I mean really how ridiculous can you get.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

I certainly don't hate the film,far from it,Its just I do wonder how far you can push credibility when it comes to outlandish film ideas. What next Alien Vs Predator ,Batman Vs Superman I mean really how ridiculous can you get.

I'm waiting on Freddy Vs. Jaws myself.