SCI-FI September!

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

Strangely I was going to watch this next!

It is amazing the amount of films that are on YouTube the might not be big names but plenty of hidden gems and cult movies.

Most of the 50s Science-fiction that are on YouTube I have watched them (shock horror ) might take another look at them at some point.

[MrBarlow]

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. 1989.

The crew of the USS Enterprise try to deal with Spock's long lost brother who pans to hijack the ship.

Mr Shatner probably thought, what Leonard can do I can do better and take the helm of directing this and it failed, I'm pretty sure it wasn't his fault, giving a deadline by the execs to get the film done on time and then having it trimmed down for running time.

After the cast working together all this time, everyone is still going strong and having a laugh but some of the humour is slowly disappearing, there is a bit too much chit chatter and not really a lot of adventure here. Sybok's adventure to find god at the end of the galaxy seemed to drag on and when they do it tends to drag on some more. This one may grow on me with another viewing.

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[MrBarlow]

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. 1991.

On the eve of retirement of the crew, a peace treaty is forming with the Klingon's , Kirk and McCoy are charged with assassination, the crew try to rescue them while trying to find who on board is a traitor.

Like the previous Star Trek film, this one does have a bit more chit chat but certainly a lot more entertaining, Kim Cattrall joins the Enterprise as another Vulcan and has the almost the same mannerisms as Spock. Christopher Plummer stars as Klingon Chang who seems to want to keep the fight going rather than seek peace.

The humour is definitely back with this one with McCoy giving a response in a court and Spock actually delivering the perfect response when the crew are being decomitioned, Nicholas Meyer who directed the second film returns and does a good job on this film as he did before.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Hidden (1987)

My first watch on Blu-ray. What a cracker! Although the Blu-ray image wasn't quite as vibrant as i'd hoped it would be.

A big budget science fiction, buddy cop, action movie with horror overtones. From the opening scenes of car carnage, the pace never lets up as detective Michael Nouri and weirdo FBI agent Kyle MacLachlan try and stop an alien criminal in LA. hopping from human to human in turn making them commit heinous crimes, usually involving fast cars.

Think Lethal Weapon meets The Thing, although a lot less icky, and a lot more of a frenetic pace thanks to Jack Sholder's excellent direction.

Always hugely enjoyable.

[Demoncrat]

I've always loved Sholder's stuff (Alone In The Dark, ANOES 2 etc). Digging it out!!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

I've always loved Sholder's stuff (Alone In The Dark, ANOES 2 etc). Digging it out!!

Good call. Renegades (Surely begging for a release from 101 or 88) Wishmaster 2 and Arachnid - all loads of fun as well as the two you mentioned.

Sacrilege corner....when i last watched the Elm Street films back to back i enjoyed 2 much more than the first one.

[Demoncrat]

TESTIFY!!!

[MrBarlow]

Death Race 2000. 1975.

In a dystopian future, a cross country race is the top sport where drivers run down innocent pedestrians in order to gain points.

I'm sure we have all gone for a drive and thought how many points will I get for that pedestrian...sadly I have thought that. David Carradine plays the firm favourite Frankenstein who has had his body rebuilt due to crashes and Sly Stallone plays the happy trigger finger Machine Gun Joe who doesn't really care who is killed.

While the film is totally a cheese fest, it is still enjoyable to watch with good writing and a almost comedic tone to the violence and great choreographed driving sequences along with some good insults like someone being called a over baked potato

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[MrBarlow]

Death Race. 2008.

Jensen Ames is framed for murder and sent to Terminal Island Prison where the sport Death Race is made, he is given a choice step into the character Frankenstein who the original driver died, win the race and be free or stay in prison for life.

Unlike the original points don't matter, all you need to do is win 1st place out of five races and stay alive, Paul W.S. Anderson managed to create a Grand Prix movie set in a prison with different cars and machine guns but also able to create some character build up. Jason Statham plays the framed convict teamed with Ian McShane as Coach who rather be inside than be in the outside world. Jacob Vargas as Gunner who is the pit crew mechanic and Frederick Koehler as lists who knows everything about everyone in the race.

The theatrical release was shortened by 4 minutes and some fights scenes were quickly over where as the unrated version is a lot better to view and enjoy, but certainly does have it's fair share of good kills and blood along the way.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

I've no doubt this is seen by many as the least of the original apes films and it probably is but it's one i've always enjoyed.

I admit the final battle as humans go for a full assault on the ape city (City is a very loose term) is very small scale with seemingly around fifty humans at most and a few vehicles albeit at least one with some kind of cannon, however there are some beautifully iconic sequences such as gorillas on horseback surrounding a classic yellow American school bus like something out of a John Ford western, which to this day remain memorable.

As much as the film is about the battle with the humans the film works best for me in how it looks at fractures within ape society. In particular the gorilla General Aldo and his intolerance of of both friendly humans and apes with superior intellect such as chimpanzees led here by Roddy Mcdowall's Caesar, which ends in conflict suggesting apes after all are no different to the humans they so despise and fear becoming like.