I watched the “Last Frakkin’ Special” for BSG last night. I am completely in love with this show and so sad to see it go. One reason being, I will miss having an awesome science fiction show to watch every season. There are so few GOOD science fiction things to watch (including movies) that it hurts me.

I am a big science fiction gal. Since the first Star Trek reruns I saw on TV as a kid, I was hooked. I’m not sure why. They say not a whole lot of women like science fiction. I don’t quite understand it. To me, it’s like any fantasy-based book or movie. Strange creatures, worldbuilding, fantastical gadgets instead of magic, etc. But yet I feel science fiction is more based on the ‘real,’ which makes it all the more appealing. You never know when some of these things may come to pass…in fact, there are quite a few items/ideas created in science fiction that have turned into real things over the decades. I’m still waiting for a phaser I can set on stun, but a taser is pretty close now, isn’t it?

Battlestar Galactica had two great things going for it: characters and realism. This is a bleak future. Nothing clean or perfect or advanced about this except for the technology. But the way people behave and how they form groups and how they react to tension or devastation is still just as human as modern 21st century man. There’s no aliens, but there is an enemy. There’s hardly an inhabitable planet anywhere, much less sources for food, fuel and water.

Yes, BSG, you are quite literally the most fabulous thing on television…and only for ONE more Friday night. Weep!
Ladies, get over your fear of sci fi. I don’t know what you’re worried about or think you won’t like. There’s love and pain and betrayal and hurt. Just like any other great story.

For me, I think it’s a fear I have of space…no oxygen, the vast black nothingness. It’s as inhospitable to human life as a place can be…yet we yearn to find out more about it, tame it, make it into something it will never be.

So, for those who are too afraid to watch science fiction because they think they will hate it, I give you a list of some of my favorites (while leaving out the obvious…Star Wars and Star Trek, for example).

1) Alien & Aliens - Had to have these in the list. Scary, but incredibly gripping with great characters. Ripley has to be the most badass heroine of all time. Quite a bit of gore, but it’s the suspense that shines. (Aliens 3 and 4 are okay…but it’s almost best to stop at number 2)

2) Pitch Black - Okay, I’m guessing most gals have seen this one just because of Vin Diesel. This was probably one of the greatest sci fi sleeper films I’ve seen. At the time it was released, no stars in it really. But really well made, incredibly suspenseful, and it kicks you in the gut so many times…just plain wow. I will watch this whenever it’s on tv.

3) Starman - This is a nice science fiction romance that many younger women may have missed. Early 80s with Karen Allen of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” fame. It’s action, it’s romance, it’s really very very good.

4) Contact - Some people hated this movie. I still don’t understand why…I think b/c they wanted some big alien finale. But I LOVED it. Jodie Foster was great, the whole idea of the thing they construct and how it works was really quite cool. And I actually liked the ending.

5) Event Horizon - Completely disturbing. This is horror that stays with you after the movie is over. So if you don’t like dark and scary and gory, just skip it. For some reason, this movie gives me the chills every time and I can’t stop watching it. Basically Sam Neill going crazy in outer space with some disturbing ideas about life and death and what it all means.

6) Starship Troopers - Okay, this was GREAT. It actually starts out with a bit of a tongue-in-cheek approach to science fiction, but develops into this great war film. Basically humans vs. the huge insects. Also gory, but some great action, great surprises, and some hot dudes.

7) Minority Report - I know, it’s Tom Cruise. But this was a REALLY fabulous movie. Suspenseful and keeps you guessing. I love chase movies…guy on the run type stuff. And this one delivers. Trust me, you will actually be rooting for Tom before it’s all over.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers - I’ve seen both the 1950s version and the more modern ones (not the Nicole Kidman one…I’ve heard it’s atrocious). However, my favorite was the version from 1978 with Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, and Veronica Cartwright. Very very dark and creepy with some great suspenseful moments. The ending was superb!

9) Enemy Mine. Okay, this is so completely dorky, I know. But for those of use who are mothers, this will make you cry. HUGE tearjerker. Sounds impossible, but it’s true. Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. as the alien.  This is from the mid-80s, so maybe some have missed it. Human and alien crash land on a very inhospitable planet…they are enemies….but are stuck trying to survive together.

Yeah, that’s enough. I was trying to think of the less obvious choices…you know ET, Close Encounters, The Matrix etc.

What about some of you out there? Any favorite science fiction films I may have missed?

Since I’m avoiding work I need to be doing today, I thought I’d do another movie ‘review’ of sorts.

I really enjoy creepy, scary movies. They could be just thrillers or even horror. I’ll watch pretty much anything in the genre, even if it looks ridiculously dumb. I guess one of my favorite things is to be scared or surprised. I know, pretty sick. LOL.

This week I got a chance to see the movie “Quarantine.” One of those no-to-low budget type of films with one ‘name’ in the cast–the sister of “Dexter” fame. Overall, it wasn’t too bad. The basic premise is that a reporter and her cameraman who are following the fire department for the night end up on a call to an apartment building. They end up being quarantined inside the building with a bunch of diseased, crazy people. Chaos ensues.

Here are the things I liked:

1) The acting was really very good. Not just the main character…although she did a superb job of being freaked out…but even the minor characters were believably scared/insane/diseased.

2) The plot about why these people were quarantined. Somewhat believable and scary as crap.

3) Lots of chills and surprise attacks from all sides. Also, one truly gross scene that I LOVED.  (I know, I’m twisted.)

Here are the things I disliked:

1) This was shot in the ‘Blair Witch’ style of filmmaking (or “Cloverfield,” if you’d like a more current reference). Hand-held camera. The problem with this style is that there is a very claustrophobic feeling (which maybe was supposed to be the point of using that type of videography). The plot could’ve been served much better and made for a better film with the use of straightforward filming with actual editing.

2) It was really really dark. I had a hard time seeing what was going on in the second half of the film because they were relying only on the light from the camera itself. This increased the claustrophobia feel, but also made it difficult to see exactly what was going on. Which actually ruined some of the suspense.

3) The last bit, where they find the ‘reason’ behind the quarantine was sloppily done. People on the run would not be pawing through papers. (I don’t want to give anything else away)

Overall, not a bad little flick. Worth a rent if you like scary movies. And there’s not a ton of gore…and when there is, most of it is very obscured by the lighting issues I mentioned.

I’m cheap. I rarely go to the movies. So I very much treasure my Netflix account. This means I am usually 4-6 months behind on movie-watching, as I have to wait until it comes out on DVD.

Last night I finally saw “The Dark Knight.”

This movie got rave reviews. Many ‘perfect’ scores as far as thumbs up or stars or whatever ratings system various reviewers and websites used.

Out of 5 stars, I’d give a 3.5

If you haven’t seen the movie, spoilers will follow. This is your chance to leave.

Why did I give it a 3.5 rating?

First the good things:

Heath Ledger was creepy and disturbing. I wouldn’t put his acting in the Academy Award zone, but I get why Hollywood wanted to nominate him. Probably his best role for showcasing his talents.

The gadgets and car/motorcycle chases were exciting and original. Esp. when Batman turned the motorcycle around by climbing the wall!

The plot, although a tad on the complex side, kept me interested and watching all the way to the end.

Okay, now for a few bad things.

There were too many bad guys to keep track of. First the bank robbers/Joker, then the mobsters, then the Joker again, then crooked cops, then Two-Face!? I really feel they wasted Two-Face in an unnecessary revenge plot. They could’ve saved him for a later film and created a plot just for him. I also did not get why Two-Face didn’t blame Batman for Rachel’s death. Or why he didn’t find out about Rachel’s feelings for Batman, which would’ve fueled a very good movie all on its own.

Batman never seemed very upset about choosing Harvey over Rachel or about Rachel’s death. He should’ve been devastated, conflicted with his choice, angry, on the verge of self-destruction. But I never felt that sorrow or seething rage after Rachel died nor when he chose Dent to rescue.

The ferries. My God the ferries. Can someone tell me WHY they didn’t just evacuate them? Why weren’t people jumping off the ferries into the water? Maybe I drifted off somewhere….did Joker’s threat ever include “and if anyone leaves, I’ll know it, and blow you both sky high?” Maybe I missed that part.

What happened to the Joker? Was he arrested? Did he escape? Did they put him in an insane asylum? Did they ever figure out who he really was???

And my absolute least favorite part: Threatening Commissioner Gordon’s family. Was it really necessary to have the KID be the one with the gun to his head? I found that truly distasteful. Yes, horrible things like this do happen, but they don’t need to show it in a movie, do they? It made me sick to my stomach. There was no reason to go there. A better solution would’ve been older kids (like teens or young men) or just a wife. Have the kids get away somehow. There was NO POINT to having the two young boys there at all. Sorry.

All right. End of my comments.  It was an entertaining film, yes, but it was not a perfect or near-perfect film as many had me believe. Your thoughts?

Kris

Since I live in the middle of nowhere, a Netflix subscription is a must have. The movie theater is very far away, which means we are usually four or five months behind ‘normal’ people in watching movies.

This week, my kids and I watched the Star Wars Clone Wars animated film. I was very impressed. Compared to the last three Star Wars films which had pretty horrible dialogue, slow stories, and wooden acting (even from some great actors), this film was stellar. And whoever did the voice casting…all I can say is wow. I really thought that was Ewan McGregor doing the voice of Obi Wan.

George Lucas is a great worldbuilder. I will give him that much. But director of actors and writer of dialogue? Not so much. My dream would be to get the same people together that did the Clone Wars movie and have them make the rumored ‘final three’ movies in the Star Wars pantheon.

How great would that be? You could use Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as voice actors, so any age problems would be eliminated. Because, come on, who didn’t wince seeing Harrison on film playing Indiana Jones at the ripe age of 66 this past spring?

I always thought the idea of a third trio of films surrounding the lives of Leia and Han’s twins would be very cool. At the end of episodes 4-6 we do get a happy ending, but there’s really only one Jedi left…and a sister. Wouldn’t it be cool to see the rise of the Jedi?

Okay, I’m a total Star Wars geek girl. I know. But it’s not like I dress up in a Princess Leia bikini and go off to conventions.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed that someone over at Lucasarts is working on my idea…please?