Welcome to 2011! With the new year upon us, let’s take a look at some movies expected to come out in the next 12 months… At least, according to the IMDB they’re expected to come out. As always, some will get pushed back to 2012… or later, some may end up direct-to-video, and some may never see a theater or home screen. If you feel up to it, you can check out IMDB’s Feature Films (to be) Released in 2011 and see how many of the 5744 you might want to watch and/or have reviewed here. I should warn you, most of the films listed are categorized as in development, that is, they’re still working on stuff like cast and script and haven’t started shooting yet, and may be canceled outright if such details cannot be ironed out. Better bookmark those links if you want to follow them.
Comics are serious. The wave of comic-book based movies continues, and for cyberpunks some good choices are waiting in the wings. The coming year will see the likes of Y: The Last Man,Aphrodite IX,Ex Machina, and Deathlok make the jump from the comic pages to the big screen.
If you want to sing Megadeth’s “Psychotron” for the Deathlok movie, go right ahead.
It’s in the books. Several novels are slated for 2011 movies, including two from cyberpunk godfather William Gibson. The seminal Neuromancer is on the in development list. That means another change of director, another change of script, another delay… Maybe we should forget Neuromancer for now and concentrate on Pattern Recognition. It’s in active development, and looks like it will be in theaters long before Neuromancer.
Also in development is How To Survive A Robot Uprising, which is about… something. Currently in post-production is Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand’s epic about a railroad tycoon facing a culture of self-destruction all around her. People say that the novel closely resembles the current economic situation. Not cyberpunk stuff, but I might see it just to give myself a laugh… or cry.
Movies to watch for? With all the apparent rehashes, prequels and sequels, TV spin-offs, and what could be best described as Hollywood’s continued loss of originality, I have found some movies that I would like to see and review this coming year. Your mileage will vary:
Real Steel: Hugh Jackman plays Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots - with real robots! Could be this years KO… literally.
Fard Ayn: “A passionate look at humankind’s commitment to a dark future. One man is bound by loyalty. One woman is trapped in a technocratic state. The two stories are a dramatic parallel saga of what could be humankind’s dangerous future society.” It’s already been tagged as a cyberpunk movie, but we’ll see if it lives up to it.
Future Fighters: Mechs in space, boldly going where no one has gone before… except the Macross/Robotech and Gundam franchises.
Offline: People look to mass-media to escape the reality of a dying Earth, but someone is unwilling to be a good little sheeple.
Bad Pixels: For women in the future, life is a bitch. But one girl and her homemade synthesizer is going to rock the system.
Flashback: Once the gleaming jewel of 32nd century Hollywood, Flashback Films now suffers decay due to corporate corruption.
Deus Ex Machina: Heaven and Hell DO EXIST! The government has made them from VR technology.
Branded: A “personality model” receives pirated upgrades and is drawn into a world of illegal corporate greed.
Cold Sea Rising: Another pre-branded “cyberpunk” thriller about a bounty hunter hired to steal emergent technology from an unknown company.
That’s just my shortlist. Plus some videos of past years yet to be viewed and reviewed, along with the other media to check, and 2011 looks like it’s going to be pretty busy.
While this classic has undergone restorations before, a recent discovery has provided all an opportunity to see it as it was first seen in 1927.
Lost footage found. I was reading Wired’s review of the Nightmare on Elm Street remake when I saw the following trailer among the others:
A quick websearch lead me to the official site where the news is apparently confirmed:
In the summer of 2008, the curator of the Buenos Aires Museo del Cine discovered a 16mm dupe negative that was considerably longer than any existing print. It included not merely a few additional snippets, but 25 minutes of “lost” footage, about a fifth of the film, that had not been seen since its Berlin debut.
Originally, the film was 153 minutes long, but was cut down to approximately 90 minutes for commercial distribution. Several restorations over the years since had manage to extend the film to 124 minutes. But with the Buenos Aires discovery, fans can now witness the full 153 minute epic. Or 149 minutes by the math.
A near tragedy. Even when using digital technology, the restoration of this print was not easy:
The condition of the 16mm negative posed a major technical challenge to the team. The image was streaked with scratches and plagued by flickering brightness. “It had all been printed from the 35mm nitrate print, which means they have become part of the picture,” says Wilkening. The source 35mm element was later destroyed (probably due to the flammability and chemical instability of the nitrocellulose film stock).
An unfortunate lessons was thus learned from the restoration. “Don’t throw your originals away even if you think you preserved them, and even if they are in bad shape,” Koerber says, “If we could have had access to the 35mm nitrate print that was destroyed after being reprinted for safety onto 16mm dupe negative some 30 years ago, we would have been able to make a much better copy today.”
Will it be worth it? Some may not like the idea of such a historic piece being “altered,” but often movies are “altered” before their release to theaters and scenes that are deleted do get returned later in “director’s cuts” or as extras on DVDs. But can the restoration of a 1927 print be viewable on today’s high-definition screens? More importantly, does the added scenes add anything to what is already a historical masterpiece?
Sci-Fi site io9 has posted its list of movies for 2009 to watch… or avoid; Some 30 such movies expected over the next twelve months. While some are predictable blockbusters (J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, a live-action Dragonball, and the Wolverine movie), there’s a few we’ll be keeping an eye-cam out for and possibly reviewing so you can go watch… or avoid… as necessary.
Here’s what’s coming up, chronologically:
Terminator: Salvation (May 22). The latest of the series (this time sans-Schwarzenegger) looks and sounds like a big rebound from the T3 fiasco.
At least the Harvester is impressive.
Game (Sept. 4). Imagine playing your favorite FPS or shoot-em-up using REAL people and REAL weapons. For some convicts with controller chips in their heads, it becomes all-too REAL. Early reviews say it REALLY sucks, but we’ll give you our view of it… for REAL.
9 (Sept. 9). The machines have succeeded in exterminating humanity. Now, only one stands in the way of total mechanized domination… a RAG DOLL???!!!???
Believe it or don’t, this Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov production may have something to show John Conner in terms of fighting against killer robots.
This 11-minute short by Shane Acker should give you a little hint of what to expect from the full movie.
The Surrogates (Sept. 25). In a world where “going out” means firing up your robot (a “surrogate”) and maneuvering it through reality like playing an FPS, Bruce Willis finally snaps from cabin fever and exclaims:
SCREW YOU GUYS! I AM OUTTA HERE!
And he does just that… he goes outside… physically outside! It is based on a little-known graphic novel (I’ve got to look for it!), and has some real potential for reviews here.
Astro Boy (Oct. 23). Another classic anime get the Hollywood makeover, and a Pinocchio-esque storyline to boot. Might be worth a laugh… and a brief review… maybe.
But wait… There’s more! Not only will these movies be reviewed… maybe… but there are some from the past year, and earlier years, I and my fellow reviewers will try to review for you. I have 6 DVDs planned for viewing and reviewing, so we’ll be busy getting the best of cyberpunk cinema to you this year.
Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress names 25 films to the National Film Registry that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant, to be preserved for all time. These films are not selected as the “best” American films of all time, but rather as works of enduring significance to American culture.
We knew The Terminator was an unstoppable influence on cyberpunk, and American culture in general, and now it will have its place along side cyberpunk classics Blade Runner and Alien.
From the press release:
The Terminator (1984)
In 1984, few expected much from the upcoming film “The Terminator.” Director James Cameron, a protégé of legendary independent filmmaker Roger Corman, had made only two films previously: the modest sci-fi short “Xenogenesis” in 1978 and “Piranha Part Two: The Spawning” in 1981. However, “The Terminator” became one of the sleeper hits of 1984, blending an ingenious, thoughtful script — clearly influenced by the works of sci-fi legend Harlan Ellison — and relentless, non-stop action moved along by an outstanding synthesizer and early techno soundtrack. Most notable was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s star-making performance as the mass-killing cyborg with a laconic sense of humor (”I’ll be back”). Low-budget, but made with heart, verve, imagination, and superb Stan Winston special effects, “The Terminator” remains among the finest science-fiction films in many decades.
What cyberpunk movies will be included in the future? With T1 now registered for preservation, things look good for Terminator 2: Judgment Day to join it since many consider it to be better than T1. Just don’t hold your breath for T3, k?
If you want to see the full list (some 500 movies so far), just head over to the NFR site and take a look-see at what has been selected for preservation. Quite an impressive list, not only including major films but newsreels as well. But some notable cyberpunk movies are absent… at least until next year anyway. Movies like WarGames,Tron,Sneakers (a personal favorite), and Robocop should be included. The Matrix also, though it may be a little early for it to qualify (possibly in 2010?).
There’s still plenty of cyberpunk movies yet to review, with possible gems for the Registry to save. And when next year’s selections for preservation are announced, and any cyberpunk movies get the nod, we will let you know.
This post has been filed under Movie News by Mr. Roboto.
Depending on how you feel about Hollywood’s track record with sequels, this is either the Second Coming or a sign of the Apocalypse.
Movie blog Slashfilm received an email earlier this week that the writers of Eagle Eye were now working on a Blade Runner sequel:
“I recently attended a Q&A session with one of the writers of ‘Eagle Eye’ after a free screening organized by the magazine Creative Screenwriting. During the Q&A, the writer said that he and whomever it was that helped him co-write the ‘Eagle Eye’ screenplay were in the process of writing a sequel to Blade Runner, and had already contacted the producers of the original, etc., etc. This is probably a load of empty words/wishful thinking on his part, but I for one am appalled by just the notion of a Blade Runner sequel, and thought you’d be as well, so I thought perhaps you’d like to look into this yourself and perhaps use your soapbox to get some fanboys a little pissed, as well. If not, then at least you have a scoop.”
The rumor turned out to be somewhat true, in that a sequel script is being written, but by co-writer Travis Wright, who was reprotedly working with Blade Runner co-executive producer Bud Yorkin. No word about Ridley Scott being involved as yet, and the project is being developed “outside the studio and without their involvement.”
Recipe for Disaster? One question that is not answered yet is if the sequel is going to be based on K. W. Jeter’s Blade Runner sequels. Even so, there’s still apprehension about a sequel from Slashfilm blogger Peter Sciretta:
All of this really scares the hell out of me. Blade Runner is one of the most beloved sci-fi films of all time, and it is a movie that doesn’t need a sequel. If Scott had an idea, and really believed it was worth making, then maybe MAYBE. But we certainly don’t need a sequel written by the second teir team of Eagle Eye. Lets hope to God this doesn’t happen.
Even the comments express dismay over number two. I, also, have serious reservations. But until BR2 comes out… IF it comes out… all we can do is hope for the best, or at least hope that Mr. Wright comes to his senses.
This post has been filed under Movie News by Mr. Roboto.
I just stumbled across what I believe is the first poster for the upcoming adaptation of Gibson’s awesome novel Neuromancer, and while I love the looks of it, I still wonder if ANYONE could pull of even a remote interpretation of this?
I do have to wonder if this is for real since QE doesn’t mention where he found the poster, and QE also refers to Case as “Cage” in his description of the movie. Still, the poster… IF it’s for real… does show promise.
NOTE: This is an enlarged version of the JPEG from Quiet Earth.
A bootleg video of the TR2N trailer/teaser has been posted on YouTube:
Hopefully, this won’t wind up being a rickroll.
The trailer itself should be posed sometime after Comic Con ends.
TR2N is scheduled for release in 2010, and yes, Jeff Bridges is going to return as Kevin Flynn. Judging by the cycle battle scene shown, TR2N looks like it’s going to be FNA.
There’s already a Tron 2 blog up to give further information about the upcoming sequel.
UPDATE:
Here’s a “tweaked” version of the video. It was reportedly recorded from a cellphone camera, so the quality isn’t the best, but at least it’s now “full screen:”
This post has been filed under Movie News by Mr. Roboto.
Wired Magazine issue 16.08 (August 2008) will feature a salute to the movie WarGames, featuring responses from the screenwriters, technical and military consultants, and a couple of the actors (Ally Sheedy in a sidebar on the third page. No Mathew Broderick, though).
Before WarGames became WarGames. It should come as no surprise to learn that the WarGames we know and love actually started with a different concept:
In 1979, Walter Parkes, the future head of DreamWorks Pictures, was a young screenwriter with the outlines of an idea he’d developed with Lawrence Lasker, a script reader at Orion Pictures. Called The Genius,it was a character film about a dying scientist and the only person in the world who understands him — a rebellious kid who’s too smart for his own good. The idea of featuring computers and computer networks would come later.
Then a quick trip to a computer company called SRI and a conversation with a futurist/consultant would trigger the rewriting of the script with new concepts, a shift in the central character focus, more consultants for the new concepts, …
And the rest became cinematic history.
This post has been filed under Movie News by Mr. Roboto.
For those who missed it tonight, AFI has announced their top 10 movies in 10 categories, including animation, fantasy, and (need it be said?) science fiction. Of course, sci-fi was the main category to watch to see if movies like Blade Runner made the cut.
No longer keeping you waiting, here’s the cyberpunk films in sci-fi:
#8 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Sarah Connor kicking ass, Arnold turns the bad bot into a guardian angel, pioneering special effects, enough action to inspire a TV series… ‘Nuff said.
#7 - Alien
While its cyberpunk-ness has been called into question, its influence is quite apparent thanks the H.R. Giger.
#6 - Blade Runner
Android dreams of electric sheep and unicorns come true. This classic has earned its place in cyberpunk movie history, meaning more can enjoy Roy Batty’s farewell speech.
#4 - A Clockwork Orange
This bit of proto-cyberpunk fare will keep minds warped for years to come, with visions of fast-forward sex done to the William Tell Overture.
For the record, the #1 sci-fi movie was 2001: A Space Odyssey.
An incomplete picture. Again, it should be emphasized that AFI is primarily for American movies. That means movies like Metropolis, Tetsuo, and many anime movies are left out. What if the AFI did include foreign films? Better yet, is there a world motion-picture consortium (a world-wide AFI of sorts) that can come out with the top films of the world? Maybe we can fill in that picture (no pun intended) with our own listing of the top cyberpunk movies.
This post has been filed under Movie News by Mr. Roboto.
