topics
GreenCine Movie Talk
	Home Releases General discussion about what's out for the couch.	271

Sci-Fi Recommendations?
	Topic by: MsManners Posted: November 8, 2007 - 9:22 PM PST Last Reply: November 11, 2007 - 7:44 AM PST

author	topic: Sci-Fi Recommendations?
MsManners	post #1  on November 8, 2007 - 9:22 PM PST   Hey, so throughout this past year I have, slowly but surely, become a huge sci-fi fan. It started out because I was supposed to watch a bunch for a university class called Topics in Virtuality. Now, I have come to a place where I am done with the class and don?t know what other good ones are out there. Does anyone have any recommendations? Social, political, economic, and aesthetic factors in virtual reality, artificial environments, telepresence, and simulated experience related movies are all good. (Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Island, Videodrome, Existenz)
hamano	post #2  on November 9, 2007 - 5:44 AM PST   You could start by browsing the GC Primer for Science Fiction films. The problem is we don't know what you've seen already so it's hard to figure out recommendations. My personal recommendation would be La Jetee by Chris Marker. But it's not really science fiction... or is it? (Note: the description on the page is for the other film on this disc, Sans Soleil, which is one of my favorite films of all time. But it's not for La Jetee. You can read a description for La Jetee HERE.
jross3	post #3  on November 9, 2007 - 6:01 AM PST   yo! now that's my kind of sci-fi. One of my personal faves for simulated-reality is The Thirteenth Floor. (I didn't know what it was about when I first watched it, and it really surprised me) Another one I'd recommend in that sense is Identity. Not strictly sci-fi, but it plays with similar themes.
Cinenaut	post #4  on November 9, 2007 - 8:34 AM PST   Primer
underdog	post #5  on November 9, 2007 - 10:46 AM PST   Dark City would be an interesting one for discussion in your virtuality class... Borrows from other films and stories, of course, but it's quite interesting.
underdog	post #6  on November 9, 2007 - 10:49 AM PST   Paprika ! (which for some reason I feel would make a fun double feature with A Scanner Darkly -- Oooh, don't forget eXistenZ
weezy	post #7  on November 9, 2007 - 11:01 AM PST   Searching through Member Lists works too, and that way you can rent their whole shabang. I searched member lists for "Science Fiction" and got these ones that are highly rated: "Truly Great Science Fiction" and "Wired Sci-Fi Top 20 Films". Weird, I think I've plugged those same two lists somewhere on the boards before but now I can't recall where... either way, enjoi MissManners :)
troublemaker	post #8  on November 9, 2007 - 12:17 PM PST   > On November 8, 2007 - 9:22 PM PST MsManners wrote: > --------------------------------- > Does anyone have any recommendations? Social, political, economic, and aesthetic factors in virtual reality, artificial environments, telepresence, and simulated experience related movies are all good. (Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Island, Videodrome, Existenz) > --------------------------------- I'd almost want to recommend Johnny Mnemonic if it wasn't so painfully awful. I mean, the film is suppose to be an adaptation from a William Gibson -- an author who outright explores all those themes you've mentioned. Instead, have you seen Total Recall? That's a great sci-fi classic, although admittedly it kinda falls into action category. I mean, what do you expect, it's starring Ah-nawld. I'm gonna repeat what others have said and say that you got to check out Primer, Dark City, and Paprika (an anime).
AstroAppa	post #9  on November 9, 2007 - 12:26 PM PST   > On November 9, 2007 - 10:46 AM PST underdog wrote: > --------------------------------- > Dark City would be an interesting one for discussion in your virtuality class... Borrows from other films and stories, of course, but it's quite interesting. > --------------------------------- I agree, loved Dark City! I think Matrix took a lot from Dark City, but both awesome movies. Seriously though, how many movies have had Jennifer Connelly on a pier?
DLeonard	post #10  on November 9, 2007 - 6:06 PM PST   I 2nd the Paprika suggestion. Here's a few others I've enjoyed: The Quiet Earth Brother From Another Planet Children of Men Invasion of the Body Snatchers, both the original and the 1978 version The Day the Earth Stood Still and of course Blade Runner, which is getting the re-release treatment right now.
weezy	post #11  on November 10, 2007 - 10:02 AM PST   > On November 9, 2007 - 6:06 PM PST DLeonard wrote: > --------------------------------- > and of course Blade Runner, which is getting the re-release treatment right now. > Oh man, I had never seen that until just a few weeks ago in theaters. I couldn't believe how modern it looks though it was made only a few years after my birth. And who can resist a young Harrison Ford, eh? Very cool to watch where all recent future sci fi cop dramas cop their style and story line from.
MsManners	post #12  on November 10, 2007 - 9:08 PM PST   This is awesome, guys. Thank u so much. I have updated my queue and am set for the next couple of weeks. Nevertheless, if anyone feels like there is a movie missing from has been suggested, please keep em coming. On a similar note, I have been searching for one movie that was suggested to me. The person said it was Asian, relatively new, dystopian future, hyper saturated framed portraitures, not animated and had a name like Carrush. Does this ring any bells? P.S. the only movie I could think of that sort of fit this description was Wong Kar Wai's "2046" (which I loved. talk about hyper saturated portraiture frames), but that's not it.
hamano	post #13  on November 11, 2007 - 6:39 AM PST   > On November 10, 2007 - 9:08 PM PST MsManners wrote: > --------------------------------- > The person said it was Asian, relatively new, dystopian future, hyper saturated framed portraitures, not animated and had a name like Carrush. Does this ring any bells? NOT animated? Because the only one I can think of is KARAS (karasu means crow in Japanese)... Carrush... Karas Hmmm... Although karasu literally means crow and may be a reference to the American comic book hero The Crow, I believe the Japanese superhero in this series is more a depiction of the mythical creature karasu-tengu, a variety of the forest spirits called Tengu. Take a look at the wikipedia page on Karas. KARAS here at greencine > P.S. the only movie I could think of that sort of fit this description was Wong Kar Wai's "2046" (which I loved. talk about hyper saturated portraiture frames), but that's not it. I liked 2046 a lot, but I prefer In the Mood for Love.
hamano	post #14  on November 11, 2007 - 7:44 AM PST   While Karas is animated, it uses a mix of 2D and 3D animation that gives it a sort of hyper-real look. I would say that fits your friend's description of "hyper saturated framed portraitures" (whatever that means...) and it's set in a sort of dystopian near-future Tokyo where the barriers between the real and supernatural worlds has been breached. Take a look at the frame captures here.