Search This Blog

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Science Fiction

                                                   http://www.earthoceanfirejewelry.com

Science Fiction

 Ridley Scott's "Alien" (1979) starring Sigourney Weaver was a commercial breakthough for this director. It was a science-fiction-horror film.

    Ridley Scott 

is a well-known English Director accredited with a variety of first class films. In 1982, Scott released "Blade Runner" one of my top favorite movies of all time. This movie is considered "neo-noir-dystopian-science" genre. This director has a gift of creating unique "worlds" and leading us into them with fascination. I have to watch "Blade Runner" at least once a year to get into the science fiction state of mind.

 

There is a new version "Blade Runner 2049" in theaters now! Director: Dennis Villeneuve with Roger Deakins  Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Lennie James, Jared Leto

. . . "the film picks up a few years after the first one. A peak into the possibilities of a dark, neon lit futuristic world of desensitized humans and even darker androids."

 

 

 

 

                                                             


 

                                 

                                               remember E.T.?




E.T. was a blockbuster in 1982!


 "E.T." surpassed "Star Wars" to become the highest grossing film of all time. It was considered a science-fiction-fantasy film. Then "Jurassic Park" topped it in 1993 which was another Spielberg directed film. Spielberg's career covers four decades and many genres of film including adventure and science fiction.



              Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator"

  James Cameron, a Canadian director, with many talents such as producer, screen writer, inventor, engineer, philanthropist and deep sea explorer. Cameron found his first success in the 1984 film "Terminator" a science-fiction-action film. He went on to make "Titanic" in 1997 and "Avatar" in 2009 (there is a Titanic II set to come out in 2018) 

                                                           

      The above video is a film clip of the latest "Star Wars"movie! "Star Wars" directed by George Lucas is still growing an empire 35 years later! Some fans are trying to watch all of them in one setting - having a "Star Wars" marathon. 









                                     


"The Matrix"  

(1999) Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne


                                                                                Carrie-Ann Moss in "The Matrix"                                                  




"The Matrix" is a 1999 American-Australian neo-nor science fiction film written by the Wachowskis. This movie combines science fiction, action and philosophical questions about reality. Known as the "most watched" science fiction movie, I still turn it on when it comes on TV! 

"The Strain" is an impressive series about an ancient strain of vampires called "strigoi" taking over the city of New York

.  Guillermo Del Toro is the writer and producer. This laid-back, cool style of directing with exceptional lighting will lure you in. A doctor and his team work together to save humanity venturing through the underground tunnels of New York's drainage system as well as the streets on top of them. Once you begin watching this team of experts start working on a cure, you will be hooked! This is one of my favorite science fiction series. This adventure has everything! The cast includes Corey Stoll as Ephraim, Kevin Durand as Fet, and David Bradley as Abraham.

"The Strain" ran from 2014 til present. The last session airs 7/16 on FX. Check "hulu" to catch up on the seasons and to watch from the beginning.  Guillermo also directed "Pacific Rim"; "Crimson Peak"; "Pan's Labyrinth"; "Hellboy II "

Guillermo was born October 9, 1964 in Mexico. He is a director, screenwriter, producer, and novelist. He is the author of "The Strain"; "The Fall"; "The Night Eternal"; "Alfred Hitchcock"; "Trollhunters" and a few more I have not listed.

 


  

  "Paul" is one of my favorite science fiction movies. Starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. These two British comic book geeks traveling across the United States - Area 51 - come across a wise-cracking alien named Paul.  Paul is played by Seth Rogan. This little fellow is a real man who dances, smokes and enjoys hanging out with the guys... you forget that he is an alien! On the road trip he reveals some special powers and insights to the travelers. Pegg and Frost wrote this as well as starred in it. It premiered in 2011.      Photos below are of "Shaun of the Dead"

 


 

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (photos above) also starred in "Shaun of the Dead" (2004) A zombie film where they neighborhood slowly turns into zombies. Too funny! And another film featuring this duo is "Hot Fuzz" (2007) now streaming on Netflix. This is a dark comedy where Pegg is a police officer transferred to a small country town.  Very clever writing and acting. 

Simon Pegg has starred more recently in "Star Trek" (2009) as "Scotty" and played along Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible III" and "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocal."  If you see Simon Pegg in a movie, check it out! I have never been disappointed by them. 

 

 ADVENTURE AND SCIENCE FICTION. . .

Science Fiction and Adventure go together.  I noticed that the directors of the most famous science fiction movies also directed awesome adventure movies. Science fiction is actually an adventure. An adventure into unreality of the unknown either based on science or based on the imagination of the believer.  As a child, Spielberg invented an imaginary friend "E.T." upon the loss of his parents.

Thank you for visiting!   Nelda

 


For more information visit these sites:


AMC                              http://www.filmsite.org
IMBD                            http://www.imbd.com                 
You Tube                        http://www.youtube.com 
Criterion                         http://www.criterion.com
Roger Ebert                    http://www.rogerebert.com

P.S. Please join  our e-mail list for updates and news here.  We send out a one page newsletter once per week and it is packed...lol  Visit our website link to follow us:  click here:    http://www.earthoceanfirejewelry.com

or our new women's site:  http://www.earthoceanfirewomen.com

We automatically send a free film noir "pdf" file to everyone who follows us with info on classic and newer "film noir" movies and where they are streaming. This 7 page comprehensive list is our gift to you for your support. Info included is title, actors, a brief description.


P.S.S. You might be interested in these related blogs: 

Alien Movies

http://earthoceanfire.blogspot.com/2017/10/alien-movies.html 

 Spook-EEEEE  

http://earthoceanfire.blogspot.com/2107/10/spook-eeeee.html 

   

 

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Spaghetti Westerns

                                   



Spaghetti Westerns (also known as Italian westerns) is a new sub-genre of western film that emerged in the late 1960's.

SERGIO LEONE'S. . . film making style was an international box office success with the invaluable music scores of Ennio Morricone.  This team brought these films to America with Clint Eastwood establishing himself as an amazing big-screen actor with a unique style.  Photo below - "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly"

                                        

 

Clint Eastwood starred in three of Sergio Leone's westerns, "Fistful of Dollars" (1964), "For a Few Dollars More" (1965) and "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." (1966.)  

EUROPEAN WESTERNS. . .Most of these films were directed by Italians, thus, the term "spaghetti westerns" was used by Americans and internationally. These films were often international co-productions between Italy and Spain and sometimes France, Germany, Yugoslavia or the United States. As a result, many of the actors were of different nationalities speaking different languages. American actors were hired in post-production to overdub much of the dialogue. This adds to the authentic charm of the movie. Over six hundred European Westerns were made between 1960 and 1980. 

 

Sergio in action!

A NEW STYLE EMERGES. . . as I viewed "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" my first "spaghetti western" I immediately saw a dramatic difference in this western style from the old American westerns that I grew up with. The director's panoramic shots and elaborate set designs drew me in.  The whole film looked like a work of art that should be framed. As the film progressed and I got to know the characters, I find out that this beautiful desert landscape is one where only the smart and tough survive. Each character is a "loner" and out for himself.  The desolate, rugged and often cruel survival in the West is driven home by the story and the dialogue (as well as the quiet absence of dialogue.) I never knew til the end which "loner" was the best survivor.

                                  "Desperado" (1995)

 

  WESTERNS REINVENTED. . . 

Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino brought "spaghetti westerns" back.  Their styles are not just a throwback but a reinvention of these westerns.  Robert Rodriguez has a trilogy of Mexican films: "El Mariachi," "Desperado," and "Once  Upon a Time in Mexico." Quentin Tarantino directed "Django Unchained," "Kill Bill" and "Inglourious Basterds." 

"Django Unchained" with Christoph Waltz and Jamie Fox (2012)

 

                                                                    

   "Kill Bill" by Tarantino (2003)

 

 

 

 

SPAGHETTI WESTERNS. . . have left their mark on popular culture, strongly influencing numerous films as well as music.  The band "Metallica" has used Ennio Morricone's composition, "The Ecstasy's of Gold" from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" to open several of their concerts.  The Australian band "The Tango Salon" combines elements of Tango music with influences from spaghetti westerns.

Quentin Tarantino Lists His 20 Favorite Spaghetti Westerns:

1. “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” (Sergio Leone, 1966)

2. “For a Few Dollars More” (Sergio Leone, 1965)

3. “Django” (Sergio Corbucci, 1966)

4. “The Mercenary” (Sergio Corbucci, 1966)

5. “Once Upon a Time in the West” (Sergio Leone, 1968)

6. “A Fistful of Dollars” (Sergio Leone, 1964)

7. “Day of Anger” (Tonino Valerii, 1967)

8. “Death Rides a Horse” (Giulio Petroni, 1967)

9. “Navajo Joe” (Sergio Corbucci,1966)

10. “The Return of Ringo” (Duccio Tessar, 1965)

11. “The Big Gundown” (Sergio Sollima, 1966)

12. “A Pistol for Ringo” (Duccio Tessari, 1965)

13. “The Dirty Outlaws” (Franco Rossetti, 1967)

14. “The Great Silence” (Sergio Corbucci, 1968)

15. “The Grand Duel” (Giancarlo Santi, 1972)

16. “Shoot the Living, Pray for the Dead” (Giuseppe Vari, 1971)

17. “Tepepa” (Giulio Petroni, 1968)

18. “The Ugly Ones” (Eugenio Martin, 1966)

19. “Viva Django!” (Ferdinando Baldi, 1967)

20. “Machine Gun Killers” (Paolo Bianchini, 1968)

 

I enjoyed sharing this information with you. You will not be disappointed if you dig a little deeper into this spaghetti western movement. . . its roots, and its influences. 




 

Here are a few very good sites to research for more info:


AMC         http://www.filmsite.org    

IMDB       http://www.imdb.com    

YouTube    http://www.youtube.com   

Roger Ebert        http://www.rogerebert.com 

Criterion            http://www.criterion.com


P.S. You might be interested in these film blogs here on  blogger. Just click the title from blog list at the bottom-- they are automatically linked.

Dark Comedy

French New Wave

Japanese Anime

.S. Our weekly newsletter is one page but boy is it packed. ..lol...with latest on movies and a recipe for "Dinner and a Movie"..Follow us click here    

http://www.earthoceanfirejewelry.com 

http://www.earthoceanfirewomen.com