Strange Days (1995)
I oscillated back and forth between my horrified reaction and my fascination with that reaction, which left me feeling profoundly dissociated from the film.
Pitch Black (2000)
I mean this sincerely: I love science fiction from the late 90s/early aughts, especially when it’s kind of bad.
The Time Machine (1960)
I love science fiction, but science fiction hasn’t always loved people like me.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
One of the crucial ingredients in good horror is pacing—and Invasion of the Body Snatchers runs through all its paces, desperately and beautifully.
Coherence (2013)
When I praised a certain flavor of low-budget science fiction in my post about The Endless, I didn’t know at the time that I was actually writing about Coherence.
Becoming Alien Book Launch
I’m delighted to announce that there will be a virtual launch party to celebrate the publication of Becoming Alien!
Akira (1988)
I’d heard so much about how influential Akira is; what I wasn’t expecting was to see how seamlessly Akira folds its own influences into its story without ripping off the originals or cheapening itself in the process.
First Man into Space (1959)
Icarus by way of 1950s propaganda.
Children of Men (2006)
Children of Men would be true in any other place and setting. But it works so well in part because it understands its own place and that setting in a visceral way.
Sputnik (2020)
I understand why Sputnik is held up to Ridley Scott’s Alien, but I think the comparison does Sputnik a deep disservice.
The Endless (2017)
I’m eager to see more indie science fiction like this, especially when it leans into its limitations and reaches for something it can't quite grasp.
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Invisible Man sits at the intersection of several of my personal interests: practical special effects, darkly moody set pieces, and villainy.
The Blob (1958)
B-movies don’t need to be good, necessarily, but I have a difficult time accepting their premises when they fail to be interesting.
Avatar (2009)
Sometimes, you need something relatively brainless on a Friday night, and then that brainless thing makes you think a lot about ecofeminism and colonialism.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
I love seeing the seeds of tropes I’ve always taken for granted, slowed down to a deliberate pace because there’s no need to rush through them yet.
Men in Black (1997)
A neon-colored 90s take on 50s kitsch.
Starship Troopers (1997)
I suppose I was primed for the movie’s anti-fascist satire angle.
Alien (1979)
It felt good to sit in a sold-out theater and watch one of my all time favorite movies on the big screen…And then someone decided to catcall Ripley during the final scene in the shuttle.
Avengers: Endgame
Watching the characters bounce off each other in interesting ways reminded me of my biggest beef with the Marvel movies.
Blade Runner 2049
I saw Blade Runner 2049 yesterday and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.