31 Days of Sci-Fi/Fantasy (2025)

[The Great Escape]

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[Travis]

Subservience (2024)

[Travis]

World Without End (1956) 1/2

[kingdoxie]

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Shrek the Third ⭐⭐⭐

AI synopsis: Shrek the Third (2007) is the third installment in the animated franchise, continuing the adventures of the beloved ogre Shrek as he faces the challenges of leadership after the death of King Harold. Reluctantly, Shrek embarks on a quest to find Arthur, the heir to the throne, to prevent Prince Charming from taking over Far Far Away. Alongside Donkey, Puss in Boots, and Fiona, Shrek navigates humorous and heartfelt moments, learning about true leadership, friendship, and self-acceptance while battling fairy-tale villains and embracing his own identity.

[hagios]

Thu May 8 ‘25

🧙🧙🧙🧙

Conan the Barbarian (1982)



Epic tale of child sold into slavery who grows into a man who seeks revenge against the warlord who massacred his tribe. Through the history of mankind, the times that are most recorded in mythology are those of great deeds and fantastic adventures. Such a time was the Hyborean Age and the story of Conan the Barbarian. Cimmerian Conan is captured after his parents' savage murder by raiding Vanir led by Thulsa Doom, head of the malignant snake-cult of Set. Fifteen years' agony, first chained to the Wheel of Pain grinding grain and then enslaved as a Pit Fighter, forge a magnificent body and indomitable spirit. Freed one day by his owner, Conan, with his companions Subotai the Mongol and Valeria, Queen of Thieves, sets forth upon his quest to learn "the riddle of steel" which his father prophesied would confer ultimate power, and to kill his enemy Thulsa Doom.

Conan the Barbarian Official Trailer #1 - Max von Sydow Movie (1982) HD - YouTube

A very good fantasy swashbuckler, a strong looking Arnold!

[starryeyes]

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King Kong (1933)

[u2popmofo]

5/8

Dredd

[Travis]

Justice League: Warworld (2023) 1/2

[Travis]

The Time Travelers (1964)

[kingdoxie]

Deadly Mantis.jpg

1957 The Deadly Mantis ⭐⭐⭐⭐

AI review: The Deadly Mantis (1957) is a quintessential science fiction monster movie that captures the era's fascination with giant creatures and atomic age anxieties. Directed by Nathan Juran, the film features a compelling premise where a prehistoric mantis, awakened by seismic activity, threatens humanity with its enormous size and destructive power. The film combines practical effects, including a convincing giant mantis puppet, with suspenseful storytelling to create an entertaining, if somewhat campy, experience. While its plot may lack sophistication, the movie's nostalgic charm, earnest performances, and imaginative monster design make it a fun and memorable entry in 1950s sci-fi cinema.

[Al_The_Strange]

The Beast (2023)
La Bête
Blu-Ray

In the near-future, a woman interfaces with an AI with the goal of obliterating all her emotions, as will be the custom of the times. But when she has feelings for a dude, she unlocks some core memories from past lives.

A recent Criterion Channel darling, The Beast takes after a 1903 novella entitled The Beast in the Jungle, and the real point of this is supposed to be the characters confronting an unseen "beast," which I guess is supposed to be like the shadow self or something. As it is, the film brings up this beast only in a few tense scenes, but it seems more interested in its triptych narrative that bridges the past and the present--or rather, the modern and post-modern. The costume drama of the past didn't really thrill me much, but when the film shifted to the approximate present, I started to see a point, in large part because the film is not so much speculative as sci-fi as it is reflective of the modern social scene. It's easy to romanticize the past, a simpler time when men were gentlemen, women were ladies, and the two could be united in a mutually romantic relationship. This contrasts heavily with the modern scenes, where the guy comes across as a redpilled incel a-hole and the woman is a reclusive flake. These characteristics sorta made me hate the characters, but maybe that's the point--to show how modern society and technology made us distanced, lonely, and loathsome. And we might be heading towards a future where emotion overall becomes a thing to be erased. However, with the way things play out in the film, you could walk away with the message that the best solution for the ladies might be to just turn lesbian.

As an experience, the film sorta kept my interest in bursts. It certainly looks great, boasting superb cinematography, nice costumes, and a lot of interesting editing quirks. I like Léa Seydoux and her performance is good here. The film can come across as a stuffy arthouse picture, but it's more interesting than I expected.

This is also the first film I've seen that had a QR code come up at the end. When I scanned it, it played the credits on my phone. I was floored. Is this a radical new way to format films–to put the credits somewhere else and let the film stand on its own? I'm curious if this will catch on with other films or in the mainstream. It does seem like the time is ripe for this kind of change, and I find it fascinating.

👽👽👽½

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Database

[Show spoiler]05/01: Jason X 👽👽👽
05/02: Earth II 👽👽👽½
05/04: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 🧙🧙🧙🧙

05/09: The Beast 👽👽👽½

Lines Compiled: 3
Talismans Collected: 1

[Al_The_Strange]

Ghosts of Mars (2001)
UHD

A police lieutenant on Mars stands before a tribunal and recounts the harrowing account of how her team confronted a group of colonists who were possessed by Martian ghosts.

This is a critical re-evaluation. I had seen this film a couple of times before and it just always fell flat for me. It does have some things going against it, especially for a 2001 film–it looks cheap as heck, characters are flat, action isn't particularly flashy, CGI looks bad, and it doesn't really stand out that well. As it is, it seems like there are oodles of movies about soldiers or guards in space who come across some scary thing and have to shoot it dead. Aliens might be the earliest (and still best) example, but this film would be quickly overshadowed by Resident Evil, and both these films have a monster fight on a train. RE certainly looked better and had more style.

But the low-fi nature of the film is likely a purposeful part of the experience, just as it was with the Escape From New York / LA films. John Carpenter really aimed for a vibe with his sci-fi films, putting more effort into the pulpy nature of the narratives and less focus on budget or showmanship. The story for Ghosts of Mars might be a little weird to reconcile since it's framed as one big flashback, but this flashback has flashbacks within flashbacks and even jumps around in different character POVs (how can this character know what all these characters and even the "ghosts" were doing if she couldn't see them for herself?). However, there is something satisfying about how the opening and closing scenes connect, and the final cliffhanger-style ending is pretty neat. At the film's center is its schlocky premise that some weird alien mist will possess people, but I like the idea that this is Mars fighting back against human invaders, inverting the traditional "Martian invaders" theme. Can't say it's wholly original though–in its own way, Ray Bradbury kinda covered this concept already in one of his Martian Chronicles, in which one guy was possessed by a mask and went nuts. Now we have a gang of guys, and there is one distinctive "big bad" that stands out as the leader of the ghosts. I have to say though, I hated his voice. It was not convincingly scary, it actually sounded kinda lame and goofy.

The cast for this schlock is stacked: Ice Cube dominates the credits, but Natasha Henstridge is the lead and I enjoyed watching her character. Jason Statham, in a time when he had more hair, is always a cool dude. A mature Pam Grier adds much gravitas to the team, and I like Clea DuVall too. They all come together in the story as a ragtag mix of cops and prisoners who have to fight their way out, and that alone makes this a pretty cool story. All the same energy and vibes of the Escape movies, just remixed for Mars now.

The best thing about the movie though? The soundtrack. It really rocks out when the action scenes hit.

I think I never really gave this film the chance it deserves, but I also needed to grow into it and accept it on its own terms. Carpenter made this campy on purpose, and it's pretty rad that way.

👽👽👽

-------------------------------------

Database

[Show spoiler]05/01: Jason X 👽👽👽
05/02: Earth II 👽👽👽½
05/04: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 🧙🧙🧙🧙
05/09: The Beast 👽👽👽½

05/09: Ghosts of Mars 👽👽👽

Lines Compiled: 4
Talismans Collected: 1

[kingdoxie]

Cobra Woman.jpg

Cobra Woman ⭐⭐⭐½

AI review: Cobra Woman (1944) is a vibrant, campy adventure film that offers a delightful blend of camp, romance, and exotic spectacle, characteristic of the 1940s jungle movie genre. Directed by Robert Siodmak, the film stars Maria Montez and Jon Hall in a story set on a mysterious island where a princess and her rival vie for control, all amid lush tropical scenery and elaborate costumes. While the plot is thin and the acting somewhat melodramatic, the film's colorful visuals, memorable musical numbers, and over-the-top performances have earned it a cult following among fans of campy classic cinema. Despite its flaws, Cobra Woman remains an entertaining showcase of mid-20th-century Hollywood's fascination with fantasy and escapism.

[Doomhunter]

Reminds me of Elaine’s dancing in Seinfeld

[Doomhunter]

Actually I watched this a few days before the thread started but:

The Asphyx (1972), I’d give it somewhere around four stars

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[starryeyes]

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20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) 1/2

[u2popmofo]

5/9

Godzilla vs Biollante

[Travis]

Iron Warrior (1987)

[Travis]

Jules (2023)

[kingdoxie]

Godzilla x Kong.jpg

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ⭐⭐⭐⭐

AI synopsis: In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), the epic clash between the titanic monsters Godzilla and Kong escalates as they face a new, formidable threat emerging from the depths of the Earth’s hidden layers. As humanity struggles to survive, scientists and military forces work to uncover the origins of this mysterious menace, which could threaten all life on the planet. Amidst chaos and destruction, Godzilla and Kong must confront not only each other but also a common enemy, forging an uneasy alliance to protect the future of Earth in this thrilling, action-packed installment of the Monsterverse.