Imagination Connoisseur, S’wak Props, thinks Ridley Scott could have done much better when it came to making a sequel to his 1979 sci-fi/horror classic, ALIEN. Instead of Scott’s ALIEN COVENANT, S’wak recommends you check out Daniel Espinosa’s LIFE which includes Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds among others in the cast.
Looking for a good “Alien” movie? You should consider getting a LIFE.
In 2017, I was hoping to see a good Alien movie. But when I watched ALIEN COVENANT, I was so disappointed at the shoddy storytelling and characterization. I would have thought after PROMETHEUS, Ridley Scott would have learned his lesson and come up with a much better homage to his original 1979 classic.
Alas, I asked for too much.
Enter LIFE, from Safe House director Daniel Espinosa and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick of DEADPOOL fame.
It is set on the International Space Station (ISS) and tells of a group of scientists who discover a rapidly evolving and curious single-cell organism from the Martian atmosphere. The organism, christened “Calvin” by school kids, quickly grows (in size and intelligence) and turns hostile. It is up to the crew to do whatever it takes to prevent this creature from entering Earth.
It’s really hard not to think about Ridley Scott’s ALIEN whilst watching LIFE, due to the fact that both movies have a group of people working together in confined/claustrophobic spaces, trying to stay alive while fighting off a hostile alien organism. But while LIFE is never as scary nor inventive as ALIEN (the sets in LIFE are well lit compared to the constantly dim/dark lighting of the Nostromo), I thought it stood proudly by itself as a tense, thrilling and suspenseful entry in the genre.
A film is only as good as its cast, and this is where LIFE shines. The cast is fantastic; Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, and Hiroyuki Sanada (back in space again after SUNSHINE) are great to watch.
As usual, with an ensemble cast in a horror movie, it’s a guessing game as to which member of the crew is going to be picked off next by this terrifying and intelligent organism that has escaped the lab using brute force after being provoked. The screen time is shared out fairly between this fantastic cast, and this adds a sense of unpredictability as we are kept guessing which character is going to be next on Calvin’s hit list.
Life works for me because of its talented cast and the decent script they’re given to work from. The ending especially, while somewhat obvious, is very well executed and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.
– S’wak Props
Does “stunt casting” work?
Imagination Connoisseur, ROBB, shares his thoughts on how Star Trek: Discovery handled its casting of Democratic politician, Stacey Abrams, as the president of a united Earth in the show’s finale. Personal politics aside, ROBB seems to feel Star Trek’s producers missed an opportunity to send a message about unity at a time when we could all use it.
Will Superman be returning in 4K someday?
Long-time PGS Member, Kenny Kraly Jr., writes in to the LET’S GET PHYSICAL MEDIA show to ask for their predictions on the possibility of getting more Superman movies out on 4k Blu-Ray.
On the topic of “Gatekeeping” …
Imagination Connoisseur, Jason Miller, writes a letter of support for ROBSERVATIONS host, Robert Meyer Burnett, who has recently proclaimed himself the Gatekeeper of Geekdom. Jason shares his experience defending RMB’s joke (made on Twitter) and arrives at an inescapable conclusion that everyone should probably take to heart.
Attention Star Command, there seems to be a problem with Buzz Lightyear
ROADTRIPPIN’ co-hosts Robert Meyer Burnett and Mike Bawden respond to letters from listeners proposing a variety of reasons as to why Pixar’s latest animated feature, LIGHTYEAR, didn’t meet expectations during its opening weekend. Was it a result of bad casting, a strained relationship between studios, convoluted marketing or stronger-than-expected competition? No one is sure – but it’s possible the problem runs much deeper than an origin story for an action figure might let on.
How to accept Star Trek now so you don’t go insane!
Imagination Connoisseur, Adam Talley, writes in to explain how he now views the Star Trek franchise – a way that acknowledges the “good old days” so many OG fans pine for and the new innovations we’re seeing in stores, online, and in theaters.
Why is Obi-Wan the most boring thing about the Obi-Wan Kenobi streaming series on Disney+?
ROADTRIPPIN’ co-hosts Robert Meyer Burnett and Mike Bawden discuss the broader implications of a question posed by an Imagination Connoisseur who asks why Obi-Wan Kenobi is such a boring character in his own series. In fact, one could ask why so many Star Wars series seem to be “running in place” and not really going anywhere with characters who don’t seem to be doing all that much. Is there a larger force at work here that no one seems to acknowledge? And where have we heard THAT before?
Does it make sense to remake good movies?
ROADTRIPPIN’ co-hosts Robert Meyer Burnett and Mike Bawden respond to a letter from an Imagination Connoisseur who asks why Hollywood seems content remaking and re-booting successful movies rather than making movies with “great potential” that might have not met expectations when they were first released to the public. As Rob and Mike point out, there’s a lot more involved in a successful remake than one might imagine.
Rob comes out and admits he’s THE Gatekeeper of Fandom
Co-hosts Robert Meyer Burnett and Mike Bawden discuss Rob’s recent revelation that he is, in fact, THE GATEKEEPER OF ALL FANDOM and what Imagination Connoisseurs can now expect of him serving as the judge, jury and adjudicator of all things geeky. Plus interesting letters from fans.
Lots of Star Trek-y goodness on the Interwebs lately
In less time than it takes for a tribble to become a grandparent, here’s a list of the eight most interesting, Trek-related things we’ve found worth sharing with our fellow Imagination Connoisseurs …
PGS Transmissions for June 13, 2022
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