Original Sci-Fi
Lifeforce • Member Bonus
For our April 2022 member bonus episode, we dip back into our original scifi series with Tobe Hooper’s epic space vampire flop “Lifeforce.” Why did it bomb so hard? What works in the film? Why is there so much naked Mathilda May? And how much do we kinda love this crazy movie? Tune in for more!
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Independence Day • Member Bonus
After 25 years, how well does Independence Day hold up? How much do we love the epic cast headed up by Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman? Do the effects work after all this time? And how about that sequel? Tune in to our July hiatus episode celebrating American Independence Day – the 4th of July – to hear answers to these questions and more.
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Tenet • Member Bonus
Is this film the peak of Nolan delivering all plot and technique but light on characters? If so, why is it still so engaging to watch? And the big question – can you walk someone else through it after watching it? Tune in to this special member bonus episode to get answers to these questions and more!
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Equilibrium • Member Bonus
Is gun-kata cool or just a bunch of nonsense when put in the hands of police clerics? For a story that’s pulled from a number of other prominent dystopian classics, does anything here feel original? How are the performances? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more!
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Inception
It’s a sad state to consider that Christopher Nolan had to fight to get money to make “Inception” because it wasn’t a sequel, based on a comic book, a remake, or something similar. It was purely an original script about a wild inverted heist taking place inside someone’s dreams. It’s a marvel of a film, and we conclude our latest Original Sci-Fi series with this non-benevolent alien movie, Nolan’s 2010 film, “Inception.”
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The Abyss
When the extended trailer for James Cameron’s 1989 undersea scifi spectacular, “The Abyss,” was released, it set the stage for an epic film that promised to deliver “Aliens” underwater. When the film was released, it received good reviews and earned its money back, but wasn’t what people expected. But 3 years later, Cameron was able to return to it and release an extended version with nearly 30 minutes of new material, including an extended ending. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Original SciFi series with “The Abyss.”
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind
In 1977, Devil’s Tower went from being known as the first National Monument (for those who had actually heard of it) to the iconographic image marking the rendezvous point where the aliens want to meet the humans in Steven Spielberg’s third theatrical film, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” The release and success of the movie saw visits to the monument skyrocket, which shows the power in Spielberg’s film. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we jump back into our Original SciFi series with this fantastic entry into the genre.
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Gattaca
We end our Original Science Fiction series with Andrew Niccol’s visionary 1997 film set not too far in the future, Gattaca. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we delve into not just what makes this film great and unique, but also what ties the four films from this series together.
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Moon
Our original science fiction series continues with Duncan Jones’ fascinating film debut from 2009, Moon. Made for a low budget, this entry into the science fiction genre showed that you didn’t need a $100 million budget to tell a science fiction story that makes you think while also being a great story. Sure, it has its problems, but it’s easy to forgive when it’s as fascinating to watch as Moon is. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about it on this week’s episode of The Next Reel.
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Sunshine
We continue our Original Science Fiction series with Danny Boyle’s 2007 film, Sunshine. It’s a film that stands out as a highlight in sci-fi films for its magnificent vision depicting mankind needing to travel to the sun to reignite it, but one that most people seemed to never hear about or avoid as it was a big box office disappointment. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — on this week’s episode of The Next Reel as we continue our series with this film.
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