Science Fiction Dead???

Umm what kind of question is that? As far as people have imagination there will be science fiction. Which very often becomes reality (eg. testtube babies).

Maybe I didn't get the question though...

No. Look at the amount of science fiction films of late. In the last two years we've had Transformers, I am legend, Sunshine, Death Race, Iron Man, Jumper, X files 2, WALL-E and more. This year we've got another transformers, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen and Star Trek is making it's return.

Then theres the endless amount of TV shows, like Stargate, Terminator:SCC, Eleventh hour, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Kyle XY....and it goes on.

so no, science fiction is doing well or maybe has a mild cold. far from dead

I think he meant, "Will it ever truly return?"
But I'm going to agree with Doc and say it isn't dead. Not entirely. We've got Transformers 2 this year, Iron Man 2 next year, Spider-Man 4 sometime in the next three years, Aliens: Colonial Marines, etc.

science fiction definatly isnt dead

No. There have been shitty sci-fi flicks as long as there have been movies. Once Holywood breaks out of this remake spree we'll see something new.

In the last ten years alone we've had stuff like "28 Days Later" and "Children of Men" both of which were fantastic. I hear James Cameron is working on something new as well.

AvPR is nowhere near influential enough to effect the whole genre (and I wouldn't even call it a sci-fi movie. More like a slasher flick.)

No need to go Jewhad on science fiction just cos the latest Alien/Predator movies have failed you. If you need some good fresh science fiction ideas, not the overused american ones, there are always European movies. I've seen some great Italian and Spanish horror and science fiction movies lately, the Jpanese, Koreans and Vietnamese are also great at inventing sea monsters that come and kill people on land. And speaking of that, Cloverfield was surprisingly good and original (at least i think it was, it may be some copy of a japanese horror just like The Ring, but i don't know) for a movie of this age. Just because Fox rushes movies and screwes them up occasionally like EA does with games, doesn't mean there aren't other companies that will produce amazingly good ones. This time, i agree with Predess.

James Cameron's new project is entitled Avatar, which is slightly upsetting for me, because M. Night Something is working on a movie based on a classic anime-influenced cartoon which was CALLED Avatar but had to be changed to The Last Airbender, the original cartoon's sub-title.

I enjoyed the series, and it actually surprised me. It's based on the origins of martial art forms and various Asian cultures and was probably one of the better series I've ever seen, even though it was aimed mainly at kids 14 and below. Had it had funding from another company, preferably production I.G. or Bones, it could've been much, much better.

Anyway, an avatar is a spirit descendant from the heavens, so James Cameron's new movie should be interesting.

It's supposedly about some sort of living planet, so that'll be different from everything else.

Not that the concept hasn't been done before, but I don't think it's ever been put on-screen the way Cameron plans to.

Science Fiction as a genre thats give us new content to chew on is completely dead ....... FULL STOP!!!!!!!!

Ok, i guess i better start explaining my OPINION!!!!

The Doc

'No. Look at the amount of science fiction films of late. In the last two years we've had Transformers, I am legend, Sunshine, Death Race, Iron Man, Jumper, X files 2, WALL-E and more. This year we've got another transformers, T gona erminator Salvation, Watchmen and Star Trek is making it's return.

Then theres the endless amount of TV shows, like Stargate, Terminator:SCC, Eleventh hour, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Kyle XY....and it goes on.

so no, science fiction is doing well or maybe has a mild cold. far from dead
'

Transformers - Based on a mega successful franchise.
I am Legend - Will Smith Movie (Though pretty good big Willy sells tickets on his own, last man on earth or not)
Sunshine - The exception (Great Movie in almost every way)
Death Race - Crap
Iron Man - Based on a mega successful franchise.
Jumper - Crap
X-Files 2 - Based on a mega successful franchise.
Wall - E - Success because its this years pixar movie.
Terminator Salvation - Based on a mega successful franchise.
Star Trec - Based on a mega successful franchise.
Star Gate - Based on a mega successful franchise.
Doctor Who - Based on a mega successful franchise.
Terminator - Series - Based on a mega successful franchise.
Star Wars Clone Wars - Based on a mega successful franchise.
--- Others Mentioned by Others
Spider man - Based on a mega successful franchise.
28 Days later - Horror and thriller before sci-Fi ( i know what you mena though)
Children of men - Another exception like sunshine (Based on a great book)


I guess in that list Sunshine is the exception, its original, the plot isnt thin, the characters are great. Its well shot, Its Danny F**king Boyle, need i say more

Everything else dosent really answer the question and cant really be used in this argument. Obviously people are going to dig up success in the hope that they'll find more success..... but we all know even great franchises will run dry and let them down soon enough *Cough* AVP

----
also just know i just felt like starting a good topic. these arent entirely mu sentiments. But i do want to see the response to them because i think im rite with what im saying

SC-Fi will never actually 'Die; because movie companies would be too scared of leaving a rival catering to the world of sci-fi fans but the truth of the matter is, there isnt much class being produced anymore.

The flashy effects of block-busters, such as The Matrix, Independence Day and The War of the Worlds, may sell tickets, but nothing will come close to the likes of 2001, alien, blade runner, star wars.... because the world dosent care for Sci-Fi anymore, it dosent amuse or capture so we wont accept it as well,

Maybe, get back to me on that

Is the argument here that there is too little originality? Most of the good movies you mentioned were inspired in some way by older stories.

Alien - "monster on a confined space" story. Watch "It-Terror From Beyond Space" and see how much influence it had on Alien.

Blade Runner - Certainly not the first vision of the future. Stories like this have been told for some time.

Star Wars - Heavily influenced by Flash Gordon and other such serials, not to mention some Japanese cinema. Also, A New Hope is basically "heroic warrior saves the princess" which has probably been around since the day humans fell out of the trees.

It isn't the idea; it's the execution of the idea.

28 Days Later is a good example of what I'm talking about. If you read the synopsis, it's basically "zombies cause the end of the world". How many times has that been done? It's the way it's done that made it great.

I agree that we're in a slow period, but there have still been some great ones in the last ten years.

Interesting topic, in any case.

hell no is my answer. book authors still holdin up the torch atleast....along with video games.

nothing is reality anymore.

Even with games and books, you can go only so far, before it feels like its repeating again and again.

i had a feeling the discussion was gonna go here, show me one genre that doesnt rip off something or base its self on another source, look at action films of recent times like Rambo and Die Hard 4 both based in a franchise. to say that a genre is dead because it borrows elements from the past is blind. look at "the thing" which was a remake of a movie based off a book.

I am legend was a remake of a remake of a novel but was nothing like the previous two films (or the book for that matter).

sure there is a lack of orginality these days but it affects all cinema and story telling in general. if anything its only independent sci-fi thats sorta suffering but then we have films like Primer.

So sci-fi isnt dead, originality is....and has been for a while now.

"Even with games and books, you can go only so far, before it feels like its repeating again and again."

True, true, but as DD was saying its all about how its executed. Ive been reading a bit more of Stephen King and Dean Koontz and they seem to be doing very well without much of a repetativeness in their writing.

As far as video games, Gears of War had a "alien force attacks" kinda idea, but it has turned out great. Deadspace felt alot like Alien in idea, but it was still good.

Its not really a case of originality, i simply used the 'Based on a mega successful franchise' comment as a way of saying that obviously these types of science fiction movies will sell tickets. It seems obvious but its so true, my dad will go and see the new terminator movie because its terminator and he grew up watching sci-fi back in the 70s, 80s etc, hel also go and see the day the earth stood still because he loved the original. However when i ask if he wants to go see Death-race hel look at me like im retarded.

The point is that the world dosent really give a shit about sci-fi anymore, not unless theres some kind of hook, a good childhood memory, a will smith a keanu reves, a remake. Star Wars as the greatest science fiction franchise of all time would crash and burn in cinema today. People arent prepared to stretch there imaginations as far as alien characters these days. They feel stupid lol Obviously well all still be watching this movies until the day were gone. But on a global scale sci-fi is F**ked. Atleast until 2019 when i direct thegreatest sci-fi movie of all time, (lol jk)

Anyway, again its not lack of originality, just a change of mentality. Its like someone posting a topic on a website in 10 years entitled 'Superhero movies dead' The world of movies just keeps ticking over on itself

black_warrior
2009-01-18 13:28:51
Yautja
"Even with games and books, you can go only so far, before it feels like its repeating again and again."

True, true, but as DD was saying its all about how its executed. Ive been reading a bit more of Stephen King and Dean Koontz and they seem to be doing very well without much of a repetativeness in their writing.

As far as video games, Gears of War had a "alien force attacks" kinda idea, but it has turned out great. Deadspace felt alot like Alien in idea, but it was still good.

Look at the games you just mentioned and then look at how you compared them to. Isn't that a repeat, but going a different way?

ed Gein, is the first serial killer, that i can think of. Where all the "killer" movies are based off of, like the Hannibal series....did you know "Man hunt" and "Red dragon" is actually the same movie, but used 1 different person? Yea...a remake, i was shocked and pissed at the same time.

2 final fantasy games, are actually a remake, but used with different characters. I don't remember which ones, but I was told that, by a final fantasy fiend.

I know it's how it's executed, not if it's an original idea. I'll use Cujo as an example: The book was very good, and rabid animals have been used since Greek times. However, the same exact idea was used in its movie adaption and that was epic fail.

I'm just saying, ignorant fans of today's science fiction will be attacking Aliens: Colonial Marines for its unoriginality, when in fact, had it not been for Alien's contribution to science fiction, many things probably wouldn't have been possible just because they were inspired greatly by Alien.

EDIT: Final Fantasy IX is essentially a rework of what Final Fantasy's supposed to be - fantasy. Not science fiction. FF7 is over rated. It's good nontheless, but it didn't give me that fantasy feeling regardless of the magic and recycled memes.

Final Fantasy III was remade I think for the DS, I'm not sure which one was, I was never interested in it. Of course, if VI or IX was ever remade, I'd be really interested.

i disagree, plenty of directors are out there doing things that are not based on a franchise, joss whedon, for example. again like i said before yes these films bring in a great box office gross and yes thats why they are getting made (duh lol) but this is not just in sci-fi, i think sci-fi is actually fairing better than most other genres with the current trends in cinema. i mean look at the horror genre these days...

@ Bloo: ff3 is for ds

ff2 is for PSP


i think i am thinking right...

shadowatching: "Even with games and books, you can go only so far, before it feels like its repeating again and again."

I have to agree with this one, it seems like I've seen pretty much it all, and I seldom watch new movies nowadays because that reason. It seems like re-filming old great movies into senseless blasts have been the latest trend.

But at least we have our future hope of good movies in the beginner of this topic.

As far for the tele, I've pretty much dropped out of what they show in there 'cos living 4 years without having one lol As far of the books I see enough science fiction in my lecture material... Well sometime it seems like that.