The Missus and me have watched a few bits of new sci-fi of late.
Ghostbusters Afterlife:
Where do I start. 1984 might be a good place. The Missus and me went to watch the original movie in Llandudno. It was December, Christmassy and our daughter was born the next day. It was such a good film she had to come out to see if there was more. Fortunately Ghostbusters II was nearly as good a couple of years later.
Alas, like Slimer on a wet slide, the idea went south with the first of the modern re-makes; packed with comedians and totally hopelessly forgettable.
And so to the second reboot, Afterlife, made a few years ago. From the off its clear the team tried hard to respect the spirit of the original and like other 80's homages such as Stranger Things, the whole effort looks good; basked in the cornfield glow of nostalgia and shining in maple-syrup sunshine.
Alas, despite the dusting-off of Ecto 1, Gozer, Keymaster, Gatekeeper, Slimer and finally the ancient original cast themselves, the new hip young actors just don't hold the screen strongly enough to make it all work. Ultimately I felt dissatisfied.
I think its almost inevitable I felt like this though, when iconic films of my youth are rebooted. The original Ghostbusters was a very special moment at the start of the Eighties. The Missus and me were young and lets face it, Ghostbusters was so darn well-made and inspired, why try to remake it at all?
Will Frozen Empire be more of the same? Will I ever find out?
3 Body Problem
This TV series on Netflix was unusual for my Missus as she's not a big Sci-Fi fan. I think it changed for her with the 62 episode Manifest, which we both enjoyed earlier in the year.
First off, 3 Body Problem is really interesting. Its unusualness carries it along and each episode adds to this otherworldliness and ultimately shocking conclusion.
We enjoyed it and look forward to a Series 2, if one is made.
As its new on Netflix I won't spoil anything. The channel spent a ton of money on each episode, so they'll be itching for views. I understand its based on a series of novels, which must be amazing to read.
The Signal
This German entry on Netflix follows the success of The Dark. Its a series about two astronauts on the ISS, who upon returning to Earth, spark global interest, intrigue and change.
Its not as thickly Sci-fi as 3 Body Problem but its there. A completely different take on a similar issue, with a totally unexpected and heartwarming ending.
I won't say anymore as its also current. As with other overseas Netflix entries its available in its native language or dubbed well into English.
Let us know if you've seen any of these or any other films or series of late for that matter.
I recall watching Ghostbusters when it came out, in a double header with Gremlins in a separate theatre, which I much preferred. The original GB was was very much of its time and quite enjoyable, but not something which ever stuck with me. the recent remake with al-female cast and Thor as the secretary was utter nonesense. I tried Afterlife out of curiosity, but as it was so long since I had seen the original, it didn't really do much for me. having Paul Rudd in it kept reminding me of Ant Man - as he's basically the same character in every film he's in. Ill not rush to watch the latest, as I doubt it will bring anything new to an overlong party now. 3 Body is made by the same crew as game of Thrones, with a lot of the same actors. As usual, its hyped to the back teeth on netflix, which immediately puts me off! Das Signal, ive not come across, but as i rarely visit Netflix, its not surprising! Sounds very similar to Constellation, which aired on Apple TV and stared swedish actress Noomi Rapace - late of Prometheus - and is based around an ISS mission, which goes awry and has consequences for the astronauts return to Earth. Technically and visually excellent and quite a good storyline too. Unfortunately, a lot of these series are much of a muchness and I tend to watch films instead. having said that, the Disney+ adaptation of James Clavell's Shogun is wonderful - historically accurate, beautifully shot and with a strong cast of japanese actors including the excellent Hiroyuki Sanada, who's been in every japan inspired film of recent years including John Wick, BulletTrain, Westworld and The Ring. Bill
ReplyDeleteI've always preferred tv to film. Sadly, even though I do try to fight it, I find almost no modern TV appeals to me as much as 60's, 70's and 80's stuff does. There are some exceptions but they are incredibly few.
ReplyDeleteLike you Woodsy, I enjoyed the original Ghostbuster's immensely. The second was okay. I didn't even bother trying to watch the others, not even on television. But then, TV has lost much of its appeal to me over the years and I simply have a hard time watching ANYTHING and episodic TV hasn't been a draw in many, many years. HOWEVER, last year (? year before ?) my granddaughter kept bugging me to sign up for Netflix because she wanted to watch 'Wednesday' with Jenna Ortego. Soooo, guess who was the one who binge watched the entire season? LOL The first episode hooked me and I found it to be entertaining, engaging, and well written. That being said, I haven't watched any episodic TV since LOL
ReplyDeleteThe original Ghostbusters was of course a classic. None of the follow-ups have been much good. Afterlife started well, trying to do things a bit differently, though it was too indebted to Stranger Things - but then in the second half they just decide to remake Ghostbusters, with all the same characters, jokes and events, so it becomes pointless.
ReplyDeleteNetflix's 3 Body Problem was interesting, but the original series of Chinese novels is far too complex and challenging to adapt, so it's all been a bit dumbed-down and limited in scope. I suspect that if it continues, it will just turn into a mish-mash of The X-Files, The Matrix and The Invaders.
We're currently going through an old stack of DVDs with TV Movies of the Week from the 1970s on them, I love them so much. Recently watched: A Howling in the Woods, Hitch-Hike, The Love War, Gargoyles, A Cold Night's Death, Dying Room Only. New TV leaves me cold. The only recent series we watch is.. . Ancient Aliens! There, I've said it! SFZ
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