Category: Sci-Fi

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In 1984, a then-unknown James Cameron brought us The Terminator, a sci-fi film that instantly became a classic. Two years later, he followed that up with a long-awaited sequel to Alien, simply titled Aliens, which also hit big. Of course, years prior, many filmmakers made their own films trying to capitalize on Ridley Scott’s slasher in space. B-movie kingpin Roger Corman brought us titles like Forbidden World and Galaxy of Terror, which Cameron actually worked on. Over in Italy, there was Ciro Ippolito’s Alien 2: On Earth and the more infamous Contamination from Luigi Cozzi. After the release of Cameron’s Aliens, there weren’t too many knock-offs produced in its wake, despite its massive success. However, in 1989, Italian filmmakers Bruno Mattei and Claudio Fragasso teamed up for a mash-up of Aliens and The Terminator. That film was the sci-fi action film Shocking Dark, also known as Terminator 2. (Yes, really!)

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In the distant future, Venice has been hit with pollution, and is under the control of the Tubular Corporation. One day, one of their facilities is attacked by some strange underground creatures, and a team is sent to investigate. The team is comprised of Dr. Sara Drumbull (Haven Tyler), some civilians, and the Mega Force, an elite combat team. With Mega Force member Koster (Geretta Geretta) leading the team, they investigate the base to find hideous monsters running amok. While exploring, they find a little girl named Samantha (Dominica Coulson), who’s been surviving after the monsters killed her parents. As the Mega Force are killed one by one, team member Samuel Fuller (Christopher Ahrens) is revealed to be cybernetic. Turns out he’s been sent by the Tubular Corporation to cover up that the monsters were their creation. It’s up to Sara and Samantha to stop them and prevent the pollution.

Make no mistake, Shocking Dark is absolutely a rip-off of Aliens with elements of The Terminator thrown in. There’s the advanced combat team, the female lead, a young orphan girl, an evil corporation, monsters, and even a cyborg. As for The Terminator, not only is there an evil cyborg, there’s also some time travel in the last act. It’s pretty clear why this wasn’t released in the States until recently when Severin Films released the film on blu-ray. Had Shocking Dark been originally released in the States, there probably would’ve been at least one lawsuit against the filmmakers. Honestly, there really isn’t much to talk about since the plot is essentially the same plot as Aliens. To their credit, the filmmakers were told by their producers to intentionally rip off Aliens and The Terminator. Honestly, this isn’t surprising since that was the case with most Italian exploitation films back then.

Acting wise, there isn’t much to say, other than it ranges from decent to laughably ridiculous, but nothing outright awful. Geretta Geretta, clearly channeling Jeanette Goldstein in Aliens, is still the highlight here and has some of the best lines. Haven Tyler is fine but nothing special, and Dominica Coulson’s indefinable accent just adds to the ridiculousness on display. Speaking of, even before he’s revealed to be a cyborg, Christopher Ahrens acts very robotic and doesn’t have much emotion. Compared to other 80s Italian exploitation, Shocking Dark is surprisingly tame, with very little to no gore and nothing sexual. It almost feels like a live-action Saturday morning cartoon or a slightly updated 50s cheesy sci-fi movie. While I’ve been pretty critical here, it’s still worth a watch so long as you know what you’re getting into. Overall, Shocking Dark is a shameless yet strangely entertaining piece of sequel-sploitation.

Buy Shocking Dark on Amazon here: https://amzn.com/B07CT88BVT/

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In the 1970’s, screenwriter W.D. Richter was introduced to novelist Earl Mac Rauch, and the two began a working relationship. When Mac Rauch introduced a new character he created named Buckaroo Bandy, Richter became interested and had him develop it. At one point during the revisions, Mac Rauch changed the character’s name to Buckaroo Banzai, which was suggested by Richter. Years later, a finished treatment was shopped around to various studios before eventually being picked up by 20th Century Fox. With Richter as director, they manged to assemble a cast of notable character actors, who were all fully on board. They also hired some talented crew members, including cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth, though producers replaced him with Oscar-winner Fred J. Koenekamp. With a $12 million budget, Richter and company set out to bring this new character to life. In 1984, we got The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.

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Synopsis

Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller) is a world-renowned scientist, neurosurgeon, and rock star, along with his team, the Hong Kong Cavaliers. He’s working on a device called the Oscillation Overthruster, which makes light speed travel possible, alongside Professor Hikita (Robert Ito). Meanwhile, Lord John Whorfin, an alien living in the body of Dr. Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow) learns of Banzai’s discovery. He and his fellow aliens, the Red Lectroids, have been stuck on Earth trying to return to the 8th dimension. At the same time, the Black Lectroids are trying to stop the Red Lectroids from their goal of world domination. Soon, Whorfin and his goons kidnap Banzai’s love interest Penny Priddy (Ellen Barkin) and threaten her life for the Overthruster. It’s up to Banzai and his Cavaliers to stop the Red Lectroids, rescue Penny, and save the world. Just remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

Review

Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is a fun, unique, and entertaining film that fully deserves its cult classic status. It’s one of those movies where you can tell that everyone involved was having a great time while making it. Much like in RoboCop, Peter Weller makes Buckaroo Banzai his own and lends his natural charisma to the part. John Lithgow is delightfully over-the-top as the villainous John Whorfin, and his Red Lectroids, particularly Christopher Lloyd, have great banter. The Hong Kong Cavaliers consist of some great character actors, including Jeff Goldblum, Clancy Brown, Lewis Smith, and Pepe Serna. Each of them have their moments to shine and really feel like a team with a long history together. Ellen Barkin is fun as Penny Priddy, though she does come off as a bit of a damsel in distress. Everyone in the cast helps add to the overall sense of fun.

For a first-time director, W.D. Richter does a great job and makes the film look bigger than its budget. The special effects, though minimal, have a delightfully weird look that helps Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension stand out. If there are any issues, nothing is really explained, and there isn’t much in the way of backstory or exposition. However, that actually works in its favor, as it’s more focused on delivering a fun story than dumping exposition. There’s a lot that’s hinted at, but never explored, mostly because they planned on a sequel that sadly never happened. But maybe, it’s better that we had one good, fun movie, instead of a good movie followed by lackluster sequels. This simply introduces this world and these characters, and just expects to go along for the ride. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is a ride worth going on.

Buy The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension on Amazon: https://amzn.to/48XIird.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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Where to watch The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

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Terry Gilliam is perhaps one of the most unique and eccentric filmmakers, with a legacy of over 40 years. Gilliam is probably best known for being a member of the British comedy troupe, Monty Python, despite being an American. He got his first directing job on 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail, co-directing with fellow Python Terry Jones. After his first solo directing effort, 1977’s Jabberwocky, the Monty Python group began to gradually dissipate between 1979 and 1983. Despite this, the Pythons made two more films, 1979’s Life of Brian and 1983’s The Meaning of Life. In between these two films, Gilliam had his first hit solo film, 1981’s Time Bandits, both critically and commercially successful. Thanks to its success, Gilliam decided to continue what he called his “Trilogy of Imagination” with a very ambitious project. 1985 saw the release of the ambitious yet troubled film, Brazil.

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Brazil takes place in a dystopian future where bureaucracy reigns and nothing can be done without the proper paperwork. Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is a low-level government employee who turns down promotions despite clearly being smarter than his boss. He frequently has dreams of being an angelic warrior on a quest to rescue a fair maiden despite the obstacles. Due to a mistake, a man is wrongfully convicted, and Sam has to visit the widow to deliver a check. While there, he runs into Jill Layton (Kim Greist), who resembles the woman in his dream, and tries pursuing her. At the same time, the government is looking for an alleged terrorist named Archibald Tuttle (Robert De Niro). Through a series of events, Jill is labeled an accomplice of Tuttle’s, and Sam tries to protect her. With the bureaucratic system after them, Sam and Jill fight to be together.

This is one of those movies that’s already been talked about so many times, it’s hard to say anything new. Still, Brazil is a fantastic film that deserves to be talked about more and is highly underrated and underappreciated. Jonathan Pryce is perfectly cast as an everyman unsure of what he wants and is clearly frustrated by this society. Kim Greist perfectly embodies a sense of rebellion against such a bureaucratic society, and she has great chemistry with Pryce. While I only mentioned some of the cast, that isn’t to say anything bad about the supporting players. Michael Palin, who plays Lowry’s old friend Jack Lint, is charming and likable, yet has a strangely sinister quality. Katherine Helmond has fun moments as the oblivious and obsessed mother, and Jim Broadbent works well as her surgeon lover. Also noteworthy are De Niro, Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, Ian Richardson, and Peter Vaughan.

But what truly makes this movie special is its filmmaking style and its story of struggling to maintain one’s humanity. The dream sequences are beautifully shot and have a very imaginative feel, perfectly contrasting with the real world’s drabness. The rest of the visuals are intentionally garish and give off the feel of a world that feels manufactured. While the movie has some great sight gags and moments of dark humor, the film eventually gets depressing and hopeless. I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s a real gut punch for anyone hoping that everything works out fine. The ultimate message to take away from this is the danger of a society dominated by routines and subjugating people. It’s a simultaneously funny and terrifying story of trying to break the status quo, but ultimately failing to change anything. Overall, Brazil is easily Terry Gilliam’s masterpiece and gets a high recommendation.

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After the massive success of Halloween in 1978, John Carpenter’s career continued to grow and flourish in commercial success. His next two films, 1980’s The Fog and 1981’s Escape from New York, were both financial hits. However, things came to a halt with 1982’s The Thing which, while now regarded as a classic, was a failure. After the financial failure of The Thing, Carpenter had trouble finding work until he got the job for 1983’s Christine. Despite it doing fairly well commercially and critically, Carpenter wasn’t entirely happy with it and decided to try other genres. While 1984’s Starman did well enough, 1986’s Big Trouble in Little China was yet another financial disaster. Growing ever more frustrated with the studio system, Carpenter decided to go independent with his next film, Prince of Darkness. Finally, to close out the 80s, Carpenter directed the now iconic sci-fi film, 1988’s They Live.

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A lone drifter credited as Nada (Roddy Piper) wanders into town looking for work and not having much luck. He manages to get a job at a construction site where he meets Frank (Keith David), a fellow blue-collar worker. Nada starts noticing weird things going on, including strange TV broadcasts warning people that we are being controlled by “them”. After the police raid a homeless camp Nada and Frank have been living in, Nada discovers something: mysterious sunglasses. When he puts on the sunglasses, the world turns black-and-white, billboards become subliminal messages, and certain people are actually aliens. Nada soon realizes that these aliens have been controlling us through subliminal messaging and keeping us complacent to their plans. After an alley fight, Nada teams up with Frank and a local resistance group to bring the aliens down. Will our heroes succeed, or will they continue to rule?

Given the subject matter of the film, this was definitely the best way to cap off the 1980s. John Carpenter made the movie because of how disgusted he was with Reaganomics and the rise in consumerism. This movie perfectly hits captures that with all the subliminal messaging and the aliens representing the rich and powerful. It’s a message that’s just as relevant today as it was back then, perhaps even more so. Aside from the socio-political message, this movie also works as a fun sci-fi action film about taking down evil aliens. Roddy Piper does a great job as the nameless drifter, displaying a real working-class charm and tons of charisma. Keith David is awesome as always, and he and Piper work incredibly well together, almost like a buddy cop duo. On top of that, the two have probably one of the greatest fight scenes in cinematic history.

The supporting cast is also great, the stand-outs being Meg Foster, Peter Jason, George “Buck” Flower, and even Al Leong. The aliens, referred to as ghouls, may look slightly crude, but their looks is very iconic and even frightening. There are some scenes where several of them are slowly approaching, and the black-and-white makes it even creepier. If there are any issues with the film, they’re very few and far in between and incredibly minor. For one, at times the pacing can be a bit repetitive, with our hero going from place to place. Also, there are times where the budget limitations creep in, whether it’s the alien masks or some shoddy effects. In spite of these issues, this still remains one of the most iconic and eerily relevant movies of the 1980s. With a great cast, cool action, and a timeless message, They Live is one of Carpenter’s best. 

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[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” column_structure=”2_3,1_3″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]In 1987, Orion Pictures released the sci-fi action classic film Robocop. However, that same year, there was another sci-fi action movie they released called Cherry 2000. Directed by Steve De Jarnatt, who previously wrote Strange Brew, this film has an interesting history. For years, he was trying to get his pet project Miracle Mile off the ground. Around this time, he was given the script for Cherry 2000 from Orion after they were having trouble finding a director. After some things fell through, he decided to take the script and work on the film. It was filmed in 1985 and was supposed to come out in ’86, but for whatever reason, it only got a theatrical release in Europe. It wasn’t until ’88 when the film was released direct-to-video in the US. The film has since developed a cult following, so let’s see why people are devoted to Cherry 2000.
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Synopsis

Set in the far future of 2017, the film features David Andrews as Sam Treadwell, a mild-mannered businessman living with his wife Cherry. Played by the late Pamela Gidley, Cherry is actually a robot, and she ends up shorting out during a make-out session involving dish suds and bubbles. He tries taking her in for repairs, but unfortunately the repairman says that the Cherry 2000 model is no longer being manufactured anymore. However, the repairman tells him that there are leftover Cherry 2000’s in Zone 7, which is a lawless area full of dangerous bandits and scoundrels. Treadwell decides to take the chance and he hires a tracker named E. Johnson, played by Melanie Griffith. While making their way through the zone, they run into gang leader Lester (Tim Thomerson). Turns out he doesn’t take too kindly to trackers, and soon Treadwell and Johnson are on the run.

Review

One of the things that makes this movie work so well is the fantastic cast. David Andrews does a great job playing a mild-mannered working man whose world is changed once out of his home. When he leaves his futuristic city and is thrown into the desert, he sees what life is really like. Pamela Gidley, though her screen time is limited, is very stunning and fun as Cherry. The movie also has some great character actors in the mix. Some of note include Harry Carey Jr., Brion James, Ben Johnson, Tim Thomerson, and Robert Z’Dar. Thomerson, in particular, is very memorable as the eccentric Lester, who is very intense but also enjoyable to watch. Also noteworthy is Cameron Milzer as Sam’s ex-girlfriend Elaine who’s renamed to Ginger and is with Lester. She is very funny with great comedic timing and has some of the best lines in the movie.

The real stand-out, of course, is Melanie Griffith, despite what she may think of the movie. Not only is she stunningly gorgeous, but she is also an awesome badass here. She’s arguably more of the hero here than Sam is. She kills tons of guys, spouts out tons of one-liners, and does some pretty impressive car stunts. One particularly memorable one has her car dangling hundreds of feet in the air while being fired at with rocket launchers. The direction and set design are on-point, and the score from Basil Poledouris is excellent. The movie also has some relevant themes, such as the idea of love and relations being made a business. Plus, the idea of robots taking the place of real people for companionship and how robots can never replace a real human. Also, watch out for a small appearance by Laurence Fishburne.

If there are any issues I have here, one is the lack of chemistry between Andrews and Griffith. They work well as partners but not so much as love interests. Eventually, they warm up to each other, but it still feels a bit far-fetched that they’d end up together. Also, when they find the new Cherry 2000, she acts like a child, which is odd considering how the original acts like an adult. And while you do get a sense of the world the movie takes place in, the movie doesn’t really explore the world they created. Flaws aside, I still think this is a fun and entertaining gem that is worth a watch. With a great cast, fun action, and some relevant themes, Cherry 2000 is an underrated gem of a movie.

Buy Cherry 2000 from Amazon: https://amzn.to/47xjvsO.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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Where to watch Cherry 2000 (1987)

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