Wednesday, September 29, 2010

GATTACA


To me, this futuristic movie about changing DNA strands to create the best human being ever was too boring. Once I heard the meanings behind some of the scenes, the movie started to get really interesting. For instance the stair case as being Jerome's double helix and he has to stay at the bottom and Vincent stands at the top made me curious about how we could change someones identity like in Gattaca in the present. All you need is urine and blood and your problems are solved. That just made me think of an idea. What if someone used that technique to be someone else right now, like being someone else for a day. I would want to try that.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein (pronounced as Fraaankenschteene)



One of my favorite movies growing up, Young Frankenstein, was watched in my sci-fi class last week. Gene Wilder is an actor that I love. His screaming vocals in almost every scene is so intriguing to me. In this movie he plays the mad scientist Dr. Frankenstein (pronounced Fraankenschteene) who travels to his grandfather's lab and creates his own monster. The movie is nothing like the story. I think that is why I like this more because there is intentional comedy. The science elements in it are not explained into huge details but its the same as all the other Frankenstein movies by using electricity. Overall, the movie is a classic and a must see.

Monday, September 27, 2010

The ATOMIC Cafe

The atomic bomb was on of the dumbest inventions ever made. No one deserves to contain that much power. The bomb lead to chaos in the world and other bombs that could destroy the whole world. The movie, "Atomic Cafe," explained how U.S. citizens were brainwashed into thinking that atomic bombs and a friend and not a foe. It was quite comical. When they showed the "duck and cover" instructional video, I was thinking, oh yeah this is really going to save your life from a bomb. Then I started crying from laughing so hard.

Chicago's Greenest Home


     Recently in my sci-fi class, we have been researching technology topics that relates to science fiction. The first thing that came to my mind was this house. This is the greenest house in Chicago at the science museum. The reason it is the greenest is because it is run on many types of renewable energy resources like solar and wind. The most interesting part of the house is the newest technology that is used in the house. The most interesting piece of technology was an electric plug that didn't require a plug. It looks like a wooden cutting board on a kitchen countertop, but it was actually electromagnetic coils underneath. You can put any object that requires electricity by simply placing it on the board and it will turn on. This isn't even in the market yet and I got to see it. It was a fascinated tool to witness. However, I decided my technology project to be about public electric car chargers.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Mary Shelly's FRANKENSTEIN

  
     In this 1994 drama/horror film, Victor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) creates an experiement that shames himself and his family. This mad scientist creates a monster (Robert De Niro) that Frankenstein is horrified by and he soon abandons that creature soon after he creates it. The monster is on his own growing up to find that humans are horrified by him and he starts revenge on Frankenstein.
    The monster starts going on a killing rant, murdering Frankenstein's brother, wife, father and close family member. Frankenstein then dies trying to run away from the horrifying creature. Then only short minutes after, the monster dies with his father by burning himself.
   In my opinion, this movie was not very well directed. The acting was over dramatic and the details in the killing scenes and in the creature was too much for me to handle. This movie also had accidental humor for it's over-the-top scenes and awkward situations. However, I would recommend this movie to others because of its outrageous acting is a must-see.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

What was that one movie where the Earth stood still?


In our recent movie, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," many things ran through my noggin when I was watching the movie. Here is a quick review of the movie:
  The movie takes place in Washington in 1951 when atomic bombs were being created and further experimented. At a random time and day, a UFO comes flying down onto a baseball park. The people of Earth are in a panic because of the alien. The "army people" take the alien to a private room and a general tries to talk to him. He presents himself as Klaatu and explains that he needs to talk to all of the nations in the world because the planet is it great danger. The general refuses his request and Klaatu decides to leave. In the end, the "army people" decide to kill him but he comes back to life through his robot friend, Gort. Klaatu then gives the Earth a decision to stop making atomic bombs, or die from an explosion.
Pretty intense stuff. 

I thought the movie was very good. They used pretty decent futuristic ideas and special effects. Since this was one of the first sci-fi movies, the belief that aliens were coming to destroy the world was extremely over dramatic but it is understandable because we thought that hiding under a desk would save us from an atomic bomb. There was a lot of accidental comedic relief which I really enjoyed.  Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone because this is one of the most popular sci-fi movies ever and I believe that everyone should watch it. :]