[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/flash_gordon.mp3] FLASH! AH-AHHHHH! Savior of the universe! If there’s a song that better encapsulates both the plot and mood of a film, I’ve yet to hear it. Flash Gordon is based upon two things: a science fiction comic strip, and the 1930’s adventure film serial starring Buster Crabbe. Long before the likes of Star Trek:… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Flash Gordon
Category: Netflix
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The Hurt Locker
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/hurt_locker.mp3] Alfred Hitchcock once said that there’s a big difference between surprise and suspense. I hope he won’t mind if I paraphrase a little. If I were sitting here talking about movies, and my desk were to explode because someone planted a bomb here, that’d be a surprise. Now, if you as the audience knew… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The Hurt Locker
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Gattaca
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/gattaca.mp3] In the early days of science fiction, the aim of its creators was not to impress the audience with bombastic explosions or cutting-edge computer graphics. While the overall goal was to entertain and engage and thus earn a living, they didn’t have the aforementioned crutches upon which to lean. They had to rely solely… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Gattaca
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! A Terminator Retrospective
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/terminator.mp3] Now that the latest film is available on Netflix, as well as the television series, I’d like to discuss the rise and fall of the Terminator franchise. Examining what worked in the various stories of this mythos and where things went a bit wrong, or a lot wrong, should only take a few minutes.… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! A Terminator Retrospective
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Battlestar Galactica
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/bsg.mp3] In recent years, for one reason or another, many stories in speculative fiction have been ‘rebooted’. In most cases the ‘new’ versions of the stories have suffered from either not being very well executed, getting called out for disregarding the established histories and characterizations of the source material or both. Transformers, Star Wars and… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Battlestar Galactica
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The Mutant Chronicles
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/mutant_chronicles.mp3] Adaptations are a good way to cull an established audience from one medium and transplant them into another to generate more revenue and attention for a given work. Just look at the success of The Lord of the Rings, Iron Man and even Twilight. Novels, comic books, even toys have had some success moving… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The Mutant Chronicles
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The House Bunny
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/house_bunny.mp3] I’m going to begin with a confession. This is not the sort of movie that finds its way onto my Netflix queue. However, when I find myself at my parents’ house for the holidays, I tend to be more at the mercy of what’s on their big-screen TV. The House Bunny ended up being… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The House Bunny
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Snatch.
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/snatch.mp3] I’ve stated in some previous reviews that Jason Statham is a badass. I’ve also mentioned him in his work with Guy Ritchie, of which Snatch is the prime example. It’s also arguably Ritchie’s best film to date, often compared to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels the way Pulp Fiction is compared to Reservoir… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Snatch.
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Seige Tale
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/dungeon_siege.mp3] The more new movies come out, the more it seems that Hollywood is almost completely out of original ideas. Even James Cameron’s Avatar is only slightly original, as we’ve had the “humans are assholes invading peaceful aliens” plot as recently as earlier this year with Battle for Terra. And then there’s the news that… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Seige Tale
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Valkyrie
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/valkyrie.mp3] Historical thrillers work if the story, acting and direction can draw you into their world and make you forget about the fact you know how the story’s going to end. Titanic, for me, fails because I kept waiting for the boat to hit the iceberg and sink. Oh – sorry, spoiler warning there. Anyway,… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Valkyrie
