Movies for hardcore sci-fi geeks

[Bandersnatch]

Black Mirror is absolutely amazing. Every episode leaves you thinking for days.
And Fifteen Million Merits is just devastating.

 

[Fizica7]

Anyone seen and enjoyed either The Forth Kind or Dark Skies ?
Anybody knows similar movies to recommend?

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

"Predistination", based on "All You Zombies". Good treatment of the original story, but with some original twists. I read the short story in 1964. The DVD was released in February.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Black Mirror is absolutely amazing. Every episode leaves you thinking for days.
And Fifteen Million Merits is just devastating.

Yeah, that was good. It reminded me a bit of Donald Trump. I just watched the third episode. Very good and definitely thought provoking! What if all of our life experiences were recorded first person and could be played back at any moment? A reality we may soon face.

Lifelogging - recording every single minute of your life - is quickly moving from science fiction fantasy to real life phenomenon. Of course to truly document every minute of your life today is still a daunting task. Although some people are already doing it...

http://singularityhub.com/2010/07/20/your-entire-life-recorded-lifelogging-goes-mainstream/

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The Perfect 46

This "science factual" feature film has been lauded by MIT Technology Review, Scientific American, Science, and the London Evening Standard as "a worryingly believable cautionary tale." The Perfect 46 explores the personal, professional, and social consequences that arise when a geneticist creates a website that pairs an individual with their ideal genetic partner for children.

Amazon Prime Movies

Set in the near future, 'The Perfect 46' documents the rise, and fall, of a fictional genome-matching service. A panel of experts weighed in after a recent screening at Stanford.

The company’s promise is simple, and alluring. Send it your sequenced genome, along with your partner’s, and its proprietary algorithm will determine whether your children will be born free of genetic defects — or not.

“Jesse [Darden, the company’s CEO] wasn’t going to cure the diseases; he would just breed them out. It made a lot of people uncomfortable,” says company senior vice president Ronald Khan, played by actor Sheldon Coolman, in The Perfect 46, a movie about the dilemmas of genetic screening and matchmaking...

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-n...es-ethical-dilemmas-of-genetic-screening.html

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Black Mirror only has a handful of episodes but they were all good.

Another British Sci-Fi series that I just watched and really enjoyed is Humans.

Humans (stylised as HUM∀NS) is a British-American science fiction television series, with the first season debuting on 14 June 2015 on Channel 4 and AMC, and concluding on 2 August 2015.[1] Written by the British team Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley, based on the award-winning Swedish science fiction drama Real Humans, the series explores the themes of artificial intelligence and robotics, focusing on the social, cultural, and psychological impact of the invention of anthropomorphic robots called "synths". The series is produced jointly by AMC, Channel 4 and Kudos.[2] Eight episodes were produced for the first series,[3] with a second, eight-episode series scheduled to air in the UK in late 2016 and in the United States in 2017.[4]

Wiki

I read that they just started filming a second season. Yay! The first season was excellent.

Also, not hard sci-fi by any means but fun to watch - Under The Dome. It is a collaboration of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. The science often makes me cringe but it's a creative story.

Under the Dome is an American science fiction mystery drama television series. It premiered on CBS on June 24, 2013,[1] and concluded on September 10, 2015.[2] The series was developed by Brian K. Vaughan and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.

Under the Dome tells the story of the residents of the fictional small town of Chester's Mill, when a massive, transparent, indestructible dome suddenly cuts them off from the rest of the world. Military forces, the government, and the media positioned outside the barrier attempt to break it down, while the residents trapped inside must find their own ways to survive with diminishing resources and rising tensions. A small group of people inside the dome must also unravel complicated mysteries in order to figure out what the dome is, where it came from, and when (and if) it will go away.

Wiki

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Sleep Dealer http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804529/
Is a commentary on the double standards applied to migrant workers, corporate ownership of natural resources and governmental collusion with business..

Great movie and the first Mexican-made Science Fiction movie I'd ever seen.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Eh, Humans lost me when the

Spoiler

robot started to regain memory - it was just, I don't know, hamfisted?

.
The first half or so was great, though.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Eh, Humans lost me when the

Spoiler

robot started to regain memory - it was just, I don't know, hamfisted?

.
The first half or so was great, though.

Yeah, I can see that. I wonder if anyone would get my joke when I say she is

Spoiler

Synthil

PS. I thought ham fisted was a good description. For me it didn't detract too much but I agree.

Under the Dome is really bad that way but it's such a fun story I can't help but like it. I also enjoyed the short series Jericho, which is much the same in this regard.

 

[enorbet]

ping Ivan Seeking - I hadn't seen your post before just yesterday when I watched The Perfect 46. I am extremely impressed. It is not linear in time in that it jumps around a lot (example: recorded interviews) but it is never unnecessarily dense or hard to grasp as the plot unfolds, partly due to the superb sense of realism created. It isn't a "thrill a minute" roller coaster ride but more a serious "thinker" with extremely deep implications and questions. It lets, or maybe more accurately, forces the viewer to face real concerns in computing, genetics, business, government and public expectations. This film is truly a cut above.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Netflix's Stranger Things is fantastic. Nowhere near hard science - more like E.T. mixed with X-files. Oozes nostalgia for the olden Spielberg-slash-Cronenberg days, but manages to stand on its own too.
I couldn't help but binge-watch the whole series in one sitting.

 

[enorbet]

Hello - just wanted to take a moment to thank all those that recommended Black Mirror. It is superbly written and executed, often even when it "gets in the door sideways" still makes profound points that keep me thinking for days. The series is now on Netflix and I recommend it to any sort of Sci Fi lover as it is only just a short step removed from the present and has exceptional relevance.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Apparently, there's now 3rd season of Black Mirror available on Netflix. You know what to do.

Speaking of Netflix, they also have this show called 'The Expanse', which I've found to be right up my 'hardcore SF fan' alley. It's got bits of noir, political drama, mystery, and the good old 'me and me mates flying around in our spaceship' fun.
They get really quite a lot of the science right, and where they don't (sound in space, most noticeably) you can see how they made the decision for dramatic purposes rather than out of laziness or ignorance.
There are sensible-looking orbital manoeuvres and space combat, feasibly-imagined space stations and asteroid mining (if you've read the thread about mining asteroids we've got on PF you'll recognise some ideas), low and zero gravity and vacuum-related effects.
And all-around solid show, quite far on the hardness scale.

 

[enorbet]

Bandersnatch, apparently I need to borrow your Vorpal Sword to find "The Expanse" on Netflix. :) I searched for "expanse" and all I get is "related" videos. It's on Amazon but not available on Prime. Any hints?

 

[Bandersnatch]

I'm not sure how Netflix works exactly - maybe they've got regional restrictions? (I'm in central Europe)

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

View attachment 108787

I'm not sure how Netflix works exactly - maybe they've got regional restrictions? (I'm in central Europe)

https://www.finder.com/netflix-usa-vs-world-content

 

[enorbet]

Thanks for that link Noisy but it says that The Expanse is available in Singapore.. that's it.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Thanks for that link Noisy but it says that The Expanse is available in Singapore.. that's it.

You have to wait for it to show up on Youtube then?

 

[gleem]

Another recent Netflix release Is "Glitch" an Australian production. More like X-files. If you accept the premise the story is interesting.

 

[DaveC426913]

Another recent Netflix release Is "Glitch" an Australian production. More like X-files. If you accept the premise the story is interesting.

Just started watching that. Though its seems to be almost identical to The Returned.

 

[enorbet]

You have to wait for it to show up on Youtube then?

Or get a Singapore Sling-box? ;)

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

LOVED "The Arrival". The box of books...

 

[Bandersnatch]

Alright, I've got two new ones. Neither is strictly what I'd normally recommend to truly hardcore SF nerdy crowd, but they're worthwhile in their own way.

First is the British-made 'Anti Matter'. It kinda tries to pull of a Primer, but is not as committed to hardcore accuracy (so you do get e.g. monitors displaying 1s and 0s, as if that were readable by anyone, ever). But it's an interesting, and different than your run-of-the-mill SF film treatment. As for the plot, think of it as the standard Star Trek problem of what happens when you teleport a person.
Flawed, but a good watch nonetheless.

The second one, is the oddly titled: 'Science Fiction Volume One: The Osiris Child'. Now what is the tile meant to signify, I don't quite understand. But anyway.
It's a SF film reminiscent of what used to come out in the 80s and 90s - just a fun and well made, but fiercely original romp, working around its low budget to surprisingly good effect. There are some monsters, alright - although probably their design is the weakest part of the film. But mostly its the kind of fun you get when you watch Mad Max'es (also Aussie flicks) or perhaps more closely related, Pitch Black - there's an outline of a larger, fun world that is not over-explained, and you're just honed in on the immediate character drama for which the world is just a backdrop.
It's not terribly deep, but oh, so much fun. Seriously, it's been a while since I've experienced this kind of SF.Both films are notable for what can be achieved with a limited budget and a good idea. The first is made pretty much out of shots of Oxford, some indoor sets, and a few extras. The second one is mostly Australian desolation, a few bits of serviceable CGI, and very few SF sets.

 

[enorbet]

Both thumbs up for "The Arrival" ! It's not exactly monster fare. It isn't Space Opera. It doesn't have scantily clad Moon Maidens BUT it is up there on a par with 2001 and Contact. In fact in some ways it is even better because it is so believable with just a few teensy weensy A"suspend disbelief" points. The climax is truly excellent and a mind-blower.

 

[cube137]

No one has seen Avengers: Endgame yet?

Was it so boring no discussions here or the topic is banned temporary to avoid spoilers?

I admit I was a bit pissed as I read the spoiler in the headlines before watching it.

Once the dusts have settled, and most have watched it. Then someone start the thread. I want you to share the phrases that involved those scientific jargons. I couldn't remember the exact lines such as "Eigenvalues", etc. Also is Tony Stark a physicist? He can single handedly work out new theories as well as single handed build something more complex than LHC! He may be much brighter than Edward Witten who hasn't even built a jet pack yet. Tony Stark is just phenomenal!

 

[member 656954]

Both thumbs up for "The Arrival"

I was disappointed when I first saw The Arrival at the cinema, but watched it on TV a couple of years later, and changed my mind. Very emotive and quite intelligent.

ARQ wasn't bad, kind of a violent Groundhog Day premise that was pretty tense. And Ex Machina was good. Very thought provoking and I loved the ending.

But the hard sci fi movie that really blew my mind was Predestination. Based on Heinlein's "__All You Zombies__" short story, and wow, what an elaboration of the concept.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Anyone seen High Life? It's like a love child of Silent Running and Tarkovsky's Solaris.

 

[cube137]

I was disappointed when I first saw The Arrival at the cinema, but watched it on TV a couple of years later, and changed my mind. Very emotive and quite intelligent.

ARQ wasn't bad, kind of a violent Groundhog Day premise that was pretty tense. And Ex Machina was good. Very thought provoking and I loved the ending.

But the hard sci fi movie that really blew my mind was Predestination. Based on Heinlein's "__All You Zombies__" short story, and wow, what an elaboration of the concept.

I wanted my mind to be blown yesterday so I watched Predestination. Yes. It was superb!

More spectacular sci fi movies recommendations please? I'm tired of Thanos and alike already.

 

[pinball1970]

I wanted my mind to be blown yesterday so I watched Predestination. Yes. It was superb!

More spectacular sci fi movies recommendations please? I'm tired of Thanos and alike already.

Tolkien has just come out, I will be interested to see where he got his inspiration for LOTR and the Hobbit. He was in the great war so no doubt that will feature, I read 'the dead marshes' were based on the trenches but I don't know much else.

 

[DaveC426913]

Tolkien has just come out, I will be interested to see where he got his inspiration for LOTR and the Hobbit. He was in the great war so no doubt that will feature, I read 'the dead marshes' were based on the trenches but I don't know much else.

I do know that the Hobbits got their legendary stoicism from the British folk during the war. Like the British Tolkien admired, Hobbits are all stiff upper lip, and just keep getting up and moving.