This extraordinary family film reminded me of the sense of wonder I experienced as a child reading my way through the best of the children’s fantasy and science fiction collection of my local public library.
All in Fantasy
Scott Derrickson's THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
I really enjoyed this current film. And I still love the original. I’m living proof that these two reactions are not incompatible.
Andrew Stanton's WALL•E
My first reaction to seeing Pixar’s WALL•E was “This is better than Coruscant!”
Zhang Yimou's CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
Garish, melodramatic, architectonic, fantastic. Ultimately boring.
Alex Proyas' “DARK CITY”
This is what I wrote in my blog when, once upon a time in Indiana, I found myself working late at night with the TV turned on:
This is a sweet comedy that doesn’t, for the most part, descend into mawkishness or treacle.
Disney's “THE BLACK CAULDRON”
A classic this isn’t, but for the fan of animation, it’s a must.
Doug Liman's JUMPER
Ignore the reviews and enjoy the movie.
James Cameron's THE ABYSS
This two-DVD special edition has more than enough material to keep an SF fan happy for days.
Kevin Lima's ENCHANTED
If you need something pleasant and friendly, you need look no further than Enchanted.
Steven Spielberg's AI: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
I grew up with the science fiction of Clarke, Asimov, and Heinlein. At their best they wrestled with humans coming to terms with very large ideas and concepts in stories that spanned years and vast distances. I especially loved depictions of the far future.
Robert Rodriguez' “PLANET TERROR”
I’m usually not partial to zombie movies but I really loved this one.
Makoto Shinkai's “THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS”
The creator of Voices of a Distant Star returns to adolescence but with a serious twist.
Makoto Shinkai's “VOICES OF A DISTANT STAR”
It is a fantastic achievement. The art work is better than most of what you see on ADULT SWIM (by a very wide margin), the design of the spaceships and alien vessels is beautiful, the combination of simulation and electronic display inside the power suits looks quite original, and the story, while short at 28 minutes, packs an astonishing amount of information and story elements in while not swerving from the relentless focus on these two emotional lovers, communicating (one way) over a gulf of light years.
Darren Aronofsky’s “THE FOUNTAIN”
This dizzying and perplexing movie bathes the viewer in a warm and beautiful gauze of, love, death, loss, and redemption. Forget the narrative and go with the flow.
Guillermo del Toro's PAN'S LABYRINTH
Young Ofelia travels with her pregnant mother in 1944 Spain to live with her new stepfather. He is a brutal fascist military officer in charge of a rural army garrison that is hunting down and exterminating resistance fighters.
Michel Gondry's THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP
What a sweet film this is. Not that it's all pleasant -- it isn't. But we do get to see inside someone's head, someone for whom dreams are reality and a way of dealing with the complexities of day to day life.
Hayao Miyazaki's “PORCO ROSSO”
This is an astonishing, moving, and intelligent animated film about a post WWI Mediterranean air pirate who is half man and half pig.
James McTeigue's V FOR VENDETTA
It’s a complex film, not only because of deals with cosmic issues like freedom, terrorism, and tyranny, but also because it forces us to explore these issues on a very character driven basis.