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Home , Galaxy Quest, Gale Anne Hurd, Ridley Scott, Science fiction comedy, Science fiction film, The Abyss

F I L M F O C U S IMIBO NISO-BHANYABHANYA

referred to as horror films but these films are unmistakably Fiction. For those who seek to develop their imagination but find a bit too far-fetched, will Science be an enjoyable experience that will definitely stimulate. Fiction / producer, Michael Deeley; director, . Blade Runner has become one of the all time great Science Fiction cult films - stars as a blade runner, an hunter, who is sent to kill five outlaw androids that in the Service have escaped from off-world (not on earth) colonies and have managed to find their way back to in the year 2019. Ford also happens to fall in love with another ‘’, which causes problems with his case CHARL SEPTEMBER are based on events within the realm of along the way. is cast as Roy Audiovisual Librarian, Cataloguing Section possibility, such as , space travel, Batty, the leader of the band of lawless interplanetary war, et cetera, whilst Fantasy is androids who directs them as they wreak cience Fiction is a of film and based on events and characters we know do havoc through the city while they search for in which a background of not exist and never will exist, for example, a way to prolong their four-year life spans. science or pseudo-science is an inte- dragons, orcs, trolls and elves. S One of the most famous Science Fiction / producers, Walter F gral part of the story. Science Fiction and authors is HG Wells and several of his works Parkes and David Valdes. Fantasy often are mistaken for each other. Alexander Hartdegen (), an The differences are, however, quite easy to have been reproduced on film. The time machine and War of the Worlds are the inventor living in New York at the end of the identify. The main difference between the 19th century, is far ahead of his time when it two is that Science Fiction stories most well known of his works and in many ways they set the tone for future Science comes to mathematics and science. When Fiction material. Science Fiction films have his fiancé is killed in an attempted rob- become very popular and some of bery he directs all his efforts into creating a the most successful films fall in this device that will allow him to travel back in genre. The epics, Close time in order to save his love. After years encounters of the third kind and of struggle he manages to build the device ET: the extra-terrestrial were but when he uses it he discovers that he amongst the most financially cannot alter history. Dejected and wanting successful motion pictures to leave his past behind, Alexander decides ever produced. to move into the future. Nearly a million The Library Service’s years into the future he stops and finds that extensive film collection people have evolved into two species: the boasts some of the best peaceful Eloi who live above ground and the Science Fiction titles violent Morlocks who dwell below ground. around. Some of the Alexander decides to help the peace-loving Science Fiction films in Eloi and tries to free them from our collection, such as of the Morlocks. the series, are often

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E.T.: the extra-terrestrial / producers, A peculiar lightning storm develops rapidly the fast-paced action that is often a feature and Kathleen Kennedy; and before you know it, huge tripods are of this genre. In so doing they tend to director, Steven Spielberg. erupting from the ground and incinerating forget about the creativity that goes into its This film was the highest grossing film in people all over. Earth is under attack from production. Science Fiction by nature is a America until Star Wars was re-released. It aliens that have been waiting for the right view of the future expressed by the creator was coined the childhood version of Close moment for thousands of years. of the picture and as such it should interest encounters of the third kind. E.T. tells is full of suspense, most, if not all of us. After all, the future tale of the friendship between a young boy great special effects and it also highlights the most certainly will affect us all. and a little lost alien, who faces great odds in personal struggles individuals face during The covers of the titles discussed in this order to see the alien back home. While the times of strife. article are vibrant and I am sure that they boy and his siblings hatch a plan to see their will attract interest if displayed appropriately. friend from space home they introduce the Galaxy / producers, Use Sci-Fi as a tool to stimulate the imagina- alien visitor to life on earth and try to teach and ; director, Dean tions of your users and possibly introduce Parisot. him their language. All the while they try them to Sci-Fi novels, which, I am sure, will is a combination of to keep him hidden from the outside world benefit them greatly in future. and Science Fiction. stars as Jason in an effort to protect him which results in Nesmith, an actor who previously starred some humorous antics from the kids as well on a hit television show called Galaxy quest. Other titles on DVD as the alien. (Gwen) is one of the cast I / producer, ; members who resents Jason because he Close encounters of the third kind director, James . gets all the attention from the fans. A.I.: artificial intelligence The abyss melds two genres into one: None of the actors have had any signifi- Minority report the disaster movie and Science Fiction. For cant work in a while and survive by doing Solaris a film produced in 1989, I think it set a high store openings and signing autographs at Twelve monkeys standard for films shot under water and the Galaxy quest conventions. Real aliens come Independence day. special effects are outstanding, even by to- to earth in order to enlist the Galaxy quest day’s standards. The story deals with a mis- crew’s help in defending themselves against Note: Reviews by Charl September. sion to investigate strange readings on radar an evil enemy. Believing the ‘aliens’ are pitch- and a group of Navy SEALS, along with oilrig ing him a new job, Nesmith invites the rest 2 0 0 7 workers, are dispatched to investigate and, if of the cast to join him only to come to the necessary, neutralise any threat. realisation that they actually have to do what A raging storm on the surface leads to they have pretended to do for years - save a equipment being damaged, a SEAL suffering species and possibly earth in the process. from symptoms of the underwater pressure The film is a and a confrontation with underwater aliens with merit and I found it very enter- make for a very entertaining, suspense-filled taining. It is a good example of the Science Fiction film. lighter side of the Science Fiction genre. War of the Worlds / producers, When most people watch Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson; a Sci-Fi film they focus on director, Steven Spielberg. Ray Ferrier is an average blue-collar worker living in a congested house work- ing a job that only just allows him to make ends meet. He leaves work one morning to meet his children, a ten-year-old girl and a sixteen-year-old boy, who are being dropped off by his ex-wife and her husband for the weekend. The relationship between Ray and his children is tense to say the least and it becomes clear that he is not the best father.

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