Tag: sci-fi

Today, I want to talk to you like a dead man to other dead man. “Dead Man’s Letters” (“Pisma myortvogo cheloveka”, 1986)

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directed by Konstantin Lopushansky
© 1986 Lenfilm. All Rights Reserved.

Once again, thanks to Klassiki team, I had a chance to discover a film that I’d probably never choose to watch myself. But luckily, there’s a platform where you can see such slightly forgotten and sometimes difficult to find gems. I didn’t know what to expect from this production, but it turned out to surprise me on several levels. Generally, the film is set in the future after a nuclear war. The world is completely destroyed and those who survived have to stay underground in bunkers, because the atmosphere is too toxic to go outside. If you decide to leave the bunker, you must wear special clothes and a mask. So staying underground becomes an everyday reality. And in this reality we get to meet professor Larsen (Rolan Bykov), a physicist, who constantly writes letters to his son, Eric. Even though he’s never come back home, the professor believes he’s still alive somewhere there. Those letters help him express his emotions and stabilise his mental health in those specific circumstances. Plus, for us, viewers, he becomes a quite original narrator, helping us understand what kind of world we’re looking at. If you expect some dangerous creatures or brain-eating fungi, then it’s not this kind of story. Here, we just observe people dying. Because even if they are not contaminated, they are slowly dying due to loneliness, fear and uncertainty. They know that it’s the end and the world they used to live in doesn’t and won’t exist anymore. So we observe people without any chances to improve their life. They just exist and wait for death to come. The way this film makes you feel disturbed is incredible. I had chills, especially since anything can happen and perhaps in the future that’s what life will look like. The production design is marvellous and makes the picture complete. The helplessness is screaming from the screen and there you are – a viewer from the future (the film was made in 1986), worried that what you’re watching might become your own reality. That maybe one day we’ll be all “dead people” just surviving another day and hoping for some miracle. This film is a quite extraordinary experience, so I highly recommend it, but mind the fact it can really test your sensitivity. Let’s hope such reality never finds us.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Tomorrow doesn’t exist. “Fursat” (2023)

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directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
© 2023 Absolute Productions. All Rights Reserved.

Call me old-fashioned but I still miss the times when the phone was just for calling. Texting? Writing a letter. Selfie? A photo camera. Music? A walkman/discman. And in case you lost one, you could still enjoy other activities. Now, if someone loses their phone, it’s the end of the world. Apocalypse! Everything’s gone! So this addiction to our smartphones is creeping me out, yet there are moments when I appreciate technological progress. Today, I’d like to recommend you a short film made by Vishal Bhardwaj, which was fully shot using… iPhone 14 Pro. Yes, a phone. And if you’re sceptical about its quality – well… you may be surprised. But hey, every film has a story, so I have to introduce you to the story of “Fursat” as well. We’re following a young man named Nishant (Ishaan Khattar), who’s found some ancient tool that allows him to travel in time. He becomes absolutely obsessed with it, but at some point he realises that the more he plays with time, the less he focuses on his beloved one – Diya (Wamiqa Gabbi). It’s a short film, so I cannot tell you too much not to spoil it entirely, but it’s not a typical Bollywood love story. We get some action, some adventure, some sci-fi – and all that accompanied by marvellous choreographies and music. I’m a Bollywood fan so I’ll always admire their aesthetics, despite often predictable storylines. Yet, what dancers in this film do is a wonderful spectacle, so you shouldn’t be disappointed. And getting back to the iPhone part – I was amazed by some shots and I believe they would be more difficult to organise with a classic video camera. So if we have such technologies, why not using them? I give my thumb up! And I also hope that if you’re an amateur filmmaker with interesting ideas for films but you feel like lack of equipment and money is stopping you – try to get some inspiration from such projects. There are numerous filmmakers who have everything you can think of and yet they end up making rather disappointing films. So if you have a good idea, grab your phone and make it happen. A good idea and a spark of filmmaking talent will always win with any kind of expensive equipment, trust me. And for those who’d like to watch “Fursat”, just click the title – it’s available for free on YouTube. May your day be full of time travel, dancing and iPhones.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Everything is happenin. “Space Is the Place” (1974)

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directed by John Coney
© 1974 North American Star System. All Rights Reserved.

If you need a film that will cheer you up on this gloomy Monday, then search no more. Let’s jump into a spaceship and listen to some good jazz, shall we? And I mean – literally. Today, I’d like to recommend you a sci-fi film from the 70s, which blew my mind and made me have the time of my life. In this one, we’re following Sun Ra (played by himself), who lands on some mysterious planet together with his band the Arkestra. Discovering the planet, he feels like it’s a way better place to be in and he comes up with an idea to bring African Americans to settle there. That is why Sun Ra flies with his spaceship to Oakland and starts encouraging young black-skinned people to join him. And what’s a better way to unite people than through music? That’s it! If you’re frowning right now while reading my post, then let me assure you – you’re not alone. When I played this film, I was feeling like in a hidden camera and waiting for someone to jump out to say it’s all a big joke. Well, it’s not. It’s an actual film of 85 minutes, which may really confuse you, but at some point, if you trust it enough, you may start enjoying the atmosphere a lot. As I mentioned before, it’s a sci-fi production, but a lot of people seem to consider it as a semi-documentary since Sun Ra was an actual person, a real artist, who was not only a talented jazz musician, but also a performer. He loved experimenting with music and visuals, and was a true icon of the African American music stage. You have a chance to see a film being a representative of Afrofuturism, which as you might be guessing, is focused on exploring the culture of Africans through technology, science and philosophy. For a long time in history, black-skinned actors weren’t taken into consideration while making films in many countries. And if so, their roles weren’t significant or anyhow valuable, quite the opposite. That is why they needed to create their own art to promote and spread their culture. Nowadays, we’re fighting for more equality, so we may see very different representatives in world wide cinema. Still, such cultural gems are definitely worth seeing, because they let us fully immerse in realities that are unknown to us. Personally, I love such experiences. This production was an awesome adventure not only because I’m a fan of jazz, but also because it’s so abstract and full of positive vibes, that there’s no way you won’t be enjoying yourself at the end of it. I’m not saying you’ll be fully aware of what’s happening – because neither was I – but it’ll make you smile for sure and that’s already a plus.

My rating: 7/10
S.

If I was a giant nasty alien bird in a department store, where would I be? “Evolution” (2001)

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directed by Ivan Reitman
© 2001 DreamWorks Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Can there be anything better than a weird sci-fi comedy on Wednesday? Don’t answer, because I have such film for you today and I’m not changing it. When I saw the description of it on the Internet, I thought it’s something I should give up on. And also the ratings weren’t that appealing. However, I started reading comments and reviews and a big group of people said it’s a lame production, but a wonderful comedy. And I have to agree with that 100%. The film starts with a meteor landing on our planet. Soon, two college professors, Ira Kane and Harry Block (David Duchovny and Orlando Jones), go to see it and take some samples. After testing they realise that it’s not just a meteor, but there’s life being hidden inside. Then scientific blah blah blah happens, but generally this thing starts evolving and, as it often is in sci-fi production, becomes a threat to humans. Are the special effects cheap? Yes. Is the story lame? Yes. Is it at least a bit scary? No. But damn those dialogues. There’s this kind of humour that makes you laugh but also face palm at the same time, if you know what I mean. In fact, “Evolution” was supposed to be a serious sci-fi film, but the director decided to change the script significantly and we ended up with this. So it’s rather a silly comedy with creepy creatures from another planet. Sure, it’s not a must-see, but if you’re feeling down or want to scroll your social media while watching something, here you go. I had fun and I don’t regret.

My rating: 6/10
S.