Director/Co-Writer: Satoshi Kon, based on the novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui Released: 2006, Sony Pictures Genre: Science Fiction/Magical Realism One of the most enjoyable things about writing for Foes of Reality is that it forces me to pay attention: to put the things I watch, hear and read in context. If there’s something I find interesting, I have an excuse to analyze it and draw conclusions. When I do, as often as not
Movies / Island of Misfit Films: Masters of the Universe (1987)
True story: I sold He-Man action figures in high school. Lots of He-Man action figures. Reluctantly. In 1984 I was a stock boy at the local dime store in town, and the busiest section of the store by far was the toy aisle. As an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons geek deep in the throes of a cynical adolescence, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe made me indignant. The toy line represented
SFF Abroad Movie Review: Tai Chi Zero
Title: Tai Chi Zero Director: Stephen Fung Starring: Yuan Xiaochao, Angela Yeung Wing Genre: Martial Arts/Steampunk Some things are just too hard to resist. I mean, seriously, what I assume is 19th century China + Martial Arts + Steampunk? It conjures a world where fussy, Victorian era ladies and stuffy gentlemen with monocles are replaced with armies of swordsmen and martial artists! I dare you to watch the trailer and not be
Movies / Island of Misfit Films: Oblivion (1994)
This month, Oblivion rolls into theaters. The ambitious science fiction film features Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, and Morgan Freeman, and is adapted by writer/director Joseph Kosinski from his own graphic novel of the same name. Time will tell if it may swirl in the shoals and someday wash up onto the beach here on the Island of Misfit Films. But today’s blog entry has not been transmitted through a wormhole from the
Movies / Island of Misfit Films: Hero at Large (1980)
These days it may be hard to remember a time when live-action superheroes were a rarity on the big screen. Sure, a steady trickle of them stretches back to cliffhanger serials that featured characters such as Captain Marvel (1941), Batman (1943) and Captain America (1944). At times they’ve blossomed into prominence, like the Reeve era of Superman films (1978-1987) or the Batman franchise that ran from 1989 through 1997. Over the past
Movies / Island of Misfit Films: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension! (1984)
For the record, this review will in no way pretend to be unbiased or critically detached. I have been drinking the Buckaroo Banzai Kool-Aid long enough that my tongue is permanently stained purple. I am a Blue Blaze Irregular, a Team Banzai booster, some might even say on the “over achiever” side of the fandom continuum. Tough noogies. And yet, even I recognize that The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th
