The second installment in Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic 1965 sci-fi novel picks up where Dune (2021) left off. In this chapter, the exiled Duke of House Atreides, Paul (Timothy Chalamet) establishes himself as a leader. You may remember that in Part One, basically the whole House Atreides was massacred by the evil…
As cultural touchstones go, few are as storied – or problematic – as Dune. Frank Herbert’s dense 1965 novel was (and is still) regarded as a breakthrough in the sci-fi genre, spawning a sometimes-fanatical following. The book was often considered unfilmable – something reinforced by Alejandro Jodorowsky’s failed attempt at it in the 1970s. Then…
I want to do something different with Blade Runner 2049. Rather than discuss the plot, the acting, and the score (which are all excellent by the way), I want to take a step back a bit. Blade Runner (1982) wasn’t the first dystopian sci-fi movie (or even the first noir sci-fi), it was a groundbreaking…
Science fiction is a genre that leaves room for ideological visions and fictional future scenarios. A technological fantasy story, as it were. In Arrival this is more applicable on a human level. In this case it’s the effort of humanity to communicate with an alien civilization. That’s fiction enough already. We’re not even capable of…
Two big movies in a week must be something of a record, but that’s what’s happened with Amy Adams this week. Coinciding with the release of Nocturnal Animals is Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, a very different film to showcase Adams’ talents. I have to say the premise sounded a bit hokey to me – alien craft…
