Category Archive: science fiction

Sep 25

Comedy, drama, supernatural scares: Fall TV has it all

Fall television season heats up with “Ben and Kate,” “The Mindy Project” If Sunday’s Emmy Awards proved anything, it’s that the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences favors the familiar. Aside from a few fresh offerings, including “Homeland” and “Louie,” the list of winners was replete with past winners, such as “The Amazing Race” and …

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Sep 21

This soundtrack rocks!

Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood shows off his composing chops in “The Master” Will all the controversy surrounding “The Master,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s drama about a charismatic intellectual (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who becomes a cult leader, you might have missed the discussion about the movie’s superb soundtrack. Jonathan “Jonny” Greenwood, best known as Radiohead’s lead guitarist, …

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Sep 17

TV networks try to recapture the magic of hit shows

Fall season preview continues with “The Mob Doctor,” “Revolution” Fall television is far from a sure thing. Some shows fail. Some grow stale. And others succeed beyond the showrunners’ wildest expectations. This week, the networks try to recapture the magic of two of the 21st century’s most successful series, the misanthropic medical drama “House” and …

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Aug 07

Discover the real genius behind “Total Recall”

Is it real or is it Rekall? A working stiff (Quaid) gets his mind blown in "Total Recall."

“Total Recall” isn’t the only movie inspired by sci-fi master Philip K. Dick Fans of 1990′s “Total Recall” must be experiencing a serious case of deja vu. Like that film, the brand-new reboot follows an ordinary Joe (Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original, Colin Farrell in the remake) who takes a virtual vacation to Mars, only …

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Aug 03

This August is action-packed

Summer movie season ends with “Total Recall,” “The Bourne Legacy” Summer 2012 will go down in cinematic history as a season of extremes. It’s been a summer of box-office bonanzas and financial failures, of triumph and tragedy. But before you say goodbye to the summer movie season, there’s an entire month of movies to check …

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Aug 02

Watch “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” under the stars

Steven Spielberg’s science-fiction classic screens tonight in San Luis Obispo Remember the sense of otherworldly wonder you experienced the first time you saw Elliott and E.T. cycle across a starry sky? You can recapture that feeling when you watch “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” this Saturday in downtown San Luis Obispo. The free screening is part of …

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Jul 19

Watch to Watch: “Eureka”

SyFy’s “Eureka” is goofy, good-natured science fiction fun Fans of SyFy’s “Eureka” said goodbye to their favorite show this week. Created by Andrew Cosby and Jaime Paglia, the Emmy Award-nominated show first hit the airwaves in 2006, gradually gained a faithful following among science fiction fans over its five-season run. The series finale, “Just Another …

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Jul 13

What to Watch: “Attack the Block”

Kids defend their inner-city neighborhood from aliens in “Attack the Block” You’d think we would have figured it out by now. Hostile extra-terrestrials have been arriving on Earth for decades. They’ve destroyed our national monuments (“Independence Day,” “Mars Attacks”), invaded our cities (“Battle: Los Angeles,” “War of the Worlds”) and infiltrated our ranks (“Invasion of …

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Jul 09

Remembering “Marty” star Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine chats with fans at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival in 1997. Photo by David Middlecamp.

Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine had a special connection to the Central Coast With his booming voice, broad, big-shouldered build and gap-toothed grin, Ernest Borgnine could play a scheming military man, a blustery thug and a rumpled cab driver with equal aplomb. The Oscar winner, who died Sunday at age 95, left behind a lifetime of …

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Jun 12

“Prometheus”: “Alien” for a new age

Logan Marshall-Green, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender explore a remote alien outpost in "Prometheus."

Ridley Scott’s glossy, gory science-fiction epic is sure to influence future films Where did we come from? Who created us? What would we do if we ever met our makers? “Alien” prequel “Prometheus” isn’t afraid to ask the big questions. After discovering a possible link between humanity and an alien race on Scotland’s Isle of …

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