In class we discussed an article in the Detroit Free Press about the Top 10 Science Fiction films of all time. I haven't seen all of them on the list but I have seen about half. When I got home I decided to find another list of the top 10 sci-fi films of all time. This list comes the Guardian.
1. Blade Runner
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Star Wars: Episode IV
4. Alien
5. Solaris
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. War of the Worlds
9. The Matrix
10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
To read the full list click here
From the Science Fiction movies that I have seen, my favorite is the Matrix, followed by Star Wars: Episode IV, Jurassic Park, and the new, Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning version of War of the Worlds. I am excited to watch Blade Runner if it is really considered the greatest sci fi movie of all time. My list might change the more movies that we watch in this class, and the more movies that I see out of class.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
GATTACA
I've already seen the movie GATTACA in 9th grade. I thought it was pretty good movie then, and I still like it, as I watch it a second time.
Genetic manipulation and being able to choose the gender, abilities, and other characteristics of a child is the central theme of the movie. Genetically manipulating the DNA of people to make a better race of people as they do in the movie, is like what Hitler did in nazi Germany in the 40's. He wanted to create a master race, he saw it as white people, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and the future in GATTACA is not much different. The master race in the movie is someone who is healthy, intelligent, athletic, and machine-like. Imperfections are what makes us human and by removing them and creating a society where everyone knows about you, you create a world without emotions and feelings. Genetically manipulating DNA should be reserved to only preventing disease, and scientists should not be able to alter one's genes to make them more athletic, smarter, or better at a skill.
Genetic manipulation and being able to choose the gender, abilities, and other characteristics of a child is the central theme of the movie. Genetically manipulating the DNA of people to make a better race of people as they do in the movie, is like what Hitler did in nazi Germany in the 40's. He wanted to create a master race, he saw it as white people, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and the future in GATTACA is not much different. The master race in the movie is someone who is healthy, intelligent, athletic, and machine-like. Imperfections are what makes us human and by removing them and creating a society where everyone knows about you, you create a world without emotions and feelings. Genetically manipulating DNA should be reserved to only preventing disease, and scientists should not be able to alter one's genes to make them more athletic, smarter, or better at a skill.
Jurrasic Park
Two hundred and something pages into Jurassic Park, I would say that this is my favorite book that I have read in a high school class, second is Kite Runner. I saw the movie but had never read the book, and I am not ready to call on which I liked better. I read the sequel to Jurassic Park, The Lost World, over the summer because it was at my house and I felt like reading it. After reading half of the first and all of the second, I like the first book better. However, after reading this first book I think I will read it again and see if I enjoy it any better.
One of the things that I like about the book is how it seems realalistic with all of the explanations and scientific jargon used. I like Crichton's writing style and I like how he does a good job at explaining very complicated topics, and making them fit in with the story. An example of this is chaos theory. He uses the character Ian Malcolm to explain chaos theory and to foreshadow that there will be trouble at Jurassic Park.
I hope that we will read more books and watch more movies that incorporate realistic science fiction elements. I thought that The Day the Earth Stood Still was unrealistic, and most of the short stories were also, but Jurassic Park is actually plausible.
One of the things that I like about the book is how it seems realalistic with all of the explanations and scientific jargon used. I like Crichton's writing style and I like how he does a good job at explaining very complicated topics, and making them fit in with the story. An example of this is chaos theory. He uses the character Ian Malcolm to explain chaos theory and to foreshadow that there will be trouble at Jurassic Park.
I hope that we will read more books and watch more movies that incorporate realistic science fiction elements. I thought that The Day the Earth Stood Still was unrealistic, and most of the short stories were also, but Jurassic Park is actually plausible.
Not With A Bang
The short story Not With A Bang brings up an interesting issue. In the story the last man on earth tries to convince the last woman on earth to marry him with the apparent noble intention to keep the human race alive. However, the only reason he wants to marry this woman is so they can have kids who he can abuse, and a wife that he can abuse. The man dies in the bathroom from the disease that inflicted the rest of humanity.
The interesting issue that this story brings up is that if the last man on earth is evil, does the human race even deserve to survive. It does deserve to survive because there is always a capacity to change, in people. It happens every day, people make the decision to change a habit, to quit smoking, or start working hard. Another reason is that you shouldn't punish the son for the sins of his father. By the last couple not reproducing you do not give any of there children or their children's children a chance at a good life, and worse you kill the whole entire human race. The man in this story was truly evil but the human race shouldn't be punished or eliminated just because of one man's shortcomings.
The interesting issue that this story brings up is that if the last man on earth is evil, does the human race even deserve to survive. It does deserve to survive because there is always a capacity to change, in people. It happens every day, people make the decision to change a habit, to quit smoking, or start working hard. Another reason is that you shouldn't punish the son for the sins of his father. By the last couple not reproducing you do not give any of there children or their children's children a chance at a good life, and worse you kill the whole entire human race. The man in this story was truly evil but the human race shouldn't be punished or eliminated just because of one man's shortcomings.
Frankenstein
I did not enjoy the movie Frankenstein as much as I did The Day the Earth Stood Still. The melodramatic acting was distracting and it was dissapointing that even though there were many Hollywood stars in this movie it still wasn't very good. Another annoying thing about the movie was that the music was also extremely dramatic and unnecesarily loud and fast at the parts of the movies that were supposed to be the most intense.
I had never read the book before nor seen any of the movies, so I came into this movie not being able to compare it to any other version, only to other movies that I've seen, and I thought it was not a very good movie. I had actually thought that the monster was named Frankenstein before we started the movie and started discussing it, and I was surprised to hear that the monster didn't have a name and that Frankenstein was the name of the scientist.
I didn't understand the end of the movie. I am not sure how Victor Frankenstein got into the middle of the artic and why the monster was there also. I also am confused as to why the monster killed himself when Victor was going to be burned.
I had never read the book before nor seen any of the movies, so I came into this movie not being able to compare it to any other version, only to other movies that I've seen, and I thought it was not a very good movie. I had actually thought that the monster was named Frankenstein before we started the movie and started discussing it, and I was surprised to hear that the monster didn't have a name and that Frankenstein was the name of the scientist.
I didn't understand the end of the movie. I am not sure how Victor Frankenstein got into the middle of the artic and why the monster was there also. I also am confused as to why the monster killed himself when Victor was going to be burned.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
I enjoyed the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. When it first started, I didn't think that I would like it due to my mostly unfounded bias towards not liking old movies, however now that the movie is over I realize that I just because a movie is old doesn't mean you cannot still relate to its characters and the plot themes. This new realization may open up a whole new world of movies that I might also enjoy that my Grandparents enjoyed in their day. I used to have the same bias towards older music. I never tried listening to the older bands like the Rolling Stones or The Beatles, because I thought that those were songs that my parents listened to when they were teenagers, so why would I enjoy them? However, once I started listening to these and other older bands I discovered that they still sing about the same themes as are sung about today.
I thought that though some of the mannerisms, outfits, and technology was oudated, the movie was still good. I have never seen the remake that came out recently and after hearing some of the comments made in class I don't think that I will see it.
I thought that though some of the mannerisms, outfits, and technology was oudated, the movie was still good. I have never seen the remake that came out recently and after hearing some of the comments made in class I don't think that I will see it.
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