Pixel Scroll 12/16 The Caves Of Stainless Steel Rats

(1) AUTHENTIC STAR WARS CHOW. “Seen at the local coffeeshop,” says Will R. “Like the Ewoks themselves, I’m not sure this was such a great idea, but at least they’re getting in the spirit.”

Ewok CAM00093 COMP(2) HERE’S WHO THEY CALLED. Yahoo! TV spotted “the first official photo of the new ‘Ghostbusters’”.

(3) NOT AGHAST. Neil Gaiman is in talks to adapt Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast for the screen reports the Guardian’s Alison Flood.

Gaiman, a fan of the series, revealed last week that he was set to begin discussions about turning the novels into a film. “Tomorrow we start talking to studios, and will soon find out which of them wants to make Mervyn Peake’s wonderful Gormenghast as a movie,” he wrote on Twitter, later retweeting a fan who had advised him: “do not let Peter Jackson anywhere near it. I don’t want to watch 9 Gormenghast films. I ?would?, but I don’t want to.”

Fabian Peake, Mervyn Peake’s son, welcomed the possibility. “It is wonderful news that progress is being made on the filming of my father’s books. Plans for making a film, with Neil Gaiman as the writer, have been going on for a while now,” he said, describing himself as “very excited by the prospect of a Gormenghast film”.

(4) TRICK QUESTIONS. Steve Davidson at Amazing Stories has posted a 100 question “Fannish Survey”.

The questions were generated as I reviewed my own Fanhistory, comprised of both personal experience and acquired knowledge.  It’s meant to be an exploration of the many different things of which the fannish community is comprised.  But by no means all.  A thousand question survey would not come close to covering the field. So I’ve restricted myself to a mere 100.

I refer to the survey as an exploration because the intent is more about encouraging survey takers to look into the history and culture and mores and sheer craziness the questions touch on, than it is about getting the answers right or demonstrating your mastery of the subject.

If even one question causes a fan to scratch their head and resort to Google, I’ll consider this exercise a success.

And on that score:  please be honest with the survey and with yourself.  Don’t use the internet or that copy of Harry Warner’s All Our Yesterdays sitting on the corner of your desk to help you figure out what the right answer is.  You might get tripped up in the process because sometimes there isn’t a right answer.  There may be an optimal answer, one requiring a little fannish logic to unravel, but in the end, sometimes “I don’t know” may be the correct answer.  Which is your clue to do a little exploration of your own.  Fannish culture is a rich and varied one, filled with many weird and wonderful geeky, nerdy things that have proven, through the evolutionary process of history, to be of interest and value to fans.

(5) JESSICA JONES REVIEW. Abigail Nussbaum is back with “Show Me a Hero: Thoughts on Jessica Jones “.

This is not to say, however, that Jessica Jones is only conventional.  If the show lacks its own style, it more than makes up for it by having a very definite point of view–that of a show by, about, and for women.  This goes all the way down to the smallest details, such as the fact that bit parts that in almost any other series would have been filled by men almost as a matter of course–roles like a courier delivering a package, a guest on a radio talk show, or a drug dealer–are here played by women.  Or the fact that the show casts many of its recurring and guest roles with middle-aged characters actresses like Carrie-Anne Moss, Robin Weigert, Jessica Hecht, and Rebecca De Mornay.  Or the fact that it features three gay women.  Even closer to the core of its story, the show continues to prioritize female characters and female relationships.  Its central relationship is between Jessica and her foster-sister Trish (Rachael Taylor), and though both women have romantic subplots–Jessica with handsome bar owner Luke Cage (Mike Colter, whose own MCU Netflix series will debut next year); Trish with police officer Will Simpson (Wil Traval), another of Kilgrave’s victims who tries to join Jessica’s fight against him–ultimately both of these men are treated as sideshows to the season’s main love story between the two sisters. And then, of course, there’s the thing that everyone has been talking about, the fact that Jessica Jones is explicitly, unabashedly, a show about rape, abuse, and recovering from them.

(5) MORE FALLOUT. Joe Abercrombie reviews Fallout 4.

It’s taken five years for Fallout 4 to appear, but it’s been well worth the wait.  There’s a cracking opening – classic Fallout both expanded on and condensed – in which you witness the fall of civilisation, are put into deep-freeze as part of one of Vault-Tec’s sinister experiments, and wake to a strange, new, and horrible future in the post-nuclear wasteland.  The action this time around moves to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and though with Minutemen, Lexington and Bunker Hill there are shades of revolutionary stylings the focus mostly returns to Fallout staples like vault suits, raiders, super mutants and the Brotherhood of Steel, and is stronger for it.

(6) ALTERNATE HISTORY? Michael J. Walsh assures me this Netflix ad aired during the Republican candidates’ debate the other night.

Frank Underwood – FU2016 – House of Cards

 

(7) PROBABLY NOT A SPOILER BUT YOU WERE WARNED. Drew McWeeny answers the question “Who Played The Voice Of BB-8 In ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’?”

One might think that BB-8’s “voice” would simply be created in the same way that R2-D2’s was, with the outstanding sound team on the film following in Ben Burtt‘s footsteps. Instead, this is how comedian/actor/omnipresent film personality Bill Hader described his work on the film to me today when I asked him what “vocal consultant” consisted of:

“JJ f**king around with this sound effects app on his iPad that was attached to a talk box operated by me. It looked ridiculous but it made BB-8’s voice. At first I tried doing a voice, but we all agreed it sounded too human.”

… Ben Schwartz, known to many for his stellar work as Jean-Ralphio on “Parks and Recreation,” was also credited as a “BB-8 Vocal Consultant,” so I guess they both contributed to the final version of what we hear onscreen.

(8) YULE BE SORRY. The Verge’s Chris Plante, in “Five hours of Darth Vader’s burning corpse will replace your Yule Log”, points to a YouTube video.

…But then you hear a soft, crackling sound coming from the living room. The warm glow of Christmas bends around the corner of the hall, and you follow it, believing the holiday and its flickering decorations will provide a reprieve from Star Wars mania. Surely, you think, someone wouldn’t pervert Christmas for the sake of crass consumerism.

And there you see it, roaring on the television. Your goofy Five Hours of Yule Log DVD has been swapped with five hours of Darth Vader burning in a funeral pyre. You fall to your knees, raise your credit card hands into the air, and you scream….

Plante also published some Jedi theology he later received as feedback from a reader who suggested it would be more accurate to say “Five Hours of Darth Vader’s burning suit will replace your Yule Log.” Because you can’t slip this kind of thing past trufans…

(9) DARTH VADER’S RESUME. Julie Bort on Business Insider, in “This is What Darth Vader’s Resume Would Look Like If He Were Job-Hunting,” tells how the website Enhancv would pump up Darth Vader’s resume in case the Sith Lord was on the Evil Job Market. This state-of-the-art resume looks like a clever infographic.

Let’s say you are the Sith Lord Darth Vader, when your employer, the evil Emperor, decides he doesn’t need your services anymore and lays you off. Maybe he appoints another Sith, and for reasons known only to his own black heart, doesn’t dispense with you in his typical way by ending your life.

You’ll find yourself suddenly jobless, but with a lot of specialized skills that are surely valuable to some other incarnation of evil being.

One catch: You’ll need a résumé. And given your previous work history, a boring, old-school résumé won’t do. You’d need something snazzy. Something that can capture your skill, your personality, and the eye of a new nefarious lord you can serve.

The folks at résumé-writing startup Enhancv came up with this résumé of Darth Vader for just such an occasion. Enhancv offers an online service that automatically critiques your résumé with suggestions to improve it….

(10) VADER’S CHARMS: “All the sugar plus the dark side,” promises John King Tarpinian.

Star Wars cereal Vader ph JKT COMP

[Thanks to John King Tarpinian, Martin Morse Wooster, and Michael J. Walsh for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Daniel Dern.]

178 thoughts on “Pixel Scroll 12/16 The Caves Of Stainless Steel Rats

  1. 1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)
    Independence Day (1996)

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986)
    Solaris (2002)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Matrix (1999)
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991)
    Metropolis (1927)

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
    Frankenstein (1931)

    Abstain.

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Guardians of The Galaxy (2014)
    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989)

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    Robocop (1987)
    They Live (1988)

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)
    Escape From New York (1981)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Forbidden Planet (1956)
    Mad Max: Road Warrior (1981)

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Time Bandits (1981)
    Gattaca (1997)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)
    Sleeper (1974)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)
    Planet of the Apes (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    Them! (1954)
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008)
    The Terminator (1984)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.
    Bladerunner (1982)
    District 9 (2009)
    Wargames (1983)

    Some of these choices were really hard but the ordering on this one, not at all.

  2. 1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
    Ouch, ouch, ouch!

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Metropolis (1927)
    This was hard, but I am voting for T1 so at least the franchise still has a chance

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989)

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    Robocop (1987)

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    Escape From New York (1981)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Mad Max: Road Warrior (1981)

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Time Bandits (1981)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Sleeper (1974)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)
    Mostly because I have had trippier experiences watching 2001

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    The Terminator (1984)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    1 Bladerunner (1982)
    2 Wargames (1983)
    3 District 9 (2009)

  3. SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE BRACKET – SECOND GROUP – SECOND HEAT

    1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)
    Independence Day (1996)

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986)
    Solaris (2002)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Matrix (1999)
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    The Wrath of Khan simply holds up better than Matrix upon repeat viewing.

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991)
    Metropolis (1927)

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
    Frankenstein (1931)

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Guardians of The Galaxy (2014)
    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989)

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    Robocop (1987)
    They Live (1988)

    Probably the minority choice, but while I like both, They Live is more interesting.

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)
    Escape From New York (1981)

    I still don’t like ET very much.

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Forbidden Planet (1956)
    Mad Max: Road Warrior (1981)

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Time Bandits (1981)
    Gattaca (1997)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)
    Sleeper (1974)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)
    Planet of the Apes (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    Them! (1954)
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008)
    The Terminator (1984)

    Poor Terminator, I voted against him twice in this bracket. But Iron Man is a personal favourite and Metropolis a timeless classic.

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    3. Wargames (1983)
    2. District 9 (2009)
    1. Bladerunner (1982)

  4. 1. Alien
    2. Aliens (ooh, this is not going to be a pretty matchup next round)
    3. Khaaan
    4. Metropolis
    5. Frankenstein
    6. GOTG
    7. Ooof… oww… Robocop
    8. ET
    9. Trek IV
    10. Forbidden Planet
    11. Time Bandits
    12. ROTJ
    13. Umph. Hrmph. 2001
    14. TESB
    15. Iron Man
    16. Blade Runner, No Award

  5. 1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Independence Day (1996)

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS – OH! It hurts!
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991)

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    abstain

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER – another tough one!
    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989)

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    Robocop (1987)

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    abstain

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Gattaca (1997)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    Planet of the Apes (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    The Terminator (1984)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    1. !!!! Wargames (1983)
    2. District 9 (2009)
    3. Bladerunner (1982)

  6. SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE BRACKET – SECOND GROUP – SECOND HEAT

    1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Matrix (1999)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Metropolis (1927)

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989)

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    Robocop (1987)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Forbidden Planet (1956)

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Time Bandits (1981)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL

    1-Bladerunner (1982)
    2-District 9 (2009)
    3-Wargames (1983)

  7. 1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991)

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

    I have a soft spot for that particular era of film.

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Gattaca (1997)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)

    I liked it. I even liked the ewoks.

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008)

    Ow.

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    1. Bladerunner (1982)
    2. District 9 (2009)

  8. 1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)
    Independence Day (1996)

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986)
    Solaris (2002)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Matrix (1999)
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991)
    Metropolis (1927)

    5-7 abstain

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)
    Escape From New York (1981)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Forbidden Planet (1956)
    Mad Max: Road Warrior (1981)

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Time Bandits (1981)
    Gattaca (1997)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)
    Sleeper (1974)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)
    Planet of the Apes (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    Them! (1954)
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008)
    The Terminator (1984)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    2 Wargames (1983)
    3 District 9 (2009)
    1 Bladerunner (1982)

  9. 3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Metropolis (1927)

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    2 Wargames (1983)
    3 District 9 (2009)
    1 Bladerunner (1982)

  10. SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE BRACKET – SECOND GROUP – SECOND HEAT

    1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Independence Day (1996)

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    Forehead cloths needed

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Metropolis (1927)

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    Frankenstein (1931)

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989)

    Many forehead cloths needed

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    Robocop (1987)

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    Many, many forehead cloths – husband did much debating with himself

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Forbidden Planet (1956)

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Time Bandits (1981)
    Gattaca (1997)
    A Kyra Tie – give vote to the one with less votes Just too hard

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    The Terminator (1984)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL

    1 Wargames (1983)
    2 District 9 (2009)
    3 Bladerunner (1982)

  11. SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE BRACKET – SECOND GROUP – SECOND HEAT

    1. Alien (1979)
    2. Aliens (1986)
    3. Matrix (1999)
    4. Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991)
    5. Frankenstein (1931)
    6. Guardians of The Galaxy (2014)
    7. They Live (1988)
    8. ET (1982)
    9. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
    10. Forbidden Planet (1956)
    11. Time Bandits (1981)
    12. Return of the Jedi (1983)
    13. 2001 (1968)
    14. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    15. The Terminator (1984)
    16.
    Bladerunner (1982)
    District 9 (2009)
    Wargames (1983)

  12. 1. Alien
    2. Aliens
    4. Terminator 2
    6. Guardians Of The Galaxy
    8. Escape From New York
    10. Mad Max: Road Warrior
    12. Sleeper
    13. Planet Of The Apes
    14. Empire Strikes Back
    15. The Terminator
    16. Bladerunner
    Wargames
    District 9

  13. Just popping in for two quick votes before I go to bed:

    5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

    11. Time Bandits goes to 11

  14. SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE BRACKET – SECOND GROUP – SECOND HEAT

    1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Metropolis (1927)

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Guardians of The Galaxy (2014)

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    Robocop (1987)

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Mad Max: Road Warrior (1981)

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Gattaca (1997)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    Planet of the Apes (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    3 – Wargames (1983)
    2 – District 9 (2009)
    1 – Bladerunner (1982)

  15. 1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)
    Independence Day (1996)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Matrix (1999)
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
    Frankenstein (1931)

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)
    Escape From New York (1981)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)
    Sleeper (1974)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)
    Planet of the Apes (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    Them! (1954)
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008)
    The Terminator (1984)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    Wargames (1983) 2nd
    District 9 (2009) 3rd
    Bladerunner (1982) 1st

  16. 1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)

    Gave me nightmares for real.

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Metropolis (1927)

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    Frankenstein (1931)

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Guardians of The Galaxy (2014)
    Both movies I initially had no interest in and had to be talked into seeing. Both pleasant surprises. But I have already rewatched Guardians more often.

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982)
    My husband laughed out loud at this bracket’s title.

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Gattaca (1997)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008)

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    2: Wargames (1983)
    3: District 9 (2009)
    1: Bladerunner (1982)

  17. LOL @Iphinome for the “No Award”!

    SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE BRACKET – SECOND GROUP – SECOND HEAT

    1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Independence Day (1996)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Matrix (1999)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991)

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Guardians of The Galaxy (2014)

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    E.T. (1982)

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Forbidden Planet (1956)

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Time Bandits (1981)
    Gattaca (1997)

    Gah – one’s fantasy (IMHO) but I haven’t seen the other. Abstain!

    @Kyra, you could use “No Award” like @Iphinome did. 😉

    @Jim Henley: LOL at your explanation of why “Time Bandits” is SF. 😀

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    Planet of the Apes (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008)
    The Terminator (1984)

    GAH! Must . . . choose . . . uh . . . Terminator, but it’s close.

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.
    1. Bladerunner (1982)
    2. Wargames (1983)
    3. District 9 (2009)

    Sorry – I haven’t seen “District 9” but I figure if I’ve seen two of them, I can rank them. Although I’m on the fence about the correct order, honestly.

  18. Forehead Cloths! Getcher Official Bracket Forehead Cloths! Now available in heavy-duty “Towel” models! (Plans for forts available for a slight surcharge)

  19. 1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979)

    I watched it on a nine inch black and white tv, and still got nightmares. Horror is not my genre.

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN

    Abstain (see above)

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    abstain

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    abstain

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    abstain

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    abstain

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    Escape From New York (1981)

    What can I say; it made no sense but Snake was excellent eye candy.

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    abstain

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    abstain

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983)

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968)

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

    Ok, so I’m voting without having seen Them. Sue me.

    15. PUMPING IRON
    abstain

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    abstain

  20. RESULTS: SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE BRACKET – SECOND ROUND – SECOND HEAT

    1. ONE ALIEN VS MANY
    Alien (1979) – 45 votes
    Independence Day (1996) – 5 votes

    They should have installed a firewall and a good anti-virus program, but nobody listens these days.

    WINNER: Alien

    2. MANY ALIENS VS WHATS ALL THIS THEN
    Aliens (1986) – 32 votes
    Solaris (2002) – 6 votes

    I could tell you what’s happening, but I don’t know if it would really tell you what’s happening. That sums up Solaris. Winner is the movie where we could understand what is happening.

    WINNER: Aliens

    3. SWALLOWING BITTER PILLS
    Matrix (1999) – 17 votes
    Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – 32 votes

    Thomas Anderson wakes up with an enormous headache. That should teach him to not accept pills from strangers, having drugfueled nightmares. Meanwhile Kirk continues his trouble with the wrathful Khan who is very wrathful.

    WINNER: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

    4. ROBOT IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
    Terminator 2 – Judgement Day (1991) – 20 votes
    Metropolis (1927) – 28 votes

    It is hard to defeat the classics and Metropolis is the classic. Terminator 2 is terminated and the natives of Metropolis are back on the clock.

    WINNER: Metropolis

    5. MESSING WITH BRAINS
    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) – 15 votes
    Frankenstein (1931) – 19 votes

    “Just forget about it”, mutters Joel Barish and then promptly does. Frankensteins Monster is ALIVE, IN THE NAME OF GOD, IT’S ALIVE and is therefore the winner.

    WINNER: Frankenstein

    6. GOOFY PEOPLE BEING STUPID TOGETHER
    Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) – 27 votes
    Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989) – 16 votes

    Heinous! Bogus! Guardians of the Galaxy gets more votes than Bill & Ted. They really should have learned how to play the guitarr. Also: Groot.

    WINNER: Guardians of The Galaxy

    7. OBEY, DO NOT QUESTION AUTHORITY
    Robocop (1987) – 22 votes
    They Live (1988) – 11 votes

    “Stay out of trouble”. If only Nada had listened to that. In a world where people can be bought for a dollar, it is hard to compete with yuppies from out of space. Hey may have come to kick ass, but remember: He is out of bubblegum.

    WINNER: Robocop

    8. PROTAGONISTS WITH SQUARE FACES
    ET (1982) – 20 votes
    Escape From New York (1981) – 24 votes

    Well, ET. You shouldn’t have eaten all that candy, you are lightyears from an intergalactic dentist. As ET exits, he gives us the finger. Snake Plissikin on to next round.

    WINNER: Escape From New York

    9. A WHALE OF A TALE
    Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – 26 votes
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) – 19 votes

    For a long time a very close call, but in the end, a harpoon has hard time reaching into space.

    WINNER: Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home

    10. TRYING TO GET AWAY
    Forbidden Planet (1956) – 29 votes
    Mad Max: Road Warrior (1981) – 12 votes

    Out of petrol and no car. No wonder Max is Mad.

    WINNER: Forbidden Planet

    11. CONSIDER GOD’S HANDIWORK
    Time Bandits (1981) – 26 votes
    Gattaca (1997) – 15 votes

    Vincent shouldn’t have touched the evil, now he is a pile of smoldering ash and Gattaca Aerospace Corporation have a problem less.

    WINNER: Time Bandits

    12. REBEL, REBEL
    Return of the Jedi (1983) – 34 votes
    Sleeper (1974) – 12 votes

    Miles Monroe presses the snooze button and misses out on his chance to fame.

    WINNER: Return of the Jedi

    13. APES THROWING STUFF
    2001 (1968) – 31 votes
    Planet of the Apes (1968) – 14 votes

    So the statue of liberty is having a beach party. Thats ok as long as you know there is a monolith somewhere looking at you.

    WINNER: 2001

    14. AHHH! THEM! THEM! THEM!
    Them! (1954) – 4 votes
    The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – 44 votes

    “I can’t. It’s too big”, says Luke. “Size matters not”, says Yoda and brings a can of pesticide to use against the giant ants.

    WINNER: The Empire Strikes Back

    15. PUMPING IRON
    Iron Man (2008) – 18 votes
    The Terminator (1984) – 29 votes

    Ok, so you can fly. And are a billionaire. And shoot cool beams out of your hands. How will that help you when the roboapocalypse comes and Skynet takes controll over your suit?

    WINNER: The Terminator

    16. FIERY THE ANGELS FELL
    Rank all three in order of appreciation.

    Wargames (1983) – 6 first place, 19 second place, 19 third place
    District 9 (2009) – 2 first place, 22 second place, 22 third place
    Bladerunner (1982) – 40 first place, 5 second place, 3 third place

    Bladerunner was a winner from the beginning, but Wargames and District 9 were so close, so close. After vote aggregation for calculating second place, only one vote differed and Wargames got the second place. Deckard is upgraded and sleeps peacefully into next round, dreaming of unicorns.

    WINNER: Bladerunner

  21. Hampus Eckerman:

    “Just forget about it”, mutters Joel Barish and then promptly does.

    So many great lines here! A pleasure to read — all the more, since this was a rare time that most things I voted for survived the round.

  22. @ Hampus

    Really late, but chiming in to say ‘Great job, excellent titles and funny endnotes!’

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