The U.S. of A. has been through a lot in the past century of cinema — from hostile aliens to zombies to the terrorist masterminds Gerard Butler must outsmart in this weekend's Olympus Has Fallen, it seems like everyone's out to get us. Join the Grantland staff as we reminisce about all we've weathered as a nation in film, TV, video games, and yes, a little long-form radio as well.
[This week, we pour one out for the late, great Ray Bradbury (and geek out over the impending release of Prometheus) with our favorite sci-fi clips. Note: If you don't see the videos, please try another browser. We put them in, we promise.]
Dan Silver: Frack off, Battlestar Galactica. I love you, but there’s been no piece of sci-fi created in the last decade (maybe two) that has been able to sniff the space jock of Duncan Jones’s brilliant Moon. Its dexterity in construction is rivaled only by Sam Rockwell’s (most heartbreaking Oscar snub of 2009) performance. I’ve sat through this movie at least five times, and am constantly amazed by Jones’s seamless blend of computer-generated landscapes and CGI with practical effects, and consistently haunted by Clint Mansell’s score. If you haven’t seen this movie, do yourself a favor and Netflix it now.
Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) has been hired to direct The Twilight Zone remake. Unlike the 1983 movie, this one won’t be a series of stories strung together, but one big creepy science-fiction plot carried throughout the feature. Also differing from previous incarnations: The Twilight Zone will now be more of a Twilight Expanse. Grade: A- [Deadline]
