fantasy

A Film Rumination: Tales from the Gimli Hospital, Guy Maddin (1988)

/ Joachim Boaz / 7 Comments

8/10 (Very Good)

Guy Maddin’s first feature film is a spectacle to behold.  A classic sort of frame story devolves (positively) into a dreamlike wandering in an alternative Iceland, with strange preachers, bark fish, a woman discovered on the shore wrapped in nets, young girls floating down rivers in coffins…  Maddin manipulates silent black-and Continue reading →

Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. I

/ Joachim Boaz / 10 Comments

Oh the joys of amazon gift cards… And perusing dusty corners of local bookstores.

Here are my latest acquisitions.

1. Robert Silverberg’s World Inside (1971) (MY REVIEW HERE)

I’ve always enjoyed semi-dystopic works about the social ramifications of overpopulation (John Brunner’s Stand on Zanzibar is my all time favorite sci-fi novel).  I wonder if Silverberg was inspired by Brunner’s work.  I’ve yet to read a Silverberg novel and I’ve read that this is a pretty good effort.  So, those factors contributed to my purchase.

2. Doris Piserchia’s Continue reading →

A Film Rumination: Futureworld, Richard T. Heffron (1976)

/ Joachim Boaz / 12 Comments

5/10 (Average — worth watching if you like the genre)

Futureworld is the sequel to the equally campy Westworld.  The chemistry between the main characters (played by Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner) is actually above average and probably saves the film from utter failure.  However, I enjoyed myself despite the predictability, the absolutely silly premise, the lack of action (there’s a sword fight and that’s about it) and the anti- Continue reading →