Elysium

'Elysium' is South African born, Vancouver based director, Neill Blomkamp's follow up to his amazing debut feature film, 'District 9'. And just like with 'District 9' Blomkamp is proving yet again that sci-fi movies can have a social and political message without bashing you over the head with it.

It's better up there. That's the tagline for this movie, and 'up there' is Elysium; a beautiful, man-made space station floating in orbit around an Earth that is overpopulated and over polluted. Up there is where the wealthiest live, and while the film doesn't give much of a view of how they live, I would hazard a guess that they have it pretty easy. The rest of the population, stuck on Earth, has it far worse. Slums have taken over and people are struggling to survive.  Especially Max, (Matt Damon) a reformed car thief doing his best to make it day by day, with big dreams of making it to Elysium some day. After a factory accident that gives him five days to live, Max becomes the perfect person to attempt to finally get past the harsh anti-immigration cannons of Elysium. Once there he can use one of the CT scan type things that identify and remove disease from citizens of Elysium. Max is outfitted with a kind of awesome, but mostly horrifying cyborg-type rig he goes head-to-head in a race against time opposite Kruger(Sharlto Copley), Elysium's Secretary of Defense Delacourt's (Jodie Foster) favourite mercenary, who makes a habit out of shooting refugees out of the sky.

While I'll be the first to admit the class struggle allegory in this film isn't quite as strong as the allegory of racial allegory in 'District 9', it doesn't make it any less enjoyable. I love that Blomkamp is making sci-fi smart again, not just the bubblegum 'movie-of-the-summer' sci-fi flicks that many studios have put out in the last decade. On top of the politics, Blomkamp also has an amazing eye for special effects. Often special effects these days are so smooth and CGI-looking that they take you right out of the story. The effects we get in 'Elysium' are gritty and corporeal, when a shuttle crashes it doesn't just blow up into a perfect orange fireball, it's machinery wrenched apart, like it should be.

I also love that this movie is only 109 minutes long. Blomkamp recognises that his audience is relatively intelligent and doesn't need to bash them over the head with detailed minutiae that they can infer for themselves. He, instead, pushes forward with the things the audience cares about and wants to see. In an age when movies are insufferably long for no good reason (coughTheLoneRangercough) Elysium tells its story in the perfect running time. When movies like this are made it makes me excited for what could come next, from Blomkamp and from sci-fi in general.

Summer Blog Black Hole!

I don't know what it is about the summer time that makes me a terrible blogger, but it seems to happen every year! That being said with autumn on the horizon it's time to get back into the swing of things. And I'm going to start that by doing a little catch up with some of our summer movies! (some of which, I'm sure, will be out on video or on demand shortly!)

Gulp!

I can't believe how far behind I've fallen with my reviews! Sorry folks! Last year, the trouble was that I was a bit poor and there weren't that many movies that were crying out to be seen. This year I'm having the reverse problem. There are SO many movies to see, and so much going on that I can't seem to get anything written!
I'll attempt to make some inroads tonight! PROMISE!

Trailer Time! 300: Rise of an Empire

I don't know about this one you guys. I'm sure I'll see it, but I really love 300. Like a lot. Like a lot, a lot. I know it's not for everyone, but I love the hyperstylised look of it and the story of the last stand of the Spartans. However, I don't really know about this one, without Leonidas....But it looks like there's gonna be abs and action again, so I'll be there ;) (Also, please note it's now blue capes, instead of red, hilarious)

Trailer Time! The Wolverine (again!)

Another day, another great trailer! This time it's our second go round with "The Wolverine". I'm getting more and more excited for this movie you guys! Lots of action with some nice quiet character moments thrown in, looks good to me! Plus we finally get a good look at Viper!

What do you think?! Let me know!

Trailer Time! The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug!!!

YOU GUYS! It's here, the teaser trailer for 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'! Peter Jackson teased the teaser on Facebook on Sunday, and has most certainly delivered! I know there were a lot of mixed emotions about the 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey', but I enjoyed it.
Looks like the action will be ramping up here in the middle frame of 'The Hobbit' trilogy. Bilbo and the dwarves have to deal with ginormous bears, spiders and elves who aren't nearly as friendly as the ones in Rivendell. And all that and it still looks like they're going to manage to make it through Lake Town to the Lonely Mountain by the end of the movie, whew! That's a lot of action, folks! Have a look!



And did you see?! Since we're in the Woodland realm, those elves include our old pal Legolas and his new friend...Kate from Lost? That's right, Evangeline Lily has put on the ol'elf ears and is firing off arrows with the best of them!
So! Excited? Trepidatious? Let me know in the comments!

West Coast Geeks vs Nerds!

You guys, something awesome has been happening for the past nine(ish) months in Vancouver, especially if you've ever been embroiled in one of those age old debates; Buffy vs Blade: Who's the better vampire slayer? or Samus Aran vs Ellen Ripley: Who's the ultimate alien exterminator? Well, at West Coast Geeks versus Nerds you get to watch two teams of debaters go head to head for supremacy and ultimate bragging rights on one of these very important questions.

The crowd getting warmed up pre-debate.

West Coast Geeks versus Nerds is the West Coast transplant (WHAT?! West Coast GvN is on the West coast? Shut up and let me finish!) of Geeks versus Nerds that originated in Halifax in 2010. Co-producers Chris Nyarady (aka MooMan) and Keegan Flick-Parker (aka Number7) thought it was high-time that the rather enthusiastic nerds here in VanCity had an oppourtunity to get out of our hidey holes and act like fools in a public forum (since that really is one of our strongest traits, acting the fool).

The first season of debates occurred monthly from September through May and each night of hilarity featured two debates; an opener and a headliner. There was most certainly a wide range of topics, from Episode One's who's biggest badass, Boba Fett or Batman? (Batman was the winner here) all the way to Episode Nine's which is more likely to exist, Zombies or Unicorns? (as a proud member of team Zombie, I can cry victory on that one). Debates are all structured the same, with teams defending and attacking the opposing team with wit, facts, and the occasional outright fabrication, all in an effort to win over the unruly crowd of nerds that, in the end, determine the winner of the debate.

When West Coast GvN first started in September there was a fairly decent crowd of 57 and by the end of the year, through word of mouth and sheer awesomeness they managed to sell out the finale, almost doubling their numbers, with 107 nerds in attendance! And let me tell you, 107 cheering geeks and nerds is a sight (and sound) to behold. No one is passionate about things the way nerds are, it's kinda our thang, being obsessively passionate about our little subsections of the general geekery.

I was privileged enough to be part of three debates this year; Team Samus in Who's the Better Alien Exterminator? Samus Aran or Ripley (Samus wins this one hands down, her head count is WAY higher), Team Finn in Who's the Greatest Adventurer in a Whacked Out Land? Finn the Human or Mario (sadly Finn didn't prevail in this adventure), and last but not least Team Zombie in the finale of Which is More Likely to Exist? Zombies or Unicorns (as previously mentioned the undead were the winners here!) It's a pretty outstanding experience, you jam-pack a bunch of research into your brain, organise it best you can, come up with some funny jabs and have at 'er. Getting to verbally spar with your fellow geeks and nerds is ridiculously entertaining and often times frustrating, but in the end it's just FUN!

Being an audience member at West Coast GvN is an equally satisfying experience, getting to be witness the hilarity happening on stage, cheering good lines, jeering the bad. There aren't many places where you're encouraged to be a bit ridiculous, but you sure are when you're at GvN!

Then there are the prizes! What?! I didn't mention the prizes?! Well, if you dress up for any of the shows you can enter the costume contest and win a prize pack o' goodies that are often themed for the event. Then there's a good ol' fashioned ticket prize, that's right your entrance into the debate also gives you a chance to win fabulous prizes!

We're almost done, but I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to MooMan, Chris is both host and moderator. He introduces the debates with info about both characters spun in his own wonderfully funny way. He also makes sure the debaters stay on topic and don't get too out of hand, that's why he carries a nerf gun folks, and he's not afraid to use it. Although I don't know how much good it did him during 'Femaggedon' when he had a night of female-only debates, that was one uncomfortable looking dude.

There's also an amazeballs group of folks that work behind the scenes to put on the debates. Seriously, these people are amazing. And although I only know a subset of them, I can only assume that their involvement in GvN demonstrates their general awesomeness.

The debates with West Coast Geek versus Nerds don't start up again until September, but in the mean time there are a few events coming up around the city geared to get us geeks out of our basements and socialising IRL, so check them out on Facebook, or Twitter, or on their website. Seriously people, we live in 2013, it's not hard to find these things! See you in September, I'll be there and I'll be cheering loudly, how about you?!

VICTORY FOR TEAM ZOMBIE!