"Transcendence" is in theaters now and is the latest of a long string of big budget sci-fi that have left both critics and audiences underwhelmed (others include "The Host", "R.I.P.D.", "After Earth"...I could go on but the pain is too great...). The causes for these failures varies from film to film: uninspired plots, flat performances, and special effects well below what filmmakers were capable of producing. But the point they all share is a bloated budget. "R.I.P.D" had a budget of $130 million yet sported cartoonish special effects and as such only recouped $78 million of their budget. In the past decade, some of the best sci-fi offerings have sported shoestring budgets yet delivered mind bending plot twists and special effects. I'll count down the top 5:
The film focuses on two documentarians attempting to expose a cult leader who claims to be from the future. But soon one of them begins to fall under the leaders spell. The supposed time travel is the only scifi aspect of the film, and much of plot centers around psychological manipulation rather than gadgets and robots.
A quiet drama that plays like a bottle episode of the old "Highlander" TV show, minus the swordplay. A young college professor retires suddenly and decides to explain to his colleagues that he is immortal and has been alive for thousands of years. The intellectuals balk at first but soon they begin to debate the immortal John Oldman (get it?) on certain points of his story. What it lacks in flashy special effects it more than makes up for in philosophical discourse on the nature of humanity and religion.
You can watch the entire film for free here:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAarR4tVEHU[/youtube]
With the lowest budget on this list, this one requires multiple views and some note taking to fully grasp. There are charts on the net that try to explain the intricacies of this tale of accidental discovery of time travel. But don't let that discourage you. The film is an accomplishment in super low budget filmmaking A group of engineers stumble upon time travel as they conduct experiments and run a business from a garage. What follows is a cautionary tale about using and abusing time travel for fun and profit.
Trailer:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CC60HJvZRE[/youtube]
This UK indie pits inner city hoodlums against an alien invasion. While the premise sounds like it belongs on a saturday morning cartoon, the film has a hard R rating for violence, drug use and naughty language. The design of the aliens is a stroke of genius as their fur is jet black and their fangs emit a ethereal blue glow. This allows them to be prominent in the frame but still obscured enough that director Joe Cornish can cheat a little with the creature effects. It sports social commentary on poverty and racism and nerd cred as Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz,The World's End, etc.)
Trailer:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0gm7dHKKc[/youtube]
"District 9" is the story of aliens almost crash-landing on Earth. Their ship arrives in 1982 and hovers over the city of Johannesburg, apparently unable to leave and full of aliens affectionately referred to as "prawns". An allegory for apartheid in South Africa, the prawns are segregated into the derelict district and policed by inept and sadistic mercenaries. The special effects make things like mechanical exoskeletons and alien lightning guns seem realistic and believable. This one is a definite must see.
Taking the top spot is "Moon", the tale of a lone man (Sam Rockwell), living and working on the moon in the year 2035. His three year mission to mine the energy rich helium-3 is disrupted by the appearance of a man who appears to be his exact copy. Is it a hallucination? A ghost? A clone? The film explores these possibilities before revealing the truth and the trip is at times hilarious and heartbreaking. It takes the top spot for expert usage of its $5 million budget, making it look like it cost much more. Rockwell pulls off the two leads with an exceedingly human touch and Kevin Spacey is effective as GERTY, his robotic companion.
Check out a clip from "Moon": [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbw8J6O3iPk[/youtube]
