Thursday Movie Picks: Androids/Cyborgs

-
This week's theme from Wandering Through The Shelves is movies with androids/cyborgs. These type of films haven't always been my thing. There's quite a few big ones I haven't seen, but here are a few that I like. 

 1) The Terminator Series

 I couldn't not go with the most popular Cyborg in the cinematic universe. I've been meaning to rewatch these films for awhile. Maybe I will be the time this is posted. 

 2) Bicentennial Man

 I loved this movie when I was a kid. A robot saying something "chaps her ass" never gets old to me. I think Andrew Martin might be the sweetest android in film.

 3) Ex Machina 

 This counts, right? She's essentially an android? Either way, Ex Machina is one of my favorite films from last year. Ava, is so life like if it were for her appearance she'd easily pass that Turing test. 

 clicking the gifs will redirect to their makers.

Comments

  1. DanielMay 5, 2016 at 10:28 AM

    Ava is the single greatest special effect in a movie in YEARS. Vikander so deserved the Oscar for this, not that ridiculous other movie that shall not be named.

    I have such unresolved complicated feelings for Arnie as the Terminator... that first scene...

    I didn't care for Bicentennial Man; too gloopily, overly sentimental.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 5, 2016 at 10:15 PM

      I'm also so happy Ex Machina won the visual effects Oscar, I didn't think a littlw film that like had a chance. You're right about Bicentennial Man, I just didn't know what else to pick lol

      Delete
  2. joel65913May 5, 2016 at 10:35 AM

    The Terminators both the first and second seem to be the titles of the week, no surprise really. My favorite is the first but T2 is almost as good.

    I wasn't a big fan of Bicentennial Man, I thought it was icky sweet but a good fit for the week.

    Haven't seen Ex Machina but it's at the top of my queue and with all the positive feedback on it today I'm looking forward to it.

    I'm not a big sci-fier so I had to cast around a bit for choices.

    Eve of Destruction (1991)-Eve is a military android, an exact replicate of her creator (both played by Renee Soutendijk) who through a malfunction has become a killing machine as well as a nuclear bomb. Now that she is running amok and creating havoc in the big city a rescue team headed by Colonel Gregory Hines is tasked to disarm her before she explodes. She however will destroy anything in her path to prevent that.

    The Stepford Wives (1975)-Something’s not quite right in the charming, old-fashioned town of Stepford. All the women are incredibly docile and yielding and new arrival Joanna (Katharine Ross) wants to know why. The answer is one that is both scary and disturbing. Eerie suspenser that is heads and tales about the crappy 2004 remake.

    Westworld (1973)-Michael Crichton directed sci-fi story of an amusement park tricked out to resemble the Wild West and stocked with androids that the guests can have mock shoot-outs with as pretend gunslingers. Blaine and Martin (James Brolin & Richard Benjamin) arrive for a bit of adventure just as there is a system failure and their supposed to be relaxing vacation becomes a race for survival. Followed by a sequel Futureworld.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 5, 2016 at 10:16 PM

      I didn't think of the Stepford Wives for this theme. That's an inspiree choice. I hope you enjoy Ex Machina.

      Delete
  3. RuthMay 5, 2016 at 10:51 AM

    YES on Ex Machina!! One of the best robot films of all time. I second Terminator, and I'd probably put down Number Six from Battlestar Galactica (the newer version) but most of the Cylons in that show are awesome!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 5, 2016 at 10:17 PM

      My husband was huge into that show. I didn't pay very good attention.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousMay 5, 2016 at 12:06 PM

    Cyborgs!
    I think we may have reached the bottom of the barrel. That's stretching things, genre wise. But I do love Ex-Machina. However, I think she proved that she was in fact human.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 5, 2016 at 10:18 PM

      She did master the human trait of "totally fucked up" by the end of it too.

      Delete
  5. DellMay 5, 2016 at 7:23 PM

    Ex Machina certainly counts! And it's a great film. The Terminator series has given us two great films (the first two), one good but underrated film (T3), and one piece of junk (Salvation). I haven't seen Genisys just yet. Bicentennial Man was ok, but felt SO LONG and 100% cheesy, lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 5, 2016 at 10:19 PM

      Yeah it was super cheesy, that's probably why little me liked it. Genesys wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I wouldn't call it good by any means.

      Delete
  6. BirgitMay 5, 2016 at 7:32 PM

    We are on the same wavelength when it comes to Terminator. I talked about the first o e because it's my favourite since I do find it campy but good also. I have not seen the Robin Williams film but will one day. I did see Ex Machina and liked it even though it is disturbing and creepy

    ReplyDelete
  7. thevoid99May 5, 2016 at 9:01 PM

    I do love the first 2 Terminator films as they're classics while Ex Machina is awesome. Bicentennial Man though, ugh... I don't like that one. Way too long and extremely sentimental.

    Has anyone mentioned... I'm a Cyborg but That's OK by Chan-wook Park? That is an underrated film.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 5, 2016 at 10:20 PM

      That's funny you mention that, it's #3 in my Netflix queue right now.

      Delete
  8. Big Screen Small WordsMay 5, 2016 at 11:45 PM

    Ex Machina was a terrific film, loved Vikander in it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sonia CercaMay 6, 2016 at 8:57 AM

    I've only seen Ex Machina and I didn't like it as much as you did, but Ava/Alicia was terrific.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 8, 2016 at 10:34 AM

      She looked great. I wish Vikander would've taken home an Oscar for that instead.

      Delete
  10. Katie HoganMay 6, 2016 at 10:15 AM

    Yes! Terminator! I have seen Bicentennial Man, well I;ve seen a few bits but never stuck with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamMay 8, 2016 at 10:34 AM

      I probably wouldn't watch it now, but I liked it as a kid.

      Delete
  11. KatyMay 8, 2016 at 12:03 AM

    Cool picks! Totally agree about Terminator and Ex-Machina. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. WandererMay 12, 2016 at 5:54 AM

    Of course Ava counts. She may not be a cyborg but she's definitely android.

    I think she did pass the Turing test, at least I think the traditional one where it was about the ability of a machine to exhibit intelligence and behavior like a human, and not dependent on actual appearance.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping by, let's talk movies!
(comments are moderated to reduce spam)

Popular posts from this blog

Random Ramblings: The Radio Flyer Conundrum

-
Image
Recently, I was talking to someone about who I thought were the best child actors when I was also a child.  Two that really stood out to me were Elijah Wood and Joseph Mazello, and one film those two were in together was called Radio Flyer.  Then I was reminded about the uniqueness of this film. Instead of reviewing the film, I wanted to have an open discussion about the ending. It deals with a tough issue; child abuse. What I’ve noticed is the way that the film ends is interpreted many different ways, and the filmmakers never came forward to say what was right and wrong. I’m interested in hearing everyone’s opinions on it. How did you interpret the ending? Obviously spoiler alerts will follow.. For those of you who haven’t seen the film, the basic premise is this: Two young boys, Mikey (Wood) and Bobby (Mazello) move in with their single mother and her boyfriend, who refers to himself as ‘The King’. It doesn’t take long for The King to start physically abusing ...
Read more

Indie Gems: Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

-
Image
Passionate about your profession? I had never heard of this film until it ended up on one of Jason's favorite horror movie lists around Halloween. It immediately sounded interesting to me, so of course I threw it in my Netflix queue. (and if I'm just now watching it after adding it around Halloween, you know how ridiculous my queue is) Taylor (Angela Goethals) is a journalist who, along with a film crew decides to follow around a serial killer named Leslie Vernon. (Nathan Baesel) He plans on doing the typical slasher thing - getting a bunch of drunk teens in an abandoned house and knocking them off one by one. He gets advice from a retired serial killer, Eugene (Scott Wilson) and is threatened by a man who's on to him, Doc Holloran (Robert Englund) Taylor and crew are there capturing it all. Leslie Vernon is fucking hilarious to start with, and clearly very passionate about what he does. He tells Taylor all of his secrets and can barely contain his excitemen...
Read more

My Favorite Movie Youtube Channels

-
Image
Starting around 2018, I started watching Youtube for more than just movie trailers or music videos whenever a new one dropped. Now I'm in full blown subscription mode and don't bat an eyelash at watching a Youtube video that's over an hour long. I watch Youtube for a few different categories of content, but one of them that I love most is movie/TV essays and commentary, and that's what I'm going to talk about today. Below is a list of my favorite movie related Youtube channels. Let me know if you're familiar with them too, or if you have any you'd like to recommend to me.  Double Toasted - I'm honestly surprised this channel isn't bigger. I first came across Korey and Martin when they reviewed War for the Planet of the Apes a few months before it hit theaters and I thought they were hysterical. While their full length videos stream on Twitch, they often upload their movie reviews and commentary on youtube and they're always hilarious. They've...
Read more