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Welcome to The Sci-Fi Podcast, a wretched hive of scum and villainy a bi-weekly podcast focused on in-depth discussion of all things Science Fiction. The Sci-Fi Podcast features three hosts—Mattroid, Solo, and Station!—and frequent guests. Each episode we look at a science fiction theme or franchise and take the discussion where no show has gone before.
On this episode of The Sci-Fi Podcast, we welcome guest SpaceWolf for our discussion of the theme “More Human Than Human” as it relates to artificial intelligence in science fiction. We’ll also give you our review of the recently released 2015 film Chappie, another more human than human film from the makers of District 9.
Theme music courtesy of I Hear Sirens, featuring Matt on Bass and Liz on keyboard. Hear more of I Hear Sirens ethereal, instrumental, post-rock at BandCamp. Podcast production and artwork by Joshua Ligairi aka SpaceWolf who can be found podcasting at Movie Stream Cast and Horror Movie Podcast. You can also follow him on Twitter @IcarusArts.
Show notes after the jump.
I. [00:00:00] INTRODUCTION
—Introducing SpaceWolf!
—Mattroid introduces the podcast theme
II. [00:02:08] WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING IN THE CRYO-CHAMBER
—Station is suffering from allegies
—Solo went back to highschool
—SpaceWolf watched Automata and The Machine
—Station and Mattroid watched Big Hero 6 and iRobot
—Discussion: Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar
III. [00:11:23] FEATURE REVIEW: CHAPPIE (2015)
Solo: 9.5 / Buy It
Station!: 6 / Stream It
Mattroid: 9 / See It in the Theater / Buy It
SpaceWolf: 9 / See it in the Theater / Buy It
IV. [01:13:03] THEME DISCUSSION: “MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN”
—Defining the tropes
—A myriad of movie examples
V. [02:10:25] SEGMENTS
—This week: “The VHS Tapes”
Matt reviews a blast from the past
VI. [02:18:00] WRAP-UP
—Sign-offs, plugs, and recommendations
LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Neill Blomkamp’s short films that got him noticed by Peter Jackson:
The shorts that preceded some of the looks and themes of Chappie:
Yellow (commercial) via YouTube
Tetra Vaal (dramatic short) via YouTube
TempBot (comedy short) via YouTube
And the short film that preceded District 9:
Alive in JoBurg (dramatic short) via Youtube
And some Die Antwoord videos that preceded Chappie:
The 3D animation test that likely inspired the femme-bot at the end of Chappie:
Yolandi Mech (3D animation test) via Vimeo
The Harmony Corine short featuring Die Antwoord that probably inspired their appearance in Chappie or at least proved their acting chops:
Unshini Wam (15 minute experimental short) via YouTube
And a somewhat recent Die Antwoord music video:
Ugly Boy (music video) via YouTube
—Matt says to read his writing for The Daily Herald newspaper as “Gary the Unicorn” at heraldextra.com
—Liz says to subscribe to The Sci-Fi Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher
—William says to listen to him on Movie Stream Cast
—Josh says to listen to him on Horror Movie Podcast
Thanks for listening to the Sci-Fi Podcast!
Love, SpaceWolf!
This podcast is just getting better and better with each episode and that’s not to suggest that it didn’t start off on top form. I’ve yet to see “Chappie” but I went ahead and listened to the discussion and you guys actually made me way more excited about it than I was previously. Aside from William and Juan’s take on the film everything else that I’d heard had been resoundingly negative. And it’s not that those two guys didn’t make a great case for the film but the discussion on this podcast went in to so much thematic detail and gave the film such emotional context that it made me really excited. My favourite element of “District 9” was how much emotional weight it had behind it. The character arc that forms the backbone of that film is so much more stirring and well executed than anything I’m used to seeing in modern Sci-Fi/Action cinema. If “Chappie” really has a similar level of emotional resonance then I’m sold.
Sort of the same for me. I had no real interest in CHAPPIE beforehand… now, I’m interested in checking it out because the split in opinions between favorable and unfavorable seems to be quite dramatic. Makes me interested in seeing where I fall on the scale.
Thanks guys. I feel like we are just now hitting our first stride as a group. We recorded our 5th ep last night, and despite its hushed nature there is a clear level of familiarity and comfort that has been slowly building.
We actually might have to edit out several minutes of laughter.
As for Chappie, anticipate it’ll be a cult-classic type movie in ten years, much as Josh alluded to by comparing it to Blade Runner in that way. It’s just too damn good.
*rushed, not hushed. Thanks iOS.
Auto-correct: AI at its worst.
Here’s a quote (a little taste) from a upcoming episode that we recorded last night.
We are discussing Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and we got into a little debate about Scarlett Johansson playing the role of Blackwidow.
It went something like this…
“I’ve been following Scarlett Johansson’s career since she was about 10, so I think I know what I’m talking about.”
— Space Wolf (Josh) —
I have been bursting out laughing on and off all day every time I think of Josh saying this. I think I’m going to make it into a T-shirt just for me to wear.
Solo, order me a shirt too *throws money at screen*
I don’t know if that would fit on a shirt. We could just shorten it to “I’ve been following Scarlett Johansson since she was 10”
Front and back, David. Front and back.
David’s version is also better than William’s because it was closer to what I actually said.
Wait a minute! I see what you did there, David. Why you … *clenches and shakes fist like Dr. Claw
Here’s a quote (a little taste) from the upcoming episode 4 that I’m editing right now.
We are discussing Twelves Monkeys and William went on a little rant about how he’s such a massive Terry Gilliam fan.
It went something like this…
“I’ve been following Terry Gilliam, I’ve seen everything he’s done for years, so everybody listen up.”
—William “Solo” Jr
I have been bursting out laughing on and off all night every time I think of William saying this. I think I’m going to make it into a T-shirt just for me to wear.
I think it’s cute how the two of you will be wearing one-of-a-kind t-shirts adorned with the other’s name. It’s sort of like those heart charms that are broken in half and shared by lovers. Adorable.
Also, a little off topic, but are any of you guys Alfred Bester fans? “The Stars my Destination” and “The Demolished Man” are two of my favourite novels in the genre and I just recently read that Paramount are planning a movie adaptation of the former. I hope they don’t screw it up.
I’ve heard that’s good stuff, I’ll add it to my massive list of “must read”.
And I’m with you on being nervous for the film adaptations; The Dark Tower series is amazing, and I’m so nervous they’ll botch the movies.
I’ve read a big chunk of King’s other work but I really need to catch up with The Dark Tower stuff. I started reading the first book in the series a few years ago and was thoroughly enjoying it when some reprobate stole my satchel which contained my copy amongst other things. The thought of having to repurchase the book when I was already out of pocket was so off putting at the time that I just forgot about it but in retrospect that’s nowhere near as off-putting as allowing some thieving git to dictate my reading habits!
Read them all. 1-4 are the best, but I’m a huge fan of them all. They get super strange, meta and quirky, but with purpose. Some dues ex machina stuff, but all in all it’s an epic that stands out for its sheer guts and brilliance.
“Some dues ex machina stuff”
I would expect no less from King. I think he’s a genuinely brilliant storyteller but I feel his weaknesses sometimes become evident in the way he ends books and resolves conflict. I think it comes from the way he writes, I remember reading that he pretty much just sits down and starts without much in the way of planning or any real idea where things might end up. I will say that this approach gives his work a great sense of momentum and immediacy though and I can normally forgive him any narrative issues solely on the strength of the characters and the worlds he creates. “It” manages to be one of my favourite novels in spite of that awful choice he made towards the end that required the kids to engage in sexual activity for some bizarre reason.
Anyway, moving swiftly on from that; I will certainly get back on The Dark Tower wagon when I’ve finished up the stuff I’m reading at the moment and I look forward to it. I also remember reading a short story/novella in his “Everything’s Eventual” collection that was a part of that mythology and it was pretty awesome.
I realize I am SUPER late in getting to the boards here… Better late than never? Hopefully.
The Stars My Destination is on my reading list. Can’t wait for it.
Station! Welcome to the comment boards!
While I definitely recommend “The Stars My Destination” as a great Sci-Fi novel I will give a word of warning that the main protagonist is in many ways an irredeemable character. His arc is quite fascinating though and although written in the 50’s it feels like it could have been penned just yesterday.
Anyway, I hope we see you show up more in the comments section because you always have really insightful and interesting stuff to say on the show. And I hope you guys come out with a new episode soon because it’s been too long!
Thanks, David. The fact that the protag is an irredeemable character makes me even more interested.
I’m going to try to appear here more often. My time is mostly spent running after a toddler and the fun stuff tends to go by the wayside.
Wolfman / Mattroid: You’ve got something heavy (I mean besides all of the excellent and thoughtful sci-fi ruminations) on this site that is killing your page load times. I can’t even get it to come up on my Samsung Galaxy … which makes it hard to download the latest episode for my next long run. 🙁 Just a friendly FYI.
Apparently there have been some site issues the past few days. I think Matt is looking into it. Try iTunes?
This is true. Even on a desktop, the load times are pretty long. There are even times when the loading takes so long that I get a timeout message.
That’s weird, it loads instantly for me and I’m still using Windows XP on an old and severely compromised computer.
Well, there’s your answer. Windows XP is the greatest operating system of all time and space!
I keep getting messages from microsoft telling me they no longer provide support for XP and to follow a link for some advice and then the advice is inevitably just “Get a new computer you reject!”
No way, Microsoft. I’ve used Windows 8 a few times and that was enough.
Juan, 2-3 questions for you:
-Is this a general problem for you with this site or has this just been the last week or so?
-Do you have that same problem with MSC, HMP, or MPW as well?
1-It’s a random problem that happens more often than I think it should. But that’s probably the way it seems to me because I frequent the sites so much.
2- I have noticed a slow connection to HMP a few times, but not the others.
I wouldn’t freak out over this as it may be my connection and not the sites. The problem is much more persistent and the loading times longer on mobile though, but that’s understandable.
1) For me, it’s a consistent problem on Sci-Fi Podcast, and has been that way for a couple of weeks now.
2) I’ve never seen it affect MPW or HMP, but MSC seems to have the same problem about 40 percent of the time.
I don’t seem to be having any of the general load time issues that Cody or Juan have mentioned, but I do notice a sizable lag whenever posting a comment (i.e. the time between clicking “Post Comment” and it actually reloading the page with the new comment posted). This happens for me across all of the MPN sites, and has for awhile. I should also note that it happens to me no matter which platform, machine, or Internet connection I am using to access the site (i.e. iPhone 6+/iOS 8.X on AT&T cellular network and various wifi connections, Windows 7 machine on a hardline gigabit ethernet connection, or MacBook running Yosemite on various wifi connections).
Nothing so bad that it’s really a bother to me, though, but thought I’d make you aware.
And if we’re talking about website stuff… need to get that whole “subscribe to this thread” thing going. Makes it much easier to keep up with conversations.
So, for the tech-interested among you, this is the issue. As non-tech, non-programmers, we are utilizing the WordPress ap via third party hosting sites (like BlueHost and GoDaddy) for all of the MPN site construction and maintenance. The problem with that is you’re dependent on a variety of third-party aps and plugins to make your site function and they will occasionally (or often, depending on how many plugins you’re running) release buggy updates that crash your whole site (or impact things like speed). So, Jason is very leery to ever install any updates, leading to somewhat out-of-date features and issues on HMP and MPW. On the other hand, I started-out trying to install all of the latest updates on MSC and TSFP and that’s lead to a whole new set of problems. The only way around this stuff is trial and error or learning to program myself. In the past, I’ve hired other people to design websites for me (like my production company site), but those become out-of-date pretty quickly and updating them is such a pain compared to the ease of WordPress.
Practically, this is how it’s effecting you: The latest version of the plugin that allows for comment and thread subscriptions is totally buggy and crashed the site completely. The old version of that plugin that is on HMP and MSC is no longer available, so I’m waiting for the next version to be released before I try to install it again.
Apparently, based on the above comments, functionality of this site varries. Personally, I’ve never had an issue with it myself until this week when it completely ground to a halt. I had to uninstall 4 separate plugins just to get it up and running again. Long story short–too late–please bare with me and I think I’ll eventually get it all debugged. That, or I’ll teach myself how to write code.
I’d rather see you return to MPW than learn to code. 😉
Have you guys looked into a service/platform like Squarespace?
No, should we?
Should you? No, not necessarily. But, it’s a great new-ish platform with solid performance and some hot templates. They also have something called cover pages, which could be a cool way to have a MPN landing page that gathers all four shows.
Just food for thought.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS TO KEEP YOU BUSY FOR DAYS
Neill Blomkamp’s short films that got him noticed by Peter Jackson:
The shorts that preceded some of the looks and themes of Chappie:
Yellow (similar look/theme commercial) via YouTube
Tetra Vaal (very short, very similar) via YouTube
TempBot (15 minute comedy short) via YouTube
And the short film that preceded District 9:
Alive in JoBurg (dramatic short) via Youtube
And some Die Antwoord videos that preceded Chappie:
The 3D animation test that likely inspired the femme-bot at the end of Chappie:
Yolandi Mech (animation test) via Vimeo
The Harmony Corine short featuring Die Antwoord that probably inspired their appearance in Chappie and proved acting chops:
Unshini Wam (15 minute experimental short) via YouTube
And a recent Die Antwoord music video:
Ugly Boy (music video) via YouTube
Nice job posting all of this material, Josh. I remember seeing Tetra Vaal when it came out and recall being very impressed. I also remember his name being thrown in the hat when talks of a Halo movie were starting to become more serious. I think even Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro were attached to the Halo project at some point. Blomkamp did direct a short movie set in the Halo universe that got me super excited to play the game. I’m not a FPS fan, but this little short sold me! You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKGhoJ1mgQY
I’m glad that you posted a few videos about Die Antwoord. If you care to know more about Die Antwoord or about their culture, try these. Beware, they’re NSFW and not for the easily offended: https://www.vice.com/video/tokoloshe
Finally, for those of you who are curious to see a more restrained Die Antwoord. These guys have gone through a few personalities and apparently Die Antwoord is what they feel the culmination of all of their experimentation is. Pretty interesting guys in my opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUH_QQUAv14
Thanks for posting these additional Die Antwoord videos, man. I hate to be a censor, but I felt the one was a little too explicit to have on the site. Sorry. The others are great. I loved the Tokoloshe video. I wish Blomkamp would make a horror movie about that next with Die Antwoord.
One thing I didn’t mention: I think there is a very good chance that Ninja is a Sacha Baron Cohen type and the whole Die Antwoord persona is put-on. I’ve seen pictures of him looking like a pretty normal hipster just a few years ago. Obviously, style can change, but I don’t think they’re really from the ghetto. I think it is highly probable that this is just part of their act.
Also, I incorrectly referred to all of this stuff as “Dutch” on the show, which is the root that it derives from (and the language I speak), but I was remiss not to clarify that it’s all actually Afrikaans.
It’s ok, Josh, it’s totally understandable. I was hesitant to post it, but I felt it was relevant to some talk about a certain recurring type of graffiti in the movie. But yeah, not for everyone haha.
That’s a very interesting theory about Ninja. I think he’s much smarter than he lets on. I saw an interview with him a long time ago and he had these brilliant moments where he explained his way of thinking that made like him instantly. It’s the reason why I started to listen to them. If you go back and watch their old videos, you’ll see that this guy is aactually pretty well spoken when he wants to be. I think he just likes to push boundaries and see how people react. I think there’s a good chance you might be right about him. If it’s all an act though, what great actors. And what commitment!
A Tokoloshe movie would be great haha. I’d be very interested in a horror movie from Blompkamp.Perhaps we’ll get to see his horror chops in the upcoming Alien movie.
Thanks for sharing these short video links, Josh. Blomkamp definitely has a technical and special fx prowess to his filmmaking.
After hearing Cody talk about the difference between the two trailers (at the very end of the show) I looked them up and they couldn’t be more different.
The 2nd official trailer totally supports every single one of Stations expectations for the film, while the 1st is much closer to representative, but gives you a much tamer image of the film than it really is.
Chappie Official Trailer #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6bmTNadhJE
Chappie Official Trailer #2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHWbzrCJ4nE
Very interesting.
So I wasn’t crazy. Awesome.
Our hosting service claims there is an issue in he coding of the site that is leading to long load times and time-outs.
Josh, let’s look into this. Thanks for the feedback everyone.
How about some nominees for “Worst ‘More Human Than Human’ Moments In Cinema”?
Personally, I only have one nominee:
LOVE IT!
But in a different way than the first one.
I actually don’t remember the first one that much. I’ve always been a fan of Short Circuit 2. I mean, it’s cheesy, but it’s so good! When Johnny Number 5 is hurt and furious and they start playing that song “Holding Out for a Hero”, I get goosebumps and tear up every single time. I’m not afraid to admit it 🙂
Oh, boy.
Maybe you should be. Just saying. 🙂
You cynical jerks leave Juan and his sincere love of “Short Circuit 2” alone!
Did you watch that clip, David?
Did YOU, Josh?
It’s been too long since I’ve seen it for me to single out a specific moment, but my trump card nominee here is probably “Bicentennial Man.” I’m pretty sure that the very worst “Worst More Human Than Human Moment” is in there somewhere.
And while I enjoy Data well enough before “Star Trek: The Next Generation” turns from a groundbreaking TV series into a string of mostly crappy feature films … hoooo-boy. It’s not quite “Bicentennial Man”-esque, but Brent Spiner has several impressively wince-worthy moments in “Insurrection,” with probably the real humdinger coming when Data tries to strike up a conversation with Worf about firm, youthful boobs.
“Nemesis” is a tiny bit better in terms of not making Data quite so buffoonish, but the “heroics” and all of the B4 business just leaves me cold. They had a pretty good thing going in the series, but the movies killed it. Sorry, Solo.
Actually, Data’s not even my favorite A.I. from “Star Trek.” I enjoyed Data’s journey through “The Next Generation” just fine, but I was always a bit more fond of the Emergency Medical Hologram from “Voyager.” Brent Spiner is good, but I’ve always felt thatRobert Picardo is the better actor of the two.
Bicentennial Man, if I recall correctly, was pretty poorly executed, poorly realized. The book is pretty good, but I didn’t care much for the film.
But it’s a good example that we missed. Thanks Cody.
It’s an excellent pick for this “Worst of” list, Cody. Speaking for myself, leaving Bicentennial Man out of the podcast conversation was not accidental. But, I do enjoy seeing it publicly mocked here.
It’s funny that Juan is a big fan of the first two nominees in this category. Please come to the defense of Bicentennial Man, Juan. I’m dying to read your thought on this terrible, awful, no-good, very-bad movie.
There is nothing wrong with Short Circuit 2, guys. The end.
I like Bicentennial Man, but I’m aware that it’s very manipulative and cheesy. If I’m not mistaken, David’s a fan. He would do a much better job defending it than I would.
Lets hear this.
“David’s a fan”
Whoa, whoa whoa! “fan” is a little bit of an exaggeration!
I think “Bicentennial Man” is a pleasantly manipulative movie. The kind of thing that is nice to watch with your folks after a big lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Nobody gets offended. Nobody throws up roast beef all over the sofa or smashes a wine bottle over Uncle Stuarts head in a gristle and shock fuelled rage. There aren’t any awkward boners you have to hide with a cushion. It’s just old fashioned spineless family entertainment.
I wouldn’t say that qualifies it as “good Sci-Fi” but it’s more watchable than something like “Transformers: Revenge of the Revenge”
I gave my 4 favorite examples of “More Human Than Human” and I wanted to see what your guys list would be.
Along with your worst examples too.
My list for favorite: (as stated on the episode)
Data – Star Trek The Next Generation
Roy Batty – Blade Runner
Iron Giant – The Iron Giant
Johnny 5 – Short Circuit
My Worst List:
Coming soon…
I need to finish listening to this episode but I love your examples here William. I think Roy Batty and Data would have to make my list too. And if we’re not just going with robots then I might be tempted to throw in another character from the Star Trek universe; Odo from Deep Space Nine (a massively underrated show in my opinion) His quest for humanity is an incredibly compelling arc. Also, what about the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz?
And are we only using the “more Human than Human” term in a positive light? In a rather dark and terrifying way aren’t the genocidal tendencies of Skynet more human than human?
Skynet came up in out conversation but, for me, the point was really what Dino states here, to think about non-humans that display the spirit of humanity in the face of cold, hard logic or the darker aspects of the human condition.
Tin Man is a great example. Probably the best one we omitted so far. Nice call.
Agreed. I was both embarrassed and disappointed that I failed to bring him up.
Oh, it’s pretty far out of the box to be embarrassed about it. It is genius, though.
I really love the Roy Batty example that you discussed in the episode. He definitely makes my list. Quick question, though: what criteria are you using for this “best examples” list. Judging by your list, I’m guessing it’s your favorite examples of non-humans exhibiting human characteristics, rather than the ones you think best replicate (<<see what I did there?) the human condition. Correct?
Assuming you mean favorite examples, here is my list of 6 (4 seemed to be a pretty arbitrary number – "top" lists are usually 3, 5, 10, etc – so I went with a similarly arbitrary number):
(in no particular order)
Roy Batty – BLADE RUNNER
Sonny – IROBOT
The Female – UNDER THE SKIN
The Terminator – TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY
Bishop – ALIENS
Caesar – RISE/DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
A list of "worsts" is much harder for me to put together…
Some great picks on here, Dino. Absolutely with you on Roy Batty and Bishop. I admire the gusto to include The Female and Caesar so early in their history. Loved both of those characters and performances.
Sonny, I’m a little surprised by. That goes in my Bicentennial Man column.
And does The Terminator ever show any kind of humanity? I thought bout this a lot during the podcast and didn’t bring it up because I couldn’t think of a clear moment that supported the idea.
He does in T2 and T3, for sure. T2 is largely about his character finding humanity. Fits nicely.
He does in T2 and T3, for sure. T2 is largely about his character finding humanity. So it’s one of the examples I think is more applicable to the theme of the episode. Now, is it a super convincing transition? That’s up for debate I suppose.
Does he ever do anything outside his programming, though? He’s not kind. He doesn’t take a bubble bath or play with a puppy. He’s just doing his job, isn’t he?
“Does he ever do anything outside his programming, though? He’s not kind. He doesn’t take a bubble bath or play with a puppy. He’s just doing his job, isn’t he?”
He becomes a surrogate father figure to John Connor. Could it be that a certain level of humanity is defined or contextualised by our interactions with others and how they perceive us? I think to young John Connor The Terminator became more human than murderous-android.
Regarding Sonny, the reason I included him is because he wanted to be human, or, at least thought of as an equal to human. He was always trying to learn about human emotions, why we do certain things – like wink – and to figure out his purpose in life.
Is it the greatest movie? No… and I’ll admit that this theme of Sonny being “more human than human” isn’t exactly delved into deeply. But, for some reason, it resonated with me. Maybe it has to do with his struggle to fit in – he’s not like the other robots and he’s not human – and his struggle to figure out why he was created. Those are very “human” struggles that I think we all deal with at one point or another.
Regarding The Terminator, I specifically called out the one in T2. That’s the first, and most important, thing to note. One of the main themes of that movie to me is John’s relationship with The Terminator: John teaching the machine slang, and how to talk and act more naturally. And, of course, there’s that famous Sarah Connor voice-over, when she comes to the realization that the machine is the best father-figure John could have.
The relationship is more on the side of John wanting to make the machine more human, as opposed to the machine having this desire to be more human. Maybe that’s where your hesitation to include it comes from (?). This example would be the complete opposite to Solo’s point on the episode about human vanity and normal AI conventions.
Yeah, I’m not sure he ever changes or does anything other than his job, which doesn’t require humanity, just following his orders. Speaking slang could count, but maybe he thinks it makes him blend in better and thus do his job better. I mean, he doesn’t actually NEED clothes either, other than to blend in and complete his mission.
So… I really had very little interest in seeing CHAPPIE, but now I’m interested based on the extreme reactions people are having to it (on both sides of the ledger). Hoping to catch it soon so I can join in on the convo.
I’m pretty sure we over-sold it by using words like “precious” and “beautiful” time and again, but it really is a good movie and I found it quite moving.
Still waiting to hear what Juan hated about it on first viewing that his boss changed his mind about.
I kind of did already, Josh. Thanks for reading my comments haha :/
The reason why I hated the movie is because of Die Antwoord. Being fully aware of who they were made me think of Chappie as the longest, most expensive ad for an artist. It just really rubbed me the wrong way and I was never able to get past that initial feeling. Not the film’s fault, I know, but I couldn’t help it. Now, my boss brought up Chappie during our Monday meeting and he praised it to no end. He was completely unaware of who Die Antwoord were, so in his mind, those people were the greatest actors that he’d ever seen. He thought that they were regular folk who transformed themselves into these despicable characters and that perspective made me want to give it another try with a more or less unbiased mind. Sure enough, the second time I was completely sold. I’m glad I gave it a chance to win me over, because I had already made up my mind not to see it again.
Speaking of Chappie, there’s a scene that really stood out to me that no one brought up for some reason. The scene has Chappie watching TV for the first time and He-Man is on and we see him raising his sword on high saying “I have the power” while Chappie mimics him. It’s not only cool because it’s a great piece of nostalgia, but it’s also great foreshadowing. From that moment on, Chappie slowly starts to become a warrior and a defender himself. I don’t know what Blomkamp had in mind when he came up with that scene, but to me it almost seems like he’s projecting the things that he looked up to as a child onto Chappie himself. Maybe He-Man was his hero growing up, and maybe he wants Chappie to be someone’s hero growing up. I may be reaching here, but it’s a cool scene nonetheless.
Good point; the He-man scene is a layered with meaning. I like the realistic childlike emotion and attention Chappie displays.
That’s a good point.
I didn’t get the meaning, Juan. For me, that was just another tid-bit of pop culture. I was cautiously optimistic but ultimately disappointed because I kept waiting for it to pay-off narratively. I now see what you mean about it paying-off for his character and maybe it will mean more to me on a second viewing. Of course, I loved seeing the inclusion. I was just worried it was cheap and meaningless. Like the Redbull (which probably WAS an ad as opposed to the Die Antwoord content).
This is an article I’d hoped to discuss on the show, but didn’t get around to it.
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/tinder-users-sxsw-are-falling-woman-shes-not-what-she-appears-163486
Oh man, that’s so interesting. Invasive? Yes, but deeply clever.
Oh yeah. Shoot.
Apparently, this news potentially dates back to 2006 and is spreading this week on social media based on an article from 2013, but it doesn’t make it any less revolting. This is why someone has to come rescue the Earth from us. Humans are just the worst when it comes to stewards of the Earth. Not trying to get political, just having an intense reaction to my full stop when I saw this posted on Twitter, in light of our conversation here.
http://www.11alive.com/news/article/312002/40/Western-black-rhino-officially-declared-extinct
So sad.
It’s pretty disappointing to see that kind of thing. I can’t say I see any reasonable explanation for why an animal should be considered extinct beyond the most natural of causes. And even then, considering our ability to preserve habitats and species, it shouldn’t be happening at all.
The more human than human discussion was excellent. The breadth of examples brought forth by Solo, in particular, really opened my eyes beyond the robots/AI that I was initially considering for the conversation. Excellent stuff. And what SpaceWolf said near the end, how this theme is pervasive in science fiction, is definitely true. To me, one of the main things science fiction explores is what it means to be human, and this directly speaks to that.
I may have missed this in the discussion, but what about RoboCop or Samantha from HER as part of the more human than human discussion? I think they both present an interesting twist on the discussion, but for different reasons. With ROBOCOP, he once was human, but was transformed into a cyborg controlled primarily by AI and the struggle he ultimately has is with his human memory. Maybe this is more “anti” more human than human.
With HER*, Samantha is a computer program that forms a relationship with a human but, as software, doesn’t actually take physical form. Perhaps this is human projecting the image of human on AI?
* Admittedly, I have never actually seen HER, so I could be completely off-base with what I said above. This is just what I gleaned from the movie’s synopsis.
Similarly to Samantha in HER, what about Jarvis from IRON MAN?
Haven’t yet seen Her, but had I seen it I think it would have been included. But thanks for the heads up.
We discuss marvel movies soon, including all the ironman stuff, but Jarvis should have been brought up. Another miss, dang it.
As for Robocop, he’s kind of his own thing, to me. He’s still largely human, and he once was human fully, so I can’t say I believe he snugly fits the More Human than Human trope, personally.
But it’s a good debate point.
Does Jarvis explore his human nature in the films? I don’t remember any good examples. He was human in the comics, right? I’m not sure about this one.
Yes, human in most of the comics. He does a bit, but much in the same way he is a butler of sorts as a human, he’s a butler of sorts in the movies. His humanity might be stifled by professionalism or snootiness.
I mostly like that I’ve tricked you into referring to me as SpaceWolf. Specifically, in place of Halloweenie. If you’re going to have a ludicrous nickname, “wolf” is always preferred to “weenie” when you have a choice in the matter.
Dino! Her is an EXCELLENT example. Pulling an Andy there by talking about movies you haven’t seen? Solid pick, though. Samantha actually shares a lot with Chappie in terms of A.I. growing in human understanding throughout the course of the film. I can’t believe I forgot Her. Cody and I had just discussed Under the Skin (and he brought up Her in that discussion) so I’d kind of put those movies on the back-buner for this discussion, I suppose. What a great pick. You and David are now tied for best examples we omitted.
We touched briefly on Robocop, but I don’t think it’s really what I was talking about during this discussion. It’s about a guy losing and regaining his humanity, I guess. In some ways, the remake handles these themes far better than the original film. Yeah, I don’t think Robocop works for me here.
What about R2D2? He’s not the most human out of all of the robots discussed, but he seems to always be looking to help his friends in whatever small way he can and his loyalty to them is quite high. Are these not human traits?
Hey certainly are. Did we not bring him up? I thought we did. Or maybe we did and it was cut out for time reasons. Can’t recall for certain.
But the little bucketbot surely can be argued as an example of humanity in robots.
I think you guys played some of R2D2’s sound effects, but I don’t think he was brought up in the conversation.
“I think you guys played some of R2D2’s sound effects”
I’m pretty sure that was actually just another of William Robot Jr’s excellent robot impressions.
Yeah, Matt brought up C-3PO and I brought up R2-D2. There were some problems with the audio in that section and I had to cut it, unfortunately. I was glad Matt brought up Lobot, because it didn’t seem like we forgot Star Wars altogether and we might skate by. Of course, Juan was the wiser. We didn’t really have many insights on 3PO or R2, though. Mostly just name-checked them.
I don’t fully agree with Samantha from HER. I think there was a point in the movie when she started to become more human-like, but once she reached a certain point, she transcended humanity and she became something else entirely. The fact that she was basically the software equivalent of Dr. Manhattan, robbed her of those emotions that she was beginning to understand and feel.
That’s also a good point, Juan. But, she had her moments and transcending humanity is a nice touch for this discussion. I’d have at least brought it up if I’d thought of it.
I agree that the ROBOCOP remake delves into these themes better than the original, and it was actually what I had in mind when mentioning it (I should have specifically noted).
I agree with what you and Mattroid (above) said… I’m not entirely sure he fits the more human than human mold, but think he presents an interesting discussion point on it. Like I said, he was created as sort of the reverse of more human than human, but then struggles with that as the movie progresses.
That’s a good observation. He does kind of represent the loss of humanity and the struggle to maintain what he has left.
I haven’t seen the newer one yet. I want to, I think, but Verhoven’s original is more about a half-man, half-machine law enforcer. I’m guessing nearly all the satire from the original is missing from the remake, which–if true–would be a shame and enough to ruin the movie even. Maybe.
“More than”. This damn forum struggles to work cleanly with my iPhone.
Yep, the remake delves more deeply into his struggle to regain his lost humanity. It’s also the more serious film of the two. I wouldn’t say it’s shed the satire completely, but it’s not as overt as in the original.
Satire is not the main point of the remake, by a long shot, but I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed it. They did some great stuff with this as a remake. Didn’t hurt that I am a big fan of The Killing. Amiright, Dino?!
>IcarusArts on April 16, 2015 at 6:51 am said:
“…Didn’t hurt that I am a big fan of The Killing. Amiright, Dino?!”
—
I actually saw the remake long before watching THE KILLING. About mid-way through the first season, I thought to myself “hey, this Joel Kinnaman guy looks familiar…”
>IcarusArts on April 15, 2015 at 4:48 pm said:
“I mostly like that I’ve tricked you into referring to me as SpaceWolf. Specifically, in place of Halloweenie.”
—
I try to stick with your “stage names” when conversing on the HMP or TSFP sites. Don’t worry, though, you’ll always be a Halloweenie in my books.
Oh I’ve got a good one. It’s a manga, but I think its importance and iconic status are great enough to warrant it a space amongst the other robots discussed. ASTRO BOY anyone? For those not familiar with the manga or anime, Astro Boy is a robot created to replace a scientist’s deceased son, but was soon disposed of when Astro’s creator realized that the robot lacked human emotions. With the gentle and patient care or another scientist, Astro began showing signs of humanity and hilarity ensued.
“Astro Boy” is another great example. Recently I’ve been reading the book “Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots” which delves into Japan’s cultural affinity for humanoid machines. It’s pretty fascinating stuff and it goes into quite a bit of detail with regards to “Astro Boy” as well as other iconic robot based anime and manga such as “Gundam” and “Gigantor”.
There’s been some discussion here already as to whether the More Human Than Human trope requires that characters be aspirationally human. I don’t think it’s required for them to begin the story that way, and they don’t have to end up that way, but I’d say that a significant element of whatever their journey ends up being has to be developing a fascination with humanity (or some aspect of humanity) and trying to rise to that level, or embody that quality.
Sometimes aspiring to human is the defining element of the character’s story, like with Data or Roy Batty. Samantha from “Her,” as noted above, eventually moves past this aspiration, but she definitely follows it for a significant chunk of the movie. Although if you think about it, aspiring to become something higher, nobler, more all-knowing, etc., than merely human is actually a deeply human impulse. Some humans even pull it off, like L. Ron Hubbard, or Wesley Crusher. (Kiddding.) (Although it is one of my all-time favorite random “Star Trek” storytelling curveballs that Wesley Crusher exits the series by, essentially, becoming a god. Take that Crusher family haters! Wesley Crusher has transcended time and space and is master of the deepest secrets of the universe. Boy, those all-knowing, all-powerful extraterrestrials sure can pick ’em.)
It’s fairly common for characters to embrace “humanity” for various ulterior motives initially, but then begin to seek after true humanity as their story progresses. The Female from “Under the Skin” and The Terminator both qualify here, and Agent Smith from “The Matrix” adds a wrinkle by using a human guise to serve his own ends but then growing to increasingly detest all humans. (Always enjoy his “It’s the smell” speech.) There’s also the variation where a wayward alien or other being “hides out” as a human and adopts increasingly human characteristics as their story progresses. A fun example here is John Carpenter’s “Starman.”
Also, finished the episode this morning and was pleased to hear some tangential mentions of “WarGames.” There’s a whole subgenre of movies about computers that transcend their programming and struggle with human-like impulses, even if they don’t strictly aspire to become human.
Bill’s Superman speech in Kill Bill Vol. 2 comes to mind. Such an incredible point of view. I never thought of Superman that way until after watching Kill Bill.
So many excellent points here, Cody. One thing I want to call out is your Agent Smith example. I thought about adding him/it to my list, but ultimately passed because his power comes from inserting himself into actual humans. It can be argued that the program itself was humanlike, but it required a human-vessel to manifest.
I don’t know, I guess I can go either way with Agent Smith. He’s a complicated character.
I just enjoy the idea of an artificial intelligence created (originally) by humans growing to detest its creators instead of revering them.
Stories about A.I. rejecting humanity are common, but it’s almost always the case that the reaction against humankind is out of self-preservation (the Skynet/Terminator model), or out of acting out misguided human directives (the Joshua/WOPR in “WarGames” model).
Well argued, as always, Cody. You’re a gentleman and a scholar.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could get an AI to write the parts of AI’s in movies.
Artificial intelligence is underrepresented in Hollywood, but hey, so is actual intelligence. Ha! I kill me!
You kill me too. Or at least once you did in a weird short story I wrote based on a very frightening and realistic dream.
I had a very similar dream involving Josh killing me except in mine I looked in the mirror and I was Scarlett Johansson.
And you were 10.
I think we’ve gone too far.
Yikes!
http://coed.com/2014/06/26/creepy-japanese-robots-mean-the-future-isnt-here-yet-video/
Uhhhhh….
Love your podcast! Coming over from Horror Movie Podcast….
Have you seen this?
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=756187677812710&id=206915816073235
Keep up the good work. “….lost like tears in the rain….”
Good to hear from you, Nisu. Thanks for the link.
Nisu, thanks for checking us out and the kind words. I hope you’ll stick around and encourage others to subscribe as well. Make sure you contribute your thoughts on the board after each episode.
This a little off topic when it comes to Science Fiction but to follow on from what Matt brought up about animals displaying traits that could be considered “more human than human”, I did a bit of research on this kind of thing a few years ago and I came across several instances that really impressed me.
I recall that one such instance involved an Elephant being used for labour. It had been trained to lift huge fence posts and drop them into pre dug holes. Apparently it was carrying out this duty when it came to one such hole and totally refused to lower the fence post. The trainers repeatedly commanded it to put the fence post into the hole but it was steadfast in its refusal to do so. Eventually they investigated and found that there was a dog sleeping in the bottom of the hole. When the dog was chased away the elephant continued its duty.
I’m sure I’ve also read reports of dolphins helping Whales to give birth.
There are also a fair share of cases where dolphins have helped humans fend off sharks. Speaking of whales, I once read an article about the whale’s capacity to feel and apparently they have such a massive limbic system that scientists believe that whales are able to feel beyond the capacity of a human. In other words, their spectrum of feelings is far superior and a lot more complex than that of a human. So when we kill them, hunt them, and separate them from their families for selfish purposes, they feel things that none of us would be able to comprehend.
I always wonder why more effort isn’t put into communicating with whales. It may sound extremely “green-peacey” but it’s so weird to think that there are these huge, intelligent, musical animals out there that could be fully concious of the strange relationship we have with them but who we can’t properly communicate with. I’m sure I’ve read some dismissive reports regarding the intelligence of whales based on their encephalization quotients but I remember thinking that those arguments just didn’t add up because so much of a whales body mass is blubber which doesn’t require brain function, thus off-setting the body-mass to brain-mass ratio. I don’t know though. I guess I should leave science to the scientists but I just wonder if some of them don’t talk down Cetacean intelligence because they’re on the payroll of big whaling companies or something.
David,
That is a very interesting story about the elephant and the dog. True or not, I feel like there’s a very good metaphor here that we could use in our lives.
So if I am the elephant and the trainers are the establishment/The Man, telling us to keep working and do our job mindlessly. Then what does the dog represent? I’m thinking something like: individuality, critical thinking, diversity, and maybe our deepest hopes and dreams to become more than what we were given.
I don’t know, I’m just riffing. What do you guys think?
That’s a very astute observation and I absolutely agree William. It could be an excellent allegory for the rejection of societies pressure to unquestioningly conform, instead advocating an individualist approach to ethics. It’s maybe a little cliché but I feel like it’s a valuable lesson in a world that seemingly puts more value on material gain as a signifier of being a successful human than it does anything else. It’s certainly a lesson that I wish a whole bunch of corporations, banking executives, politicians and tax evading billionaires would take to heart. To just stop and question their positions and motivations; to look down at the dog in the hole and ponder what damage they might do to it and if it doesn’t deserve something better than being squished by a fence post. It’s incredible to me that an animal can embody more goodness and ethical conciousness than many humans who are in positions of great power.
Apologies for getting pseudo-political there guys!
Also, you guys have brought up “Prometheus” several times now and suggested that a great deal of the criticism directed at the film is due to viewers not properly understanding it. This makes me really curious to hear an in depth discussion of the film. Personally, I think it’s a pretty decent sci-fi flick and better than many folks might admit but I do struggle to get past some of the problems. A lot of elements in the script just seemed poorly put together to me. The narrative felt piecemeal and overly episodic and I couldn’t help but be taken out of the film a few times thinking to myself “Alien” didn’t have these kind of nonsensical character motivations and plot contrivances. It felt like there was too much going on and too many characters to keep track of. I mean I think I understand what the film was going for and as a big budget B-movie it’s a lot of fun and visually stunning but at times it felt like the writers just drew up a bunch of separate scenes and then tried to loosely thread them together without much care for the overall flow and logic of the narrative. I remain open minded to any defence with which you guys might address these apparent problems though and I hope when you do cover this movie that you have someone who’ll bring up some of these criticisms so we can hear a good debate!
We will definitely get into it in detail and depth. But it has it’s fair share of problems, which we will also acknowledge.
That’s good news. Really looking forward to some in-depth PROMETHEUS discussion. It definitely has its problems, but I think the movie is unfairly ridiculed in general because of its connection to one of the greatest movies ever made. I, for one, am a fan.
David,
You make very good points about Prometheus, and when we get to it, I think I’ll read what you wrote here.
And I believe I once read that Lobot from Star Wars was a criminal who was given cybernetic implants and rehabilitated by being put to work on Cloud City. So I guess he’s more of a cyborg.
I guess with the whole de-canonisation of the Expanded Universe that might no longer be accurate though.
Which is both good and bad; some EU stuff is pure crap, but some is brilliant. Personally I don’t like all the attempts to explai everything. Sometimes not knowing is way more fun, and in the case of Lobot, I like what my imagination of his character entails more than any other explanation I’ve heard.
To me, he’s a full on android, but advanced enough that he looks almost completely human.
I grew up on all the EU stuff that was coming out in the 90’s so some it is really close to my heart and I have to admit I feel a little cheated having spent a decade or so buying Star Wars comics and books under the impression that they were the real deal only to have that significance totally scuppered. Of course it shouldn’t really matter if the stories stand up on their own but I’d much rather they’d just de-canonised the prequel trilogy. I think those movies and all the associated EU stuff really took the “explaining too much” problem to a whole new level. The Clone Wars used to sound so cool and mysterious but now when I think of them I just envision a bunch of CGI stormtrooper knock-off’s who are all related through pandering, back-peddling contrivance to the no-longer-enigmatic Boba Fett. It was bad enough when The Force turned out to be something to do with musical instrument digital interfaces and the stuff they use to clean swimming pools.
Can you hear that? That’s the sound of clapping coming from Salt Lake City. Bravo, David.
“Can you hear that? That’s the sound of clapping coming from Salt Lake City. Bravo, David.”
That’s a relief. I thought my elderly neighbours were spanking each other again.
Oh boy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs
My vote for best moment is the crashed Imperial Star Destroyer.
I’ve been prepping my kids for their first theatrical Star Wars experience by showing the the original trilogy and warning them that “they are all grandparents in the new one.”
I told Mattroid and Solo this already, but I showed this to my four year old and he goes “So, that’s Han Solo? He doesn’t look bad. His hair’s just grey.” Ok, kid. You convinced me. Then he says “Too bad Chewbacca’s hair isn’t grey, but then his whole body would have to be grey.” Chewie always getting screwed over in the SW Universe. Come on, LucasFilm! Spend a little time thing about this character!
“My vote for best moment is the crashed Imperial Star Destroyer.”
That’s such an awesome and striking image. I’m sure it was done with computer graphics but it really hearkened back to the gorgeous matte paintings used in the older films. And I love the idea of the new movies being set in a Universe that still bares the devastatingly huge scars of the galactic civil war from the original trilogy. Vader’s charred helmet also gave me goosebumps.
I am just so unbelievably glad that they’re not relying solely on CGI to bring this world to life. I guess there is a lot of CG in this trailer but it’s so well executed and integrated that I honestly couldn’t tell what was practical and what wasn’t. I know for a fact that they’re using a lot of real sets, locations, props, costumes etc. though and I’m kind of hoping that if this film is a success we’ll start seeing a subsidence to the current trend of filmmakers relying entirely on CG as some kind of magic yet charmless fix-all. Integrating the two approaches is obviously the way forward; CGI is better at pulling off certain effects but not so great at others and the same goes for practicals. It’s a lesson that the big guys in Hollywood badly need to learn so they can stop giving us flick after flick of bland, artificial, textureless schlock. It looks like Abrams has it figured out; there’s more grit and atmosphere in the two short trailers we’ve seen for the new movie than in all of the prequels combined.
Also I’m glad your kids will most likely have a better “first theatrical Star Wars experience” than I did with Episode I.
I’m crying inside for you, David.
Don’t be sad for me, Dino. Sure the memories resurface every once in a while but when that happens I deal with it in my own way: by melting Jar Jar Binks action figures with a blowtorch.
Jedi was my first theatrical Star Wars experience upon initial release. I had seen bits and pieces of the others on TV, but that was the one I was there for, Ewok and Scout Trooper action figures in hand, in the theater with my little tiny friends (and our moms). And then, I saw all of the original films in theaters when the Special Editions were released. It was amazing, despite all of the crappy additions/editions.
I didn’t even see Episode III in theaters, I was so disappointed but he first two.
My son is 5 y/o, so we’re planning on going through the OT soon to prepare for the new theatrical release. We tried A NEW HOPE back when he was 3 y/o, but he lost interest after about five minutes. I’m hoping he’s into it more this time around.
So far, we haven’t watched any of the movies all the way through. Some of the scenes are too scary for them, particularly in Jedi, which is funny because it’s so often thought of as a “kids” movie. Even the sand people in A New Hope were too intense at first. So, I’ve been easing them in. I’ve been prepping them by showing them big sections of each of the original films without some of the scarier bits. Now that they know all of the characters and have an idea about the story, love the droids and the ships and lightsabers and Chewie, we will tackle full viewings this Summer.
I remember finding some parts of the original trilogy pretty scary when I was a really little kid. I always thought that brief shot of Owen and Beru’s charred corpses in “A New Hope” was pretty horrifying for a movie with a U rating. Especially considering they’re characters that we’ve seen alive just minutes before and in the mind of a child they might as well be Luke’s parents. The shot of Ponda Baba’s severed arm in the cantina was kind of shocking to my young mind as well.
I don’t remember much scaring me in “Empire” aside from Luke’s confrontation in the cave. And the Tauntaun guts grossed me out.
I don’t think I actually saw Jedi in its entirety until I was a little older but I can see some of the scenes in Jabba’s palace and stuff with The Emperor being frightening to young kids.
This is getting me thinking about how much I’d love to see a super dark, borderline horror movie set in the Star Wars universe.
I might as well go ahead and present”: “A Guide to Scary Parts in Star Wars for Parents with Young and/or Wussy Kids.” Mine are both.
Just FYI, I do usually describe the scenes as I fast forward them, both to distract them from the screen and to prepare them for eventually seeing the scenes.
Also, these notes are based on the original theatrical releases. They will not see the Special Editions under my roof, except for the Cloud City exterior, where I may make an exception.
IV
I always found Dr. Evazan’s face more frightening than Panda Baba’s severed arm. But I Ffwded >> that whole part. Spent a little time explaining the Tusken Raiders and the Jawas. They found the sand people scary anyway and I’d have just skipped those parts, in retrospect. They didn’t seem to react to Owen and Beru’s charred corpses, but they may very well have been scarred for life. Just went ahead and Ffwded >> the interrogation hypodermic needle and the Dianoga eyeball monster in the trash compactor.
V
We spent some time talking about taun tauns, carbonite, and Luke getting his hand cut off. Ffwded >> the Wampa attack and aftermath, as well as Luke’s fever dream cave confrontation in Dagobah.
VI
They hated pretty much everything about Jabba’s Palace going in and I opted to completely skip the Rancor. They didnt like Leia’s voice as Boushh, they didn’t like the carbonate melting, the didn’t like Jabba or any of his minions, in general. They loved the air barge scene, but the tentacles of the Sarlacc pit scared the crap out of them. Toward the end, we spent a lot of time talking about the Emperor, who they hated and were terrified of. And, although I didn’t fast-forward it, they did find Luke’s electrocution to be pretty intense. Personally, I’d always been more scared of Anakin’s disgusting face when the helmet came off, but that didn’t bother them, surprisingly. I might have skipped that whole section but it is obviously key to the story and nearly impossible intercut with the Endor scenes.
Now that they are familiar with the story, the world, and the characters, we are going to watch all of the films in their entirety, leading up to the release of VII.
@Josh – Thanks for putting that together. My son is both young and wussy, as well, so this will be helpful.
Were your kids able to understand the big Vader reveal in V? That’s probably the one thing I want to make sure to get right for my son.
Well, my own dad is a bit of a real life villain, which is something they’ve been trying to understand since they were old enough to know that they have grandparents, so that made it VERY easy to discuss. “Luke’s dad is a bad guy – like my dad.” Haha.
@Josh – Just a heads up that the podcast is listed as “>> Podcast Episode” on iTunes, so it doesn’t come up when searching for any “sci-fi” type terms. The only way I have been able to find it on the iTunes store (other than using the direct link on this website) is to search for your name.
Huh, weird. Ok, I will look into that. Thanks!
I think I found the problem. Thanks for the heads-up. Should be fixed now, but usually takes iTunes 3-5 days to process anything.
Cool.
Loving the Star Wars talk. I was in LA this past week but couldn’t make it to SW Celebration, despite both me and Station’s best efforts. A joyous opportunity missed, I’m afraid.
As for scary moments, I saw the original 3 in theaters and can’t say I was ever that scared. In fact, I think the death of the ewok (where the other ewok realizes his friend has just been killed) is what scared me the most. Also the emperor in Jedi. Yikes.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the new trailer. Will you guys me covering in an upcoming podcast?
We will be going over it for sure. I’ve watched it…oh, I dunno…thirty times or so.
I hope you guys will have more positive things to say about it than those jaded coots over at MPW!
After the music on Episode 4, you’ll find an hour of discussion about the 2nd teaser trailer for The Force Awakens.
Hi Sci-Fi Podcast,
Jason (aka Jay of the Dead here)… This message is for the likes of William and Josh and everyone else out there who defended “Chappie” so vehemently.
This weekend I saw “Ex Machina,” which I’m sure you’ll be covering on this show at some point. The timing is perfect. When I fought with William about “Chappie” on Ep. 128 of MPW, I argued that it was the worst handling of a story about Artificial Intelligence that I had ever seen (and it still is). It was a potentially good A.I. story squandered by horrendous miscalculations and one of the worst endings in recent memory…
And now here we have “Ex Machina,” its polar opposite in almost every way. “Ex Machina” is the very best film I’ve seen at addressing Artificial Intelligence, and I hope now the contrast between the two will demonstrate what a trainwreck “Chappie” is by comparison.
“Ex Machina” is a 10 out of 10, and it’s a Masterpiece! (“Chappie” is still a 3.5 out of 10 and an Avoid.)
J
You should listen to our review of Chappie, Jason. I’d be curious to hear what you thought of our specific reactions to it.
As I mentioned on this episode, I’ve heard your MPW review of the movie and I wasn’t clear as to what exactly you thought the miscalculations were, why you think the film is a “train-wreck” or what it is about the ending that didn’t work for you. I heard you say all of those things, just not give any tangible evidence.
I don’t doubt that Ex-Machina is very good as well. I have been hopeful. Alex Garland is one of my all-time favorite, contemporary writers, both for his films and novels. The novel of The Beach was the first of his work that I’d ever experienced. The movie, which he wrote the screenplay for, lived up to my very high expectations. Of course, Sunshine and 28 Days Later, which he penned, are both landmark films for their respective sub-genres and some of Danny Boyle’s very best work. So, I’ve been long looking forward to Garland’s directorial debut and I’m glad it didn’t disappoint.
I actually meant to address the brilliant marketing campaign during SXSW for Ex-Machina on this episode, but we ran out of time. You can find the article here in the show notes. Crazy!
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Thanks, David. The fact that the protag is an irredeemable character makes me even more interested.
I’m going to try to appear here more often. My time is mostly spent running after a toddler and the fun stuff tends to go by the wayside.