Sir Ridley Scott isn’t a very optimistic man when it comes to modern sci-fi films. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, the director told The Times that science-fiction, as a cinematic genre, is dead:
“There’s nothing original. We’ve seen it all before. Been there. Done it,” he said. Asked to pick out examples, Scott replied: “All of them. Yes, all of them.”
“There is an overreliance on special effects as well as weak storylines,” he said in regards to contemporary sci-fi films.
Scott was attending a special screening one of his own sci-fi films, Blade Runner. That movie, along with Alien, is more than enough to cement Scott’s place in the pantheon of sci-fi directorial legends, so his voice certainly carries weight – but is he right?
Though I completely agree with him when he calls 2001: A Space Odyssey “the best of the best”, there’s still a lot to be said in favour of modern sci-fi. Children of Men is a wonderful movie, the first Matrix is fried gold, and recent entries such as Solaris, The Fountain and Sunshine are all ambitious if flawed attempts.
What do you think? Is Sir Ridders just getting grumpy in his old age or is sci-fi dead and buried?
source – times online
7 Comments
Is Ridley wrong? Of course. Don’t tell James Cameron, the man who redefined sci-fi TWICE that it’s dead.
Especially not with his next sure-to-be masterpiece Avatar on the way. I don’t know what it is about some English directors and actors, when they get on these episodes of extreme apathy and start griping non-stop.
Anthony Hopkins did it just before he made Hannibal, claiming he hated acting and was going to quit, now Ridley Scott is declaring sci-fi dead.
Perhaps he should dedicate some time to showing his brother how to be a better filmmaker, because Tony Scott could sure use the tutelage.
Hey, ya know he may have a point. Science Fiction does seem to be in a bit of a coma right now.
Sure Children of Men was ok but what else? If Sunshine is the best Sci-Fi movie that 2007 can come up with then that’s enough for me to declare it dead I think.
Cameron will bring it back to live though I’m sure.
I think he is basing it more on the visible pop examples like Chronicles of Riddick, Star Wars prequels, Transformers, Terminator 3 or Planet of the Apes remake, stuff like that. But pop stuff has always been shit in the sci fi category, as it is in every category. Stuff like Matrix, The Fountain, Serenity/Firefly, Solaris, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Iron Giant, Pi, Dark City, Children of Men. This stuff is brilliant and certainly the last ten years has produced more great science fiction than any period before it. People look back and say, “where is 2001 or Star Wars?” Well when you take the top film from every decade and stack it up against pop crap from the current month of course its going to seem better but the truth is that sci fi is going through a golden period. In the 60’s there was 2001 and Planet of the Apes and thats about it, in the 70’s most of it was forgettable crap until 1977, and in the 80’s most of it was just tired Star Wars knockoffs. It really wasn’t until the mid and late 90’s that a consistency of good sci fi films started coming out, a consistency of more than just one or two classics per decade but a whole slew of terrific material that, thanks to the digital revolution that had just happened, also presented things no one had ever seen before. Ridley Scott is just so damn busy since he’s so insanely prolific that when the tenth journalist that month asks him about doing “Alien V” or another sci-fi film he just reacts to the pop crap he sees on all the commercials and billboards, not realising all the great, great films that are actually out there.
Great points Michael and some great movies there but since Solaris… 5 years ok… there has been nothing that has blown me away.
Serenity was too tongue-in-cheek for me to care, Children of Men was fine but I can’t help in thinking that was more of a thriller than a science fiction movie.
The Fountain was all visuals and no substance.
Am I forgetting anything? I, Robot was fun.
“I, Robot was fun.” Fun, but brainless. Then again I consider anything with Shia LeBoof to be certified-stupid.
And so far he hasn’t disappointed on that score.
He’s probably right.
After all he is Ridley “Alien,Bladerunner” Scott!
I carn’t remember seeing any sci fi that rocked my boat in a long time.
The original Martix come’s to mind but was some time ago,I’ve just read a version of the script for JLA on some other site and that sounded great,could a superb sci-Fi film if it’s for real.
Let hope Cameron pulls out the stops for his new film,he rarely lets us down.
SciFi is largely dead. Lucas also did his best to kill Space Opera with the just awful recent star wars films (including ‘Jedi). – though Joss Whedon showed us all how enjoyable Space Opera should be done, with Firefly and Serenity.
I have seen one genuinely good hard SF film in recent years:
‘Primer’
Its a…..I can’t tell you anything without blowing it….Ok its Time Travel but that’s all I’ll say!
It’s genius. Probably the best thing I’ve seen since The Andromeda Strain.
Btw – you ARE aware that the Solaris with George Clooney is a PATHETIC attempt to remake a russian abstract masterpiece??
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