#80sSciFI #SFTV

So I've finished the 2nd half of the "V" miniseries, and I see that it's created the setup for a TV series.

Followig the same formula as Battlestar Galactica, just a few years earlier.

Lots of hanging threads for the series writers to play with, but a good stopping place for the story.

Well done. This was pretty good.

I understand there is also a "V: The Final Battle", which I suppose probably followed the TV series.

I'll have to decide how committed I am to this.

“Clarence Boddicker, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.”
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All shot practically using figures and miniatures
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#robocop #alexmurphy #80sscifi #toyphotography #creativephotography #miniaturephotography #photography #photographicart #scififantasy #acba #actionfigurephotography

#80sSciFi #SFTV

So, I am watching the original miniseries, "V" (for the first time). Somehow I missed this when it came out.

Surprised by how well-made it is, actually. I was expecting it to be MUCH cheesier than this.

The parallels with the QAnon conspiracy universe are kind of chilling, though. Feels almost like this was the playbook they cribbed from: conspiracy of scientists, withholding findings because of "research grants". And of course, the aliens disguised as humans.

[...]

#80sSciFi #SFFilms
Cyber Ninja / Mirai Ninja - 1988

I think I found a hidden gem. This was on a double-feature disk with a truly terrible Hong Kong martial arts movie.

And, truth be told, it is silly.

But it's got some great art design. I LOVE the Medieval-Japan-styled mechs with the cute little roofs. Baba Yaga would approve.

Otherwise, it's a somewhat anime-like Shinto-meets-Cyberpunk story with a bit of magic and a bit of tech, and a whole lot of tropes.

Fun movie!
[...]

“You're coming with me, Cain.”
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All shot practically, these figures are teeny tiny so I’ve posted a behind the scenes with a 20p next to the figures so you can see how small they are.
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Okay, I rewatched
"Per Aspera Ad Astra" a.k.a. "Через Тернии К Звездам" (1981), literally "Through Thorns to the Stars".

This was a really good film. Weird, to say the least, and yeah, I really suspect certain Doctor Who writers have seen it.

The story was very interesting, with themes around identity, self-determination, and environmentalism. But also fun vignettes.

#80sSciFi #SFFilms

On YT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDOeQldHiIY

#80sSciFi #SFFilms
"Aurora Encounter" 1986

Weird, sentimental, low-budget film about an alien tourist visiting a small Texas town c1900, in his beat-up stationwagon of a spaceship.

Without giving too many spoilers, it goes well until it doesn't.

This wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I think I must've had it mixed up with a different movie.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090675/

#80sSciFi #SFFilms
"Flight of the Navigator" (1986)

Curious mention of a "Pixar Galaxy" in the dialog, in the year Pixar was founded. But I don't find any acknowledged causal connection.

The effects company listed is "Omnibus" and the Wikipedia article on Pixar lists a different and pretty-plausible story for the origin of the name.

Curious, indeed. Makes me wonder if there was some unconscious or unacknowledged connection. Or maybe it was just a coincidence.

#80sSciFi #SFFilms
"Flight of the Navigator" (1986)

So this one is a Disney movie, and it does feel like it, although it's a big step up from "Escape to Witch Mountain" which I watched when I was on the 70s.

This is the first time I've seen this one, though I've seen the cover and stills before.

Of course, the spaceship is clearly an early CG effect, which is very cool. A lot of the standard tropes, but this was a fun movie.
[...]

#80sSciFi #SFFilms
"Howard the Duck" 1986
Long before "Iron Man", this Marvel character was brought to the big screen by George Lucas, not long after his success with the "Star Wars" trilogy, and with special effects learned from those movies.

The animatronic puppetry and Phil Tippett's stop motion work were really top notch for this pre-CG film.

Sadly, the comic timing and writing were not as impressive, and the world was not yet ready for anthropomorphic animals to be taken seriously.
[...]

“Looks like love at first sight to me. Oh, he likes you, Burke!”
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All shot practically using figures and miniatures
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#aliens #facehugger #scifiartwork #xenomorph #miniaturephotography #toyphotography #scifi #photography #80sscifi #jamescameron #necatoys

#SFFilms #80sSciFi
Okay. REALLY almost done now, but "Deep Star Six" (1989).

The cover blurb says there's going to be aliens. But it lies.

There is, however, a lot of deep sea action, horror, explosions, and very dangerous wildlife.

So it counts as SF, more or less.

Some very good model effects work in this one, along with very convincing sets. Excellent mis-en-scene, overall.

The writing was... adequate, but very predictable.

Cast was actually pretty good, considering.

#80sSciFi #SFFilms
Still not quite done with the 80s!

Just watched "Space Mutiny" (1988).

Campy, very low budget. Computer graphics FX & titles are clearly PC/EGA or Amiga graphics.

And the space effects shots are literally just clips of FX shots from the Battlestar Galactica series. There is NO mention of this in the credits. I don't know how this escaped lawsuits, unless maybe because it was produced in South Africa.
[...]

One year ago I created this back to the future miniature photo… “Look at her sweatshirt, Doc, class of 1984.”
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“Pretty mediocre photographic fakery; they cut off your brother's hair!”
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All shot practically
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#backtothefuture #toyphotography #scifiart #photography #bttf #80sscifi #miniaturephotography

Just (re)watched "Weird Science" (1985).

Oh man, that movie has not aged well. I mean, it was kind of cringy at the time, but now... ooh, I think we call that "problematic" nowadays...

Anyway, I should be getting pretty close to the end of my #80sSciFi #SFFilms watch. Clearly reaching the dregs, now.

The most shocking thing is apparently there was a TV Series in the mid-90s? I don't have the strength for that.

“I'm from the future. I came here in a Time Machine that you invented. Now I need your help to get back to the year 1985”.
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“My God. Do you know what this means?… It means that this damn thing doesn't work at all!”
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#bttf #backtothefuture #dremmettbrown #popcultureart #popculture #macrophotography #martymcfly #miniaturephotography #80sscifi #1955 #hillvalley #movies

“Murphy... I'm a mess...”
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“They'll fix you. They fix everything”.
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All shot in camera using figures and miniatures
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#robocop #80sscifi #toyphotography #photo #miniaturephotography #filmastodon #scifiart

#80sSciFi #SFFilms
Threads (1984)

British entry into the "serious treatment of nuclear apocalypse" genre.

Pretty grim stuff. The nightmare aftermath of a global nuclear war, from the point of view of Sheffield in the UK.

I didn't see this one back in the day. I did see "The Day After", which was sort of the American version of this idea (not sure which was first).

This sort of thing was definitely preying on our minds back then.

Star Crystal (1985)
Very low budget, low production values, weak acting. Dialog writing mediocre.

The story is a pretty standard if oddly slow space monster horror plot, but takes a weird turn in the last 20 minutes that kind of makes it interesting. There was a seed of a good idea there, though the execution is lacking.

This is one of those movies I kept seeing on the shelf at the video rental, but never got around to before now.

#80sSciFi #SFFilms

“Hudson! This little girl survived longer than that with no weapons and no training. - Right?”
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“Why don't you put her in charge?”
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