Science Fiction

Skeleton Crew – The Real Good Guys

  • Title: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – The Real Good Guys
  • wiki: link

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew somewhat mercifully comes to a close in the most Disney Channel finale one could have thought up. “The Real Good Guys” gives us the pirate invasion of At Attin, which does no real damage other than to some empty buildings, and the kids defeating Jod (Jude Law) and the pirates once more bringing the New Republic to mop up. By the end, all the parents have a better understanding and appreciation for their children, the hidden world is now back among the stars, the pirates are all captured, and everyone can live happily ever after. Awwww.

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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

  • Title: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
  • IMDb: link

Widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made, the low-budget Santa Claus Conquers the Martians features a story about Martians kidnapping Santa Claus (John Call), and two American children (Victor Stiles and Donna Conforti), to Mars to instill the spirit of Christmas and wonder in their own children. Just about as wacky as it sounds, the story also takes a turn when one of the Martian (Vincent Beck) soldiers, disagreeing with this plan to sully Martian society with Earth nonsense, repeatedly attempts to sabotage the endeavor and murder Santa and the children.

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Guilty Pleasure – Krull

  • Title: Krull
  • IMDb: link

Flashback Friday takes us back to 1983, a young king, a captured queen, a motley band of heroes, a quest across a desolate landscape, some questionable special effects, a monstrous beast, a prophecy, and a fortress that relocates across the planet at every dawn. A sword-and-sorcery epic with sci-fi trapping such as alien soldiers with laser rifles, Krull introduces us to Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) and Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) whose marriage will unite two warring kingdoms against an invading alien force until they steal the bride on her wedding day. 

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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

  • Title: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
  • IMDb: link

Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the most kinetic, edge-of-your-seat, visually bonkers popcorn movies of the past decade. Exploring the origins of the film’s breakout star (played in Fury Road by Charlize Theron), Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is… largely fine. More structured, less zany, and with far fewer surprises, Furiosa still provides plenty of crazy stunts and action against the backdrop of the dystopian world, and Anya Taylor-Joy, taking over the Furiosa role, proves she can carry a film with minimal dialogue.

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Doctor Who – Joy to the World

  • Title: Doctor Who – Joy to the World
  • wiki: link

While the larger story of “Joy to the World” involves a the creation of a man-made star capable of destroying the Earth being handed off to innocents transformed into brainwashed couriers, the latest Doctor Who Christmas episode is most notable for the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) being force to stop running, for an entire year, and wait. The episode plays on similar themes to “The Power of Three” when the Doctor (Matt Smith) stayed with Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) for an extended period on Earth, but this time the Doctor is forced to make his own fun with some Christmas trappings thrown in as well.

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