OUTLANDA movie starring Sean Connery set on a distant mining outpost on one of Jupiters moons. It is a gritty future crime story with Connery as a cop fighting corperate corruption. He plays a Marshal in a plot not unlike that found in many western movies complete with show down and hired guns. The industrial image of the movie adds to the atmosphere and is very reminiscent of Ridley Scotts Alien. The special effects are mainly in the form of impressive space scenery and the actual locations which represent the mining base (which are) excellent. It is a very unglamerous film and will appeal to non sci-fi and sci-fi fans alike.

Satrun 5This film deals with the advent of robot intelligence and its introduction by a rouge scientist onto a hydroponics farm on one of Saturns moons ( not suprisingly the 5th one ). The settings and effects are passable and the performances by the farms operators ( Kirk Douglas and Farrah Fawsett ) are okey. The film itself is unusual and is definitly in the Sci-fi horror catagory. The spce crafft designs and glimpses of earth culture are very good.Worth watching.

The Omega ManStarring Charlton Heston this film set the bench mark for many others. Like many contempory sci-fi films it is dark future and gritty. The acting lacks but the premise of the movie is very good ( if its execution is improbale ). The sets are awful, most being obvious Hollywood back lots, although others are set amid deserted cities (before morning rush hour). Most of the worlds population is dead, and those still alive have either surcummed to a desiese which makes people alergic to light and join cults ( for reasons never explained ) or are imune. The plot initially revolves around Hestons quest for survival and then turns towards finding a cure for others to end the plague. There is a serious religious parrallel, but many sci-fi movies draw on religious themes even if not as blatantly as this one. One to watch.

Silent RunningThis is a film before its time with respect to the current concerns about the environment. The last remaining plants of earth are packed up and shipped into space where they are maintained in bioshperes aboard a fleet of giant space craft for their preservation. A decision is made to abandon the such a costly project and destroy the last of Earths flora. One crew man aboard the ship Valley Forge is enraged and during the orgey of destruction by his crew mates he kills his fellow crew men. Alone except for three maintenance droids ( Huey,Doey and Louie ) he sets course for beyond Jupiter and the reach of Earth. The film is a bit of a weepy and very much in the hippy vein of the period it was made in. For all this it is a very good sci-fi movie and must rank highly along with other classics of its time.

Dark StarA film which is more of a day in the life thann any specific story. It was John carpenters first film and starred amoung others Dan O Bannon ( of Alien fame ). The rambling nature of the film is interspersed with weirdness throughout and ends with an AI weapon taking upon itself the mantel of godhood. Set on a ship ( the Dark Star of the title ) on a long duration deep space mission to destroy unstable worlds before settlement follows. The story is black comedy/ art house set against the reality of serving in a confined space with the same faces for years on end. I enjoyed this film, but don't expect any excitment ( at all).

Logans RunStarring Micheal York as a "Sandman", a type of law enforcement officer, the plot revolves around life in an enclosed city/utopian society. All people over a certain age are killed to be born again when the bio-clock ( a gem in their palm ) turns from green to red in this computer controlled society of leasure. Those who do not wish to die and be reborn attempt to flee to "Sanctury", a place outside the city. The Sandmen hunt these "Runners" and kill them. Logan ( Micheal York ) is forced to flee when the computer that controls the city advances his clock in order for him to find and destroy Sanctury by forcing him to run, a place or belief it percieves to be a threat to the utopian system it maintains. An impressive film all round with good performances and excellent period special effects. The premise of the movie holds through till the end in a well constructed and paced plot. Thumbs up.

Total RecallThis is a film based on a book by Philip K. Dick called "Withdrawel at the memory bank". It is directed by Paul Verhoven and is technically very good. Clever touchs are interwoven into a confusing plot which partly excuse the hamness of mutants and some characters in the film. Arnold Schwartzenegger stars with an early appearance by Sharon Stane and Micheal Ironsides ( of "V" ) as the bad guy. The plot revolves around Douglas Quiad, a spie ,brain washed and imlpanted into civilian life as a sleeper. When he reamakens he finds himself confronted with two seperate people he used to be. Both are Houser, a top agent of the crual Mars adminstration or a sympathiser with Quato?, leader of the rebel mutant movement on Mars. The Mars administration need Houser to expose and kill the secretive Quato and break his organisation. Quato needs Houser to reveal the secrets of a covered up discovery of Alien technolgy on Mars that could change the face of the planet for ever. Arnie is suprisingly good as his sometimes bigger than life personality is absorbed into a compelling plot and character. Worth a watch for the excellent gun fights and gore fest.

The Puppet MastersHoy! This film sucked! Donald Sutherland is the only big name in the movie that is shot like a series pilot ( i.e. cheaply and badly ). The Puppet masters are a race which come from outer space and attach themselves to the spines of innocent people, hence controlling them. The effort to check their spread drones endlessly on with Butch heroes and dosile women. Appaulling stuff, avoid.

Flash GordenThis is a film I saw when I was a kid and it blew me away. It is faithful to the origional and has an intended comic book look and feel to it. The dialogue matches the scenery and an excellent Queen sound track is present throughout the movie. Recently the film has been referred to as a "Classic" which I find funnny because for years the media have panned or simply dismissed it. Watch out for Prince Baron ( Timothy Dalton ) and Vultan ( Brian Blessed ). The casting is spot on which helps alot even if the action is as stiff as the dialogue. Its a kids film but none the worse off for it and an excellent tribute to one of the origional heroes of Sci-fi.