Ava

 

 (wikipedia)

EX MACHINA-2014-Computer nerd Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) meets some jerky scientist Nathan (Oscar Isaac) at his secluded lab where he's invented a computerized female robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander). He wants Caleb to administer "The Turing Test"on Ava to see if she is as smart as a human being. 

This independently made psychological sci-fi drama was a big box office and critical success even picking up some Academy Award noms but for me personally it's a sleep inducer with quirky annoying acting and dialog. Interesting finale and good use of sfx and sound though some of the original music sounds like it came from a Lucio Fulci movie. 

Personally I'd rather watch DEMON SEED. Writer/director Alex Garland wrote 28 DAYS LATER...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test

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7 For One

 

RAGE WAR-(aka THE DUNGEON-MASTER)-1984-In this low budget anthology from Empire Pictures, a running guy Paul (Jeffery Byron) is obsessed with his talking computer Cal. His fiance Gwen (Leslie Wing) doesn't like it. After a weird dream, Paul is transported to some kind of cave where Gwen is chained to a rock with fire all around. A strange wizard/sorcerer Mestema (Richard Moll) likes Paul's "magic" (his computer is on his watch) and says he will make a worthy opponent. 

Later Paul and Gwen find a cave full of frozen people from the past including Einstein and Bloody Mary. They are attacked by Jack the Ripper, a mummy, a wolf man & some other creatures but an ice crystal destroys the bad guys. After Gwen disappears Paul meets the troll Ratspit (John Carl Buechler) then some cartoon dragons fight. When Mestema plays some of his music Paul counters with his own (the movie's theme). Paul is then transported to a heavy metal concert where a comical Ozzy clone sings. Gwen is a victim of their S & M show but Cal destroys them.

 In another land some dwarfs steal his computer watch. Then a giant stone statue comes to life and shoots a laser from its head. Paul destroys it and winds up in an alley with a dead woman, victim of a serial killer. Gwen is his next victim and Paul has to save her. Two dumb cops arrest him but he escapes. They elude the killer and are then menaced by a flaming devil head. Next in another cave a monster throws exploding rocks at Paul. Before it dies it turns into an angel like woman. In a graveyard of airplanes the pair are threatened by some hooded soldiers and a little guy who talks like Cousin Itt. At the end Paul and Mestema fight it out and somehow Paul wins. They are freed. 

Like most Empire junk it's imaginative but makes no sense, the acting (especially by Byron as Paul) is bad, the sfx so so and the script is dumb. It's in seven parts with each directed by a different person (including Buechler, David Allen, Charles Band, Peter Manoogian, Ted Nicolaou).

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Depp on the Internet

TRANSCENDENCE-2014-Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp), a doctor working with artificial intelligence is shot with a radioactive bullet by an anti-A.I. terrorist group. While he's dying, his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) borrows a computer program from a dead colleague and with the help of Caster's friend Max (Paul Bettany), they upload his mind into a computer. After they connect him to the internet, Max has second thoughts about what they've done. Later the terrorist group kidnaps Max and their leader Bree (Kate Mara) convinces Max to join them. Once Caster is on line he can control everything even helping a government agent (Cillian Murphy) arrest the terrorists. Meanwhile another scientist (Morgan Freeman) figures it all out while computer Will and Evelyn set up headquarters in a dying mid-west town. It's obvious things will get out of hand when Will saves a dying contractor and takes over his body, much to Evelyn's displeasure. The government decides to shut down the internet and blame it all on the poor terrorists (who's stupid actions actually caused the whole thing in the first place). Evelyn also comes to regret her actions and when their compound is under siege Caster says “We're not gonna fight them. We are going to transcend them”. A violent finale leads to a poignant ending where the world is changed drastically. 

This movie isn't as bad as I thought it would be and has good acting and SFX but it's too long! As of this writing it's the only directorial effort by Wally Pfister.

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Darkstar

DARK STAR-1974-John Carpenter's debut feature film (which he co-scripted and wrote the music for) is a low budget take off on 2001. 

 A spaceship led by a quartet of hippie like astronauts fly around space destroying planets. They have a female HAL type computer and can talk to their commander even though he's dead. An alien prisoner they picked up is an orange beach ball with feet (influenced by THE PRISONER?).

Everyone swears this is suppose to be a comedy but I'm not so sure. Co-writer Dan O'Bannon is Sgt. Pinback who spends a lot of time trapped in an elevator. I don't really find it that funny. It seems to me the filmmakers weren't sure which way they wanted to go with it. The acting is pretty bad. Maybe that accounts for part of it. It was originally a 45 minute short film that Jack H. Harris had the makers expand for theatrical release. 

Carpenter's next film was ASSAULT ON PRECINCT. O'Bannon penned ALIEN in 1979. 

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Demon Seed

DEMON SEED-1977-Computer scientist Alex Harris (the underrated Fritz Weaver) seems obsessed with the computer system that runs his house much to the annoyance of his child psychologist wife Susan (Julie Christie) which puts a strain on their marriage. 


Alex's latest computer project is called Proteus IV which he hopes will help him eradicate diseases like leukemia (which killed The Harris' daughter). He tries to interest various scientists and backers ("Are the proper steps being taken to patent this?" "I have no idea".). A little kid patient throws a tantrum ("It's so god-damn boring here!"). Then when Proteus is allowed to "study man" he begins to disobey his maker's commands and refuses to help in an ocean mining project because it would be bad for the environment. He also takes a liking to Susan and declares that he wants her to have his child! He makes her a prisoner in the house and studies her. ("All that I need to understand, Mrs. Harris, is your body")  


Gerrit Graham plays a nerdy scientist who tries to help rescue Susan but is crushed to death by a giant sphere. Proteus takes cells from Susan and genetically alters them so she will bear his child (in 28 days) and "be whole". There are some interesting 2001 inspired visuals while Susan is studied/violated and Proteus' rational philosophizing voice (un-credited Robert Vaughan) is the real highlight. 


DS upset a lot of critics at the time with it's implications of rape and "computer sex". It's no classic being talky and depressing at times but does hold a certain fascination. Director Donald Cammel seems to walk a fine line but never lets the story descend into parody or unintentional comedy (which it surely could have)and despite some occasional over wrought acting by the stars it remains a serious, eerie Sci-Fi story, based on a novel by Dean Koontz. 


Scottish born Cammell, a former painter, was a screenwriter (THE TOUCHABLES) before making his director debut (co-directing with Nicolas Roeg) with PERFORMANCE in 1970. 10 years after DS he would make his next film WHITE OF THE EYE and in 1995 his last film THE WILD SIDE (which he had his name taken off of). He committed suicide in 1996. 


DS also marks the last role for character actor Berry Kroeger who's career began in the early '40's.


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