Akira 1988 is a Japanese animated film that I have always been curious about, but I have somehow managed to miss it until now. Actually, it has been a year or so since I first […]
Author: Tales from the Neon Beach
Trying to make my life better, one day at a time.
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 16, Chinks in the Armor of the Heart.
Hello, and welcome to my review of the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex. In episode sixteen, Batou has some emotional issues to take care of while still taking care of business. Not an […]
The Gun, 1952. Philip K. Dick.
It is crucial that I try and understand the time in which Philip K. Dick began his writing career, and The Gun, 1952, is no exception. However, looking back in history, I am reminded that […]
Demolition Man, 1993. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 36.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 36. It feels fitting that a Sylvester Stallone film should follow my recent review of The Running Man, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Unfortunately, after only two […]
Dune, 1984. David Lynch.
Life has a way of surprising you when you least expect it, and you just have to sit back and soak it up. I never realised in 1990 as I waited for the premiere of […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 15, Time of the Machines.
Hello, and welcome to my review of the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex. In episode fifteen, the Tachikoma take centre stage in a story that asks, “What does it mean to be human?” […]
The Running Man, 1987. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 35.
Hello and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 35. The Running Man, directed by Paul Michael Glaser has taken me to some unexpected and rewarding places during my research, and it is a […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 14, Automated Capitalism.
Hello, and welcome to episode fourteen of my Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex review. Another stand-alone episode, and I didn’t think I would get much out of this one. However, a few moments […]
Ubik, 1969. Philip K. Dick.
I have been writing about some of Philip K. Dick’s short stories and adaptations for a few years now, and it is time that I started to take a closer look at his novels. I […]
V: The Original Mini-Series, 1983.
V: The Original Miniseries was a science-fiction two-part miniseries written and directed by Kenneth Johnson. Fifty saucer-shaped Motherships arrive on Earth, with the visitors declaring they come in peace. The visitors promise to share their […]
Flatliners, 1990. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 34.
Yesterday was Halloween, and what better way to celebrate my fascination with the dearly departed, horror and the things that go bump in the night? Obviously, Some of my favourite horror movies have a science-fiction […]
The Eyes Have It, 1953. Philip K. Dick.
It has been a while since I looked into the short stories of Philip K. Dick. However, I felt like something was missing something. And then I realised I love being inside the mind of […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 13, Unequal Terrorist.
Hello, and welcome to episode thirteen of my Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex review. As much as I have enjoyed the series up until now, the Unequal Terrorist has challenged my determination, but […]
Spaceballs, 1987. My Journey into Science Fiction part 33.
The fate of a planet and the future of a princess lie in the hands of the hero of this journey, Lone Starr Bill Pullman and his wingman Barf, John Candy. President Skroob Mel Brooks […]
Saga of a Star World, 1978. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 32.
Hello, and welcome back to my Journey into Science Fiction Part 32. I would like to call myself a Battlestar Galactica fan, but most of my memories came from watching the television show in the […]
The Matrix Reloaded, 2003. The Wachowskis.
The Matrix Reloaded was released on May 7th 2003, and was written and directed by the Wachowskis. It was the sequel to The Matrix 1999, with the third instalment, The Matrix Revolutions following six months […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 12, The Movie Directors Dream.
Someone once commented that trying to review this series one episode at a time could only fail, as it had many times before. I admit that this is not an easy undertaking, but I cannot […]
Brazil, 1985. Terry Gilliam.
I recently watched the dystopian dark comedy film Brazil and it completely blew my mind. It’s refreshing to see so much creativity in one film alone. However, this is not my first time on this […]
Star Trek Generations, 1994. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 31.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 31. Time was the theme of my last review, which also starred Malcolm McDowell. Now add some life lessons from Jack the Ripper, and you […]
Time After Time, 1979. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 30.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 30. Eggy Weggs, the Korova Milk Bar and Ultraviolence are the first things that come to mind when I think about actor Malcolm McDowell. However, […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 11, In the Forest of the Imagoes.
I am aware that I am slowly making my way through this series, but in a World of over indulgence, this slow pace is proving to be very fruitful. Before we get started, I would […]
A.I. Artificial Intelligence, 2001. Steven Spielberg.
Have you heard of the film critic Mark Kermode? In England, he has always made his way onto the television and radio stations to share his view on the latest celluloid delights. I guess he […]
Sweating the Small Stuff. The Matrix Comics, 20th Anniversary Edition.
Well, this review did have me sweating a bit, metaphorically speaking. Given that this story is only a couple of pages long, and we barely had a glimpse of the Matrix universe, I wondered if […]
The World, the Flesh and the Devil, 1959. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 29.
The Flesh, the World and the Devil is a 1959 American science fiction doomsday film. It was written and directed by Ranald MacDougall, distributed by Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, and failed to make back its 1.6 million […]
The Defenders, 1953. Philip K. Dick.
During eight years of Nuclear War, including eight years of Fear, Men, Women, and Children lived in underground bunkers waiting for a victory to cheer. Above, man-made machines fight to protect their makers, sending […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 10, A Perfect Day for a Jungle Cruise.
Well, it’s been a while since I last visited the stand-alone complex, but it’s good to be back. A Perfect Day for a Jungle Cruise was found to be too dramatic for some television studios, […]
The Quiet Earth,1985. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 28.
It’s 6:12 am, and Zac Hobson wakes up to a morning, unlike the one before it! No radio signal and a cold silence slowly pull Hobson towards a city that burns amongst the wreckage of […]
Hellraiser, 1987 and the Hellbound Heart, Clive Barker, 1986.
I have a feeling that I am not the only person who has decided to revisit some of Clive Barkers’ earlier work. After watching Hellraiser 2022, I could not help but go back and […]
Ghost in the Shell, 2017. Rupert Sanders.
I have been thinking about the Ghost in the Shell live-action movie recently. Even though I am only about ten episodes into the Stand Alone Complex, I am beginning to understand the characters and […]
Freejack, 1992. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 27.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 27. Freejack is a science fiction, cyberpunk action film directed by Geoff Murphy. The screenplay was written by Steven Pressfield, Ronald Shusett and Dan Gilroy, […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 9, The Man Who Dwells in the Shadows of the Net.
It’s great to be back in the world of the Standalone Complex. I feel like this project is taking its time, and reviewing one episode at a time amongst other projects is not an easy […]
The Crystal Crypt, 1954. Philip K. Dick.
Do you ever find yourself missing a moment in time that you didn’t experience? The Crystal Crypt made me nostalgic for times past. However, I will save those thoughts for my conclusion. The Crystal […]
Event Horizon, 1997. Paul W. S. Anderson.
Event Horizon didn’t have the best start to life, by losing money for Paramount. The budget for the film was around 60 million, and it only managed to bring in 45 million at the box […]
The Animatrix. Kid’s Story.
I have watched The Animatrix before, but apart from the Renaissance storyline, I don’t remember much about it. However, after watching this Kid’s Story, the memories came flooding right back, the fog lifted, and a […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 8, The Fortunate Ones.
Hello, and welcome to my review of the Stand Alone Complex. I’ve watched this episode a couple of times, only because it felt like a voiceless episode. However, with each viewing, I did notice little […]
Battlefield Earth, 2000. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 26.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 26. Battlefield Earth was directed by Roger Christian and is a science fiction film based on the 1982 novel by writer L. Ron Hubbard. The […]
Bits and Pieces Of Information. The Matrix Comics, 20th Anniversary Edition.
This is the first time I have revisited this project after watching Matrix Resurrections. First of all, I understand that some people didn’t enjoy the film, and that’s fine. To be honest, I was a […]
Galaxy Quest,1999. Dean Parisot.
Galaxy Quest is a 1999 science fiction comedy film, directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. The film didn’t make a huge impact at the box office due to […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 7, Idolator.
Hello, and welcome to my review of the Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. As expected, this episode is pretty light compared to the previous Laughing Man episodes. However, it was beautiful and action-packed […]
The Animatrix. The Second Renaissance, Part 1 and 2.
I thought it was time to go back inside The Matrix and watch two Animatrix episodes that gave this story some real depth. Morpheus tells Neo that he does not know which side struck first […]
Alien, 1979. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 25.
Hello, and welcome back to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 25. Alien, is a science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Dan O’Bannon. Alien was produced by Brandywine Productions and distributed […]
Second Variety, 1953. Philip K. Dick.
Earth is almost destroyed by a nuclear war, but the United Nations and the Soviet Union still fight amongst the dust. Victory is in sight, and as Russia begins to deliver its triumphant blow, […]
The Matrix, 1999. The Wachowskis.
The Matrix was written and directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and had a budget of $63 million, which is minimal compared to the $465.3 million it made at the box office. The film […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 6, The Copycat will Dance.
Hello, and welcome to my review of the Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. I have to say, watching these episodes one at a time is helping me appreciate the story a lot more […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 5, The Inviting Bird will Chant.
Hello, and welcome to my review of the Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode five is a little different from the previous episodes, but I did find out some cool things while watching […]
The Piper in the Woods, 1953. Philip K. Dick.
I’m a simple man, and I enjoy the simple things in life, our relationship with nature being one of those things. Funny, I also enjoy science fiction, but I barely care about technology. Don’t get […]
Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1984. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 24.
Hello and welcome back to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 24. Nineteen Eighty-Four is a British dystopian science fiction film, written and directed by Michael Radford, based on George Orwell’s 1949 novel of the […]
The War of the Worlds, 2005. Steven Spielberg.
Hello Earthlings, I hope you are well. It looks like I have found another project to work my way through. I recently watched The War of the Worlds, 1953, and I was surprised by […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 4. The Visual Device will Laugh.
Hello, and welcome to my review of the Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. It feels like I am starting to move into a deeper storyline with this series now. Maybe, I should have […]
Starchaser, The Legend of Orin, 1985. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 23.
Hello, and welcome back to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 23. Starchaser: The Legend of Orin is a film that I have watched before, in another life. Not literally, but something felt familiar as […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 3, Android and I.
Hello, and welcome to my review of Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. I will say episode three had me scratching my head at first, but in a good way, and I’m already finding […]
The War of the Worlds, 1953. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 22.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 22. The War of the Worlds, directed by Byron Haskin and produced by George Pal. The movie is loosely based on the H.G. Wells novel […]
Beyond the Door, 1954. Philip K. Dick.
Beyond the Door is a low fantasy short story by writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published in an issue of Fantastic Universe in January 1954. Larry Thomas begrudgingly buys his wife Doris a […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex, Episode 2, Testation.
Hello, and welcome back to my review of the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex, one episode at a time. I was nervous about starting this new project because I am new to […]
Sputnik 2020. Egor Abramenko.
Sputnik is a film I knew very little about before watching it. Okay, I guess the title is a bit of a giveaway, but I hadn’t watched any trailers or read any reviews beforehand. It […]
Life after the Navigator, 2020. Life After Movies.
I don’t know how, where, or when I became aware of a documentary called Life After Flash, but I do remember vividly that I had an urge to watch it right away. It was a […]
Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex, Episode 1, Section 9.
After watching Ghost in the Shell and the sequel Innocence, my interest in this world is very much alive. That said, I feel like I don’t know much about the universe and who created it? […]
Ready Player One, 2018. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 21.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 21. Ready Player One was co-produced and directed by Steven Speilberg. Ernest Cline also wrote the screenplay with Zak Penn. I’m not sure I have […]
Flight of the Navigator, 1986. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 20.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 20. Flight of the Navigator was directed by Randal Kleiser. The film stars Joey Cramer and Sarah Jessica Parker. Music by Alan Silvestri. Based on […]
Beyond Lies the Wub, 1952. Philip K. Dick.
Beyond Lies the Wub is a science fiction short by writer Philip K. Dick. It was his first published genre story, originally appearing in Planet Stories in July 1952. It was first collected in The […]
Ed Wood, 1994. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 19.
Hello, and welcome back to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 19. Ed Wood is an American biographical comedy-drama film, directed and produced by Tim Burton. The film stars Johnny Depp as the cult filmmaker, […]
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Episode 10, Kill all Others.
Written and directed by Dee Rees. Starring Mel Rodriguez as Philbert Noyce, Sarah Baker as Maggie Noyce, Jason Mitchell as Lenny, Glenn Morshower as Ed and Vera Farmiga as the Candidate. Good morning citizens. Productivity, […]
Scanners, 1981. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 18.
Hello, and welcome back to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 18. Scanners is a science fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg. The film stars Stephen Lack, Jennifer O’Neill, Michael Ironside, […]
Mr. Spaceship, 1953. Philip K. Dick.
A human brain-controlled spacecraft would mean mechanical perfection. This was accomplished, and something unforeseen: a strange entity called—Mr. Spaceship Mr. Spaceship was first published in 1953 in Imagination, Stories of Science and Fantasy Magazine, and […]
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Episode 9, Safe and Sound.
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams: Episode 9, Safe and Sound.
The Blob, 1988. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 17.
Hello, and welcome back to my Journey into Science Fiction Part 17. The Blob was directed by Chuck Russell, who shared screenwriting duties with Frank Darabont. The film received mixed reviews upon its release and […]
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Episode 8, Autofac.
Directed by Peter Horton. Written by Travis Beacham. Starring Juno Temple as Emily, Janelle Monae as Alice, David Lyons as Conrad Mission and Nick Eversman as Avishai. Production and Design. Another episode of Electric Dreams, […]
Dreamscape, 1984. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 16.
Hello, and welcome back to my Journey into Science-Fiction Part 16. Dreamscape was directed by Joseph Ruben, and the screenplay was written by David Loughrey and Chuck Russell. The movie is based on the […]
Life After Flash, 2017. Life After Movies.
Life After Flash is a documentary directed by Lisa Downs and was four years in the making. The film looks at the life of Sam J. Jones and his iconic role as Flash Gordon, and […]
Enemy Mine, 1985. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 15.
Hello, and welcome back to my Journey into Science Fiction Part 15. Enemy Mine was directed by Wolfgang Petersen and is based on the novel of the same name by Barry B. Longyear. The […]
The Fly, 1986. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 14.
Hello, and welcome to my Journey into Science Fiction Part 14. The Fly began life as a short story written by George Langelaan. It was first published in an issue of Playboy in 1957. […]
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. 2004. Mamoru Oshii.
Last year, I decided to watch and review Ghost in the Shell for the first time and I enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately, one of the criticisms I received was that I didn’t research […]
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Episode 7, A Father Thing.
Directed and written by Michael Dinner. Starring Greg Kinnear as The Father, Mireille Enos as The Mother and Jack Gore as Charlie Cotrell. Production and Design. Something fascinating happened when I started to watch this […]
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, 1984. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 13.
My Journey into #Science-Fiction Part:13
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Episode 6, Human Is.
Directed by Francesco Gregorini. Written by Jessica Mecklenburg. Starring Bryan Cranston as Silas Herrick, and Essie Davis as Vera Herrick. Production and Design. In the year, 2550, Terra seems resourceful yet mundane, a little too […]
Robocop, 1987. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 12.
Hello, and welcome back to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 12. Robocop, 1987 was directed by Paul Verhoeven, and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Marketing the film was difficult, as the title […]
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Episode 5, Real Life.
Director, Jeffrey Reiner. Writer, Ronald D. Moore. Starring Anna Paquin as Sarah, Terrence Howard as George, Rachelle Lefevre as Katie. Production and Design. First of all, I’m happy that we now have an American episode […]
The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 11.
Hello, and welcome into My Journey into Science Fiction Part 11. David Bowie is the very first music artist I can remember as a child. If I remember correctly, it was his album Aladdin Sane […]
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Episode 4, Crazy Diamond.
Director, Marc Munden. Writer, Tony Grisoni. Starring Steve Buscemi as Ed Morris, Sidse Babett Knundsen as Jill and Julia Davis as Sally Morris. Production and Design. Crazy Diamond is a beautiful episode, and the composition […]
Twelve Monkeys, 1995. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 10.
Hello, and welcome to Journey into Science Fiction Part 10. 12 Monkeys is a 1995 American science fiction thriller film and was directed by Terry Gilliam. The screenplay was written by David and Janet Peoples […]
Philip K. Dick’s, Electric Dreams. Episode 3, The Commuter.
THE COMMUTER. DIRECTED BY TOM HARPER. STARRING TIMOTHY SPALL, AS ED JACOBSON, and Tuppence Middleton as Linda. Production and Design. The Commuter is vastly different from the two previous episodes that I have watched from […]
Yellow Submarine, 1968. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 9.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 9. I know The Yellow Submarine, 1968 is more fantasy than science fiction, but it is also pretty mind-bending, so it works for me. The […]
Philip K. Dick’s, Electric Dreams. Episode 2, Impossible Planet.
IMPOSSIBLE PLANET. DIRECTED BY David Farr. STARRING Geraldine Chaplin as IRMA, Benedict Wong as ANDREWS and Jack Reynor as NORTON. Production and Design. As I move into the second episode of Electric Dreams, I am pleasantly surprised at how different […]
Children of Men, 2006. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 8.
Children of Men, 2006 was written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The movie is a dystopian action thriller, based on the novel, The Children of Men by P.D James. The film stars Clive Owen, and […]
Philip K. Dick’s, Electric Dreams. Episode 1, The Hood Maker.
Hello, and welcome to my very first review of Electric Dreams. The ten episode series is inspired by Philip K. Dick’s renowned short stories. In England, the series was shown on Channel 4. The channel […]
A Scanner Darkly, 2006. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 7.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 7. A Scanner Darkly was directed by Richard Linklater, and based on a book by the same name, by Philip K. Dick. The film stars, […]
Iconic Films: Das Boot, 1981.
Das Boot, 1981, is a German war film, written and directed by Wolfgang Peterson. It was the second most expensive German film ever made, behind Metropolis, 1927. The movie was not an overnight success, but […]
The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951, My Journey into Science Fiction Part 6.
Hello, and welcome to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 6. There is something wonderful about black and white science-fiction films, and The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951 is no exception. The movie was […]
Flash Gordon, 1980. Mike Hodges.
I have just realised that it must be over twenty years since I watched Flash Gordon, 1980. The film was Directed by Mike Hodges, Produced by legendary figure, Dino De Laurentiis and Written by Lorenzo […]
Star Trek First Contact, 1996. My journey into Science Fiction Part 5.
My Journey into Science-Fiction Part 5
The Orville, Season One Review.
When Star Trek Discovery first aired last September, Seth MacFarlane released his own Star Trek inspired TV show called The Orville. It’s no mistake, that I’m only now watching this show so long after Discovery […]
Ghost in the Shell, 1995. Mamoru Oshii.
A while ago I reviewed Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters Part 1. I enjoyed that, a lot, and it made me want to continue my anime journey. So, where better to start than Ghost in […]
Legend, 1985. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 4.
Hello, and welcome into My Journey into Science Fiction Part 4. Legend was directed by Ridley Scott, and written by William Hjortsberg. I guess I have made a terrible mistake to call this science fiction, […]
Starship Troopers 1997. Would You like to Know More?
There is nothing better than watching a film you know very little about, and it turns out to be really enjoyable. That happened to me when I watched Starship Troopers for the first time. It’s even […]
Blade Runner, 1982. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 3.
Hello, and Welcome to My journey into Science Fiction Part 3. The premise is simple, each review has to have a connection to the film that came before it. Blade Runner is a 1982 science […]
Predestination, 2014 Time is on My Side.
If anybody read my last review of Soylent Green, you would know about my interest in the world of Incredibly strange films. I look for a cult movie that seems to be loved by fans, […]
Lost in Space, 2018.Season One Review.
I have just finished the new remake of Lost in Space from Netflix. This is a spoiler free review, but I just wanted to go over a few things that impressed me from the show, and some […]
Soylent Green, 1973. The Story Remains The Same.
Incredibly Strange Films
The Rocketeer, 1991. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 2.
My Journey into Science Fiction.
What Happened to Monday, 2017. Tommy Wirkola.
What Happed to Monday!
Perhaps One Did Not Want To Be Loved So Much As To Be Understood. 