Can we maybe call the year right now? Because unless Orson Scott Card appears before the preview audience of ENDER’S GAME to introduce everyone to his husband, there’s probably not going to be a better science fiction filmgoing experience than GRAVITY. Boldly pushing his long-take technique to the limit while filling the screen with stunningly realistic CG effects and a fluidly organic, mobile camera, director Alfonso Cuarón (along with his screenwriting partner and son, Jonás Cuarón), tells the tale of two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) struggling for survival in Earth orbit after their shuttle is destroyed, and in the process has created a revolutionary, and amazingly immersive, cinematic event.
Yes, Cinefantastique Online’s Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and Dan Persons dare to compare the film to the sine qua non of mind-blowing space adventures, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. They also explore how Cuarón blazes new trails in cinematic storytelling, and whether, pax AVATAR, the ultimate killer app for large format 3D film may finally have been created. (Here’s a hint: the film broke October box office records.)
Plus, Dan discusses his initial impressions of the horror comedy film BAD MILO, plus what’s coming to theaters this week.
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