If there was ever a movie to convince you of the value of practical effects, this is it. John Carpenter's fantastic, ice cold invasion of the body snatchers, featuring some DOGS. Cameron speaks with editor Ben Surber about why this movie and its soundtrack have stood the test of time.
originally aired on WRIR in December 2018.
"One day I got bored, so I put everything on a bagel. Everything"
Enter the many dimensions of humor, family drama and Michelle Yeoh's badass kung fu skills as Cameron dives in to review EEAAO with distinguished AI researcher Dr. Kerry McInerney.
If you haven’t seen Everything Everywhere All At Once, here’s a quick overview:Released in 2022, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a sci-fi multiverse comedy, family drama, action film written and directed by The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Shienerdt). The film centers around Eveleyn Wang (Michele Yeoh) a 50-something chinese immigrant who runs a failing laundromat with her husband Waymond (played by Key Huy Kwan), who is struggling to connect with her daughter Joy (who is gay). As their IRS audit begins to lean towards disaster, Evelyn is suddenly called to adventure by a Waymond from another dimension, as the only woman who can fight the evil “Jobu TObacki” and save the entire multiverse. What proceeds is equal parts absurdist bathroom humor and a heartwarming story of family, acceptance and love.
About our Guest:
Kerry McInerney is a research associate at Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, where she researches AI from the perspective of gender studies, critical race theory, and Asian diaspora studies.
Her scholarship has appeared in journals such as Feminist Review, Public Understanding of Science, and Philosophy and Technology. Her work on AI-powered hiring tools has also been covered by media outlets like the BBC, Forbes, the Register, and the Daily Mail.
She also hosts the incredible podcast “The Good Robot” with Dr. Eleanor Drage, dissecting the cross section of AI and gender with the question “What is GOOD technology?”. Please go check this podcast out after you finish listening to this episode!
A SPECIAL RE-AIRING OF OUR SECOND EPISODE EVER! Recorded in September 2019 in WRIR studios, Cameron sat down with cinematographer Bill Ku to talk about the visually stunning “Forbidden Planet” - a landmark film in science-fiction cinema. It's Robby the Robot time, the Tempest in Space, and who would have thought Leslie Nielsen could be such a sensitive man?
Find more about Bill Ku:
https://www.elementalvisuals.com/
https://www.instagram.com/elevisu/
Film summary:
In this sci-fi classic, a spacecraft travels to the distant planet Altair IV to discover the fate of a group of scientists sent there decades earlier. When Commander John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his crew arrive, they discover only two people: Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter, Altaira (Anne Francis), who was born on the remote planet. Soon, Adams begins to uncover the mystery of what happened on Altair IV, and why Morbius and Altaira are the sole survivors.
It’s time to talk PRAWNS! Cameron with return super-guests Noah Scalin and Victor Koressel discuss “District 9” from 2009. This movie had just as many SFX shots as a transformers movie for ⅕ the budget, and it packs a punch like no other sci fi film! With a totally unique approach, Neill Blomkamp and his wife Terri crafted a story of alien encounters in Johannesburg South Africa, where Aliens come and no one cares. Do you remember seeing this movie in theaters?
Summary:
Released in 2009 for Tristar films with the backing of Peter Jackson, District 9 was directed by Neill (with 2 Ls) Blomkamp and his wife Terri Tatchell, based on Neill’s short film “Alive in JoBurg.” Neill went on to direct Elysium and Chappie btw! District 8 takes place in a universe where refugee aliens with a bug-humanoid look, called “prawns”, land over Johanesburg in South Africa in 1982, where they are relegated to a massive slum, picking for scraps. The story begins in the 2010s, 28 years later, and follows Wikus Van Der Mere played by first time actor Sharlto Copley - a Michael Scott type government employee working alongside the weapons company MNU - Multi-National United to forcibly evict the 1.8 million “prawns” and move them to a concentration camp 200 kilometers outside the city. But when Wikus inhales alien power fluid during a shanty raid, he begins to metamorphasize into a prawn himself, setting off a bloody chain of events that will change both prawn and human history forever.
Check out Noah's art: https://www.noahscalin.com/
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Stephanie and Cameron discuss what is UNDER "Under the Skin" from the ethics of shooting with non-actors and hidden cameras to the art of movie posters. Have you seen this movie? What did you think of ScarJo's performance? Find us on Instagram to share your thoughts: @theycamefromouterspace_
Look at Steph's work:
Insta: @shdwbxng
Her event next Thursday: https://miskatonicinstitute.com/events/never-log-off-horror-and-the-internet-nyc/
Released in 2013 and directed by Jonathan Glazer, Under the Skin is a low budget sci fi that will make your skin crawl. The story follows an alien played by Scarlett Johansson (named “Laura” in the script) as she drives a white sprinter van around Scotland, looking for young men to coax into riding with her. When she has one, she drives him to her pitch-black lair and lures them into a dark pool of liquid so she can take their skins. As she continues this process, her “boss”, a motorcyclist, named in the script as “bad man”) inspects and cleans up after her. But after a series of human acts of kindness, Laura begins to rethink her job and makes a run for it. Will she make it in the land of the humans or return to her own kind?
And here is that AMAZING Making of Documentary we discussed: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8RkCg7ro0c
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This is EAGAN we're talking about! Cameron sits down with Seattle based 3D designer Alex Fiel to run through the many corridors of Apple TV's SEVERANCE, particularly the 3rd episode.
Released in February 2022, directed by Ben Stiller and written by showrunner Dan Erickson (+ many others,_ the third episode of 9-episode season 1 of severance iis titled “IN PERPETUITY”. In this episode new employee Helly R attempts to leave the Macrodata Refinement floor of Lumon’s severed floor, while Mark tries to keep it all together by taking his team on an underground fieldtrip to the “perpetuity wing” - a kind of corporate museum. By the end of the episode, Helly is locked in an orwellian chamber reading a “compunction statement” about how sorry she is. Mark searches for his friend Petey who had {unsevered himself. Will Helly resign her “inie” to her new life? Or continue to fight? Will Mark find the truth?
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Alex Fiel is a creative technologist based out of Seattle Washington, who graduated from University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology, Arts & Media in 2020. . He worked on everything from VR training, to helping a company update 20 year old branding and even making a TikTok for Domino's Pizza. He was even an exhibit designer at the Fiske Planetarium! A true nerd and futurist! My favorite piece of his is called “measuring time” where he turned a measuring tape into a working clock, but he works often in 3D and VR! Currently he works at ELLUMEN inc, which sounds suspiciously like LUMON inc.
ALIENS! THEY'RE IN THE WALLS!
Released in 1986 for 20th century fox this much awaited sequel to the Ridley Scott classic was directed by James Cameron and features Sigourney Weaver with an all new cast…Ripley is discovered in cryo sleep and wakes up 57 years after the horror aboard the Nostromo, only to find those DANG DASTARDLY capitalists are at it again, and have not only gone back to LV-426 but placed hundreds of workers there to terraform the planet. Despite her better judgement she is drafted to act as a consultant for a motley crew of space marines to go and rescue wat is left of the colony and try to escape alive.
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Meghan and Jon, a married sci fi couple, are well beloved by the sci fi community for starting and amazing book club simply called “The Sci Fi Book Club” which has grown from just a handful to THOUSANDS of members over the past 9 years. They read books and talk about them monthly on zoom and all year on discord. They also participated in the recent Brooklyn Sci Fi Film Festival as judges, and BOY was that one amazing festival!
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Special RE-AIRING from 2020!
Can you believe I still hadn't done the BEST MOVIE EVER? Pick up your Nokia phone and you shall hear a tale of two nerds delighting in trans subtext, lighting and cinematography techniques and the wonders of Hugo Weaving (among about 50 other things). Cinematographer Andrew Daugherty shares why this is a movie you can watch every day.
Aired on WRIR LP 97.3 FM Richmond Indie Radio on 03/19/20
Find out more about Andrew: https://www.andrewfilm.com/ or at @Dr00Film on insta!
Follow this show on instagram! @TheyCameFromOuterSpace_
Is this what a sick man looks like to you? Oh boy, it's the FLY. Cameron is joined by a fabulous two-guest panel to talk about the goop, the gore, the glory and the acting process that made Jeff Goldblum's performance so legendary. They also go in-dept into the short film "Chimera" which has swept awards in festivals across the country. Director Andrew Lee Ryan shares how he wrote the script for the film during Covid, while actor Terra Layne illuminates us with the story of how she came to the lead role and how she brought such a powerful performance.
Follow Andrew Lee Ryan: https://www.instagram.com/andrewleeryan/
Follow Terra Layne: https://www.instagram.com/terra_layne_/
You can also see what I look like and our guests look like by following the show on Instagram: TheyCameFromOuterSpace underscore
https://www.instagram.com/theycamefromouterspace_/
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Released in 1986 - “The Fly” was directed by David Cronenberg, adapted from the short story by George Langelaan. We follow the eccentric scientist Seth Brundle (played by Jeff Goldblum) as he meets and seduces science reporter Veronica Quaife (played by Geena Davis) by showing her his brand new invention - teleportation pods or “telepods”. But when Seth gets jealous of Veronica’s past, he drunkenly decides to send himself through the telepods, without realizing a fly has gotten in with him. As his body begins to transform into a human-fly hybrid or “brundlefly” - Veronica must choose how to help the man and monster she loves before it’s too late.
Who nearly dies of pleasure? Who seduces an angel? Who's the bird in the gilded cage? Who conveys love by hand? Who strips in space? Who will save the universe?
As Julia Reingold says, “It’s the audacity of it that we love, this movie got made!” Episode 56 explores sexuality in space through the lens of this utterly bonkers, fantastic dreamscape from Roger Vadim in 1968.
Find out more about Julia Reingold, comic creator and space matriarch here: https://www.juliareingold.com/
And follow TCFOS on instagram! https://www.instagram.com/theycamefromouterspace_/
Want to watch a movie about lower income black and brown kids that shows their humanity while they fight aliens? Actress, writer and award winning director Khanisha Foster offers a masterclass in storytelling as we dissect this 2011 London-based sci fi film.
Released in 2011, Attack the Block is a sci fi thriller Described by director Joe Cornish as “La Haine” meets “Alien”. Attack the Block stars a young John Boyega as Moses, the 15 year old leader of teen gang of five South London inner-city teens whose mugging of a well-off woman (played by Jodie Whittacker) gets interrupted by, that’s right, an alien invasion. Moses and the gang must arm themselves and protect the block, or get eaten.
Find out more about Khanisha here: https://www.khanishafoster.com/
Aliens, gators and bears oh my! Cameron is joined by filmmaker Chantelle Castillo to discuss this very TRIPPY all-girl mutation sci-fi film "Annihilation".
Released in 2018 for Paramount, Annihilation was written and directed by Alex Garland, adapted from the novel by Jeff VanDerMeer. It follows Biologist Lena, played by Natalie Portman, who in her search for clues about her husband Kane (played by Oscar Isaac) volunteers for an all-girl, all-scientist expedition into an alien zone called “the Shimmer” filled with rainbow light and deadly gators. As the shimmer begins to affect the team, Lena must find answers and way out before she too is absorbed by the mutating landscape.
How did the production design of this film affect our internal portrayal of the future? Cameron talks with art director, filmmaker and comedian Monk Hooper about why this Tom Cruise flick still holds fast in our minds. And don't worry, we are gonna TALK about Tom Cruise! Listen in for tips on making a world feel real with details, and some laughs.
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Guest: Monk Hooper
https://www.instagram.com/hoopseadoopsy/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8865457/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqdef3bEb_gu1wH5IWgBQYQ
“I Kill with my c*nt. You can write about it in Midnight Magazine.”
Released in 1982, Liquid Sky is a sexual sci fi thriller produced and directed by Slava Tsukerman. 40 years later and this movie is taking on things mainstream film is too afraid to touch. Women's bodies, gender, self expression, the other, all under a blaring 80s synth soundtrack.
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Madeleine Olnek is a writer, director and producer, known for her 2018 film “Wild Nights With Emily” starring Molly Shannon - famous for being the first ever queer portrayal of Emily Dickinson - in 2018! Madeleine got her start as a playwright, she wrote and directed over 24 original plays in downtown NYC. She has received dozens of awards and fellowships including the Jerome Foundation. She is a co-author of “The Practical Handbook for The Actor” which is required reading at many universities.
Don't be afraid! This episode features 'Melly Gibs' and some spooOOoooky aliens! Filmmaker Aaron Bartuska shares why he styles himself an "M. Night Shyamalan apologist" and why this film is worth watching 20 years later!
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Aaron Bartuska is a filmmaker from Philly, currently based in NYC.His debut feature film, “For Roger”, a slow burn horror film that takes place in the DV cam recordings of a young couple, has now been featured in 10 festivals and accepted to 3 more, including a highlight at UK’s Grimfest.
https://www.instagram.com/bartuskaaaron/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/aaronbartusk/media
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"Space belongs to 007" - In this landmark 50th EPISODE OF THE SHOW, Cameron interviews New York based filmmaker Joe Rocco Plescia on why this installment of the Bond films is still worth watching, how Roger Moore compares to the Daniel Craig era, and how to do great action on a budget.
You can follow Joe on Insta @jroccoplescia
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Filmmaker Skye King shares why this 1995 cult classic is so good, and SO FUN! Lori Petty, Malcolm McDowell and ICE T navigate the post apocalypse. This film, the 2nd in TCFOS's history to be directed by a woman, asks the question "If our world doesn't make sense, why should our protagonist?"
This movie is amazing and insane, and we love it. Tune in to hear about why musicals make sense in a fantasy post apocalypse.
EPISODE 1 Re-airing! Originally aired in September of 2018, this premiere episode of the show features Jeff Roll, who was VP of the James River Film Society for 5 years. to discuss The Day The Earth Stood Still. Directed by Robert Wise, this is the ultimate classic for sci-fi fans and starts off the show with Klaatu, the pacifist alien who lands in Washington DC to urge humans to live in peace.
“The film, based on Harry Bates's short story "Farewell to the Master," was made during the Cold War and only a few years after mankind witnessed the atomic bomb's devastation. A third world war possibly would mean the first nuclear war and unimaginable destruction.”
ZETUS LAPETUS! Joined by the incredible Eliana, it's time to break down what is widely regarded as the greatest Sci Fi film of the 20th century, the Disney-channel original movie, Zenon. Eliana discusses everything from horse symbolism to space capitalism, so grab your Y2K gear and tune in MAJOR!
Why does art matter? Why does independent cinema matter? Nathan Ludwig, director of the GenreBlast film festival, shares why this wild film has stuck with him and what independent filmmakers can learn from it.
Check out Nathan's awesome podcast "The Reel '96".
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Released in 1989, Tetsuo the Iron Man was directd by Shinya Tsukamoto. It is a body horror fever dream- and a black and white cyberpunk cult classic. A classic salaryman accidentally kills a man called “the metal fetishist” and embarks on a nightmarish journey as he turns into a beast made of metal. In this we have classic robot fights, surreal stop motion and a very very bloody intercourse scene all in 67 minutes. It’s incredible, unique and asks the question “when does technology go too far?”
