Symptom 47: More Human Than Human

Phillip K. Dick Month concludes with our discussion of Blade Runner 2049. We both love this movie. This movie, and the 1982 Blade Runner - are the movies Ragemaster and I have been asking for over the last year. Blade Runner 2049 is a heady, deep, high science fiction masterpiece that is visually amazing and inventive, as well as being immersive. It discusses no less than what it means to be human, otherwise as the meaning of life. It also deals with sub themes of slavery, class divisions and the importance of ecological responsibility. It does this while being entertaining and emotionally investing the viewer in the characters on screen. 

Blade Runner 2049 is, for my money, a perfect science fiction movie. Not perfect for what it set out to be, but simply a perfect movie. 

Symptom 46: Do Androids Have Nightmares Of Blade Runners?

Phillip K. Dick month rolls on. This week we discuss the 1982 tour de force - Blade Runner and the novel that inspired it - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Both the movie and the novel are fantastic. Both tell deeply impactful stories examining what it means to be human and what makes one uniquely human. The movie however, is a work of art. We have clamored on this podcast for a year for movies that tell the story non-verbally, with layered symbolism and meaning that can only become truly clear upon multiple viewings. Blade Runner is the movie that I at least (Scott) have been asking modern film makers to emulate. 

This one runs a little long because well, there is so much to unpack but I think there is enough good stuff in here that it won't seem that long to you. 

Phillip K. Dick month concludes next week with a discussion of Blade Runner 2049 and then we will move onto Star Wars December - and i think the reason is obvious. 

Symptom 45: Agatha - The Precog Who Wasn't And Whose Mom Is Ann Lively - Who The Bleep Is Ann Lively?

PKD Month continues on Sci-Fi Malady. This week we review The short story and film - Minority Report...or The Minority Report, depending on which version we are talking about. Minority Report is another fine example of PKD's themes of a dystopian future where technology will be abused by those in power as well as examining the subjective nature of reality. At the heart of both the short story and movie is a great ethical conundrum - how many innocents would send to jail to save a single human life? How many to wipe out murder entirely? If you are John Anderton in the movie - none. If you are John Anderson in the story - as many as needed, murder has been eliminated so pre-crime works. 

Next week - probably Blade Runner - or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - depending on if we are talking about the movie or the book. 

And no - Android's don't dream of electric sheep. Data dreams of weird 1850's railroad workers, birds, anvils and his deceased creator. Star Trek settled this PKD.  Not electric sheep, weird railroad workers and birds.  

Symptom 44: See You At Party Richter

Symptom 44 kicks off our review of the works of Phillip K. Dick, legendary science fiction novelists and short story writer. Today we discuss his short story We Can Remember it For You Wholesale, or by its better known movie title Total Recall. We talk a little about PKD and his writing style and themes, the short story and mostly about the amazingly awesome movie that is 1990's Total Recall. 

Sci-Fi Malady Goes to Comicon

We had a great time at Akron Comicon this weekend. We met some great people, saw some awesome costumes and amazing displays.  While there we discussed the question of whether comics and superheroes are part of science fiction or their own genre. We also interview various con-goers and asked them the same questions. 

Thanks to everyone who talked to us and checked out our podcast. Special thanks to the 501st for speaking with us twice because I lost the first audio. Thanks to Akron Comicon for a great event. 

Symptom 43: Journey To The Upside Down

Horror Sci-Fi Month concludes with a discussion of Stranger Things season 1. Stranger Things is a master piece of horror with a science fiction twist as well as being an homage to traditional movie making styles. The Sci-Fi Malady crew unanimously agrees that this season one was amazing and we are all looking forward to season two.  So grab you 20 sided die and get ready to battle a demogorgon in the upside down - it is time to pull apart Stranger Things. 

Symptom 42: Ex Inferis

Horror month rolls on and this week Corey and Scott discuss the cult movie classic - Event Horizon. While nothing in this movie is original, it is well acted, visually immersive and loaded with terrifying dark imagery. It seems with Event Horizon there is very little middle ground, you either love the movie or you hate it, and both Corey and Scott love it, seeing it as an excellent example of sci-fi horror. For the Ragemaster's opinion, or at least a partial opinion, tune in Wednesday for an edition of Ragemaster Rips a Clip. 

So settle into your gravity couch and prepare to take a jump to Neptune Space - it is time to review Event Horizon 

Symptom 41: Searching For The Cyclopian City

Horror month continues! This week we discuss one of the masters of sci-fi horror, H.P. Lovecraft and the Call of Cthulu.  Lovecraft influenced many modern writers including Stephen King and had a unique, if verbose style. He was also horribly racist and we acknowledge this. Despite this hideous aspect of the man's personality we decided that if we are discussing sci-fi horror we must discuss the man who is largely seen as the founder of the genre. 

Here is Symptom 41: Searching for the Cyclopian City - a dark, chilling vision of a universe where mankind is not the top of the food chain and alien demons that cannot be killed or even comprehended are slumbering on Earth, waiting to be awakened to enslave and murder us all. 

Symptom 40: Jason In Spaaaaaace!

It is October and that means it is time to start discussing horror sci-fi. Kicking off horror month is our review of Jason Gets a Space Machete, I mean Jason kills a creepy professor, I mean Jason swings coed campers in sleeping bags like a baseball bat, I mean Jason Survives Reentry, maybe, or as its better known as - Jason in Space or by its theatrical release title - Jason X. 

Put your hockey mask on, make some popcorn and get ready for the crew's review of Jason X - someone really likes this movie, I won't spoiling it by saying who, I'd give a clue by saying he hates J.J. Abrams, but that really doesn't help much with this group. 

 

Symptom 39: It's For Your Own Good

Storytelling has multiple aspects.  One of the key aspects is world building. Some of the legends of science fiction - Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas and Frank Herbert are fantastic world builders, but they had flaws as storytellers in other areas.  In some cases taking full creative control away from a legend would have been better for the franchise (think Game of Thrones with HBO vs the books). In the case of Roddenberry his control was taken and we got Wrath of Kahn, DS9 and seasons 3-7 of TNG. We can only retroactively wish someone would have taken the dialogue writing away from Lucas and that Frank Herbert would have told that three 400 page novels setting up a two part conclusion was excessive. 

Symptom 39 discusses when legendary world builders need creative control taken away. 

Next week starts Horror Science Fiction month and we kick it off with a light spoof by reviewing Jason X. (Yes, not really sci-fi but its in spaaaaace so we say it qualifies)

 

Symptom 38: Rifting On Sci-Fi

Today's podcast is nerdier than usual and that is good. Today we are talking about Rifts - a game in the Paladium RPG family. Rifts is a science fiction/fantasy RPG set in a post apocalyptic Earth where aliens, magic users, psionic users, cyborgs, genetically enhanced humans, dragons, gods and more are battling for supremacy. If you can imagine it the story can be told in Rifts. Nothing serious today, so grab your D20, role a save vs nerdom and listen in to a fun filled hour of discussing Rifts.

Symptom 37: To Boldly Blaze The Great Bird's Path

Seth McFarland has launched the Orville - and, it is something. It is two parts family guy and one part Star Trek fan fiction.  Somewhere in this rambling A.D.D. fest called a television are some basic science fiction concepts but they are lost in the woods of dick jokes, a man complaining about this ex wife and Captain Brian the Dog arguing with helmsman not Stewie.

Here is Symptom 37 where Ragemaster and I breakdown whatever the Orville is.

Symptom 36: Bite My Shiny Metal Future

Time for some light hearted discussion of a cartoon, and great cartoon at that. This week on Sci-Fi Malady we are discussing Futurama. No detailed analysis of meanings or messages, critiquing of writing or direction, just an hour long discussion about future, what we like about it and how it is an awesome parody the entirety of science fiction as a genre.

Damn it, that's finding a meaning or discussing writing style isn't it?  Ok, so we mostly discussed what we like about Futurama and why its awesome and funny.

Symptom 35: In Defense Of Star Trek: The Motion Picture

So RageMaster and Corey are out again this week, which means I continue reviewing the so called bad Star Trek odd numbered Star Trek movies. This week it is Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This movie is roundly hated by most for being slow and lacking action. They are not wrong that movie is slow and lacking action, they are wrong that the pacing and dialogue driven story makes it a bad movie. 

The story is essential for the character of Spock and has a simple message that attempts to answer to question humanity has been asking for all of time - what is the meaning of life. 

I challenge you to listen to Symptom 35 and then rematch The Motion Picture, its not as bad as you might remember. 

Symptom 34: We're Looking At You J.J.

So this podcast idea started life conceptually as a discussion of proper writing techniques and how the Star Wars Expanded Universe writers failed to employ them. It transformed into a bashing of Star Wars Episode 7, Rogue One and the author Chuck Wendig. 

Rage master found a Gizmodo article that referenced the writers guide for the West End Games Star Wars roleplaying game. It emphasized such pro tips as: don't rely on cliches, don't discuss the past, don't write Anakin Skywalker's back story, don't write about the purge of the Jedi and don't invent the next biggest and baddest thing ever. 

These are great tips for writers diving into the expanded universe of a franchise like Star Wars. The books will always be the sideshow to the main show - the movies. So to avoid having your novel become completely irrelevant, don't write something like oh say, Chewie dying saving Han's son Anakin, because, well, the new movie might come after set after that book with a very alive Chewie and Han and Leia having only one child (well maybe only one child) name Ben. Oops. 

We however, being ourselves, could not resist pointing out where Episode 7 and Rogue One failed in handling the tips that should apply to all writing - cliches, the biggest and baddest, know the history of the franchise you are writing for, etc. 

So here's Symptom 34 - a return to one of our favorite things - crapping on JJ Abrams, because he is, a douche. 

Symptom 33: Mother Nature Strikes Back

This week we are discussing disaster movies, particularly Armageddon and Deep Blue Sea.  Ragemaster hates them both, Scott attempts to defend Armageddon as an action/thriller movie.  Disaster movies, or extinction level event movies tend to be excellent fast paced thrillers and do well at the box office, because they deal with high intensity human emotions. They tend to be horrible science fiction because generally the science needed to save the day is, well, less believable than if we cloned Merlin to wave a magic wand and mother nature and make her behave. There is your problem. There is no science that save Earth from  a gamma ray burst, if the core stopped spinning, we would just die, and if we didn't see an asteroid the size of Texas until is passes Mars, well, good bye civilization as we know it, but that doesn't make for a very good film so, wizardtastic!

Enjoy Symptom 33. I did some cringeworthy lingual gymnastics to try to salvage Armageddon, a pretty much universally reviled film, that I may regret later. Should just said, ah, its a guilty pleasure and ripped it. 

Symptom 32: Role Playing Royalty, The Interview With Tim Kask!

This week is a treat for our sickies who happen to be  tabletop gamers.  We had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Kask, one of the founders of TSR and Dungeons and Dragons.  Dungeons and Dragons went on to inspire countless stories and games and created a generation of friendships.  If you like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, or even modern sci-fi, you can thank individuals like Tim for taking the risk to create.