Okay, I probably should have written about these Marvel/Netflix shows earlier, but I have to admit that I do a lot of writing about them on The Gospel Herald with my most recent article here. Even as I write about the first season of Jessica Jones, I am watching the second season of Daredevil. In case you don't know about these shows, Marvel made some deal with Netflix … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Jessica Jones
Speculative Fiction
Speculative Fiction Saturday: American Dad, Because Why Not?
I have to admit, that I don't really have much of a plan for this month as far as reviewing speculative fiction stuff is concerned. Still, like my review of Gravity Falls, last week, American Dad is pretty much a speculative fiction TV show. Of course, most would not classify it as that. For those who don't know, American Dad is from Seth MacFarlane's animation company, … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: American Dad, Because Why Not?
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Gravity Falls
When I was reviewing Avatar: The Last Airbender, I mentioned that I wished every show was like it. I have now discovered another series that is just as good, and I want to share what it is that makes a good speculative fiction series: 1) Great Characters Personally, if you can think of any great story, it really is about how deep and great the characters are. The main … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Gravity Falls
Speculative Fiction Saturday: A Nightmare Before Christmas
Considering that Christmas is coming up, I figure I should probably review a speculative fiction Christmas movie. Something that I realized the other day that a lot of Christmas stories have nothing to do with Christmas. I mean, if you think about It's a Wonderful Life, it really is about a guy who realizes that everyone has a destiny. The story just happens to take place on … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: A Nightmare Before Christmas
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Fantastic Four
Some of you might remember when I did my review of CHAPPiE that I tried to say something positive about it, even though that on the whole, I didn't like the film. The issue with Fantastic Four is I have never seen any film that is so thoroughly disengaging. It's pretty clear why Marvel wanted to do a Fantastic Four movie, and yes, money is one of the reasons. The … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Fantastic Four
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Ant-Man, a silly yet serious superhero film
These days, Marvel just isn't satisfied with one big superhero film a summer, and these days there are at least three. This one, Ant-Man, was a big question mark for audiences, as it feels like something that Marvel didn't expect much from. The issue is that it delivers more than a lot of other superhero films, and there are parts of Ant-Man that are better than Avengers: Age … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Ant-Man, a silly yet serious superhero film
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Big Hero 6
This will be the last film that I will talk about this year, but I don't think it is really the best. This isn't to say that Big Hero 6 is a bad movie, as it does stand out in a world full of superhero movies. The fact that it is Disney, owner of Marvel, the king of superhero movies makes it self-aware. "Self-aware" is one of those terms thrown about by Internet critics … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Big Hero 6
Speculative Fiction Saturday: How to Train Your Dragon 2
I'll admit that I only somewhat liked How To Train Your Dragon (the original) when it first came out in 2010, but the more I watch it, the more it grows on me. I always felt that Hollywood needs a good "dragon" movie, something quintessential. I mean, when you think space opera, you think Star Wars. When you think fantasy, you think Lord of the Rings. When you think … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Lucy
Lucy is a film that showed up last summer, and it looked kind of promising, but it also looked like another superhero movie. Yes, there are a lot of them these days. I'm not certain if you know this, but Marvel films has a lot of movies coming out based in its own universe, then DC has a whole bunch coming out as well. In fact, the next few years is so full of superhero … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Lucy
Speculative Fiction Saturday, Miyazaki Month: Spirited Away
Okay, today's film could be considered Miyazaki's best, as it did win an Oscar. It actually beat out several others like Monsters, Inc. and was the first anime to receive this award. Spirited Away is really one of the most mysterious films of Miyazaki, and I'll do my best to try and interpret what it means. Let's start from the beginning. Chihiro is an ordinary girl who … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday, Miyazaki Month: Spirited Away
Speculative Fiction Saturday, Miyazaki Month: Ponyo
I will be honest that I don't think that Ponyo is the worst Miyazaki film that I have ever seen, but it is the one that I probably like the least. However, it is still a very good movie. Like most Miyazaki films, the plot is pretty complicated for a film that looks like it is targeted for children. Of course, a lot of children's films like the ones from Disney and Pixar … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday, Miyazaki Month: Ponyo
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Samurai Jack
I suppose that I will continue with my review of animated shows that I like, and get to one of the most ambitious ever created: Samurai Jack. This was one of the Cartoon Network's greatest shows, and I'm not certain why it didn't last longer and marketed more. I'll explain more what I mean later, but if you aren't familiar with Samurai Jack, it had a unique premise. It … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Samurai Jack
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Generator Rex
I finished last month's line of films with my theme of weird independent films, so I'm not really certain what theme I want to go with this time. I suppose that I could talk about my favorite animated speculative fiction shows, but I have to admit that Generator Rex would not make this list. I remember the first day that I turned it on and watched it. It is weird to … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Generator Rex
Speculative Fiction Saturday: The Tree of Life
Okay, this week's film is so not speculative, I'm not even certain whether I should even begin to report on it. I seem to recall in many reviews that I have done before that I am tired of reviewing films that are only speculative because they have some fantastic elements in them. The film The Tree of Life is kind of renowned for being ultra, ultra experimental. However, … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: The Tree of Life
Speculative Fiction Saturday: Mr. Nobody
It seems that my Speculative Fiction Saturday has been doing "theme" months. One month, it was the films of Pixar, then the next month, it was the films of Terry Gilliam. I'm not certain what to call this month, I'm going to call it the 4 "I's" films. These films are independent (not backed by a major studio), innovative (not like films from a major studio), and inconsistent … [Read more...] about Speculative Fiction Saturday: Mr. Nobody