Category: Movies

Action, Inspirations, JJ Abrams, Movie Review, Movies, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Thriller

SF Author Timothy S. Johnston Looks Back at STAR TREK (2009)

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STAR TREK (2009): A PERFECT REBOOT AND A SOARING THRILL-RIDE

(Originally published by TrekWeb on 14 February 2012)

J.J. Abrams and writers Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman did in 2009 what I thought impossible: they rebooted a franchise with over forty years of history, including seventy-nine episodes, six motion pictures, four spinoffs, an animated series, countless books, comics, video games, and references in popular culture. It seemed a task that only a fool would tackle. To face the criticism of rabid fans — a group in which I include myself — and the most critical eyes focused on every bit of the film, including story, f/x, sound, acting and music, a failure could have potentially resulted in complete disaster for the franchise and also the death of careers. But J.J. & Co. faced it head on, with fresh eyes, a new perspective, and with intense creativity.

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Movie Review, Movies, OSCARs

Decoding THE IMITATION GAME: Fact and Fiction in the Film and Alan Turing’s Place in the SF Genre

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“Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.”

The above phrase is spoken no less than three times in the film, and once in the trailer. It’s an important part of the movie THE IMITATION GAME, directed by Morten Tyldum and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly. Put more simply, it could be said that sometimes people ignored early in life can end up surprising you.

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Action, Character Development, Horror, Inspirations, James Cameron, JJ Abrams, Movies, Science Fiction, The 1980's, The Terminator, Thriller

Where Has the Character-Driven Action Film Gone?

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#Thriller #Action #Movies

First, I have to define the concept. A “Character-Driven Action Film” would be a sub-category of the action genre, set in any time or place that focuses on the character and history of the leads as much as it does on the action elements of the story. Simple enough, right? Right.

So where have these movies gone?

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Action, Blockbuster, Character Development, Horror, Inspirations, James Cameron, Movies, Science Fiction, Suspense, TechnoThriller, The 1980's, The Terminator, Thriller, Writing

TSJ on THE TERMINATOR

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I watched THE TERMINATOR on the weekend.

I had to.

It was calling me.

I use the phrases “watershed film” or “watershed book” quite a lot. That’s the point of this entire blog. What are the movies/books/tv shows that influenced me in the years leading to my first attempts at writing fiction? Hell, even the name of this blog — “Life After Gateway” — is a nod to my favorite Science Fiction novel. This blog is dedicated to the books and movies that inspired me in my creative/formative years. A few TV series, some fantastic authors, and a small selection of short stories helped along the way. Certain teachers were invaluable too.

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Horror, Imposter Theme, John Carpenter, Movies, Science Fiction, The Thing, Thriller, Writing

On Horror and Science Fiction Influences

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A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of participating in a radio program with host Gail Barker.  I spoke about Horror/Science Fiction movies and how they inspired me to write.  Movies like ALIEN and THE THING.  In the 1980’s, during my most formative years developing my creativity, a wave of slasher films hit theaters.  Parents hated them, but believe it or not, they taught me about the importance of emotion in all stories, regardless of genre.

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