When the trailer for Life came out I knew this was one movie I had to see. I grew up on Science Fiction movies, in fact my childhood movie list included movies such as The Thing and Aliens. As I grew older I would watch those films and remember the joy of seeing them and the little bit of terror I felt as the big scary monster appeared.
With the advancement of computer graphics, and motion capture. Science Fiction movies needed a new edge in the ever growing world of movies based on terrible Young Adult Books. It needed to recapture the terror that caused audiences to shrink down in their seats when the monster appeared. Or even worse when the monster was just lurking in the background right behind a character.
Life written by Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese is just such a movie. It recaptures the terror of Ridley Scott’s Alien, a movie that changed the Science Fiction genre. The story is set in modern day with an international group of astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The crew consists of Dr. David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), an army doctor who loves being in outer space after witnessing the horrors of war. Dr Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson), a british doctor and a member of the CDC. Rory “Roy” Adams (Ryan Reynolds) a wise cracking pilot. Sho Kendo (Hiroyuki Sanada) the station’s engineer. Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare) a paraplegic scientist and their commander Katerina Golovkina (Olga Dihovichnaya).
They retrieve a capsule containing soil samples from Mars. As they study the samples they find a single cell organism, which is named Calvin. As time progresses Calvin starts to grow and react to stimulus. All seems to be going well; Sho even witnesses the birth of his daughter Mei via video chat. However an accident in the lab seems to cause Calvin to go into a hibernation state. The crew decides to try giving Calvin an electrical shock to wake it back up. As Roy puts it they ‘shock the monkey’ which causes Calvin to attack Hugh and break free of its confinement and run amok aboard the space station.
The terror begins as Calvin starts to kill of crew members in brutal and stomach churching ways. In fact I am still gagging in terror from the first gruesome death scene an hour after watching. The crew now must find a way to kill Calvin before he kills them all and possibly even finds a way to Earth.
Space is a beautiful yet terrifying place. There is no oxygen, there’s no gravity and without heat, a human will freeze to death. Going out into space is also dangerous in itself, one mistake even the smallest can kill an astronaut. This helps increase the fear of the movie being trapped in a place where even going out means a slow painful death.
Gyllenhaal and Reynolds compliment each other perfectly in this film. Reynolds keeps to his method of being a wise cracking extrovert and Gyllenhaal plays the opposite a broken yet introvert. They don’t overpower one another and blend well in this film, it would be interesting to see them in other movies with the same methods perhaps even a buddy cop movie.
For me, while I enjoyed this film, my technical brain and somewhat limited knowledge of how NASA conducts things pulled me a bit away from this movie. There were certain plot holes that cause the little voice in my head to go ‘yeah that’s not right’ or ‘how does Calvin know about…’
Life is a movie of pure thrill and terror on the same level as the Alien series, however the ending will leave you with a pit in your stomach as the closing credits roll. If you are a Science Fiction horror fan itching for some good terror before Alien: Covenant comes out this is one movie you need to see.
Rating 99/100
Gaming
Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount
There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.
As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.
The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, have been in discussions about teaming up for a joint bid to acquire Paramount, people familiar with the situation said Thursday. https://t.co/qN86H4y7Va
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 18, 2024
The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.
What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Geek Culture
Fallout Season 2 has been confirmed as the show continues to captivate audiences, making it one of Amazon’s most-watched series
Amazon has just made the exciting announcement that a second season of the highly acclaimed Fallout TV adaptation is in the works. Fans can look forward to another thrilling installment of the series, which will be exclusively available on the Amazon Prime streaming service. Confirmation has arrived regarding the second batch of episodes for the series, following the acquisition of $25 million in Californian tax credits.
In just four days after its release, Fallout has already captivated audiences, quickly becoming one of Amazon Prime’s most-watched TV shows of all time. It has garnered immense popularity, rivaling even the acclaimed season of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power.
Wouldn't want to keep you on the edge of your seat, now, would we?
See you back in the Wasteland for SEASON 2. pic.twitter.com/ULs6DEPHDW
— FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) April 18, 2024
The Fallout TV show has caused a massive surge in sales for the newer games, resulting in a staggering 7,500% increase in purchases of Fallout 4 in Europe. Fallout 76, Fallout 3, and Fallout: New Vegas were also among the top 10 best-selling games across the continent last week. Next week, the highly anticipated PS5 version of Fallout 4 will be released, offering players an enhanced visual experience with new graphical modes. Additionally, players can look forward to exciting new content from the Creation Club.
Considering the potential for character development and narrative arcs, it would be intriguing to see where season two takes Lucy, Maximus, and The Ghoul. Without revealing any spoilers, it’s exciting to speculate on the possible directions their stories could go. We would greatly appreciate your feedback in the comments section.
In the ongoing conflict against the Automaton invasion fleet, the Helldivers 2 players have successfully halted their advance. However, the situation has now reached a tiresome stalemate. Yet again, the machines refuse to take a break from their relentless pursuit of progress, with reports emerging of the Factory Striders being deployed in record-breaking quantities.
There have been reports of alleged machines that were supposedly encountered during Operation Swift Disassembly, which was just the beginning of a larger campaign. However, these accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are unverified and seem to be more on the imaginative side. Factory Striders have gained a reputation as formidable weapons platforms that can produce more Automatons while enduring significant damage. If the machines are able to withstand such a relentless assault, it will be necessary to develop innovative strategies.
Factory Striders have made a resurgence on the Automaton front. These imposing, massive support dreadnoughts now threaten freedom and democracy throughout the galactic rim. pic.twitter.com/XRTPU7k71s
— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) April 16, 2024
Have you come across groups of Factory Striders in Helldivers 2? Which strategies are proving to be the most effective in taking down these armored brutes? The Orbital Railcannon Strike will prove to be a valuable asset in the comments section below.
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