Time Warp
Now Playing: The 2005 Sci-Fi Marathon
Due to an irregularity in numbering, no one could agree whether this was the 15th or the 22nd annual 24 Hour Science Fiction Marathon that transpired this weekend at the Drexel Grandview theatre. Personally, it was my fourth, and that there were people there who have been going for much longer than I have is enough explanation for me. The marathon kicked off, as usual, with DUCK DODGERS IN THE 24 1/2 CENTURY, which of course needs no introduction.

The first feature on the program was the original MOTHRA, which I enjoyed a little less than I should have probably because I saw the original GODZILLA on Friday night. Still, I was entertained by it, particularly by director Ishiro Honda's critique of America's plundering of world culture, as manifested in the film's Caucasian-looking villain, who steals two "tiny beauties" from a Pacific island and forces them to sing for big crowds, incurring the wrath of the title creature. Rating: **1/2.

PRIMER was the marathon's second feature and, to my mind, easily the best I saw there. In fact, I'd go so far as to call it the best sci-fi in years, in no small part because the science of it is completely convincing, in its own way. The film's storytelling is a little unclear in spots, but that's the point of the film, since the main characters (who essentially tie time in knots) are never quite clear about what's going on either. All I can say is that I was captivated throughout, and I'll write more on the film when I see it again, which will be as soon as possible. Rating: ***1/2.

STEAMBOY was the first disappointment of the day, an ambitious animated adventure that failed to sustain my interest. I enjoyed Otomo's AKIRA, but here he bites off too much, lavishing all his attention on re-creating a Victorian England in which some scientists might have considered steam a viable alternative to coal-burning, but bogging down the images in a plot that drags on and on. Also, points deducted for the supremely annoying supporting character of a young rich girl who always manages to pop up at inopportune moments. Rating: *1/2.

In the dubious tradition of ROBOT MONSTER comes FIRE MAIDENS FROM OUTER SPACE, a bargain-basement adventure story about a group of astronauts landing on a planet peopled by escapees from Atlantis, all of but one them attractive young women. The film doesn't even try to disguise its male fantasy aspects (an early scene pauses the action to follow a female secretary walking out of the room) or its no-budget production values (some of the insert shots are still photographs), but while it's not as awful as ROBOT MONSTER, it's nowhere near as bizarrely memorable either. Rating: *.

Next came the classic fiasco THE APPLE, a kind of death-of-disco-era FAUST set in 1994. What begins as a crazed extravaganza in the vein of XANADA turns out to be a disco-sucks movie, in which pop success comes from selling one's soul to a diabolical super-agent, and the protagonists end up finding salvation by hiding out with hippies. The songs are awful, the direction is terrible, and the performances generally range from forgettable to shrill, but the film is memorable as a warped Euro-trash vision of American pop culture. Rating: *1/2.

Michael Winterbottom's CODE 46 was a decidedly audience-unfriendly choice for a middle-of-the-night spot, not just because it's only slightly less action-packed than PRIMER but also because it's a fairly mediocre film. Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton are pretty good as a professional empath and the document-forger he loves, and Winterbottom's vision of a more culturally-integrated future world is certainly thought-provoking. However, the film doesn't really take off from the promise of its performances and setting, and the affair between the two principal characters (complete with a gratuitous closeup of Morton's genitalia) isn't particularly compelling. File this under "missed opportunity." Rating: **.

Due to print problems, the marathon's scheduled screening of the original ROLLERBALL was cancelled, and the last-minute surprise replacement was THE ABYSS. Thankfully, I like THE ABYSS and it's been a while since I watched it, so I didn't mind too much. In some respect, THE ABYSS is James Cameron's most mature work, utilizing Michael Biehn's crazed Navy SEAL villain as a critique of Cameron's tendency towards type-A macho action heroes. At the same time, the "NTIs" in the film feel like a manifestation of Cameron's own scientific curiosity, the hoped-for outcome of his undersea exploration and the stint on MIR that he hopes to take in the future. Also, Ed Harris' performance holds up very well. Rating: ***.

AT THE EARTH'S CORE was the final film I stayed for, although I nodded off in a few parts so I can't give a full assessment. What I saw was pretty uninspired, with hero Doug McClure and sidekick Peter Cushing burrowing down in the Earth and finding a civilization of humans enslaved by pterodactyl-like captors. Pretty much your basic paint-by-numbers adventure, with McClure uniting the warring tribes, fighting laughable-looking monsters, falling in love with a beautiful princess, and generally saving the day.

I left about ten minutes into the MATRIX spoof THE HELIX LOADED, a dirt-cheap parody full of stoner humor that didn't generate a single laugh from me the whole time I watched it. Still to come were SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, which I've seen, and FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, which didn't sound interesting enough to make me stick around.

All in all, a pretty good marathon, but with a bit too much schlock and not enough real classic sci-fi to balance it out. Still, the only real disappointment for me was that they couldn't show the marathon favorite GRAVITY. Ah well, I've seen it enough, I suppose.