Paprika (2006)

Look, I can rewatch Inception anytime, but after my first viewing at the cinema, I remembered thinking, “The imagery wasn’t really that surreal for a movie about dreams.” Sure, there’s the city folding on itself, and the hallway zero gravity fight, but for the most part, it’s pretty standard stuff – the climax is a […]

Virtuosity (1995)

The wackiest aspect about Virtuosity (1995) is that SID 6.0 (Russell Crowe), a deadly computer program for virtual police training, is a composite of 183 serial killers. Only 183? It’s a bit like the number of multi-verses in The One – it could be a round number like 200, but that’s too neat. 183 sounds […]

The One (2001)

Jet Li kicking a SWAT team into the air in slow motion as Drowning Pool’s ‘Bodies’ thunders on the soundtrack is an iconic high point of The One (2001). While working as bullet-timecore (the special effect enhanced martial arts a clear indication of The Matrix’s impact), it also introduces audiences to what will be a […]

Virtual Assassin (1995)

Jacking into any sci-fi thriller with a cyberpunk vibe takes me further down the direct-to-video wormhole with Virtual Assassin (1995) aka Cyberjack, which would have a fixture on video shelves and in DVD bargain bins, and now thanks to YouTube and Tubi, it lives on to watch for free. Basically it’s a Die Hard knock-off […]

Outland (1981)

Peter Hyams wanted to make a western and so he set it in space with Outland (1981). From the title credits to the interiors, the aesthetic is clearly following the path of Ridley Scott’s Alien to the point where it feels like it takes place in the same galaxy and settles into a grimy, lived-in […]