Movie: Alien: Romulus Colonizes Our Summer

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: 20th Century Studios

So far it has been a pretty boring summer in terms of space-related movies, but that will change in August with the release of next Alien film. That’s right, the Alien franchise is still alive and kicking.

Alien: Romulus will be released on August 16th. It will be the seventh film in this series, and set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986). Yes, more backstory, but we know what to expect going forwards or backwards with this series. Plenty of stomach-popping surprises for all.

20th Century Studios provides this storyline:

The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

Check out the trailer, which hits on all the fun bits we expect with any Alien movie.

While we are now 45 years into this series, it is still nice to have something interesting playing this summer. It is always a spectacular view of space travel until everything goes to hell.

TV: “Dune: Prophecy”

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Max

You knew it was coming, just as you knew Game of Thrones would be more than a single series.

That’s right, the Dune movies will have a new spin-off on Max (formerly HBO Max). It is called Dune Prophecy, and it starts long before the time period of the movies. About 10,000 years earlier when two sisters start the Bene Gesserit.

It is inspired by the book Sisterhood of Dune, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The trailer tells you what you need to know, yet here is a little bit from the book if you want to dig a little deeper:

It is 83 years after the last thinking machines were destroyed in the Battle of Corrin, after Faykan Butler took the name of Corrino and established himself as the first Emperor of a new Imperium.

The war hero Vorian Atreides has turned his back on politics and Salusa Secundus. The descendants of the disgraced Abulurd Harkonnen have sworn vengeance against Vor, blaming him for the downfall of their noble family.

Raquella Berto-Anirul has formed the Bene Gesserit School and, through a terrible ordeal, has become the first Reverend Mother.

The descendants of Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva use mutated, spice-saturated Navigators who fly precursors of Heighliners.

And Gilbertus Albans, ward of the hated thinking machine Erasmus, is teaching humans to become Mentats…while hiding an unbelievable secret.

Led by the fanatic Manford Torondo, the Butlerian movement, fiercely opposed to all forms of “dangerous technology,” sweeps across the known universe in mobs, millions strong, destroying everything in its path.

The 6-episode series will premiere this fall.

Original U.S.S. Enterprise Reappears

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The original Enterprise model, which is made from solid wood. (Heritage Auctions)

You may have thought the original USS Enterprise from the Star Trek series was at the Smithsonian Museum, and you are right. Mostly.

In 1974, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum became the proud owner of the 11-foot long USS Enterprise model used in the television series. However, there was another model that was used in the opening credits. This other model was only three feet long and made of wood. And, most importantly, it disappeared year’s ago when it was loaned to the studio making the first Star Trek movie (see letter below).

The smaller model then reappeared recently, but this time priced at $1,000 on eBay. After a lot of questions (the model was said to have been in a storage unit that was auctioned off) , it was eventually returned to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry Jr., the son of the creator of Star Trek.

All is well that ends well. The USS Enterprise model is back with the Roddenberry family and a piece of science fiction history can be shared with public. Mr. Roddenberry said he plans to display this smaller model at the Smithsonian as well:

…I firmly believe that a piece of such importance should not be confined to any private collection. This iconic artifact should be enshrined along side the 12-foot shooting model at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, where it can serve to help tell the story of television history, the history of space exploration and ultimately, a beacon of hope for the future.

Image (Credit): Letter from Gene Roddenberry to Paramount Studios regarding his lost USS Enterprise model (therpf.com)

Movie: Rebel Moon, Part Two: The Scargiver

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Poster for Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver. (Netflix)

If you enjoyed part one of Netflix’s Rebel Moon, then you will be happy to hear that part two will premiere this Friday (April 19). If you are not a fan, then you can simply ignore this announcement.

The full name, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, follows last year’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, which I previously noted was not completely terrible. From the trailers, it appears to be about as crazy and violent as the first one, but this time with light sabers, of course.

Given that Part One scored only 21 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the second film has a lot of room to improve, as noted in the comments below:

—While watching this first Rebel Moon, you can’t help but wonder if Snyder’s specific idea was to do “Star Wars” but without any of the fun. – Mark Meszoros, The News-Herald (Willoughby, OH)

—With enormous scope to innovate, Snyder has instead gathered together a painfully obvious collection of- I hesitate to write ‘influences’, as that seems to give Snyder too much credit. ‘Things to photocopy and then mash together’ feels more appropriate. – Grant Watson, Fiction Machine

—Rebel Moon is an entertaining but flawed space opera with some great action and cinematography that would have been better as the first part of an R-rated trilogy. Hopefully Part 2 builds on the opening film’s strengths. – Erik Kain, Forbes

If you have a free night this weekend, you might want to take a look. And don’t worry, if you still don’t care for this one, there may be a part three coming soon (even though that was not the original plan).

Movie/Book Review: Mickey 17

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: St. Martin’s Publishing Group

I recently read the book Mickey7 and thought to myself how it would make a great movie. I guess I was not alone since the movie was already in production.

It is the story of a crew member on a spacecraft who was literally dying to do his job. He performed the most dangerous tasks on the mission and when he died he would be reincarnated as the next version of himself. Hence, the term Mickey7 for the seventh iteration of his being.

So now it seems that Robert Pattinson wants to get in on the act, but this time as Mickey 17, who is therefore a little more experienced with death than the character in the book. The film cast also includes Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.

Unfortunately, you will need to wait for the film, which was supposed to be released last month. The Hollywood strike caused it to move to January 2025, much like Dune: Part Two was bumped from has year to this year.

That’s okay. Now you have plenty of time to read the book. Here is the teaser:

Dying isn’t any fun…but at least it’s a living.

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact.

On a routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, his fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties. The idea of duplicate Expendables is universally loathed, and if caught, they face being recycled into protein to feed a hungry colony. Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse, and the native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, which has Commander Marshall very afraid. Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey7.

That is, if he can just keep from dying for good.