The Occasional Solipsist

We shall be waiting for your answer.
The decision rests with you...

There is not one self-respecting science fiction fan that doesn't know the meaning behind the words Klaatu barada nikto, the key phrase used in the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. And even though its been around since 1951, this movie carries a resonance with it that no other movie that I have ever seen has been able to beat.

It is a cautionary tale that pre-dates the bulk of the cold war that tells the story of first contact with a visiting alien, and the very human reaction to the visitation. But second to the very knee-jerk and certainly plausible reaction of the panicked humanity is the reason for his visit. Because the movie was made as the proliferation of nuclear weaponry was in its infancy, it was Hollywood's first real good warning on the dangers that these weapons posed not to just to ourselves, but to a fictional (?) galactic community. Personally, I think a lot of people could use a watch of this timeless classic. I'm looking in your general direction North Korea...

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a really, really cool flick that holds up just as well almost 60 years later as it did when it was first shown. I highly recommend it. If you haven't seen it, seriously go get yourself a copy and enjoy.

Now that being said, I am so very cautious about the remake that is coming out this December, starring Keannu Reeves. As much as I loved The Matrix movies, I am not 100% sure that Neo should be running around Washington pretending to be the alien threatening humankind's extinction. I guess we'll know after this December if remaking this one was a good idea or not.

I will probably see it, but I don't know that my mind will be as open as it normally is. I certainly don't want to be one of those fanboys crying foul at their treasured memories. And I won't be watching this one and doing a frame by frame comparison, or whining about the horrible mis-casting of Mary Jane Watson. Oops, wrong movie. But I will have a hard time figuring out why this movie is being remade at all. Maybe someone has decided that its time to bring the metaphorical slap in the face back into movies; 'March of the Penguins', 'The Day After Tomorrow' and 'Wall-E' notwithstanding. But regardless, I am kind of looking forward to seeing what modern CG can do for Gort.

Labels: movies, scifi