Taking Tiger Mountain

Looking for an experimental dystopian science fiction tale about radical feminist terrorists who kidnap young men, brainwash them, and release them into society in order to carry out their agenda (in this case, political assassination)? Well, whatever you just pictured in your mind as you read that description is probably nothing like Taking Tiger Mountain, …

Cleopatra

Osamu Tezuka is God- the Godfather of Manga, that is. His ability to come up with the most imaginative, wild ideas and build a compelling narrative that has everything- from deep, spiritual conversations to dopey slapstick and everything in between is unparalleled. As the world-famous creator of Astroboy (by far one of his least interesting …

Na Kometě (On the Comet)

Looking for a sci-fi epic with insane special effects? Then look no further, friend- step right this way to a little known Czech film from 1970, Na Kometě, which blows anything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe out of the water. It's hard to know where to start with this masterpiece by the great Karel Zeman. …

Teenland

Short films, like short stories, have certain advantages over their longer cousins that we often overlook. They can get away with a lack of exposition, no character arcs, and endings that just sort of... end. For us to invest in the length of a feature film, there are certain demands we make on the filmmaker: …

Supersonic Saucer

A cute alien lands on Earth, far from his home, only to be discovered by a kid who hides him from the mean ol' adults. Sounds familiar? Before Speilberg charmed his way into America's collective heart, this little British ditty from 1956 charmed its way into England... or not. It's hard to tell how many …

Ikarie XB-1

If the above image makes you think "2001", you're right- except that it's from a movie released five years earlier. Ikarie XB-1 is a fascinating and little-known cinematic artifact, from a time when sci-fi movies were doomed to be silly, quickly-dated flicks. This one holds up; while the effects obviously aren't going to wow anyone …