Moviegoers in need of a fantastic escape or a foray into unknown landscapes won’t be disappointed with the upcoming season of sci-fi, horror, and fantasy movies. Some of the most imaginative films of the year are coming to theaters this summer, featuring fanged thespians, a genetically engineered beauty, a reincarnated wonderchild, and post-adolescent wizards.
The presence of speculative fiction narratives has grown steadily in the wake of major successes like Lord of the Rings, and more recent box-office hits such as District 9 have demonstrated that speculative fiction genres are not only viable, but can be just as intellectually stimulating as art-house films. Before laying out plans for the summer, remember to save the date for these upcoming films.
Splice (June 4)
The complicated subject of genetic splicing sets the premise for Vincenzo Natali’s original film about the scientific exploits of two genetic engineers. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley star as scientists Clive and Elsa, who successfully produce new animal hybrids. When the overly ambitious team secretly splices human DNA with the hybrids, the result is a strange, evolved creature that the scientists name Dren.
As Dren develops physically and mentally, Clive and Elsa are faced with deadly consequences and forced to confront the ethical implications of their experiment. Splice is more than just a science experiment gone wrong, raising questions of scientific boundaries and evolution while managing to keep you gasping from moment to moment. After being courted by a host of big-time studios, Splice was produced by horror factory Dark Castle Entertainment and will be distributed through Warner Bros. this summer.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead (June 11)
For the vampire lovers who won’t be seeing Twilight this summer, a Shakespearean-inspired fang flick from burgeoning filmmaker Jordan Galland might be just the solution. As the name suggests, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead is Shakespeare’s Hamlet re-imagined, featuring performances by Jake Hoffman, John Ventimiglia, and Devon Aoki. The movie kicks off when unemployed Julian Marsh (Hoffman) takes a job directing the abovementioned play, which happens to be written by Romanian vampire, Theo Horace (Ventimiglia).
As the play-within-a-film unfolds, the undead Horace is revealed to be the original Horatio from Shakespeare’s play. Entangled in a centuries-old battle with Hamlet, also undead, Horace uses a set of commissioned plays to draw out his old enemy and prepare for the final showdown. Galland’s first full-length film, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead traveled the film festival circuit in 2009 and opens to limited American release in summer 2010.
The Last Airbender (July 2)
Based on the animated Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender, M. Night Shyamalan’s new live-action adaptation stars newcomer Noah Ringer as Aang, a young boy who is the only surviving Airbender amongst clans of Earth, Water and Fire benders. Aang is also a reincarnation of the Avatar, a being with the power to control all of the elements.
As the war-mongering Fire benders attempt to gain total control, led by Admiral Zhao (Aasif Mandvi), Lord Ozai (Cliff Curtis) and exiled Prince Zuko (Dev Patel), Aang and his friends Katara and Sokka fight to maintain the balance between the elements and the four nations. Both fans and non-fans of the television show are sure to appreciate Shyamalan’s pseudo-spiritual fantastic journey, along with the film’s sincere and youthful cast. For a quick catch-up on the movie’s premise, consider renting the first season of Avatar before it hits theaters.
Inception (July 16)
One of the most anticipated summer flicks this year, Christopher Nolan’s Inception packs an all-star Hollywood cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Paige, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Cillian Murphy. DiCaprio leads as dream thief, Dom Cobb, an expert at extracting secrets from the minds of unsuspecting victims while they sleep. Cobb is contemplating the end of his career, but first his team must complete one final job that could alter their entire world.
Juno’s Ellen Paige stars as a college student who joins Cobb’s team, while Ken Watanabe is pleasantly provoking as calculating blackmailer, Saito. A refreshingly original film in a sea of summer sequels, Inception offers the same mind-bending experience as past Nolan films like Memento and Following, along with a touch of well-placed science fiction themes.
Other Science Fiction and Fantasy Releases
Other films showing in theaters this summer include Jerry Bruckheimer’s modern rendition of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a segment that appeared in Disney’s Fantasia (1940) and originated from an 18th century poem. Nicholas Cage stars as the aforementioned sorcerer, Balthazar Blake, who recruits clueless college student Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel) to help in the fight against an evil wizard, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina).
On the science fiction front, indie filmmaker Zach LeBeau has crafted a psychological exploration in The Scientist, the story of a grieving widower and physicist who builds a machine that causes him to develop telepathic abilities. Horror fans have something to look forward to with George Romero’s latest zombie movie, Survival of the Dead. This time around the action takes place on an isolated island, where two families struggle to survive the apocalypse.
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