(Dan Bush, AJ Bowen, Jacob Gentry, David Bruckner)

The very best part of my job (aside from all the sex with actresses, I mean) is when I get to see a small horror flick early and then spend 14 months reminding the genre fans that, yes, it's still on the way. (Like that freaky French one about the terrorized preggo woman. It's coming, trust me!) It was about 14 months ago when I first saw (and really enjoyed) an Atlanta-made indie genre flick called The Signal -- and then I ran into the Signal gang again a few months later at SXSW. The film was received quite enthusiastically at both festivals.

Directors Jacob Gentry, David Bruckner and Dan Bush were in Philadelphia recently as part of a promotional tour for the film. Along with head baddie AJ Bowen, I took the guys to have their very first Philly Cheese Steak, and then we headed back to the theater for a Q & A session with the audience -- but not before we stopped at the Philadelphia Art Museum and the knucklehead quartet did their Rocky Balboa sprint up the steps. (See photo!)

So yeah: I liked the flick long before I liked all the goofballs who made the movie, so I thought it would be nice to offer a quick little reminder: Magnolia Pictures is releasing The Signal tomorrow (at these theaters), so if you're a serious horror fan who likes to whine and moan at all the studio-backed PG-13 horror crap that hits the screens every month ... here's your chance to support a smaller flick. You'll have a good time and you'll feel good about it, too.

It's a sci-fi action flick starring Hayden Christensen, and it's called Jumper. Sound like something you'd want to see? Eh, maybe. But if I went on to explain that the flick comes from the director of Go, The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith ... and all of a sudden the movie sounds just a little more intriguing. (To me, anyway. I'm a Doug Liman fan.) Based on the novel by Steven Gould -- and adapted for the screen by the eclectic team of David S. Goyer, Simon Kinberg and Jim Uhls -- Jumper is about a young adult who has the power of teleportation. Which leads to all sorts of espionage mayhem and chases and such.

Co-starring alongside the former Anakin Skywalker are Diane Lane, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Tom Hulce, Michael Rooker and Samuel L. Jackson in a wig that looks like white astroturf. Fox presently has Jumper scheduled for that coveted February 15 release date, but if you'd like to click through the newly-updated official site, please do so right here. The brand-new trailer is also included, so stop back and share your thoughts. I hate to sound so negative, but I'm getting a distinct Operation: Stormbreaker vibe on this flick. Either way, the teleporting stuff looks really cool.

Ridley Scott, or Sir Ridley Scott depending on how you feel like addressing him, made a fairly provocative comment at the Venice Film Festival on August 30th. The occasion was the 25th anniversary of the release of Blade Runner, in yet another director's cut, in anticipation of a 5 (five!) disc DVD release of the same this fall by Warner Brothers. (The previous link includes some reviews of the newest version at the Venice festival, including EW's Owen Gliberman's comment that Blade Runner is "the only science-fiction film that can be called transcendental." Hey, Owen, what about this Fritz Lang classic, or this Russian masterpiece, or even this small-scale but extremely effective version of the Ursula K. Leguin novel ... eh, what's the use.) To get back to the original point about sweeping generalizations, Scott was in a no doubt expansive mood, and started to discuss the great films of sci-fi.

Here's how it went down, according to The Times of London on-line. In Scott's opinion, science fiction films are not just dead, they're "as dead as westerns...there's nothing original. We've seen it all before. Been there. Done that." Scott celebrates 2001: A Space Odyssey as the pinnacle of sci-fi and says that "over-reliance on special effects" and weak story lines are the culprit. Responses from the blogosphere came fast and furious; one correspondent, Donald Smith, pointed out that Shane Carruth's small-scale film Primer had been "low-key and highly intelligent" while being completely without high-tech bloat. What I haven't been seeing is someone making the point that Blade Runner is film noir dressed in a sci-fi costume, just like Scott's other famous sci-fi film Alien, is a monster movie set in outer space. When it comes to the essential matter of sci-fi -- what humans are, where we are going, and when will we cease to exist -- Scott is only slightly interested ... especially when compared to the Philip K. Dick novel upon which Blade Runner is based. Watching it, you have to recall Pauline Kael's comment that almost everyone in the film would flunk the Voight-Kampff empathy test that ferrets out skin-jobs. As the director of such a high-tech, low-emotion film, is Scott really in a position to nail shut the coffin of an entire genre?

As Scott Weinberg has already noted elsewhere, Nathan Fillion just can't catch a break. His career is littered with cancelled TV series and movies few people have seen ... but that doesn't mean he doesn't have fans. Me, I love this guy and everything he does; in fact, when we named our celebrity crushes a while back, Nathan Fillion was mine. Who knows, maybe I like him because he hasn't hit it big yet -- and because his choices, while maybe not so commercial, are never less than interesting. (Also, I'm fascinated by his goofy hair.)

Serenity was the first thing I ever saw Fillion in. I went in knowing nothing about Firefly, the TV series on which it was based, except that it was the brainchild of Buffy creator Joss Whedon, upon whom many of my (straight) guy friends had developed crushes of their own. And I was delighted to discover a hidden gem of a film, a smart, funny, quirky sci-fi movie that sacrifices nothing to action, pace or intergalactic adventure. It's also a Western. Yes, just roll with it. Fillion plays Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, who leads a ragtag crew across the civil-wartorn universe as a freelance pilot and thief. (Sound like anyone else you know? Rhymes with "Dan Schmolo"?) Grand adventures ensue, which involve the crew's transport of brainwashed ninja chick River (Summer Glau), Mal's rescue of pseudo-girlfriend and courtesan Inara (Morena Baccarin), the discovery of a drug that wipes out civilizations, and some badass fight scenes. I was surprised to like a genre film quite so much, and I championed it as such ... that is, until six months later, when I found a new genre fave in Slither, which also starred Nathan Fillion. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Rent or buy the DVD | Watch the trailer

Bonus Points: This two-disc collector's edition isn't just some hastily glommed-together retread. There are over 60 minutes of new features (most of which were on an Australian edition of the DVD, now offered to U.S. fans in response to demand) including extended scenes; commentary by Whedon, Fillion, Glau, Adam Baldwin and Ron Glass; and various featurettes on the TV show, the ship and River's past. So you'll have plenty to occupy yourself -- if you're a sci-fan, until Battlestar Galactica starts, and if you're a fellow Fillion fanatic, until the Waitress DVD comes out (and don't get me started on how much I love that movie.)

Also Recommended:

The Lives of Others
Who says German spies aren't lovable? This drama justly won the 2007 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, despite how hard I was rooting for Pan's Labyrinth. (Check out the indie DVD post on Lives of Others.)

As much as I might not be a huge fan of the multitude of film festivals and awards shows where awards are seemingly given away for almost anything these days, some festivals do provide a valuable service to the filmmaking community. I'm specifically referring more to the ones that showcase independent and lower budget films or genres that traditionally don't fit easily into the mandate of the major awards shows or festivals. One of these gatherings is the Toronto After Dark Film Festival -- which is now gearing up for its 2nd go-around.

At this particular event, which bills itself as "Canada's premier showcase of thrilling international cinema," you'll be exposed to and have the chance to experience a diverse slate of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and thrilling films not just from Canada, but from around the world. Part of the mandate of the fest is to expose people to innovative and independent cinema they might not otherwise get to experience in a theater setting. The fest also helps to foster homegrown talent by offering a program featuring Canadian filmmakers who might not otherwise have their films exposed to a large audience (or, in some cases, any audience at all).

Of course, according to the fest's official site, even though they have a large selection of features, shorts and other film-related programming, its not all about the movies. During the event there will also be several parties hosted by the fest as well as, according to the site, a "hugely popular zombie walk" in downtown Toronto. Screenings of great films from undiscovered talent that helps promote independent filmmaking and zombies? What could be better than that? The fest runs from October 19-25.

I've put the question mark in the title to indicate this post is in more of the "wishful thinking" category than an expression of actual, confirmed fact. Still, its fun to speculate and wish for things to happen. Believe me, if wishing made it so (and I had my way) we would see a steady stream of Battlestar Galactica movies produced every couple years like Bond films. Although, its not like there haven't been rumors and reports about feature film versions of the series before. Still, nothing concrete or completely reliable has emerged and now, according to IESB, we might finally know one of the major reasons a Battlestar Galactica movie isn't going full speed ahead yet.

According to the site, TV series Exec. Producers Ron Moore and David Eick are excited about the prospect of a feature film version of their TV show and really want to make it happen. In fact, they've spoken about it on numerous occasions -- most recently at the big Battlestar event held last week in Los Angeles. So, if they want it to happen, what's standing in the way? Well, according to the article, one of the major hurdles, other than actual funding, is original Battlestar Galactica series creator Glen A. Larson who holds the feature film rights to the series.

Unfortunately for those of us who might wish for a feature film, Larson has made no secret that he's not a huge fan of the re-imagined series produced by Moore and Eick. Plus, Larson has always maintained that he would eventually produce a feature film based on his original series and its characters. So, if they want to bring a feature film version of their Battlestar series to the big screen, the first thing Moore and Eick are going to have to do is play nice with Larson and convince him its a good idea. Until then, we'll just have to be content with watching one of the best shows ever to appear on television. Which, if you think about it, really isn't all that bad.

Seems like someone is digging the whole sci-fi vibe -- Topher Grace, who will next be seen in Spider-Man 3 as the guy who ultimately becomes Venom, has signed on to play the leading man in a new sci-fi thriller picked up by Universal. Source Code (Matrix meets Office Space?) will be based off a spec script penned by Ben Ripley (yes, the dude who wrote both Species III and Species IV!), while Mark Gordon is producing.

All we know about the plot thus far is that it has something to do with time travel ... which leads us to believe Grace will play some sort of blogger who, while tinkering with the source code for a blog post about how much he hated working on That '70s Show, somehow stumbles upon the key to traveling through time. Finally! He's found a way to go back and make it so Ashton Kutcher doesn't become the overly-hyped doof he is today. Go Topher!

Personally, I really like Topher Grace -- he sort of reminds me of Tobey Maguire, it Tobey's voice wasn't perpetually going through puberty -- and at least he's attempting to spread out his roles across different genres. On top of this thriller, Grace will also star in a drama called The Crusaders, a coming-of-age dramedy called Kids in America and a comedy, Coxblocker (which obviously had to change its name from ... well, you know).

Since the last futuristic flick with Ewan McGregor I saw was The Island, you'll have to forgive me if I have some trouble raising the proper enthusiasm for this one: Variety has announced that McGregor has now officially signed to star in the futuristic drama Franklyn. The film is the brainchild of first time director Gerald McMorrow. No other casting announcements have been made, but Double Negative F/X, who have worked on Batman Begins and World Trade Center, have been hired for visual effects. So far, McMorrow has only directed a handful of music videos but has dabbled with sci-fi in the past with his short Thespian X snagging him a TCM Classic Shorts prize in 2002. The film would parallel story lines of present day London with a futuristic theocracy, including a tragic event that creates consequences in both the present and the future.

Ewan McGregor has always been one of those actors whose easy charm on screen has helped him through some great and some not-so great parts. So, for every Renton, there was an Obi-Wan. Although to be fair, he can hardly be blamed for the nightmare that was The Phantom Menace. For the sake of Franklyn though, I hope that charm of his will be in full effect.

Whether you liked it or not, The Blair Witch Project was a pretty remarkable exercise in pop culture. Rabid debates of its ingenuity or lack thereof, numerous "Josh!!!" jokes, nausea from the less-than-steady cam work and the all too familiar "snotty camcorder confession". Even if you didn't like the movie, you had to admire how it managed to seep into the mainstream. Director Eduardo Sanchez was supposed to be the new genius of independent horror. Fast-forward a few years and every scrap of dignity the original film had was stripped away with an abomination known as The Blair Witch Project 2: The Book of Shadows -- now to be fair Sanchez had nothing to do with the sequel, but the die was cast.

After 6 years, Sanchez finally has a new movie coming out, good news right? Or maybe not, the movie is going straight to DVD. I know lots of good films have found their market with DVD but there is something about a "direct-to-video" horror movie that fills me with images of bad b-movies – Rabid Grannies, Killer Clowns from Outer Space, that sort of thing. Sanchez's Altered is a revenge flick about a group of friends abducted by aliens who get the chance for a little payback for the probing, as it were. Plus, it looks like old habits die-hard because just like The Blair Witch Project there is a character blog and a website already. There isn't much content on either yet, but there are promises of updates to come. Altered is being released on DVD December 19th, any takers?

[via Film Junk]

Wanna see a black & white animated French sci-fi thriller starring Daniel Craig, Catherine McCormack and Ian Holm? Well, after watching this new trailer, I'm pretty sure I do!

Christian Volckman's Renaissance has been wowing audiences at international film festivals, which inspired someone at Miramax to pick the thing up for U.S. distribution. It's a slick-looking dystopian story in which all of 2054 Paris is governed by the evil Avalon company. You can probably fill in the blanks from there.

Miramax will release the nifty looking piece of noir-imation on September 22nd.

Following back-to-back films in 2005, director Steven Spielberg is taking some time off, or so he says. However, the past few weeks have been filled with rumors surrounding which project the man will take on next. Even with its instability, Indiana Jones 4 is all but a lock to begin filming sometime in 2007, with a projected release date of summer 2008. Okay, so is it safe to say Indy 4 will be his next pic? Can Steven Spielberg really go almost three years without a film in theaters?

If not, then perhaps one of several Spielberg-linked projects currently in development will slide in between now and Harrison Ford riding off into the sunset ... again. Well, that's if you don't count his reality television show, On the Lot. Honestly, Spielberg is just as involved with that project as I am involved with Ryan Seacrest's personal life. And if you've read this blog long enough, then you know exactly how involved that is.

So, if Spielberg does decide to squeeze a film out of his, er, brain sometime in 2007, which one will it be? Seeing as Indy 4 will travel the summer blockbuster route, could Stevie go with a smaller, character driven piece ala Munich? Ooohh, or will he go totally indie on us and spit out some tiny, $3 million festival pic? In case you've missed all of the current possibilities, let me recap:

• First up, we have the untitled Abraham Lincoln biopic that's been on hold for quite sometime now. Pic, which was supposed to star Liam Neeson, might be a nice, quiet film with Oscar potential.
• Next we have this untitled Kip Thorne-inspired sci-fi film in the vein of 2001: A Space Odyssey. This seems as if it is a bit too ambitious to take on before Indy 4. And, not for nothing, but Spielberg's last two sci-fi films weren't all that spectacular.
• And, last but not least, according to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, there's another film peaking Spielberg's interest. This one is based off a script by Rod Lurie and revolves around the "glitzy New York media world." I have no idea what this is about, but I do enjoy the word 'glitzy' and feel people should use it more often.

So, I ask you: Which project should Steven Spielberg direct next? Indie or blockbuster? Should he focus all his energy on Indy 4 or attempt to squeeze out one of the above mentioned films beforehand?

Paul Davids' documentary The Sci-Fi Boys is the kind of mediocre effort that makes its way onto DVDs as supplement material, although finding an appropriate special edition to include it with would be tough, as its focus isn't limited to any specific film or filmmaker. Davids, an admitted "sci-fi boy" filmmaker, spotlights other directors like Peter Jackson, Stephen Sommers, John Landis, Roger Corman and William Malone, all who grew up as fan boys before acquiring their own followers. Of course, with all the attention Davids gives to himself (the photo above shows him on the left as a young model maker), he could include the film as an extra on one of his own films, except that it wouldn't quite fit with his '97 debut Timothy Leary's Dead.