Take me to your leader

From 1902, with the release of French filmmaker Georges Méliès’ groundbreaking A Trip to the Moon (Le voyage dans la lune), up to the present, it appears that moviedom has had a longstanding affair with otherworldly beings. Whether it’s a manifestation of a deep-seated fear that little green men will eventually take control of our little blue planet, or a mere excuse to blow things up and film it, alien invasion movies are pretty packed with spectacle. One cool side effect? They’re often fun to watch.

It was only when I looked beyond the superhero flicks that have dominated the box office lately — and the ones featuring wizards, werewolves and vampires that are set to do the same in the weeks to come – that I noticed the number of alien films recently greenlit by Hollywood. In February there was I Am Number Four, with its “teens from another planet” plot. Then came Battle: Los Angeles, starring Aaron Eckhart; Mars Needs Moms, the flop that brought Disney’s revenues down; Paul, about two British comic book enthusiasts who find a space creature outside of Area 51; and Super 8, JJ Abrams’ tribute to Steven Spielberg’s Amblin days.

Hoodies Vs. Aliens

In June, a smitten army of fans chose Attack The Block as their Audience Award Winner at the Los Angeles Film Festival. The British caper, about a gang of kids who protect their rough South London neighborhood from an extraterrestrial, boasts the delightful Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and a score by Basement Jaxx. But from what I’ve read, it’s the cast of fresh faces — local actors who are actually the age they play — that makes Joe Cornish’s directorial debut a solid effort.

But if it’s more mainstream fare you’re after, Cowboys & Aliens should do the trick. Set in Arizona in the late 1800s, the upcoming science fiction western stars Daniel Craig as Jake Lonergan, a shadowy figure who, along with a group of reliable Old West archetypes (the mysterious gunslinger, the no-nonsense old timer, Native Americans, local outlaws), faces off with non-earthlings in insect-like spaceships. Based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg’s 2006 graphic novel of the same name, the project met some bumps along the way and took over a decade to complete.

Best of the West: Daniel Craig swaps his James Bond tuxedo for a lasso and holster in Cowboys & Aliens.

Though trailers have roused interest in this subgenre hybrid, I think the “might suck” possibility of Cowboys & Aliens is high. Very few people — save for members of its geek-hive fanbase — have actually read the comic book. More than that, the overall premise smacks of earlier failures like Will Smith’s Wild Wild West and the dismal Jonah Hex. Director Jon Favreau, perhaps relying on the goodwill brought about by his popular Iron Man franchise, has wisely chosen to debut Cowboys & Aliens at the 2011 Comic-Con Festival in San Diego on July 23, 2011. It’s a great way to take the temperature, so to speak, before the movie’s commercial release a week later.

Spielberg On The Small Screen

It seems that aliens are also making their presence felt on the small screen.   Steven Spielberg’s Falling Skies marks the director’s return to the medium in a big way, with the two-hour kick-off pulling in the year’s biggest cable debut: 5.9 million viewers according to Nielsen data. The TNT series, about the aftermath of an alien invasion that devastated much of the planet, stars Noah Wyle as history teacher turned military man Tom Mason. 

Having been burned by stinkers like Invasion, V and The Event, I expected very little of the show. I initially sensed a been there-done that feeling to Falling Skies – one part War of The Worlds, one part Taken, Spielberg’s 2002 miniseries. But fortunately, I was wrong.

From what I’ve seen of the first three episodes, Falling Skies is a slow burn, aided doubtlessly by a clear storyline and engaging charecters. Moon Bloodgood, who plays Tom Mason’s implied love interest, is a natural while Drew Roy, as Tom’s eldest son Hal, has definitely come a long way from iCarly. Most of all, the visual effects, while stellar, are not obnoxious. I think the show’s producers are saving the fireworks for the end of the 10-episode season. I’ll keep watching until it pisses me off.

“Science fiction gives you permission to wander to the extremes,” Steven Spielberg told TV Guide. “You can only see it through someone else’s eyes or through a book you read or a comic book you look at. It’s just a great brain teaser.” On the other hand, if all this extraterrestrial activity really isn’t your thing, hang on. The Oscar winner has cooked up something else for Fox this fall: Terra Nova. It’s about dinosaurs.

* * *

ginobambino.tumblr.com