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Filmography This filmography i s meant a s a service to the reader. I give the importan t data: title , year, directo r (Dir.) : author o f th e screenpla y (Sp.) : the mos t important cas t member s (With) ; an d th e lengt h o f th e movie . I n case s where th e movie is important bu t no t discussed extensivel y i n the text, I give a one-sentence plot outlin e and occasionall y a clue to what i s inter esting about th e movie in light of my treatment of science fiction. The last item i n eac h entr y i s an evaluation—a s ters e an d t o th e poin t a s I ca n make it. The idea is to give readers an idea of whether a given movie has qualities other tha n a n interestin g feature , plot twist , or scene—in othe r words, this last entry says if the movie, in my opinion, is worth watching . The data are culled from a variety of sources, such as the credits of actual movies, video-tape boxes , and, primarily , fro m Marti n an d Porte r 1990 , Halliwell 1983 , and Wingrov e 1985 . By far th e most reliabl e an d helpfu l of these thre e i s Wingrove. The only redeeming virtu e of the Martin an d Porter book is that i t is up to date. The ratings, however, are ludicrous — for a movi e t o ge t a les s tha n upbea t rating , i t ha s t o be seriousl y bad . Halliwell i s confusing . Wingrove' s mini-analyse s ar e intelligen t an d hi s ratings generall y fair , i f on th e positive side . The only problem i s that i t was published in 1985. Alien (1979) . Dir . Ridle y Scott . Sp . Da n O'Bannon . Wit h To m Skerritt , Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton; 11 6 min. Corporate capitalism an d monstrou s motherhoo d pitte d agains t natu ral womanhoo d an d reproduction . Excitin g an d entertaining . Bu t ther e are some cheap thrills and excessive blood and gore. 253 254 Filmograph y Alien Nation (1988) . Dir . Graha m Baker . Sp . Roge r S . O'Bannyon . Wit h James Caan , Mandy Patinkin , Terence Stamp . 96 min . A race o f alie n android s arrive s i n L.A . an d i s allowe d t o settle . Th e aliens wer e create d a s a rac e o f slaves . The y escape d thei r masters/crea tors an d no w hav e t o lear n t o b e "human " an d accepte d b y humans . Racial reading s ar e obvious . Bu t th e android s ca n als o b e see n a s meta phorical o f human s wh o hav e bee n "mechanized " b y increasin g technol ogization . The interestin g concep t i s somewhat undon e because th e movi e is also a buddy an d cops-and-robber s movie . Aliens (1986) . Dir . Jame s Cameron . Sp . Jame s Cameron . Wit h Sigourne y Weaver, Carrie Henn , Michael Biehn , Pau l Reiser . 13 7 min . What hold s fo r Alien hold s fo r this , th e sequel . I n addition , i t i s a s consciously awar e o f gende r an d gende r role s a s s f film s get , plu s i t i s interesting an d entertaining . Altered States (1980) . Dir . Ke n Russell . Sp . Sidne y Aaron . Wit h Willia m Hurt, Blai r Brown , Bo b Balaban. 10 2 min . Romantic geniu s wh o mus t b e fre e o f femal e "contamination " t o d o his science. Ultimately h e transgresse s an d i s punished fo r his hubris. Th e idea i s fascinating, bu t th e movi e i s pretentious an d dramaticall y flawed. Has som e of the worst dialogu e ever . Android (1982) . Dir . Aaro n Lipstadt . Sp . Jame s Reigl e an d Do n Opper . With Klau s Kinski , Don Opper , Bri e Howard, Norber t Weiser . 80 min . Android...

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