Modern Sci-Fi Films FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Time-Travel, Alien, Robot and Out-of-This-World Movies Since 1970

Tom DeMichael's MODERN SCI-FI FILMS FAQ is a wide-ranging, entertaining guide to ALL THAT'S LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT TIME TRAVEL, ALIEN, ROBOT, AND OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD MOVIES SINCE 1970. In the past 40 years, movie-goers have been treated to a number of flicks created by various talented directors, producers and special-effects people that have blown movie viewers' minds at the same time they enriched their studios' coffers. DeMichael's book, a 2014 Applause Theatre & Cinema Books release, provides a guided tour to those flicks and their creators.After exploring the Literary Roots of Modern Sci-Fi Films, DeMichael's book examines different post-1970 sci-fi films arranged by topic: time travel, alternate worlds, friendly and not-so-friendly aliens, robots,aliens and so on. All of the 'usual suspects' are covered including BACK TO THE FUTURE, ELYSIUM, THE MATRIX,TOTAL RECALL, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, 12 MONKEYS, WESTWORLD, BLADE RUNNER, BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, AVATAR, MAD MAX, MINORITY REPORT, etc. The classic spaceships that graced such flicks as INDEPENDENCE DAY, STAR WARS, STAR TREK, MARS ATTACKS, CLOSER ENCOUNTERS and E.T. are also described along with sci-fi film honchos such as James Cameron, Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Rick Baker, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, etc.The book is illustrated throughout with b&w photographs of actors, directors, special effects gurus, etc.Sci-fi fans should enjoy DeMichael's smorgasbord offering to classic - and not-so-classic - sci-fi films of the past 40 years. It's an informative, opinionated and entertaining read. Recommended.

This novel is separated into sections that focuses on different themes of science fiction- such as mad scientists (Sci-Fi-entists and Their Experiments). Within that section is a page or two on the history of how that theme has been portrayed in movies, and then it lists movies that follow that theme (Ghostbusters, Re-Animator, Jurassic Park…). It gives a Synopsis, cast list, a quick recap of the movie, and an afterwords that states why that particular movies stands out from others and gives a few behind-the-scenes facts (original cast choices, box office numbers, sequels…)One of my favorite sections in the book is “Sci-Fi Spaceships”. It starts with a brief history on rockets (real and fictional) and moves on to show and explain the designs of spacecraft from different movies- complete with blueprint pictures- and explains what it took to create the craft on screen.The next sections are dedicated to the masters themselves: the people that pull everything together to make the film. Included are brief biographies of Monster Maker Rick Baker, makeup artist Ve Neill, and directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.Finally in the end the author (seemingly reluctantly) lists his top five favorite sci-fi movies of the last forty years and what he thinks is the top five best sci-fi films of the last forty years.Overall, this would make a good coffee table book for any sci-fi film buff.

A collection of encyclopedic entries about some of the best post-1970s Sci-Fi films (and just a few of the worst). There's a section at the beginning of book of Sci-Fi authors/writers that have greatly impacted the film genre and a few segments at the end that include some of the best writers, directors, special effects masters, and make-up artists as well. The movies are divided by theme (such as time travel or robots) and each entry includes a detailed synopsis of the film and a blurb about its influence in general. I found some older Sci-Fi stories that I want to read and films that I may have originally overlooked. Recommended for Sci-Fi fans and movie buffs.Net Galley Feedback

The first section, where the author deals with influential sci-fi writers, is actually quite interesting. When he gets into the "meat" of the book, it degenerates into long, rambling almost scene-by-scene breakdowns of films in which the author shifts between a character's first and second name with little reason, sometimes using one, then switching in the very next sentence. Seeing as he does this with multiple characters in each film, it becomes disjointed, especially if you're not entirely familiar with the film in question. He claims to have been writing about film for 20 years. In that time, you'd assume he'd get better, so I'd hate to image how bad it would have been back then. Probably the worst book about sci-fi movies I've ever read. After the first section, it's just padding, and poorly written padding at that.

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