As always, Austin’s own Other Worlds delivered a fantastic collection of top notch films. Of the 20 or so selections for this years festival, I managed to see 10 of them plus the live recording of the podcast Science Vs Fiction.

Here’s my quick recap.

Thursday

Dreamscape (35TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING)
LAUNCH FILM

The flawed, pioneering film, a staple of late 80s/early 90s cable, has aged well despite some terrible acting by pretty much everyone not named Sydow or Plummer.

Friday

Afterlife

The powerful, intelligent Dutch film Afterlife ponders the choices we make and the very perceptions of what we know to be true, while confirming that parents often make the most unreliable narrators of all. Sanaa Giwa delivers a virtuoso performance as the tortured Sam.

Afterlife also presages a common thread throughout the festival: the usage of time travel tropes.

Time After Time (40TH ANNIVER. SCREENING)

Another staple of 80s cable, Time After Time details the first ever fictional meeting of H. G. Wells and Jack the Ripper. The tense, intelligent film, deservedly so, is often lauded as on the true classics of time travel cinema. Malcom McDowell in one of his few heroic roles, David Warner at his creepiest best, and Mary Steenburgen in only her second screen appearance, ground the film with their excellent performances. Perhaps the only flaw lies in neophyte Nicholas Meyer’s direction, which at times feels like TV movie-of-the-week. Thankfully, his near perfect script overcomes any of the firs time director’s shortcomings.

The film was screened to honor Meyer, who was in attendance, with the Defender of the Universe Award. In the q&a following the film, Meyer revealed that Jenz-Luc Goddard’s legendary Alphaville served as an inspiration and scenes that were cut from the original screenplay showed up in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

Lake Michigan Monster

A big disappointment, the ludicrous Lake Michigan Monster has some genuinely funny moments but as is often the problem with movies of this ilk, it goes on too long and the jokes get tiresome.

I actually walked out on this one, which I very rarely do.

Saturday

I Am Human

I Am Human has everything an excellent documentary should: a fascinating subject shown in an intelligent and respectable manner. Directors Taryn Southern and Elena Gaby share the origins of the world’s first “cyborgs.” We become immersed within three people whose lives have been irrevocably altered by brain implants. The hopeful movie serves as a nice contrast to our increasingly bleak dyspotic reality.

LIVE FROM OTHER WORLDS FILM FEST – IT’S “SCIENCE VS FICTION”

The live taping of the Science Vs Fiction podcast featured Time After Time and a discussion on time travel tropes. Film critic Scott Weinberg and Steven DeGennaro, a doctor of astrophysics, entertained and informed with film and physics tidbits. Both men enjoyed the movie but had some serious questions about the time travel elements. The interaction with the audience primarily dealt with naming time travel movies and various opinions.

Dead Dicks

One of the best films of the festival, Dead Dicks is a creative, top notch sci-horror hybrid filled with existential dread, humor, and a fascinating brother-sister dynamic. This superior Cronebergesque film offers an excellent meditation on depression. Highly recommended!

The Ascent

Any positive thoughts of the Saturday festival garnered by the first two films were quickly squashed by the terrible The Ascent. This soulless film breaks one of the central tenants of action filmmaking, it is dull. Littered with stereotypes and predictability, the action scenes all have the feel of a poorly executed video game, with excessive use of first person viewpoints and lack of clarity as to what exactly is going on. The ascent of the title itself delivers little originality either. Those you expect to die, do and those who you don’t, survive. The core “war is hell” message is clumsily and amateurishly delivered. Many, many films have delivered similar storylines with far superior results. Easily the worst film of the festival.

Volition

Thankfully, the next flick was vastly superior. Initially a noir about a man afflicted with clairvoyance, Volition morphs into a bug nutty time travel thriller. While things get away from director and co-screenwriter Tony Dean Smith, the viewer won’t care as the picture delivers the goods with some excellent and creative scenes. The flaws will largely go unnoticed until the final credits roll. A great way to end my Saturday.

Sunday

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

One of the most underrated of all Trek films delivered again. Preceded and followed by a lengthy discussion with Nicholas Meyer.

After the film, Meyer’s signed copies of his new Sherlock Holmes book The Adventure of The Peculiar Protocols.

After We Leave

Another disappointment, the meandering and seemingly pointless After We Leave joined The Ascent as one of the worst films of the weekend. The predictable movie was unmemorable.

As I was very tired, I almost decided to call it quits following After We Leave, but very glad I decided to return for a last film.

The Final Land

The German filmmaker Marcel Barion, in his first film, crafts an outstanding story, full of wonder and paranoia. Taking place primarily within the confines of a tiny old spaceship, conflicts erupt as two disparate men struggle to find a new home. The Final Land is a brilliant atmospheric film that incorporates the best of elements of science fiction, both hard and soft. Barion achieves magnificent, mindblowing vistas from outside the ship using only traditional effects. With nary a dull moment and an ideal science fiction ending, The Final Land comes highly recommended!