science fiction – Cows in the Field

DUNE PART TWO (2024)

We go BACK to Arrakis, desert planet, homeworld of the spice and the Fremen and keeper of Shai Hulud. We’re joined again for the journey by major spice-head ⁠John DeVore⁠ to discuss Villeneuve’s two films in relation to Lynch’s 1984 version and Frank Herbert’s book. Along the way, we consider the worm Uber, the possibilityContinue reading “DUNE PART TWO (2024)”

SOLARIS (2002)

How did Steven Soderbergh remake an obscure Soviet art-house film based on an even more obscure science fiction novel starring the most bankable A-list movie star? And how did he pull it off?! We sit down with Phil Iscove (Sleepy Hollow / Podcast Like It’s…) to unpack the film’s poetry and vibes, and explore whatContinue reading “SOLARIS (2002)”

INTERSTELLAR (2014)

We hop into a black hole with Jon Gabrus (High & Mighty, Action Boyz, 101 Places to Party Before You Die) to discuss Christopher Nolan’s spacetime warping epic! We consider the film’s complex relationship with science, exploration, and family obligations; and we defend Nolan against the charge that he’s an emotionless filmmaker. Naturally, we try to figureContinue reading “INTERSTELLAR (2014)”

12 Monkeys (1995)

This week we are joined by Barry Lam (Professor of Philosophy at Vassar College and host of HiPhi Nation) to discuss Terry Gilliam’s manic time travel science fiction masterpiece, 12 Monkeys! We explore how the film manifests the philosopher David Lewis’s theory of time travel, while also depicting the madness of foreknowledge and the futilityContinue reading “12 Monkeys (1995)”

SUNSHINE (2007)

Join us on an interstellar journey with friend Vishal Dave as we attempt to reignite the dying sun — it’s Danny Boyle’s unfairly overlooked 2007 sci-fi masterpiece, Sunshine! We discuss the ethics of self-sacrifice and the nature of embarking on a journey of no return. We ponder the enormity of the universe and what itContinue reading “SUNSHINE (2007)”

DUNE (1984) / DUNE (2021)

We sit down with fellow Dune-head John DeVore to discuss two DUNE movies — David Lynch’s 1984 troubled masterpiece, and Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 re-imagining of Arrakis. Can Villeneuve’s film live up to the inevitable hype? How do the two films capture the mystical weirdness of the book? What is that weird spider-person in the Harkonnen’sContinue reading “DUNE (1984) / DUNE (2021)”