Is Safety Not Guaranteed A Better Sci-Fi Film Than Prometheus?

Wait, what?

The internets are still all a-flutter with criticism and theories about Prometheus. The consensus seems to come down to two major arguments: Prometheus is visually stunning and brings up some interesting concepts, but the major plot points are poorly resolved and there is little character development. And don't even get me started on the supposed-trained scientists' lack of any professionalism or sound judgement! In a movie that tries to explore the origins of the human race, is it fair to criticize it for not including every single element of a good movie? Can we let it slide because the visual effects were stunning, the space gadgets were cool, and Charlize Theron as always, was stunning and brilliant? The origin of the human race is way more important than character development, right?

No, I won't let it slide, and we can't keep letting big-budget sci-fi movies get away with this.

Good science fiction, in my opinion, should not just be a visual representation of the future or technology, but it should use its vision of the future as an allegory for a larger issue; Battlestar Galactica was about the Colonial Fleet trying to escape Cylon destruction, but also about what it means to be human and the ethical dilemmas faced by the characters. Similarly, the larger scientific elements should set a backdrop for the relationships for the characters. The Walking Dead is about a zombie apocalypse, but the story (much to the chagrin of its critics) really centers around the core group of characters and how their situation affects their relationships.

Unfortunately, in some producers' minds, "science fiction" equates to explosions, people encountering scary aliens, and futuristic gadgets. That's what appeals to general Americans, that's how seats are filled. However, the modest indie film Safety Not Guaranteed, released last week in limited cities, very may well be a better science fiction film than Prometheus.

In Safety Not Guaranteed, a man places a personal ad asking for a companion in his time travel adventures, and adding the titular warning. A Seattle lifestyle magazine reporter pitches the idea of profiling this man, and sardonic, directionless, misunderstood intern played by (who else?) Aubrey Plaza accompanies a ragtag team to investigate. Plaza's character, Darius, pretends to answer the ad and meets Kenneth, played by indie darling Mark Duplass with a mullet and a jean tuxedo. Kenneth is the epitome of a social outcast, spouting his scientific theories to anyone in earshot and completely fixated on his quest to build his time machine and ignores current rules of fashion and social interaction.

It's not a spoiler to tell you that Darius falls for Kenneth while acting the part, because of the closeness they encounter when revealing their motivations for going back in time and by relating to their feelings of isolation and otherness. A compelling love story, but the film is not without its flaws as well. Much of Kenneth's eccentricities seem too forced (he grew up wearing a prosthetic ear?) and Aubrey Plaza's monotone delivery and clever quips seem already tired after four seasons of it on Parks and Recreation. However, there is an effort to use time travel to frame larger, although a bit ham-fisted, themes and other side plots. Jake Johnson plays a reporter who tries to reconnect with his high school sweetheart, begging the question, can you really go back in time in your life?

True to the tropes of a quirky indie film, Safety Not Guaranteed is mostly talk, longing looks, and emotions rather than gadgets and circuitry. The physics, logistics, and paradoxes of time travel are mentioned and nicely weaved into the story, but I'll actually refrain from spoiling the mystery because it does play out nicely as an ending, and I would recommend seeing it.

Many will argue that Safety Not Guaranteed is not sci-fi, and I'm not saying it needs to go down in the annals alongside Star Trek and Star Wars, but the writers did understand how to bring relationships and emotions to the foreground with the scientific elements in the background. This allowed me to look at my watch far less times than during Prometheus and to question the characters' motivation less. [Seriously Vickers, you could have just ran to the SIDE of the falling ship!]

As sci-fi becomes less of a geek's shameful pleasure and more of a mainstream audience draw, I hope to see more films that borrow from both; a sampling of Prometheus's visual representation of the future with the heart of Safety Not Guaranteed. Star Trek 2, I’ve got high hopes.

Book Review: Prometheus: The Art Of The Film

By the late 1990s, I had all but given up hope of ever knowing the true backstory of the mysterious and much discussed Space Jockey from Ridley Scott's original 1979 masterwork Alien. His fossilzed remains were doomed to remain in the pilot seat of the derelict spacecraft without proper fleshing out or explanation while Hollywood churned out sequel after sequel.

Well, it turned out I should have kept the faith that someday Ridley Scott would return to this dark corner of the universe to answer my burning questions and quench my thirst for summertime science fiction. After seeing Prometheus, I admit that I may have actually come away with more things to analyze and obsess over than I originally bargained for, so to help me muddle through I now have Mark Salisbury's book, Prometheus: The Art Of The Film.

A gorgeous full-color look at the making of the film with a forward written by Ridley Scott himself and production stills that will stop you dead in your tracks, this is a must-have for anyone who ever counted themselves an Alien fan or collector. Filled with Scott's hand-drawn storyboards, eerie but beautiful set photos detailing every aspect of the shoot and production design process, you feel like you've stepped back into the unsettling world of a brutal creature.

Visually, this book has the unexpected effect of drawing you in for hours to pour over the rich details, so I recommend giving yourself a few hours to really enjoy it. And while there is no going wrong with including deleted scenes or abandoned ideas that ended up on the cutting room floor, it did make me wonder why a few key elements seen in the book were tossed in the final edit. Still, this book is about the art of the film and even with all the unanswered questions buzzing in the back of my brain, I was able to understand and appreciate how the creatures of Ridley Scott's universe remain a topic of fierce wonder and awe.

First Look: Prometheus

Ridley Scott released the first full trailer for Prometheus on Saturday. In case you had a life this weekend, here it is:

Let's Hold Hands, Foam At The Mouth, And Watch The Prometheus Trailer Together!

The newly instituted gag order in my home prevents me from talking nonstop about anything to do with Ridley Scott's upcoming Prometheus. Sadly, there is no such rule here at Culture Brats where I am free to sneak in the back door with my key and pen endless posts praising what is sure to be a turning point in all our lives.

There will be Space Jockey back story, questions about the origins of life on Earth, AND Charlize Theron in various states of undress. If the sight of the horseshoe-shaped derelict spacecraft from 1979's original Alien hitting the ground behind a terrified crew running for their lives doesn't make your innards tingle, you were born without a soul.

Now, let us dim the lights, turn on the surround sound and get ready to surrender ourselves to a horrifying universe beyond our wildest dreams:



You just cried a little, didn't you?

And yes, I am aware that this trailer has been around for a few months now but it took this long to watch it in slow motion replay while taking notes for analysis and in-depth discussion.

Are You There Ridley Scott? It's Me, Kelly.

The simple beauty of having all your geeky childhood dreams come true. It's difficult to wrap your mind around, but the master of bleak psychological science fiction horror looks poised to rock my world off its hinges with his much anticipated Prometheus.

Can't imagine why I'd be in danger.

SPACE JOCKEY! Ten year old me is screaming.

And while you sit there and wonder why my world is on hinges instead of resting on an axis, enjoy this old Alien trailer and some pics from the set of Prometheus that were so difficult to get that the photographer DIED trying to bring them to you!

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