Only several times in a decade does a film like Skyline come about. A film that manages to fail so tremendously that it some how manages to become an entertainment success. Like such atrocities as The Room or the best of the Syfy Channel, Skyline is so monumentally awful that it becomes a memorable experience.

The film follows Elaine (Scottie Thompson) and her boyfriend Jarrod (also known as J-rock)(Eric Balfour) on a trip to LA to visit their successful friend effects guru friend Terry( T-money), played by Donald Faison. While partying up and experiencing drama typical to young hipsters, the group becomes intertwined in a planetary wide alien invasion.

The film's premise attempts to follow along the same lines as Cloverfield, following catastrophic events through the eyes of ordinary people. Unfortunately for Skyline, this has been executed much better dozens of times before it.

Even outside of the film's unoriginal premise the script is a muddled mess. The character's are annoyingly one dimensional and behave like imbeciles through their entire time on screen. In fact, a common pass time for J-rock and T-money seems to be watching homosexual couples have sex through a telescope. Dialogue is flat and sometimes insultingly stereotypical. The plot also moves about at a sporadic and uneven pace, and reaches moments of horrendous tedium.

Little more can be said about the acting. Every character in the film comes off as incredibly bland and uninspired. Whether this can be blamed on the capabilities of the actors is unknown, but there is nary a sympathetic actor to be found in Skyline.

There are, however, glimpses of a better film within Skyline. The special effects are impressive and often believable, and the design work on the various alien creatures in the film is superb. There are even several standout action sequences, which are unfortunately harmed by the film's budget constraints and its unwanted attention on its main cast. There even seems to be some intelligence poking out through various portions in the script. The motives for the alien race featured in the film are left ambiguous and the few glimpses we are given are, while often humorous, sometimes fairly interesting.


Where Skyline does succeed is through its unintentional humor. Whether through its cliched and plot hole ridden script, the banal and annoying characters, or moments of sheer confusion, Skyline, with the right crowd, is a comedic tour de force. In fact in many ways, the film is funnier than most of the comedies we have seen this year.

Is Skyline one of the worst films of the year? Of course, but it is also a damn good time. While seeing the film at a full price screening is not recommended, a group viewing is sure to guarantee a good time had by all.


Score: D

With today's release of the science fiction film Skyline, the alien invasion genre seems alive and well in Hollywood. Nowhere is there better proof then in next year's action sci-fi Battle: Los Angeles. African director Jonathan Liebesman's project has been described as a mix between Black Hawk Down and Independance Day and stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo and Michael Peña.

Larry Doyle is quickly becoming a comedy superstar. A former writer for the Simpsons, and author of the widely successful I Love You, Beth Cooper, Doyle has already shown the world that he has skill in creating successful satire and memorable characters. Doyle continues his success in his recent comedic novel, GoMutants!.

In a world where the monsters, aliens, and events of B-Movie Horror films from the 50's actually exist, J!m, son of a particularly hated invader, must struggle to survive high school. While J!m has problems typical of an American teenager (puberty, girls, bullies, etc.) he also must deal with the fact that his neighborhood suspects him of being an alien terrorist. Luckily, he has the help of his two friends Johnny, a mutant motorcycle-riding ape, and Jelly, a jello like mass passing as a fat kid.


Go Mutants! is a unique premise to say the least. Although its plot relies on the cliches of both the high school comedy and science fiction genres, Go Mutants! never stops feeling surprisingly fresh.

Perhaps the most obvious and striking aspect of the novel is the fascinating world that it takes place in. Although designed as a satire, Doyle manages to breath a surprising amount of life and detail into a land populated by aliens, mutants, robots, etc. Incredible detail is given to the history, politics, and even pop culture of this surreal universe, which is surprising given that the book is a comedy. However, due to Doyle's deadpan and atypical sense of humor, certain confusing aspects are explained so nonchalantly that they required repeated reading to understand.


Despite this flaw, Go Mutants!'s comedy is endlessly funny. While there are the expected pop culture references, Doyle's humor spreads beyond name dropping. The characters and situations presented are enough to deserve a several laughs. That's not to say that Doyle does not use his expertly crafted universe effectively. Fans of the science fiction genre will be able to pick up cameos Gojira, Gort, and even Triffids.

Despite taking cues from 1950's culture, Go Mutants! is relevant, and continuously successful, in its satire. Commenting on topics ranging from the War on Terror to teen society, Doyle's tale is as almost as thought provoking as it is funny. While you won't find anything here as stirring as Catch 22 or other satirical masterpieces, Go Mutants! is a great piece of satirical fiction.

While overshadowed by the world they inhabit, the characters that populate the world are certainly notable in their own right. Each are interesting, and their plights believable and sympathetic, if slightly cliched.

While it may best be enjoyed by fans of the science fiction genre, Doyle's latest comedy is well worth the read.


Score: -A

Apple has revealed the teaser trailer for the upcoming science ficiton film Skyline directed by the Brothers Strause. Skyline is due for release November 12.

Hype is building for the upcoming science ficiton epic Skyline. First announced to rave response at this years San Diego Comic Con, Skyline directed by Greg and Colin Strause is set to be the sleeper science fiction hit of the year. The film is due for release November 12th. Check out the teaser site here.

With the Transformers franchise rounding out production later this year, it appears that the master of explosions Micheal Bay has begun searching for a new project.

According to Heat Vision, Bay has put his sites on a new science fiction project written by newcomer Bobby Glickert. This new project has been referred to as a mix between Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity, and will feature Area 51 as a plot point. Bay will produce the project along with Paranormal Activity 2 producer Steven Schneider.

Science fiction has taken hold of the independent film business. With films like District 9 and Moon taking the critical and pop cultural world by storm, it is no surprise that small time filmmakers everywhere are taking advantage of this new age of technology to bring us a wide range of science fiction fantasy films. One such movie is the upcoming alien horror action film, Skyline.

Skyline is a completely independent science fiction film created by the Brothers Strause, the team behind Alien vs Predator: Requiem. The film follows characters played by Donald Faison (Scrubs), Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), David Zayas (Dexter) and Scottie Thompson (Star Trek) as the struggle to survive and understand a mysterious and dangerous otherworldly prescience. As the group struggles to survive they have to face mysterious blue lights, gigantic space craft, and monstrous organic beings who are ravaging their hometown of Los Angeles.

The Brothers Strause stress the fact that they had no outside input at all when shooting the film. The actors didn't even have trailers. However, this is not to say that the work the team has done on Skyline is unprofessional. The team has hired acclaimed special effects studio Hydraulx (Avatar, 300, Iron Man 2) to do the effects work for the film.

Skyline is currently schedule for release December of this year.

Information courtesy of IGN.com

Check out this cool new teaser trailer for the upcoming sci-fi suspense film Monsters, due out for a limited release this October..

Video courtesy of IGN.com

The science fiction horror film that took SXSW by storm this spring has been bought and scheduled for a limited release October 29th. Digital Spy, in addition to the poster seen above, has posted a new press release regarding the independant film sleeper hit.

Six years ago previously, a NASA probe returning to earth with samples of an alien life form, crashed over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear, and half of Mexico was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain "the creatures"... The story begins when a US journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.

When it comes to classic anime sci-fi, there are few more beloved then the classic Toho's ( the same company that brought you Gojira and The Seven Samurai)Battleship Yamamoto. Following the efforts of a crew of a mighty space warship modeled after a WWII battleship, the series is a cult classic. Like any classic from the late 1900's, Yamamoto is now getting a big budget live action redux, and might I say I'm excited. Honestly, look at that. Best sci-fi epic I've seen in years. Finally, SPACE BATTLES!

The final trailer for the upcoming Predators sequel has arrived. The film is due for release July 9th.

Dreamworks Pictures today released the plot synopsis for its upcoming sci-fi western Cowboys and Aliens. The film, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Harrison Ford Sam Rockwell Noah Ringer Olivia Wilde and Daniel Craig, is to be released July 29 2011. The synopsis reads as follows:

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Sharlto Copley (District 9)announced that he will be dropping out of the sci-fi prokect I Am Number Four, an adaptation of a young adult sci-fi novel surrounding teenage aliens who are stranded on Earth. Copley was originally slated to play a mentor character to one of the teenage aliens in the film. However, news claims that scheduling conflicts lead to his leaving the project. Yet, Film Drunk claims that creative differences between Copley and the director D.J. Caruso lead to the actor's departure.