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From: reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers,net.movies
Subject: Upcoming SF/Fantasy Films (very long)
Message-ID: <8746@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 5-Feb-86 21:42:34 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.8746
Posted: Wed Feb  5 21:42:34 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Feb-86 01:45:48 EST
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
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Here is a list of the science fiction and fantasy films which are
scheduled for release in 1986.  The list is culled from a list of
all films to be released.  The list was in the Calendar section of
the Sunday LA Times of January 12th.  It was compiled by Pat H. Broeske.

The blurbs attached are from that article.  In a few cases, I have 
added my own comments, in brackets.  The films are listed in order
of release (generally speaking), and alphabetically within the time
periods.  Not all of those listed are certain to be released.  Other
films of this type not on the list may also be released  (especially
cheap ones from small studios).  I have omitted films which seem to
be more horror oriented than fantasy/sf.  Releasing studio is listed
in parenthesis after the blurb.

January and February  (Most of these have already opened.)

"The Adventures of Mark Twain"  Fantasy-adventure written/directed by
Will Vinton in his Claymation process.  [This seems to be a love-it or
hate-it film.  I loved it.  Mark Leeper hated it.](Atlantic)

"Critters" - Campy thriller about the invasion of a small Oklahoma town
by alien carnivores with razor-sharp teeth and porcupine quills and
a pair of alien bounty hunters (from their galaxy) on their trail.
Billy Green Bush, Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh. (New Line Cinema)

"The Dirt Bike Kid" - Not unlike Jack of "Jack and the Beanstalk", 
a boy (Peter Billingsley) disobeys his mom's instructions when he's
sent to the store and buys a magical dirt bike.  Adventures follow.
(Concorde/Cinema Group)

"The Eliminators" - Half human android (named Mandroid), a beautiful
scientist, a mercenary, and a ninja exact revenge on a mad scientist.
(Empire)

"Hands of Steel" - Futuristic action-adventure tale about an android
(with hands that can penetrate steel) hired to kill the world's last
environmentalist.  (Things have gotten pretty murkey on the planet.)
[I wonder if Harlan Ellison can successfully sue these guys, too.]
(Almi Pictures)

"Terrorvision" - Horror/comedy about an intergalactic garbage monster
that enters a nutty family's home via their satellite dish and through
their television.  With Mary Woronov, Gerrit Graham, Bert Remsen, Diane
Franklin. (Empire)

"Troll" - When the Potter family moves into the apartment building at
Mockingbird Lane, they're unaware that Torok the Troll is making himself
comfy in the laundry room.  (Empire)


Spring

"Aurora Encounter" - Three school children befriend the alien pilot of
a UFO in 1897 Aurora, Texas.  They try to convince townspeople of the
alien's existence while saving him from a government agent.  Jack Elam,
Peter Brown, Spanky ("Our Gang") McFarland, singer Dottie West.  [Not
again!]  (New World) [With a studio like this, we can at least hope 
that the alien winds up dismembering Spanky on screen.]

"Bio-Hazard" - Fred Olin Ray directs the tale of an alien from another
dimension who's a scout for a planned invasion.  With Aldo Ray. (21st 
Century)

"The Boy Who Could Fly" - An autistic youngster named Eric sits on a
second story ledge, hums like an airplane, and believes he can fly.
And, guess what?  With Lucy Deakins, Fred Savage, Bonnie Bedelia,
Fred Gwynne, Colleen Dewhurst, Louis Fletcher.  Directed by Nick Castle.
(Fox)

"Ghost Warrior" - A Samurai warrior, trapped frozen in ice over centuries,
is defrosted in contemporary Los Angeles.  Starring Hiroshi Fujioka,
the "Don Johnson of Japan" (says the distributor).  (Empire)

"The Highlander" - Antagonists who don't age or die struggle for power
in a saga that takes them from a remote 16th-century Scotland to a
battle in present-day Manhattan.  Sean Connery, Christopher Lambert,
Roxanne Hart, Clancy Brown. (Fox)

"Pleasure Planet" - Outer space meets rock 'n roll under the direction
of Albert Puhn. (Empire)

"Star Crystal" - A routine expedition to Mars in the year 2035 turns up
a curious rock that an astronaut pockets.  He'll wish he hadn't: The
rock encases a tiny creature that grows in size and intellect and
murderous thought.  (New World) [Nearly the perfect description of a
modern New World picture, lacking only the detail that the creature likes
to rip the cloths off its female victims before dispatching them.  I'll
bet it does, though.]

"Zone Troopers" - Extraterristrial soldier assists the allies battle the
Nazis in this WWII-science fiction tale. [A still from this film makes it
look really cheap and hokey.] (Empire)

Summer

"Aliens" - Sigorney Weaver returns as chief warrant officer Ripley, sole
survivor of the starship Nostromo's encounter with the extraterrestrial
of 1979's box-office smash.  This time, as written/directed by James
Cameron, she returns to the site of the original terror and encounters
more than one of the nasty title creatures.  Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser,
Lance Henrickse. (Fox)

"Big Trouble in Little China" - Director John Carpenter and Kurt Russell
reteam for a mystical action-adventure-comedy-kung-fu-monster-ghost-story,
about the imaginary world beneath Chinatown that's inhabited by ghosts.
Kim Catrall, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton (daughter of Richard).
Scripted by W. D. Richter [of "Buckaroo Banzai".] (Fox)

"Cherry 2000" - When his robot playmate has an internal meltdown, lonely
guy David Andrews goes in search of the parts needed for repair.  His
journey into the lawless zone, circa 2017, forces him to team with a real
woman, Melanie Griffith, which means he soon discovers there's more to
love than hot wiring. (Orion)

"The Fly" - David Cronenberg co-wrote/directed this remake of the 1958
Vincent Price horror classic about a scientist whose atoms are scrambled
with those of a housefly during an experiment with matter transmission.
Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz. (Fox)

"Flight of the Navigator" - A 12-year-old boy goes the Rip Van Winkle
route - leaving home on an errand and returning eight years later, only
to learn he hasn't aged a day.  Directed by Randal Kleiser. (Buena Vista)
[I.E., either Disney or its mature-film company, Touchstone.]

"Harry and the Hendersons" - Steven Spielberg is exec-producer of this
comedy about a typical American family whose lives are turned around
when they run into an unusual creature.  [Deja vu ... ] Written/directed
by William Dear. (Universal)

"Howard the Duck" - George Lucas is the exec director [say what?] of this
live action comedy based on the Marvel Comics ducky.  With Lea Thompson,
Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins.  Directed by Willard Huyck. (Universal)

"Hyper Sapiens" - The citizenry of Wyoming has a close encounter with
two runaway extraterrestrial teens and their creature in this comedy-
adventure directed by Peter Hunt.  With Sidney Penny and Keenan Wynn.
(Distributor Pending)

"Invaders From Mars" - Tobe Hooper directed remake of the 1953 sci-fi
favorite about an 11-year-old boy (Hunter Carson) who awakens one night
to watch an alien spacecraft land in the hills behind his home.  Over the
next three days, the boy tries to convince the authority figures around him
that something strange is going on... With Karen Black, Laraine Newman,
Timothy Bottoms, Louise Fletcher. (Cannon)

"Labyrinth" - Directed by Muppet master Jim Henson and exec produced by
George Lucas, this is an adventure-fantasy about a young girl's journey
through a multi-walled maze to rescue her baby brother who has been
kidnapped by David Bowie, ominous ruler of the labyrinth.  With only
three human characters, the film will feature a menagerie of new creatures.
[The coming attractions look great.  Does the synopsis remind anyone else
of Maurice Sendak's "Outside Over There"?] (Tri-Star)

"Legend" - Ridley Scott directed this fantasy-adventure about hermit Tom
Cruise who must do battle with the evil Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry) to
rescue Princess Mia Sara and free the universe from its curse of perpetual
winter.  With fairies, goblins, unicorns, and some mortals.  [Scheduled to
be released last year, "Legend" has gone through substantial changes,
including ripping out a supposedly excellent orchetral score to throw in
a rock score, drastic shortening, etc., all in the name of appealing to
teenagers.  The original version is supposed to be playing in Europe.  I
hope it eventually makes it over here.]  (Universal)

"Maximum Overdrive" - The Earth passes through the tail of a comet, turning
all machinery against man.  Stephen King scripted/directed.  Stars Emilio
Estevez.  (De Laurentiis Entertainment Group) [A business title many would
consider a contradiction in terms.]

"Poltergeist II: The Other Side" - After being terrorized in California,
the Freeling family moves to Phoenix - only to discover their nightmares
haven't ended.  Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, William Heather
O'Rourke, Oliver Robbins.  (MGM/UA)

"Short Circuit" - John Badham-directed high-tech adventure comedy about
a military weapons robot, named No. 5, who short-circuits (in a thunderstorm)
and becomes "alive" - and turns peacenik.  He's also chased by the
government and the scientist (Steve Guttenberg) who created him.  And he's
befriended by Ally Sheedy. [John Badham ("Wargames") again brings his,
shall we say, interesting views of computer science to the screen.  Which
doesn't bother me as much as the feeling that I will be able to predict
almost every single plot twist in this film.] (Tri Star)

"Spacecamp" - A summer at camp turns into an unexpected space shuttle
voyage for a group of teenaged astronaut trainees.  Kate Capshaw, Tate
Donovan, Leaf Phoenix, Kelly Preston, Larry B. Scott, Tom Skerrit, Lea
Thompson. [It will be interesting to see what happens to this film in the
light of the recent tragedy.  Will the studio fear charges of poor taste,
or will it crassly use the tragedy to promote its movie, or will it go
ahead just as if nothing had happened?] (Fox)

"Starship Redwing" - Science fiction tale (set in the year 2084) about
conflicts on a mining planet.  (Concorde/Cinema Group)

"Underworld" - The gothic meets the futuristic when mutant members of an
underworld realm - who live beneath the streets of a metropolis - incur
the wrath of a criminal underworld.  Denholm Elliott and Miranda Richardson.
[Elliott is a fine actor last seen in TV's "Bleak House".  How typical of
the acting profession, to move from Dickens to what sounds like cheap
exploitation.] (Empire) 

Fall

"American Tail" - Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment will team with 
animator Don Bluth for this animated tale of an immigrant mouse. (Warner
Bros)

"Robots Rule" - Futuristic Western about a robot ranch hand whose relationship
with a female human gets him in trouble with the authorities, leading to
a showdown between man and machinery.  Scripted/directed by Rospo Pallenberg.
(New World)

"Spellcaster" - Filmed in an authentic Roman castle, this one's about a
group of people who've been summoned for a treasure hunt that results in
magical legends - courtesy of a Merlin-like wizard. (Empire)

"Test Tube Teens From the Year 2000" - Futuristic comedy with a 1950s
slant - in which a couple of dudes from the 80s are put into hibernation
and reawaken in the year 2000 when teens have reverted to '50s-ish
mannerisms (like "Oh gee") and '50s-ish morals - which means the guys have
their work cut out for them when they find themselves on a "female farm"
where the gals pine about finding Mr. Right.  Oh golly! [Sounds like a 
cheap ripoff of an excellent Polish film, "Sex Mission".  Also sounds 
incredibly sexist and offensive.] (Empire)

Christmas

"Batteries Not Included" - The plot to this one is being kept under wraps,
but it's said to involve flying saucers - a familiar stamping ground for
exec producer Steven Spielberg.  Matthew Robbins directs.  (Universal)

"King Kong Lives!" - The beast, whom we presumed dead after toppling from
the World Trade Center (silly us), apparently is alive and well.  John
Guillerman, who directed the 1976 remake, again directs.  Cast not yet
announced.  [One of the few cases I've heard of where they make a sequel to
a flop.] (DeLaurentiis Ent.)

"Spiderman" - Bitten by a radioactive spider, a man attains newfound strength
and the ability to sense criminal evil, becoming Spiderman - defender of
law and order.  Joseph Zito directs, based on Stan Lee's Marvel Comics
character. (Cannon)

"Star Trek IV" - The Enterprise takes off again.  Leonard Nimoy stars and
directs who else but William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter
Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols. (Paramount)


No Announced Release Date

"Booby Trap" - Futristic tale set in (what's left of) Southern California,
circa 1998,about an 18-year-old who, accompanied by his girl and a robot
named Winston, takes revenge on a gang that attacked him.  (Distributor
pending)


"Little Shop of Horrors" - Based on the Off-Broadway musical (which was
based on Roger Corman's 1960 cult flick) about a botanical genius and
his bloodthirsty Venus flytrap.  Frank Oz directs Rick Moranis, Steve
Martin, Ellen Greene, John Candy.  [And Bill Murray in a cameo.] (Warner
Bros)

"Trackers: 2180" - Michael Pare and Richard Farnsworth team for a prison
break on a futuristic colonized desert planet. (Vestron)

And some which might or might not get made:

"Blue Plaid Sneakers" - fantasy-comedy-romance. (Atlantic)

"Creature" - Youngsters find and protect a mysterious young forest creature
found in a magical woods.  (New World)

"Heros for Hire" - superhero adventure. (Atlantic)

"Making Mr. Right" - Susan Seidelman directs an ironic look at modern
romance - in which the perfect man turns out to be an android. (Orion)

"Robocop" - All about the future of law enforcement - as the body of a 
cop who lies near death is used to create a mechanical robot with a
human memory.  (Orion)


And a few final comments.  Notice how many sf/fantasy films are being
released by companies like Empire and New World.  Most of these will
stink.  Of the majors, only Fox seems to have very many sf/fantasy films 
coming out.  (Universal has several Spielberg produced films coming out.)
Even among the major studios, the emphasis is in predictability, with
a flood of robot/android movies sporting interchangeable plots.  Also 
several sequels and one or two presold films based on other mediums.
Only a very few original sounding films are coming out in the sf/fantasy field.
It may be that this will be a big sf/fantasy year quantitatively, but
qualitatively, it sounds poor.
-- 
        			Peter Reiher
				reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
        			{...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiher