Themes for January science fiction films revolve around outer space adventures and inner mind control. Whether it’s the unknown elements of the vast galaxy or the unknown elements of the intricate workings of the human mind, something always seems to go wrong with the carefully planned science in these cinematic worlds. It’s also the month for one-word sci-fi titles: Moon, Pandorum, Gamer, and Surrogates are the top picks for January DVD rental or purchase.
Moon (2009) Widescreen and Blu-ray
This low-budget film relies more on story and character than splashy special effects. Sam Rockwell stars as an employee of Lunar Industries, assigned to spend three years alone on the Moon in order to mine a fusion energy source to relieve Earth’s energy crisis. Alone except for a talking computer (voiced by Kevin Spacey) and video messages from his family, he endures an accident and makes a shocking discovery right on the brink of concluding his mission.
- Also starring Dominique McElligot, Rosie Shaw, Adrienne Shaw, Kaya Scodelario, Malcolm Stewart, Robin Chalk
- Director: Duncan Jones
- Writers: Duncan Jones (original story); Nathan Parker (screenplay)
- Discs: 1
- Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
- Run Time: 97 minutes
- Rating: R (for language)
- DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010
Pandorum (2009) Widescreen and Blu-ray
From the producers of the Resident Evil film series, comes this creepy tale of what could happen out in space. Two astronauts awaken from hyper-sleep on a dark deserted spacecraft with no knowledge of their mission, their identities, or the whereabouts of 60,000 missing passengers. Five hundred million miles from earth, they learn that the ship holds the deadly secret to the mystery. Yet learning this secret – and discovering that they are not alone onboard – presents a more horrifying scenario then they could ever have imagined. Mixing elements of science fiction and horror, director Christian Alvart presents an unsettling entry in this month’s DVD releases.
- Starring Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le, Eddie Rouse, Norman Reedus
- Director: Christian Alvart
- Writers: Travis Milloy (screenplay and story), Christian Alvart (story)
- Discs: 1
- Genre: Science Fiction, Horror
- Run Time: 108 minutes
- Rating: R (for strong horror violence and language)
- DVD Release Date: January 19, 2010
Gamer (2009) Widescreen and Blu-ray
In this futuristic story, humans control real people in mass-scale, multi-player online games. The latest gaming craze is a brutal combat fantasy in which people act out their darkest desires online before a global audience using real prisoners as avatars forced to fight to the death. The story centers around one man (Gerard Butler) who was taken from his family, imprisoned, and forced to fight against his will as a modern-day gladiator. He must use every ounce of muscle, energy, and brainpower to free himself from the game.
- Also starring Michael C. Hall, Amber Valletta, Logan Lerman, Alison Lohman, Terry Crews, John Liguizamo
- Directors: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
- Writers: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
- Discs: 1
- Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
- Run Time: 95 minutes
- Rating: R (for frenetic sequences of strong brutal violence throughout, sexual content, nudity, and language)
- DVD Release Date: January 19, 2010
Surrogates (2009) Widescreen and Blu-ray
In this near-Utopian world, good-looking surrogates live the dangerous and exciting lives of their owners, who rest safely at home with their imperfect bodies and dysfunctional realities. A cop (Bruce Willis) learns that a conspiracy involving the surrogates and a deadly ray-gun necessitates his leaving his surrogate body and venturing into enemy territory with his real, aging, balding, vulnerable body. As if he didn’t have enough to worry about, in addition to saving the humans behind the surrogates, this over-worked cop must struggle to save his failing marriage after a family tragedy devastates his wife.
- Also starring James Cromwell, Ving Rhames, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, James Francis Ginty, Jack Noseworthy
- Director: Jonathan Mostow
- Writers: Michael Ferris, John D. Brancato (screenplay); Robert Venditti, Brett Weldele (graphic novel)
- Discs: 1
- Genre: Science Fiction, Action
- Run Time: 88 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, language, sexuality, and a drug-related scene)
- DVD Release Date: January 26, 2010
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Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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