Ridley Scott Has Lost His Mind

Sep 05, 2007

Editor's Note: You have to admire a good old fashioned rant. When our guy Cargill was made aware of Ridley Scott's savage attack on sci-fi I thought his head might explode. I challened him to respond so that we could all behold the awesome splendor of a man on the edge. Enjoy!

Ridley Scott's been drinking again. At least I hope he has. Otherwise he's just plum lost his mind. You see, while pimping his third and reportedly final cut of his timeless classic Blade Runner, he said a few very harsh things. Things like, oh, I don't know, "Science Fiction is dead." The snarky guy inside of me wants to instantly retort, "Oh? And I guess the middle aged businessman going to the country and discovering that there is more to life than success genre is just popping?" But then again, as I was probably the only person to actually see his unintentional remake of Doc Hollywood entitled A Good Year, I might be able to answer that question myself.

Science Fiction's not dead. It's just not making a lot of money. To intimate that there's no one out there making intelligent, challenging science fiction or claiming that it is all simply hollow visual effects linked together by weak stories is just plain ignorant. Someone hasn't been to the cinema lately there, Rid ole chap. What about Sunshine? You didn't like that? Okay, I get it. Some folks don't like the third act, but the first two acts were solid, meaningful sci-fi. What about Children of Men? You really gonna dis that? Cause if you are, we got a woman over here on this side of the pond who has got some words for you, I'm sure. We call her MaryAnn.

The Fountain? Solaris? Dude, I'm just going a few years back now. What about indies like Primer which proved that you could make intelligent sci-fi with only $7,000? Or something like Puzzlehead that delights festival audiences but is just too smart and dark for mainstream audiences?

And should I even bring up television? We're in the middle of a modern day televised sci-fi renaissance. Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Heroes, Doctor Who, Torchwood: are you really going to tell me that these are soulless pieces of episodic drudgery linking costly special effects together with weak storytelling?

What the hell have you been watching, Ridley? What alternate universe do you live in that you and Kubrick were the end all be all of modern sci-fi? You guys are great, two of the best, don't get me wrong. But it's dead after you? You should pull your head out of your hindquarter and enjoy some of the sci-fi the rest of us have been watching. I think you might be forced to rethink your analysis.

C. Robert Cargill - - - Email Me
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Austin-based Cargill, who not only loves but owns The Cutting Edge, writes on movies and DVD five times a week.