Ex_Machina - Sci Fi brilliance

Have you seen Ex_Machina?

It's a sci fi film released recently, and it is shockingly good.

Image source: http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/trailers/124561-two-teaser-trailers-for-alex-garlands-ex-machina#/slide/1

Part thriller, part awesome is how I would go about describing this in a brief sentence.

The film deals with one of my personal favourites in the world of sci fi, the notion of humanity and the concept of artificial intelligence.

Throughout the entirety of the film the classic thriller 'feeling of constant tension' is maintained very strongly. You feel on edge the entire time and are definitely engaged with the story (good point for movie watchers who want to be kept interested).

Image source: http://robohub.org/ex-machina-when-turing-meets-bechdel-test/

The film leaps right into the story.

No wishy washy intros. The main character heads straight into the desolate but strikingly futuristic facility centre to begin his journey. (Funnily enough there's no real journeying involved, the rest of the film is all set in the facility).

Our protagonist must test an AI to see if they have truly achieved what it means to be an individual. A true human. (*screams internally*)

Our main character has a kind heart, we connect to them straight away. The AI, 'Ava' is equally convincing and melts your heart with sympathy.

Too bad there is a whole lot of darkness to come for the both of them.

Our brilliant AI creator is a fascinating character as well, don't underestimate the power of a crazy genius!!

I won't go into more detail on the storyline though. If you're even a little interested just go on Rotten Tomatoes or your favourite film review site and check it out.

For fans of sci fi this is a must see film for 2015 (particularly since it strays from what you expect to happen), for those of you not quite convinced, consider the implications of having AI in our near future:

It's undoubtedly going to happen isn't it? We've got Siri and we've got loads of robots in creation as we speak which will revolutionise what it means to be a mere computer program.

Image source: http://whatculture.com/film/what-does-the-ending-of-ex-machina-really-mean.php

Apart from that, the film wanders briefly into a slight horror theme and makes points on what it means to be human. There is action, there is romance.

Fun for all the family! BUT not.
(Don't take young children though, it is MA15+ after all)

If it's showing at your local cinema go and watch it.

You won't be dissapointed.

Shoot me a comment if you've seen this film or if you're planning to! What did you think?

Mash it up
xx

Blind date with a Book

Checking out their hot edges ;)

You're thinking what???


What date? With a book? What?!!!

Well, this is simply a fantastic idea which I discovered in Newtown
while browsing 'Elizabeth's Bookstore'.

"The King St store started wrapping staff-selected books in brown paper, handwriting a few key words on the front and calling them Blind Date Books last April.

Customers can buy the book either for themselves or as a present and store manager Melanie Prosser said it encouraged people to move outside their literary comfort zone.

“People have such a hard time choosing what to read and you do tend to judge a book on what you see, so this takes all the choice out of it,” she said."

-Daily Telegraph

Isn't it fantastic? As a book fanatic, going on a date with one sounds perfect!

Naturally I bought one.
Out of all of them this was the only one in the Sci-Fi genre,
or at least lacking soppy Romance descriptions... Hahaha

I got very lucky with this one, it's a classic Horror/Sci-Fi which is a 1961 Penguin.
'The Midwich Cuckoos' by John Wyndham, also known as the movie
'The Village of the Damned'

Have a look at the full article about this wonderful dating experience:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/elizabeths-bookshop-in-newtown-are-offering-readers-a-new-experience-with-blind-date-books/story-fngr8h4f-1226824807937

Have you guys ever bought these books?
If you were to do a blind book date, which book would it be with?
Comment below :)


Mash it up
xx

Ubik - A book to fall into

Have I mentioned I like Science Fiction?

Perhaps... But here is an actual piece of Science Fiction 'perfection':

The novel 'Ubik' by well known Sci-Fi writer Phillip K. Dick is an immersive and utterly mind blowing creation of the future, which, like many of his novels, causes us to ask:
What is reality?

I love how it messes with us throughout..
It's superbly written, with a bit of sex, romance, action, horror and lots of great humour.

Personally, it gives me great joy to look at the cover too, haha. Pretty colours eh?

"If you liked "Inception" or "The Matrix" then you'd probably like this. It's kind of a similar concept of people trapped in essentially a dreamworld where things can change around them in an instant. Of course there's a lot less kung-fu and car chases than those movies. - LibraryThing Review"

"Fast moving novel that explores solipsism, perhaps, in a mind-bending manner. Dick creates a world overflowing with novelties, then shifts the entire setting of the novel, twisting the plot and characters in a manner that reminded me of the creative freedom of the novel. There's a strong whiff of meta-fictive play about the novel, but none of the pretentiousness that so often accompanies it. - Michael.McGuire"

"An extraordinarily prescient book, written over 40 years ago, yet describing a world of instant communication and online commercevery like the present. The story flips you through time and life/death so many times, you don't know whether you are in the past, or present, alive, half alive or dead.  - Greatrakes"


Check it out here on Google Books for the full description and reviews:
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ZEyn5Gl_sYUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=philip+k+dick+ubik+books&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Qc-gU-m5BoTp8AXGtoGoAw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=philip%20k%20dick%20ubik%20books&f=false