- ITmagazine.cc

Casey Chong examines eight notable cult sci-fi films from 1985... The year 1985 was significant for the iconic sci-fi film Back to the Future, which grossed over $210 million in the U.S. alone. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this time-travel classic remains a beloved cinematic landmark. Alongside it, several other sci-fi movies were released, some achieving success like Cocoon, while others, such as Enemy Mine and Explorers, were largely overlooked by audiences at the time. Below, we present our selections of the essential sci-fi films from 1985 beyond Back to the Future... Re-Animator Not for the faint of heart, Stuart Gordon fully embraces Lovecraftian horror with sci-fi elements in Re-Animator. The film features Jeffrey Combs in his memorable and eccentric role as Herbert West, a deranged medical student obsessed with resurrecting the dead using his experimental serum. Gordon’s direction captures the essence of a B-movie spirit, merging sci-fi horror with dark comedy. The film is exceptionally bloody and gory, showcasing impressive practical effects and maintaining a brisk pace without unnecessary distractions. The cult success of Re-Animator led to two sequels, Bride of Re-Animator and Beyond Re-Animator. Brazil Terry Gilliam’s often-misunderstood sci-fi masterpiece failed to draw large audiences upon its release but has since been recognized as a classic. Gilliam, who co-wrote the screenplay, presents a unique vision of a dystopian future rife with bureaucratic absurdities, focused on a low-level government employee, played by the empathetic Jonathan Pryce, as he navigates a landscape of daydreams and mundane reality. Beyond Gilliam’s stunning visuals and quirky humor, the film offers profound narrative depth, drawing on Orwellian themes of totalitarianism and oppression. Although its nearly 2 ½ hour runtime might deter some viewers, Gilliam’s intricate direction offers a distinctive cinematic experience worth witnessing. Enemy Mine Wolfgang Petersen, known for genre-defining works like Das Boot and Air Force One, directed the sadly underrated Enemy Mine, which came a year after the success of The NeverEnding Story. The film faced numerous behind-the-scenes challenges, including the firing of original director Richard Loncraine, who had already filmed some scenes. Rather than using Loncraine's footage, Petersen opted to start anew. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, Enemy Mine struggled at the box office, yet it deserves recognition for its effective exploration of themes such as harmony, unity, and empathy, adapted from Barry B. Longyear’s novella by Edward Khmara. Primarily centering on the conflict between human pilot Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) and a reptilian being named Jeriba Shigan (Louis Gossett Jr., in full prosthetic makeup), the film thrives on the chemistry between the two leads, elevating it beyond a simple survival story. The Quiet Earth This film from New Zealand presents a haunting “what if” scenario in which a global disaster nearly wipes out all humanity. Directed by Geoff Murphy, who later took on Hollywood projects like Young Guns II, The Quiet Earth opens with a captivating scene where a man (Bruno Lawrence) wakes up to find himself utterly alone in a city. The first 35 minutes focus on Lawrence’s character, Zac Hobson, as he copes with solitude, even resorting to donning a dress for entertainment. His performance is exceptional, capturing a blend of isolation, frustration, and odd joy. The narrative later introduces two additional characters: a young woman named Joanne (Alison Routledge) and a Maori man named Api (Pete Smith). Adapted from Craig Harrison’s novel, the film explores themes of human instinct, trust, and racial tension leading to a surreal and ambiguous conclusion. Cocoon Surprisingly, Robert Zemeckis was originally slated to direct Cocoon, but after Fox executives' negative reactions to an early cut of Romancing the Stone, Ron Howard took over. Howard’s deliberate direction proved perfect for Tom Benedek’s screenplay about seniors at a retirement home who discover a swimming pool with giant cocoons that rejuvenate them. The film thoughtfully examines aging and the rediscovery of youth through the experiences of its elderly characters, portrayed by Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, and Hume Cronyn. Rather than merely invoking nostalgia, Howard elicits strong performances from this older cast. While the special effects, especially the glowing alien beings, may seem dated today, the film’s charm and positive portrayal of the creatures are undeniable. Cocoon became a significant hit that year, followed by a less successful sequel, Cocoon: The Return, released three years later. The Stuff The film's title refers to a mysterious, sweet, and addictive white goo, reminiscent of shaving cream. This substance quickly becomes a national obsession, capturing America’s attention. Writer-director Larry Cohen fully embraces the absurdity Casey Chong examines eight notable cult sci-fi films from 1985... The year 1985 was significant for the iconic sci-fi film Back to the Future, which grossed over $210 million in the U.S. alone. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this time-travel classic remains a beloved cinematic landmark. Alongside it, several other sci-fi movies were released, some achieving success like Cocoon, while others, such as Enemy Mine and Explorers, were largely overlooked by audiences at the time. Below, we present our selections of the essential sci-fi films from 1985 beyond Back to the Future... Re-Animator Not for the faint of heart, Stuart Gordon fully embraces Lovecraftian horror with sci-fi elements in Re-Animator. The film features Jeffrey Combs in his memorable and eccentric role as Herbert West, a deranged medical student obsessed with resurrecting the dead using his experimental serum. Gordon’s direction captures the essence of a B-movie spirit, merging sci-fi horror with dark comedy. The film is exceptionally bloody and gory, showcasing impressive practical effects and maintaining a brisk pace without unnecessary distractions. The cult success of Re-Animator led to two sequels, Bride of Re-Animator and Beyond Re-Animator. Brazil Terry Gilliam’s often-misunderstood sci-fi masterpiece failed to draw large audiences upon its release but has since been recognized as a classic. Gilliam, who co-wrote the screenplay, presents a unique vision of a dystopian future rife with bureaucratic absurdities, focused on a low-level government employee, played by the empathetic Jonathan Pryce, as he navigates a landscape of daydreams and mundane reality. Beyond Gilliam’s stunning visuals and quirky humor, the film offers profound narrative depth, drawing on Orwellian themes of totalitarianism and oppression. Although its nearly 2 ½ hour runtime might deter some viewers, Gilliam’s intricate direction offers a distinctive cinematic experience worth witnessing. Enemy Mine Wolfgang Petersen, known for genre-defining works like Das Boot and Air Force One, directed the sadly underrated Enemy Mine, which came a year after the success of The NeverEnding Story. The film faced numerous behind-the-scenes challenges, including the firing of original director Richard Loncraine, who had already filmed some scenes. Rather than using Loncraine's footage, Petersen opted to start anew. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, Enemy Mine struggled at the box office, yet it deserves recognition for its effective exploration of themes such as harmony, unity, and empathy, adapted from Barry B. Longyear’s novella by Edward Khmara. Primarily centering on the conflict between human pilot Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) and a reptilian being named Jeriba Shigan (Louis Gossett Jr., in full prosthetic makeup), the film thrives on the chemistry between the two leads, elevating it beyond a simple survival story. The Quiet Earth This film from New Zealand presents a haunting “what if” scenario in which a global disaster nearly wipes out all humanity. Directed by Geoff Murphy, who later took on Hollywood projects like Young Guns II, The Quiet Earth opens with a captivating scene where a man (Bruno Lawrence) wakes up to find himself utterly alone in a city. The first 35 minutes focus on Lawrence’s character, Zac Hobson, as he copes with solitude, even resorting to donning a dress for entertainment. His performance is exceptional, capturing a blend of isolation, frustration, and odd joy. The narrative later introduces two additional characters: a young woman named Joanne (Alison Routledge) and a Maori man named Api (Pete Smith). Adapted from Craig Harrison’s novel, the film explores themes of human instinct, trust, and racial tension leading to a surreal and ambiguous conclusion. Cocoon Surprisingly, Robert Zemeckis was originally slated to direct Cocoon, but after Fox executives' negative reactions to an early cut of Romancing the Stone, Ron Howard took over. Howard’s deliberate direction proved perfect for Tom Benedek’s screenplay about seniors at a retirement home who discover a swimming pool with giant cocoons that rejuvenate them. The film thoughtfully examines aging and the rediscovery of youth through the experiences of its elderly characters, portrayed by Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, and Hume Cronyn. Rather than merely invoking nostalgia, Howard elicits strong performances from this older cast. While the special effects, especially the glowing alien beings, may seem dated today, the film’s charm and positive portrayal of the creatures are undeniable. Cocoon became a significant hit that year, followed by a less successful sequel, Cocoon: The Return, released three years later. The Stuff The film's title refers to a mysterious, sweet, and addictive white goo, reminiscent of shaving cream. This substance quickly becomes a national obsession, capturing America’s attention. Writer-director Larry Cohen fully embraces the absurdity

Sam Hill / Digital Trends If you enjoy crossword puzzles but lack the time to tackle a full-sized version from your daily newspaper, The Mini is the perfect solution! This condensed form of the New York Times’ famous crossword puzzle allows you to test your skills quickly and efficiently (the average puzzle takes just over a minute to complete). Even though The Mini is smaller and less complex than a traditional crossword, it can still present challenges. Getting stuck on a single clue might mean the difference between achieving a personal best or experiencing an awkward solving attempt. Just like our hints for Wordle and Connections, we're here to assist you with The Mini if you find yourself needing a bit of help. Below are the answers for today’s NYT Mini crossword. **NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Today** *New York Times* **Across** Common feature in a tourist's brochure – MAP Olympic accolade – MEDAL Any of the green plastic figures from “Toy Story” – SOLDIER Still at large – ATLARGE Driver’s license or passport – PHOTOID Star of the Eras Tour – SWIFT 30, 45, or 50 on a beach bottle: Abbr. – SPF **Down** Calms down – MELLOWS Prompt displayed after swiping a card at an iPad register – ADDATIP Form pairs – PAIROFF Fluttering insects near a flame – MOTHS Completely genuine – LEGIT Adhesive substance – SAP “No turning allowed on ___” (road sign) – RED Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for more than five years and has no plans of stopping. He covers everything... If you’re a fan of Wordle and Connections, Puzzmo might become your next daily fixation. If you’ve incorporated puzzle games like Wordle and Connections into your daily routine over the past year, another daily obsession might be on the horizon. Puzzmo is a new platform that transforms the concept of a newspaper puzzle page into a responsive web interface that’s compatible across devices. Players can sign up for free access today, along with an optional $40 annual subscription that unlocks additional features like experimental games and leaderboards. This ambitious project is the result of a collaboration between Orta Therox and Zach Gage, a game designer known for popular mobile games such as Knotwords and Good Sudoku. His latest endeavor has been in development for several years and aims to serve as a comprehensive hub for Gage’s puzzle offerings, competing with renowned platforms like The New York Times. **Read more** **Step aside, Wordle: The New York Times has introduced a new puzzle game** The New York Times has launched a new addition to its Games catalog following the success of Wordle — and it’s focused on math. Digits challenges players to engage in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You can currently access its beta version for free online. In Digits, players must match a specified target number. Given six numbers, participants can combine them through various operations to get as close to the target as possible. It’s not necessary to use all the numbers, meaning the game will test your math skills as you try to create the correct equations. Players earn a five-star rating for hitting the target number exactly, three stars for being within 10, and one star for coming within 25 of the target. Presently, players are also able to tackle five different puzzles featuring progressively larger numbers. I completed today’s puzzle and found it to be an engaging number-based game that should capture the interest of those who enjoy puzzle games like Threes or other New York Times titles such as Wordle and Spelling Bee. In an article that introduces Digits and outlines the development process undertaken by The New York Times Games team, it was mentioned that this free beta will be used to identify bugs and evaluate whether it's worthwhile to proceed with more active development stages, where coding and final designs happen. Play Digits while it’s available, as The New York Times may choose to discontinue it if it does not meet their expected response. The beta version of Digits is currently available for free on The New York Times Games' website. **Read more** **Wordle's amazing year: New York Times analyzes the phenomenon's major 2022** If you logged onto Twitter exactly a year ago, you might remember the moment your feed became filled with gray, yellow, and green boxes. Although it was launched in 2021 and gained significant popularity in December of that year, Wordle turned into a cultural sensation early in 2022 that was hard to avoid unless you muted certain words. It was a rare success in gaming, reaching a broad audience due to its straightforward design. Wordle's ascent was as rapid as its user growth. In late January 2022, the New York Times announced it had acquired Sam Hill / Digital Trends If you enjoy crossword puzzles but lack the time to tackle a full-sized version from your daily newspaper, The Mini is the perfect solution! This condensed form of the New York Times’ famous crossword puzzle allows you to test your skills quickly and efficiently (the average puzzle takes just over a minute to complete). Even though The Mini is smaller and less complex than a traditional crossword, it can still present challenges. Getting stuck on a single clue might mean the difference between achieving a personal best or experiencing an awkward solving attempt. Just like our hints for Wordle and Connections, we're here to assist you with The Mini if you find yourself needing a bit of help. Below are the answers for today’s NYT Mini crossword. **NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Today** *New York Times* **Across** Common feature in a tourist's brochure – MAP Olympic accolade – MEDAL Any of the green plastic figures from “Toy Story” – SOLDIER Still at large – ATLARGE Driver’s license or passport – PHOTOID Star of the Eras Tour – SWIFT 30, 45, or 50 on a beach bottle: Abbr. – SPF **Down** Calms down – MELLOWS Prompt displayed after swiping a card at an iPad register – ADDATIP Form pairs – PAIROFF Fluttering insects near a flame – MOTHS Completely genuine – LEGIT Adhesive substance – SAP “No turning allowed on ___” (road sign) – RED Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for more than five years and has no plans of stopping. He covers everything... If you’re a fan of Wordle and Connections, Puzzmo might become your next daily fixation. If you’ve incorporated puzzle games like Wordle and Connections into your daily routine over the past year, another daily obsession might be on the horizon. Puzzmo is a new platform that transforms the concept of a newspaper puzzle page into a responsive web interface that’s compatible across devices. Players can sign up for free access today, along with an optional $40 annual subscription that unlocks additional features like experimental games and leaderboards. This ambitious project is the result of a collaboration between Orta Therox and Zach Gage, a game designer known for popular mobile games such as Knotwords and Good Sudoku. His latest endeavor has been in development for several years and aims to serve as a comprehensive hub for Gage’s puzzle offerings, competing with renowned platforms like The New York Times. **Read more** **Step aside, Wordle: The New York Times has introduced a new puzzle game** The New York Times has launched a new addition to its Games catalog following the success of Wordle — and it’s focused on math. Digits challenges players to engage in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You can currently access its beta version for free online. In Digits, players must match a specified target number. Given six numbers, participants can combine them through various operations to get as close to the target as possible. It’s not necessary to use all the numbers, meaning the game will test your math skills as you try to create the correct equations. Players earn a five-star rating for hitting the target number exactly, three stars for being within 10, and one star for coming within 25 of the target. Presently, players are also able to tackle five different puzzles featuring progressively larger numbers. I completed today’s puzzle and found it to be an engaging number-based game that should capture the interest of those who enjoy puzzle games like Threes or other New York Times titles such as Wordle and Spelling Bee. In an article that introduces Digits and outlines the development process undertaken by The New York Times Games team, it was mentioned that this free beta will be used to identify bugs and evaluate whether it's worthwhile to proceed with more active development stages, where coding and final designs happen. Play Digits while it’s available, as The New York Times may choose to discontinue it if it does not meet their expected response. The beta version of Digits is currently available for free on The New York Times Games' website. **Read more** **Wordle's amazing year: New York Times analyzes the phenomenon's major 2022** If you logged onto Twitter exactly a year ago, you might remember the moment your feed became filled with gray, yellow, and green boxes. Although it was launched in 2021 and gained significant popularity in December of that year, Wordle turned into a cultural sensation early in 2022 that was hard to avoid unless you muted certain words. It was a rare success in gaming, reaching a broad audience due to its straightforward design. Wordle's ascent was as rapid as its user growth. In late January 2022, the New York Times announced it had acquired

Другие статьи