Tag: Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk Enthusiast Lukas Mariman Dies After Long Illness

By James (I am Lame) Robert Shaw

R.I.P. 1973 – 2016

LukasAvatarIt is with sad hearts that I announce the passing of Lukas Mariman. He was a 43-year-old man from Belgium who founded Cyberpunk Science Fiction and Culture, one of the largest cyberpunk groups on Facebook. He wasn’t a science fiction author, a comic book artist, an actor from a Hollywood blockbuster or a director — the important thing to know about Marimam is that he’s a fellow enthusiast who was truly passionate for all things cyberpunk, particularly Blade Runner and Ghost In the Shell. He was thought of by many as a lovely guy who made a difference in the fan community. He gave people who loved cyberpunk a place to go and a place to belong to.

Users from the Facebook group Marimam founded offered their recollections on hearing of his death:

Continue reading “Cyberpunk Enthusiast Lukas Mariman Dies After Long Illness”

[Victoria Film Festival ’14] Just What is The Congress About? An Analysis

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The Congress Movie Poster

Directed by Ari Folman
Screenplay by Ari Folman

A dystopian future is firmly presented in the movie, The Congress and not everyone, including audiences, will realize it. Here, it weaves both satire and science fiction into one superlative Alice in Wonderland style narrative with elements of Yellow Submarine, Cool World and The Matrix weaved in. Maybe on a second viewing, audiences can fully appreciate this film for what it is.

For most of the first act, this movie superbly pokes fun at the Hollywood system about how it treats its own people. From its producers, stars and cinematographers, they are nothing but cogs in a wheel. Back in the Golden and Silver Age of filmmaking, these products were being developed in a formulaic manner. But in the early days when cinema was fresh out of the womb, filmmakers were allowed to express themselves because the rules were not established. But when the business of making a film became more prominent, it had to follow a system.

Continue reading “[Victoria Film Festival ’14] Just What is The Congress About? An Analysis”