News

Science fiction often serves as a window into humanitys deepest fears, presenting grim, speculative futures that challenge our understanding of life, society, and our place in the universe. And that sounds like another genre that uses allegory to tell human stories: horror. Between the terrifying allure of the unknown and the blank canvas to tell imaginative stories, it only makes sense that many sci-fi movies skew much darker.

Those dark sci-fi films stand out for their ability to unsettle audiences, often delving into dystopian landscapes, psychological horrors, and existential questions. These movies dont just depict futuristic technologies or alien encounters -- they explore the darker side of human nature, leaving viewers with a lingering sense of unease. Here are ten of the darkest sci-fi films ever made, each one carefully crafted to haunt an audience's thoughts long after the credits roll.

Violence and Detachment Paint a Bleak Future in A...

Reportedly the biggest-budgeted and most widely released Bollywood production ever, “Thugs of Hindostan” is an exuberantly excessive masala of swashbuckling heroics, broader-than-broad comedy, propulsively choreographed action, and raucously caffeinated song-and-dance sequences. Writer-director Vijay Krishna Acharya, a creative force behind the popular “Dhoom” movies, has borrowed freely from Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean,” even to the point of having Indian superstar Aamir Khan often come across as a smudged carbon of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow while playing a similarly unreliable rogue. But for all its recycled elements and predictable narrative stratagems, this diverting Diwali-timed extravaganza stands on its own merits as a lightly satisfying popcorn epic — provided, of course, you have a taste for such over-the-top amusement.

During the darkly majestic opening scenes — set in 1795, when the Indian subcontinent was known as Hindostan — Acharya provides the impetus for a tale of rebellion, revenge, and redemption as members of a...

The Thugs are about to sail into a theater near you very soon! Starring the incredible cast of Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, along with Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif, the Vijay Krishna Acharya directed movie is the biggest visual spectacle that boasts of a larger than life, never seen before action extravaganza that it not to be missed!

Mounted on a massive scale, Thugs of Hindostan is set in the early days of The British Raj in 1795 India. The East India Company came as traders but now rule India.

Some like Azaad (Amitabh Bachchan) choose a life of a rebel and face certain death if captured, rather than bow to a life of slavery.

Others like Firangi (Aamir Khan) would sell their mother for a profit, their only master is money.

When Firangi is enlisted to deliver Azaad in to the jaws of death by John Clive (Llyod Owne) for the Company,...

We have a very special contest for our UK Readers! To mark the release on November 8th of Yash Raj Films’ Thugs of Hindostan, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh, we have some really cool merchandise for you to win! It includes you very own Thugs of Hindostan T-shirt and other epic swag.

Check it out!

Now, Thugs of Hindostan is set in 1795 India. The East India Company came as traders but now rule India. Some like Azaad (Amitabh Bachchan) choose a life of a rebel and face certain death if captured, rather than bow to a life of slavery.

Others like Firangi (Aamir Khan) would sell their mother for a profit, their only master is money.

When Firangi is enlisted to deliver Azaad in to the jaws of death by John Clive (Llyod Owne) for the Company, Firangi sets out to pull off the...

“Thugs of Hindostan” is an action – adventure Bollywood movie, directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced under the banner of Yash Raj Films. The movie brings two versatile actors Amitabh Bachchan (Khudabaksh Azaad) and Aamir Khan (Firangi Mallah) for the first time together in a Hindi Movie. The movie also stars beautiful Katrina Kaif (Suraiyya) , Fatima Sana Shaikh (Zafira) and English Actor Lloyd Owen (John Clive). The movie is made with a budget of ₹210 crore (Us$29 million) , making it Yash Raj Film’s most expensive film to date.

Synopsis

The trailer takes us back to 1795 when East India Company came to India to do business but ended up ruling the country. But Thugs (or fighters) like Khudabaksh Azaad and his team were not ready to give away the freedom without a fight and the company decides to hire the biggest thug among them, Firangi Mallah to defeat Azaad.

Amitabh Bachchan...

“Once upon a time, or maybe twice, there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland. 80,000 leagues beneath the sea it lay, or lie. I’m not too sure.”

Yellow Submarine plays this weekend (July 20th and 21st) at The Tivoli at midnight as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli midnight series.

We all live in a Yellow Submarine and Yellow Submarine is proof that an animated film doesn’t have to be rendered in a digital environment to look perfect. I saw psychedelic 1968 Beatles exactly 36 years ago at a midnight show at the Varsity Theater in St. Louis in the summer of ’82. Yellow Submarine tells of the Fab Four’s battles against the deranged Blue Meanies and their Hand Glove, which is hellbent on obliterating the unearthly paradise of Pepperland until the musicians save the day with the powers of peace, love and music. I was surprised to learn...

Character actor best known for his role in The Italian Job

The distinctive character actor John Clive, who has died aged 79, will be best remembered by cinemagoers for his appearances in a string of films that gained cult status. In The Italian Job (1969), the British-flag-flying yarn about a daring heist in Turin using Minis as getaway cars, Clive was the garage manager gleefully receiving a wad of banknotes from the released convict Michael Caine as payment for storing his Aston Martin DB4 convertible. The scene was said to have been ad-libbed between the two actors, with Caine putting his enforced absence down to tiger shoots in India. "You must have shot an awful lot of tigers, sir," said Clive as he counted the notes enthusiastically. "Yes, I used a machine gun," retorted Caine.

Two years later, Clive was the tormentor forcing Malcolm McDowell's psychotic teenager into licking his boot...

Pitt was one of a number of A–listers voicing forthright opinions in the last few days

The big story

"My drug days have long since passed," said Brad Pitt in an interview this week. "But I could probably land in any American city and within 24 hours find whatever you want."

His comments came during a promotional stint for The House I Live In. The Pitt–produced documentary suggests that efforts by the Us government to fight drug trafficking are doomed to failure, and that a new approach should be adopted.

Labeling the Us "war on drugs" as a "charade," he said: "It's a backward strategy. It makes no sense and we keep going on the path like we're winning, when it perpetuates more drugs being used."

The actor has made no secret of his former drug use. Earlier this year he told the Guardian that he made the decision...

John Clive has died, aged 79. The actor and successful author was perhaps best known on screen for his role in The Italian Job and for voicing John Lennon in Yellow Submarine. Clive passed away on Monday (October 15) after a short illness, his family confirmed. He played a garage manager who looked after Michael Caine's character in The Italian Job, and a tormentor of Alex in A Clockwork Orange. The actor also appeared in several Carry On films, two Pink Panther movies and several TV shows including (more)...

John Clive, who appeared in films including A Clockwork Orange, the Pink Panther and the Italian Job, has died at the age of 79.

The actor and author, who was also the voice of John Lennon in Yellow Submarine and went on to become an international bestselling author, passed away following a short illness, his family said on Monday.

For many, his most memorable turn was appearing alongside Michael Caine in the original 1969 version of the Italian Job in a scene said to have been ad-libbed by the pair.

Clive, playing the manager of a garage that has been looking after a sportscar belonging to Charlie Croker (Caine) while he has been serving a jail sentence, names the final bill as £200. Croker, who tells him that his absence has...

We all live in a Yellow Submarine with a Blu-ray player and the new Blu-ray of Yellow Submarine is proof that an animated film doesn’t have to be rendered in a digital environment to look perfect in hi-def. I hadn’t seen the psychedelic 1968 Beatles film in exactly 30 years, since I caught a midnight show at the Varsity Theater in St. Louis in the summer of ’82. Yellow Submarine tells of the Fab Four’s battles against the deranged Blue Meanies and their Hand Glove, which is hellbent on obliterating the unearthly paradise of Pepperland until the musicians save the day with the powers of peace, love and music. Watching the new Blu-ray with an audio commentary by producer John Coates, I was surprised to learn (and even more surprised I didn’t already know) that the speaking voices of the animated boys were provided by John Clive, Geoffrey Hughes,...

The classic animated musical Yellow Submarine was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, featuring some of The Beatles' biggest hits. We're giving away copies of the Blu-ray to our readers along with limited-edition postcards in our Yellow Submarine contest! These hi-def discs are highly coveted, so enter today for your chance to win!

Winners Receive:

Yellow Submarine Blu-rayYellow Submarine limited edition postcards

Here's How To Win!

Just "Like" (fan) the MovieWeb Facebook page (below) and then leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

If you already "Like" MovieWeb, just leave a comment below telling us why these prizes must be yours!

Once upon a time... or maybe twice, there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland, a place where happiness and music reigned supreme. But all that was threatened when the terrible Blue Meanies declared war and sent in their army led by a menacing Flying...

Once upon a time.or maybe twice.there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland.

The Beatles. classic 1968 animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, has been digitally restored for DVD and Blu-ray release on June 5th in North America. The film.s songtrack album will be reissued on CD on the same date.

Currently out of print, the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr. and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc. Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film.s restored photochemical elements. This was all done by hand, frame by frame.

Bonus features for the Yellow Submarine DVD and Blu-ray include a short making-of documentary titled .Mod Odyssey. (Trt: 7:30), the film.s original theatrical trailer, audio commentary by producer John Coates...

The Beatles’ classic 1968 animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, has been digitally restored for DVD and Blu-ray release on May 28 (May 29 in North America). The film’s songtrack album will be reissued on CD on the same date.

Currently out of print, the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr.and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc. Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film’s restored photochemical elements. This was all done by hand, frame by frame.

Bonus features for the Yellow Submarine DVD and Blu-ray include a short making-of documentary titled “Mod Odyssey” (Trt: 7:30), the film’s original theatrical trailer, audio commentary by producer John Coates and art director Heinz Edelmann, several brief interview clips with others involved with the film,...

In less than a month the SXSW Film Festival will kick off (Friday, March 9, to be exact), and the line-up keeps getting better and better. The festival has announced some exciting additions to their already-stellar line-up including the Sundance hits Safety Not Guaranteed, Searching for Sugar Man, Chasing Ice, Shut Up and Play the Hits, Sleepwalk with Me along with the world premiere of Steve Taylor‘s Blue Like Jazz, and Todd Rohal‘s Nature Calls. They have also added the Oscar nominated Montreal film Monsieur Lazhar which we have championed since its World Premiere at Tiff.

You can find the lineup of today’s film announcements below, and check the entire schedule, complete with both screening and conference dates and times, at www.sxsw.com/film.

Narrative Spotlight

Blue Like Jazz

Director: Steve Taylor, Screenwriters: Donald Miller, Steve Taylor, Ben Pearson

A Texas college student flees the hypocrisy of...

We're inching closer and closer to the start of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival running March 9-17, 2012 in Austin, Texas, and today they announced a few more films and the complete panels lineup.

Of the new features and shorts added, only one is pure horror, but there's also classic film screening during the fest that deserves mention no matter what:

Coffin Joe’s This Night I Will Possess Your Corpse with live score by Gary Lucas (Brazil) - Special Event - Saturday, March 17, 12:00 noon-1:47 Pm - Alamo Ritz 1

Director/Screenwriter: Jose Mojica Marins, Screenwriter: Aldenora De Sa Porto

Cast: Jose Mojica Marins a/k/a Coffin Joe, Tina Wohlers, Nadia Freitas, Antonio Fracari, Jose Lobo

Gary Lucas’ live original solo guitar soundtrack accompanying the legendary 1967 Brazilian cult horror film classic directed by and starring Jose Mojica Marins a/k/a Coffin Joe.

Yellow Submarine...

After a few announcements, the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival has firmed up their schedule, adding a number of notable films including a few we saw at Sundance. Among them include the LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits (review here), Mike Birbiglia‘s Sleepwalk With Me (review here) and Safety Not Guaranteed (review here) starring Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass. Also jumping out as one of my most-anticipated is Todd Rohal‘s The Catechism Cataclysm follow-up Nature Calls, with Patton Oswalt, Johnny Knoxville and Rob Riggle. Check them all out below for the festival kicking off March 9th.

Narrative Spotlight

Blue Like Jazz

Director: Steve Taylor, Screenwriters: Donald Miller, Steve Taylor, Ben Pearson

A Texas college student flees the hypocrisy of his religious upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at ‘the most godless campus in America.’ Based on the New York Times bestseller by Donald Miller.

We have an exclusive clip from the brand new 40th Anniversary Edition of A Clockwork Orange, which just hit the shelves on Blu-ray today, May 31. Take a look at our exclusive clip below, which deals with the threats director Stanley Kubrick faced after A Clockwork Orange's release.

Click to watch Exclusive: Turning Like Clockwork: Aftermath!

On May 31, Warner Home Video will honor Stanley Kubrick and the film with A Clockwork Orange 40th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray ($34.99 Srp). The two-disc release includes two newly-produced bonus features: Turning Like Clockwork, a 25-minute documentary about the film's "ultra-violence" and its cultural impact, and a short documentary where Malcolm McDowell reminiscences on working closely with the legendary director. This two-disc edition will also contain the feature-length documentaries, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures and O Lucky Malcolm! The 40th Anniversary Edition will be packaged in a 40-page Blu-ray book with rare photos and production notes.

Stanley Kubrick is among the handful who come to mind when discussing the greatest directors of all time. Although his career spanned nearly 50 years, he only directed 13 feature films, all of which are considered classics to this day, with titles such as Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket. This year, his unforgettable adaptation of Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange celebrates its 40th anniversary, and Warner Home Video is honoring this occasion by debuting A Clockwork Orange on Blu-ray for the very first time May 31. The studio is also releasing Stanley Kubrick: Limited Edition Collection on Blu-ray and DVD May 31, a nine-movie, 10-disc collection featuring the director's finest work, a 40-page collectible booklet, and numerous other special features.

I recently had the chance to speak with two men whose work lies at the...

I recently had the privilege of speaking with actor Malcolm McDowell for the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray edition of A Clockwork Orange, which will be released on high-def shelves everywhere on May 31. While most of our chat was devoted to his experience on the iconic Stanley Kubrick classic, I also asked Malcolm McDowell about two upcoming genre projects, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D and Vamps. Click on the video player below to see what Malcolm McDowell had to say about these horror projects.

Click to watch Exclusive: Malcolm McDowell Talks Silent Hill: Revelation 3D and Vamps!

Be sure to check back for my full video interview with Malcolm McDowell for the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray edition of A Clockwork Orange, which will hit the shelves in 1080p on May 31.

A Clockwork Orange was released December 20th, 1971 and stars Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke, John Clive, Adrienne Corri, Carl Duering, Paul Farrell.

On May 31, Warner Home Video honors Stanley Kubrick and his controversial masterpeice A Clockwork Orange with a 40th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray!

The two-disc release includes two newly-produced bonus features: "Turning Like Clockwork," a 25-minute documentary about the film's "ultra-violence" and its cultural impact, and a short documentary with Malcolm McDowell reminiscencing about working closely with the legendary director. This two-disc edition will also contain the feature-length documentaries, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures and O Lucky Malcolm! The 40th Anniversary Edition will be packaged in a 40-page Blu-ray book with rare photos and production notes.

Order A Clockwork Orange (Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

A Clockwork Orange 40th Anniversary Edition is also available On Demand and for Download from iTunes., including bonus iTunes. extra content.

New trailer after the break!

Special Features:

* Malcolm McDowell Looks Back: Malcolm McDowell reflects on his experience working with Kubrick on one of the seminal films of...

Stanley Kubrick was one of the great filmmakers of our time and his profound influence on motion pictures continues to this day. His 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange, starring Malcolm McDowell, portrayed an oppressive lawless society where man was reduced to little more than a machine. The film introduced into popular culture the concept of "ultra-violence," as singing, tap-dancing, derby-topped hooligan Alex (McDowell) has a "good time" - at the tragic expense of others. His journey from amoral punk to brainwashed proper citizen and back again forms the dynamic arc of Stanley Kubrick's future-shock vision of Anthony Burgess' novel.

This was a powerful film made by a director at the height of his artistry and its impact generated worldwide controversy. Forty years later, the world is a different place but the film's power still entices, shocks and mesmerizes today.

On May 31, Warner Home Video will honor Stanley Kubrick and...

Stanley Kubrick was one of the great filmmakers of our time and his profound influence on motion pictures continues to this day. His 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange, starring Malcolm McDowell, portrayed an oppressive lawless society where man was reduced to little more than a machine. The film introduced into popular culture the concept of "ultra-violence," as singing, tap-dancing, derby-topped hooligan Alex (McDowell) has a "good time" - at the tragic expense of others. His journey from amoral punk to brainwashed proper citizen and back again forms the dynamic arc of Stanley Kubrick's future-shock vision of Anthony Burgess' novel.

This was a powerful film made by a director at the height of his artistry and its impact generated worldwide controversy. Forty years later, the world is a different place but the film's power still entices, shocks and mesmerizes today.

On May 31, Warner Home Video will honor Stanley Kubrick and...