You Should Watch All 5 of Matrixxman’s Favorite Sci-Fi Films
It’s easy to quickly place any fans of sci-fi under the “nerd” category; that’s usually what we call people who tend to be smarter than us and more educated in the fields of tech, science, and all things alien and outer space. But to call Matrixxman nerdy sells him short of his deserved genius. The San Francisco-based producer, who may or may not be born of this planet, takes the complexities of so-called nerd culture and shapes them into layered slices of thick techno and house bliss.
Following in the steps of his predecessors and personal heroes—Juan Atkins and Jeff Mills—Matrixxman, born Charles Duff, is a futurist with a head and heart for technology-driven worlds both corporeal and incorporeal. His so-called obsession with human dystopia sets the basis for his forthcoming debut album Homesick—out July 10 on Ghostly International—a deep and serious look into the mind and computer world of Matrixxman.
It’s no easy listen, either. Homesick explores themes of evolutionary transcendence, emergent artificial intelligence, interplanetary travel, neuroenhancement drugs, and other “nerdy” issues. As each track builds and executes like a movie scene, Homesick unfolds like a true sci-fi film. Whether the universe within Homesick is now or in the not-too-distant future, one thing is certain: The soundtrack is absolute truth.
As Matrixxman prepares for the release of Homesick, he’s provided us a list of his favorite sci-fi films.
Liquid Sky
An alien lands in NYC and subsequently discovers the joy of sex and drugs in the midst of a thriving post-punk culture. Said alien then goes on a rampage, killing her victims each time they climax. I don’t know about you, but I can totally relate to alien girl; she reminds me of one of my exes. This flick is of immense cultural importance, too, since there are apparently very few accurate depictions of the proper new wave or post-punk underground scene at that time.
Contact
Some of Jodie Foster’s finest work, if you ask me. The plot revolves around SETI’s ongoing observation of signals from outer space. The protagonist (Foster) discovers something extraterrestrial in origin, and then a wild adventure ensues. Slightly dated by today’s production standards, but at its core it’s an awesome story that doesn’t rely on a lot of gimmicks. Very down-to-earth, but packs a punch with a magnificent plot twist for the ending. One of my favorite movies.
The Signal
A criminally slept-on flick. Although no one seemed to really give a damn about this at the time of its initial release, presumably due to its low budget, the plot is centered around three MIT students who follow a taunting hacker’s leads, only to find themselves abducted and held at some weird Area-51-like facility. Alien technology is involved, but you aren’t quite sure what has happened. Similar to Contact, the ending is another one of those “gotcha, motherfucker”-type moments that you don’t expect.
Children of Men
An epic British dystopian scenario in which humans have somehow lost their ability to procreate. Humanity lives in a virtual police state and things get ugly, but there is still a faint glimmer of hope. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll keep it brief, but the post-apocalyptic vibes are super on-point with this one, so it’s definitely a fave.
Ex Machina
Duh. I loved this movie so much, I don’t even know where to start. Artificial intelligence narrative aside, it’s beautifully shot and very well executed. On more than one occasion, I found myself getting lost in the movie’s surreal qualities, which kinda reminded me of Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain for brief moments. Not only is it beautiful, but it also nails the creepiness factor, making it damn near perfect for my particular tastes.
Follow Matrixxman on Facebook | Twitter
