10 Sci Fi Films That Make You Ponder the Meaning of Reality or Kick Ass and Take Names

I used to read a lot of science fiction as a kid. Although most people associate sci fi with mainstream stuff like Star Wars and Star Trek (both of which I enjoy as well), there are other sci fi movies that also incorporate a lot meaning, mythology and social commentary. Most "sci fi" films are just crappy action/horror films with horrible special effects masquerading as science fiction films.

Here are 10 films (other than Star Wars, Star Trek and the Matrix) that show a lot of depth and complexity, as well as kick ass. The first 5 films involve future cops and/or a lot of action. The latter 5 films are much truer to the spirit of science fiction, which involves social commentary through the writer's imagined but fully realized universe.


1) Minority Report- Of all the Phillip K. Dick movie adaptations (Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Paycheck), Minority Report is the best. Although Blade Runner is a notable runner up and Total Recall is a complex and entertaining third. Thanks to Steven Spielberg and his futurist consultants, the world of Minority Report seems incredibly real, likely and relevant.


2) Blade Runner- This next Phillip K. Dick adaptation explores what happens in a world where we have "disposable people." How do we treat others who we consider property?


3) Robocop- This was a surprisingly great satire from Director Paul Verhoeven. Peter Weller also does a great job of bringing back humanity from a cop violently transformed into a cyborg.


4) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome- Usually, films in a trilogy start off great and get progressively worse with each sequel. With the Mad Max films, it's the exact opposite. The films get better with each sequel, and of the 3 Mad Max films, this is the most polished. Mad Max gives you the template to survive a post-apocalyptic world: Have gun. Have wheels. Will travel.


5) Starship Troopers- Again, intelligent satire from Director Paul Verhoeven. This adaptation of Robert Heinlein's story manages to both glorify and mock war and war hawks. Best line in the movie: "An enemy who cannot utilize his hand, cannot press a button!"


6) Dune- Even though it was long and delved too much into the character's thoughts, the movie does a good job of depicting the world and time of Dune. David Lynch tried to pack in every aspect of the book into the movie, which works well for those who read the book, but overwhelmed those who didn't. Nevertheless, there is something quite hypnotic about the film.


7) Gattaca- My brother hated this movie, because the ending was so simple. But the ending was poignant and fit the tone of the movie (my bro is into more actioned packed finales). This is a very cerebral film, but there is still a sense of thrill, since Ethan Hawke lives in paranoia and could be have been caught at multiple times in the story.


8) The Martian Chronicles- This TV movie on the Ray Bradbury classic has got the worst special effects, but like the Bradbury novel, it has a dreamy feel. The story is an analogy for the colonization of the Americas, where the Martians represent Native Americans and the colonizing Earthlings represent the European hordes.


9) Lathe of Heaven- This is a PBS movie based on the Ursula LeGuin novel about a man whose dreams alter reality. Everytime he wakes up from a dream, reality becomes that which he dreamed. Talk about the Law of Attraction personified! The guy tries to stay awake as long as he can, because he doesn't like some of the dreams he's been getting and eventually seeks the help of a therapist. Since it's a PBS production, there are no real special effects. But the storytelling is solid and thought-provoking.


10) A.I. Artificial Intelligence- This movie could have dropped the last half hour, and it would have been a much better film. There are many different themes running through this film: parenting, adoption, racism, classism and the meaning of humanity.

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Stereotypes that Don't Match

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One Day History Will Repeat Itself

A common theme in science fiction is that aliens will suddenly show up in front of our doorsteps one morning. The dramatic image of a gigantic and ominous spaceship looming above motionless taking up half the sky is used quite often. A recent example of this is the movie District 9:


Past examples of this dramatic device have been in the movie "Independence Day," where alien spaceships hover quietly over every major city on Earth before lasering the crap out of everyone like roaches:


And in the 1980's TV series "V," which is being remade and set to air in November:


The concept of alien spaceships popping up over every major city and looming eerily overhead was first introduced in the Arthur C. Clarke book Childhood's End:

"The humans' arms race is brought to a halt by the sudden appearance of mysterious spaceships above all the Earth's great cities. After a week of silence and increasing tension, the aliens, who become known as the Overlords, announce by world-wide broadcast that they have benign intentions and desire to help humanity but also that they will henceforth assume the minimum amount of control which will achieve their aims. As enforcers of peace, they bring salvation and life. They also bring the death of some dreams, as humanity is no longer completely independent and may not pursue certain scientific goals, such as space exploration."

Believe it or not, this dramatic type of "first contact" has happened in this manner before. Of course I'm not talking about aliens popping up and saying, "Howdy neighbor!"

I'm talking about human history. Japan was an isolated country, closed to the outside world, until one day...

"On July 8, 1853, residents of Uraga on the outskirts of Edo, the sprawling capital of feudal Japan, beheld an astonishing sight. Four foreign warships had entered their harbor under a cloud of black smoke, not a sail visible among them. They were, startled observers quickly learned, two coal-burning steamships towing two sloops under the command of a dour and imperious American. Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry had arrived to force the long-secluded country to open its doors to the outside world."


Can you imagine if you were a Japanese fisherman who never left Japan and only knew of wooden fishing boats? You're heading out the door one morning, and you see ironclad monster ships spewing black fumes:

"OK, bye honey! I'm going to work... WHAT THE HELL?!"

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I Love the 90's: Vanishing Son

When it comes to pinnacle events in the history of the Asian American male in the last 50 years, three come to mind: Bruce Lee, Yul Kwon and "Vanishing Son." That's right, I said it, Vanishing Son. Seriously, what other guilty cinematic pleasure has a handsome Asian dude kick ass and make love to hot chicks in between those sessions of kicking ass?

Granted, I winced every time I watched the kung fu choreography on that show, but COME ON! Russell Wong was doing the Noxzema girl in one episode, and then doing Tamlyn Tomita the next episode. As far as guilty pleasure for the Asian American male, Vanishing Son is the creme de la creme of guilty pleasures, baked to perfection!

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Be Effective and Popularity Will Come

Big WoWo has a post on Being Effective, Not Popular. I've never been one to follow convention. I like doing things my way, and I don't give a crap on whether or not it's normal or if I'm doing it the way it's supposed to be done. All I care about is:

1) Do I like doing it?
2) Is it effective and productive?

When it comes to blogging or any other endeavor you undertake, if you are effective, then the popularity will come. People recognize talent, and they recognize B.S. If you are dishonest with yourself, then your readers will smell it.

Most bloggers try to define success by the number of readers they have. They stress quantity over quality. But it is much better to redefine success by the quality of readers as opposed to quantity. Who cares if you have a 100,000 readers a day if most of them never care to visit your blog again? If that's the case, then what you said obviously didn't make an impression on them.

The key to writing a successful blog is to write for an audience of one, namely YOU. If you write for yourself, then others who are like you will find you. It is better to have a small cult following than for you to follow the fickle masses of the Internet.

If you noticed, I don't write about conventional Asian American issues, because everybody else in the AA blogosphere writes about that stuff. How many times do we have to read about interracial dating and white guys banging Asian chicks? For an Asian American blogger, that's an easy kill, because AF/WM is such an incendiary topic. I don't mind writing about it, but only if I'm adding something new to the discussion that hasn't been said before.

As a blogger you have to respect your audience, and that means you don't dumb things down for them. You have to hold your audience to a higher standard. Talk to your audience as if they've already done their homework and know certain basic things. If you do this, then you will attract a higher quality of readership. In essence, you will influence the influencers.

When I write the Alpha Asian blog, I write not with the intent to be popular, but to be effective in bringing more hope, confidence and charisma to the Asian American presence on the Net.

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Miko Andres: World's Youngest Sharp Shooter

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Level the Playing Field: Wong Fu

I totally agree with their method: if you don't find media content that you can relate to, then make your own. But I got to be honest: I've never liked their videos and their underlying messages. Their video "Yellow Fever" definitely touched a nerve in the Asian American community, but it was too self-deprecating for my tastes. It showed Asian dudes as pathetic whiney losers. You got to give people hope (I saw the movie "Milk" not too long ago BTW). And that video didn't do it. If there are a million Asian American kids who are fans of that and are lacking in self-confidence, then our community has got a long way to go to get any respect.

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Interview with Randall Park

So here's an interview I did with Randall Park, the actor and comedian you've seen in a lot of places, such as the KY Intense commercial, AZN TV's XBytes and the movie American Fusion, which was a great movie BTW.


It was a very relaxed interview, and we discussed how he got into acting and comedy and the status of Asian Americans in Hollywood. What I like about Randall is that he doesn't just wait for Hollywood to give him work. He uses the Internet to make stuff happen and put out creative and hilarious pieces which showcase his talent as an actor. The interview is about 30 minutes long.

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8 Ways to Overcome Writer's Block

A lot of people say they should write a book or screenplay, but really, who among us ever follows through? Everybody’s got some lofty dreams of getting a book deal or movie deal, but very few of us actually write and write consistently. Take a look at the blogosphere, and you will see countless blogs that have been abandoned. Writing is a lot harder than it looks.

I do freelance work for bodybuilding magazines, and I’ve self-published a few books that you can find on Amazon. I only write part-time, however, because I have a full-time job and a personal life. So how do I find the time to write?

When it comes down to it, everybody is busy. If you only have a half hour to an hour to write everyday, then that’s all the time you’ve got. The key is to use that time as efficiently as possible. Here are some tips to help you overcome writer’s block and consistently create material:

1) Use a stream of consciousness approach. This is one I learned in high school expository writing. What you do is to write and keep writing whatever comes to mind. Don’t worry about grammar or structure or the sequencing of your ideas and events. Keep writing and writing. Do not stop or pause or edit your work until you have a page worth of material or until you can’t come up with anything more. If you have to write “Mary had a little lamb” 5 times because that is what came to your head, then write it down. Once you’ve written a substantial amount of work, then take a break and come back at a later time to edit. A full page, even if it is crap, is still better than a blank page. Crap can be molded. Empty space cannot.

This approach works best if you’re doing a memory dump onto the page. In other words, if you’re writing something that involves your expertise in a particular field, then write as if you were teaching someone. It also works if you can picture a story or scene clearly in your mind. Then it’s just you writing what’s unfolding in your head.

2) Take a break to overcome writer’s block. If you’ve been writing for at least 15-20 minutes and encounter writer’s block, then get up and do something else for five minutes. Get some water or more coffee. Go to the bathroom. Anything that gets the blood flowing again. If you get writer’s block, it’s usually because your brain is stuck in a mental feedback loop. If you briefly disengage from writing, then you can get unstuck. So when you come back, you’ll see a way to write through that mental roadblock.


3) Figure out when you write best. I normally write best in the morning. My mind is usually clear once I’ve had my coffee. After lunch, however, my mind is mush. I’m about as articulate as a baby babbling. For you, your peak time to write may be different. For most people, however, I would say the A.M. hours are best.

4) You don’t know when inspiration will strike, so go with the flow. Even though my mental acuity is best in the morning hours, I’ve written some fantastic pieces of work at odd hours of the day. If inspiration strikes, then just go with it. Edit it later.

5) Use anger to overcome writer’s block as a last resort. Everybody likes to rant and bitch about stuff. People don’t give a lot of lengthy praises, but it’s real easy to go on and on about stuff that pisses you off (“How about a lively discussion on white men and Asian women? What is up with that?”). If we didn’t have ranting, then we wouldn’t have enough traffic to sustain half the blogs and forums out there.

Be careful though. Anger can highjack your topic, and it’s hard to bring it back down. Anger is productive if it eventually leads to hope and action.

6) Have a cup of java. What writer doesn’t write with a cup of coffee next to his or her laptop? Caffeine facilitates better mental recall, so you can use it to write stream of consciousness style. Edit later when you come down from your caffeine high.

7) Listen to music to set the tone of your piece. I write a lot of articles for bodybuilding mags, so my pieces tend to have a fast and hard-edged tone to them. Readers want to be pumped up to want to work out. So when I write these articles, I’m often listening to adrenalin pumping hard rock, punk rock or metal on my MP3 player. What music you listen to is up to you, but whatever it is, just make sure it gets you writing.


8) Write in different environments. I’m fortunate to have an office at home, but sometimes I just want to be in a different environment and see people. So sometimes I go to coffeehouses, and I write for however long I want. The combination of having a new environment and that strong cup of joe usually helps me churn out some good work that can be edited later.

Watch out though. If you go to a coffeehouse to write, then write. Don’t be a beatnik poser sipping coffee, checking out the ladies with a blank word document in front of you.

If you want some more writing advice, particularly about novel writing and managing your family life, then check out this post by Big WoWo.

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Change your Frame of Reference

I got this Anthony Robbins video off of the Big WoWo blog. We'll be doing a "blog carnival." I don't know what the hell that means, but Big WoWo and I and perhaps other bloggers will be posting on some psychology and ways to be a confident and more productive person. Everyone should be the best version of themselves they can possibly be.

I'm sure you've noticed that I tend to write a lot of psychology posts. I've always been fascinated by how people self-actualize and tap into their full potential. On the flip side, I always wondered why so many people who are clearly talented or smart NEVER fully tap into their potential. Fact is, there are very few self-actualized people running around. Most of us are the proverbial icebergs with only the tip above water.

Why is that?

How can someone who is smart and talented not accomplish anything? Many times, people don't succeed in accomplishing anything, because THEY DON'T FOCUS. They don't have clarity in their thought and in their lives. They tackle too many things at the same time, and a lot of those things are meaningless. I keep harping on this quote from Attila the Hun, but it's really quite profound:

"Superficial goals lead to superficial results."

Just like Anthony Robbins says in the above video, "Whatever you focus on in life tends to happen." If your goal is to get a million page views on your blog, then guess what? You'll eventually get a million page views, because that is the goal you devoted all of your time and energy to.

But is this goal of a million hits a meaningful goal? It depends on what your blog is about. If your blog is about meaningless stuff, then congratulations! You've achieved your superficial goal with superficial results.

There's nothing wrong with superficial goals. I like wasting time just like everyone else. But you got to acknowledge when an activity just chews up huge segments of your life for no purpose or enjoyment.

Prior to starting the Alpha Asian blog, I thought to myself, "I sure do waste a lot of time surfing the net. There's got to be a way to change the meaningless activity that I'm doing into something that is meaningful."

What I did was change my frame of reference. Rather than discontinue my normal behavior (surf the web for Asian American stuff) and call it wasteful, I narrowed my web surfing to humor, Asian American role models and high quality creative work put out by Asians. I focused on creating an Asian American blog with a positive and confident vibe, because there wasn't a blog or website like mine out there.

By compiling this stuff and sharing all these videos and insights with you, I've made my activity of web surfing/goofing off meaningful. Changing your frame of reference is a very simple way to focus and to provide more purpose to what you do.

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Asian Parenting Summarized in 90 Seconds

I would have said, "Too little, too late dad!" What the hell is Tim Horton's coffee anyway?

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Scare your Husband During Halloween: The Kate Gosselin Wig

Scare the hell out of your husbands and boyfriends, ladies! The Kate Gosselin wig, just in time for Halloween!

Well, I saw the new episode of Jon and Kate last night. As soon as Kate snapped at Jon ("WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM JON?") and bossed him around in that condescending tone in front of other people, every viewer watching remembered why Jon left Kate. Jon has always been a good father. He's just a reckless dater, and I think people get those 2 things mixed up. Anyway, here's a comment I put on the Big WoWo blog some time ago about Jon and Kate:

"I know a lot of people are poo-pooing on Jon right now, but I say let him live his life. For the longest while, he let things happen to him. Kate was running the show and the relationship and the family and hence ruining, I mean, running his life.

"After they had the birth of their twins, Katie wanted more kids. Oprah asked Jon if he also wanted to have more kids and he really didn’t want to. But he let Kate run their relationship and gave the reins to her, and they ended up with 6 more kids! He was a father of eight by 27. Jon and Kate were married when he was 22.

"During the whole series, Jon did not speak up against Kate with the exception of a few occasions. Now Jon wants to live his life the way he wants to, to make up for lost time and to date who he wants to date. He’s been controlled by Kate for so long that he doesn’t give a crap about what people think anymore.

"You can see that in a certain sense, now that he’s no longer married, he’s regressed. He’s no longer the sweater wearing dad driving a mini-van. Jon looks like he’s gone through a PUA bootcamp.

"I think most people who go through a divorce regress, because they’re now back at stage one: being single. Divorce is just a chance to start over again, and that’s what Jon’s doing."

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Edward Tom

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Gunnarolla: He's So Vain

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