0564 – Maze Runner (film series)

Maze Runner is an American film series consisting of science-fiction dystopian action adventure films based on The Maze Runner novels by the American author James Dashner. Produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the films star Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Dexter Darden and Patricia Clarkson. Wes Ball directed all three films.

The Maze Runner (2014)

The story follows sixteen-year-old Thomas, portrayed by O’Brien, who awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is, only to learn he’s been delivered to the middle of an intricate maze, along with a large number of other boys, who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing labyrinth — all while establishing a functioning society in what they call the Glade.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790864/

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

The plot of The Scorch Trials takes place immediately after the previous installment, with Thomas (O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers, who have just escaped from the facilities of the powerful World Catastrophe Killzone Department (W.C.K.D.), which had imprisoned them. On the run in the desert and in ruined cities, they must escape WCKD soldiers and face the perils of the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with dangerous obstacles.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4046784/

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

Young hero Thomas embarks on a mission to find a cure for a deadly disease known as “The Flare”.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4500922/

555 – ABZÛ (2016 video game)

Abzû is an adventure video game developed by Giant Squid Studios and published by 505 Games for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.

“Immerse yourself in a vibrant ocean world full of mystery and bursting with color and life. Perform fluid acrobatics as the Diver using graceful swimming controls. Discover hundreds of unique species based on real creatures and form a powerful connection with the abundant sea life. Interact with schools of thousands of fish that procedurally respond to you, each other, and predators. Linger in epic seascapes and explore aquatic ecosystems modeled with unprecedented detail. Descend into the heart of the ocean where ancient secrets lie forgotten. But beware, dangers lurk in the depths. “ABZÛ” is from the oldest mythologies; AB, meaning water, and ZÛ, meaning to know. ABZÛ is the ocean of wisdom.”

The game’s title stems from Sumerian mythology, particularly the myth of the ocean goddess Tiamat and the fresh water god Abzu uniting to form all life: a reason this was chosen was that myths surrounding land-based life and their supposed origins in a cosmic ocean were a recurring theme in multiple world mythologies. The Middle Eastern influences extended to the game’s architecture, and incorporated Nava’s wish for structures to have meaning beyond being simple scenery or tools for player progression. (read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abz%C3%BB#Design)

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (minimum) :  OS: Windows 7, 64-bit // Processor: 3.0GHz CPU Dual Core // Memory: 4 GB RAM // Graphics: Geforce GTX 750 / Radeon R7 260X // DirectX: Version 11 // Storage: 6 GB available space // Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card

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steam

554 – Proto (2012)

spacetime coordinates: 2011 Denmark

‘PROTO’ is a short film, produced by Eye Candy Film as an international co-production between Screen South based in the UK and Film Fyn based in Denmark. The film was shot in August 2011 at Robocluster in Denmark, a genuine working robotics lab.

imdb

0552 – Mute (2018)

spacetime coordinates: 2030’s futuristic Berlin

Mute is a 2018 neo-noir science fiction film directed by Duncan Jones, who co-wrote the script with Michael Robert Johnson. It stars Alexander Skarsgård, Paul Rudd, and Justin Theroux, revolving around a mute bartender searching for the love of his life who has mysteriously disappeared.

Jones described the film as a “spiritual sequel” to Moon, heavily inspired by the Ridley Scott film Blade Runner (1982). Sam Rockwell reprises his role from Moon in a cameo appearance that acts as an epilogue for the character. The film is the second installment in a trilogy consisting of Moon, Mute and yet to be announced third film.

Clint Mansell composed the film’s score. In a series of Instagram posts titled Mute & Me, he cited the culture of 20th century Berlin and Jones’ father David Bowie‘s Berlin Trilogy of albums as being a major influence in terms of representing Berlin culture, along with other Brian Eno-produced albums like Ultravox!.

imdb   wiki   trivia

536 – Simon Stålenhag

Simon Stålenhag is an artist and designer specialising in futuristic artwork focused on stereotypical Swedish countryside environments. The settings of his work have been adapted into a range of art books and a tabletop game. (wiki)

http://www.simonstalenhag.se/index.html

0534 – Machines (2016)

spacetime coordinates: 2010’s Gujarat, India

Director Rahul Jain presents an intimate, observantly portrayal of the rhythm of life and work in a gigantic textile factory in Gujarat, India. Moving through the corridors and bowels of the enormous and disorientating structure, the camera takes the viewer on a journey to a place of dehumanising physical labor and intense hardship, provoking cause for thought about persistent pre-industrial working conditions and the huge divide between first world and developing countries. Since the 1960s the area of Sachin in western India has undergone unprecedented, unregulated industrialisation, exemplified in its numerous textile factories. MACHINES portraits only one of these factories, while at the same time representing the thousands of labourers working, living and suffering in an environment they can’t escape. With strong visual language, memorable images and carefully selected interviews of the workers themselves, Jain tells a story of inequality and oppression, humans and machines.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5690244/

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/machines_2016/

0522 – City of Ember (2008)

spacetime coordinates:  underground city Ember 241 years after an apocalyptic war

City of Ember is a 2008 American science fiction film based on the 2003 novel The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. It was  directed by Gil Kenan,written by Caroline Thompson, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau, Mary Kay Place, Toby Jones, and Tim Robbins.

“City of Ember belongs to one of the best and most enduring genres of children’s films, in which smart kids stand up against the ignorant and aloof adult world and have a big adventure in the process. It also throws in a fantastical city, replete with whiz-bang inventions and secret societies. (…) Ember itself is fascinating, an intricately detailed set that, like Diagon Alley or the Star Wars cantina, you’d like to take a few hours to wander around in.” Katey Rich   //   Irv Slifkin for Video Business wrote, “this lavishly designed adventure saga from director Gil Kenan… plays like Terry Gilliam‘s Brazil — for beginners”.    //    TV Guide  “A fun and moving family film with a subtly dark feel rarely seen in kids’ movies since the ’80s, City of Ember succeeds despite its shortcomings, not only because of its fun and inspiring story, but because most of its flaws are things kids won’t notice anyway… [T]he story spins into a classic fable; the ignorance that seemed so blissful shows it’s just one half of a coin, where the other side holds apathy and hopelessness. The moral might well be lost on kids, but for adults, it’s compelling — all the more so because we like the good people of this dying city”.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970411/