How to Survive is now on Patreon! Support us at Patreon.com/HowtoSurvivePod to get every episode one week early, plus monthly bonus episodes and more.
It’s episode 287…and you mean more to me than any scientific truth.
Solaris (1973) sees psychologist Kriss Kelvin dispatched to a space station orbiting the titular planet to see if the skeleton crew’s reports of strange goings on and mysterious 4 metre tall babies are to be believed, or whether it’s a simple case of space madness. While there, he is disturbed by the presence of unexpected ‘guests’ on the station, not least the appearance of his wife Hari, who died a decade earlier.
We talk about a Soviet science fiction classic, discuss what it means to be human, whether Solaris is just a planet-sized printer, draw up a cost/benefit analysis of firing antique oak bookshelves into space and finally find out the question on everyone’s lips - can you eat a burger made out of neutrinos? Plus, a heartwarming story about Joe’s young son being obsessed with going to the moon.
All of which leads to one question: How would you survive?
Whatever happens, one thing's for sure: Whenever we show pity, we empty our souls.
Next time on the main feed it’s more Space Madness with Aniara (2018), while over on the Patreon it’s the turn of Twilight (2008), our monthly bonus film.
How to Survive is now on Patreon! Support us at Patreon.com/HowtoSurvivePod to get every episode one week early, plus monthly bonus episodes and more.
It’s episode 286…and I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle it shall be appalled by it.
Mad God (2021) is the singular vision of Phil Tippett, the stop motion genius behind Star Wars’ AT-ATs and RoboCop’s ED-209. Over the course of 30 years he slowly created what some believe to be his opus–Mad God–a nightmarish film with very little clear story, but an awful lot of grotesque imagery.
We talk about a film that is both an impressive technical exercise and a hollow procession of misery, the nauseating levels of skill required to produce it, whether we’d be sad if Gromit died and whether the individual behind dozens of screens showing a babbling baby’s face should give more thought to workplace safety.
All of which leads to one question: How would you survive?
Whatever happens, one thing's for sure: Your land shall become a desolation and your cities a ruin.
Next month, we’re watching a couple of ‘Space Madness’ films - Solaris (1972) and Aniara (2018).