The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

In the near-future, the Earth is teetering on the brink of apocalypse, with energy shortages driving countries to increasingly desperate measures to survive.

Meanwhile, in orbit, as society breaks down below them, an international team of scientists - on the massive spacestation Cloverfield - are attempting to fire up The Shepherd, a particle accelerator that could could provide unlimited energy for the planet and save mankind.

Unfortunately, after two years of failure, just as the scientists think they've got The Shepherd working - something goes horribly wrong...

The station loses sight of Earth as bizarre phenomena begin to plague its crew, and down on the planet chaos erupts.

Full marks to producer JJ Abrams for keeping The Cloverfield Paradox pretty much off the radar until it appeared on Netflix this morning.

A companion piece to the original Cloverfield monster movie, this light-weight slice of fun makes liberal use of weird science to explain the goings-on of the first movie, while serving up a pulpy action horror tale of its own.

With echoes of Event Horizon and recent episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, The Cloverfield Paradox is a fine example of the "haunted house in space" sub-genre.

Occasionally formulaic and occasionally surprising, the breathless adventure is broken up with a sprinkling of thematic nuggets ranging from the strength of familial bonds, and heroism and sacrifice, through to moments of delightful dark humour.

It's also one of those wonderful works of sci-fi and horror that you can't really say anything about without spoiling the surprises.

Just sit back and enjoy.

The Cloverfield Paradox isn't high art, but it's a fun romp and proves that there's still life in this odd, episodic, franchise.

Evolutionary Biology on Mars - TEDx Talk By Scott Solomon

As society slowly progresses in establishing themselves outside planet Earth, Professor Solomon takes a look at what would happen to humans from an evolution standpoint if we were to start residing permanently on Mars.

Taking a look at all the adaptations that we would go through, the question then arises, would we even be humans then?

Scott Solomon teaches ecology, evolutionary biology and scientific communication as a Professor in the Practice in the Department of BioSciences at Rice University. He received a doctorate in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from UT Austin where his research examined the evolutionary basis of biological diversity in the Amazon Basin. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

Alien - Covenant (2017)

After the risible disappointment of Prometheus and the underwhelming reviews that Alien: Covenant garnered upon its cinema release, I approached the DVD with a great deal of scepticism and low expectations.

And was completely taken aback by how enjoyable it was.

Although a sequel to Prometheus, and yet more backfilling of the xenomorph origin story, the weaknesses of the earlier movie are soon forgotten as we are reminded of how great - on a good day - director Ridley Scott can be at atmospheric world-building.

The crew of the deep space transport ship Covenant are guiding a cargo of 2,000 settlers on the long voyage to potential new home in the stars, when a series of accidents leads them to a 'ghost signal' from a previously unknown planet.

They investigate and discover the remains of a crashed alien spaceship and the soul survivor: the synthetic lifeform David (Michael Fassbender).

To be honest, the Covenant's crew aren't exactly memorable characters - even the wannabe 'last girl', Daniels (Katherine Waterston), is no hard ass Ellen Ripley - but this was a return to the franchise's horror roots, meaning we should be more tolerant of an abundance of chum to seed the water for the sharks to feed upon.

That said, given that they're blue collar working stiffs you have to question the level of training the crew received for such a crucial mission when their default reaction to most problems seems to be immediate panic.

The real stand-out (unsurprisingly) is Fassbender, on whose mighty shoulders the entire enterprise rests.

He is superb as the identical synthetics, the protective Walter of the Covenant's crew and the deranged David, whose programming had allowed him to transform into a terrifying Prospero or Dr Moreau, cultivating his crop of genetically-engineered xenomorphs.

Alien: Covenant isn't quite the Gothic haunted house horror of the original but more the good old fashioned shipwrecked-sailors-trapped-on-an-island-with-a-monster yarn, with a dash of slasher flick mixed in for seasoning.

If it wasn't so beautifully crafted, the film would probably have felt a lot pulpier than it actually does, but it still skates a fine line between serious and gonzo.

The film really comes alive once the stranded crew are rescued from their first encounter with albino xenomorphs by David, and then gradually we learn what he has been up to.

All the elements that initially had me asking 'why has Ridley changed that?' are all gradually explained as David's apocalyptic machinations are made manifest.

I guess, post-Prometheus, I was second-guessing too much and expecting the worst, when in truth the core plot is very tightly scripted.

A worthy addition to the Alien franchise, this has reignited my enthusiasm for more Ridley Scott-helmed Alien movies... something I never thought I'd say again.