The website of John C. Snider
[This review originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in November 2003.] Everything that has a beginning has an end. Sort of. When Larry and Andy Wachowski introduced audiences to The Matrix back in 1999, it was the beginning not only of one of the most lucrative film franchises of all time, it was also the beginning of a fresh …
[This review originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in May 2003.] Reality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The Matrix is a vast computer simulation feeding the minds of humanity, whose bodies (housed in row upon row of nutrient-filled cocoons) provide energy for the Machines who have conquered their creators. As far as everyone “trapped” in …
The Dilemma of Shutting Down the Matrix [This essay originally appeared in SciFiDimensions.com in May 2003, just before the first sequel to The Matrix—The Matrix Reloaded—was released. Obviously, the franchise went in directions that completely negate my speculations, but I think they’re interesting enough to warrant revisiting. –JCS 12/27/2021] Millions of science fiction fans have May …
Many of you who’ve visited this magazine over the last few months have probably been asking “What the heck is anime and manga?” hey are indeed mysterious terms to the average American; less so to kids nowadays; and even less so if you’re into comic books and cartoons. And that’s exactly what they are: comic books …
Don Bluth seems like a nice guy. For 45 years he’s worked on adorable animated films that appeal to little kids and grown-ups alike. Starting out at Disney Studios, he worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty and Robin Hood. In the late 1970s he struck out on his own, creating such wonderful films as The Secret of NIMH, An …
Directed by Roger Christian Starring John Travolta, Barry Pepper, Forest Whitaker Okay, I’ll make this one quick: Battlefield Earth has good special effects. And that’s about it. Based on the bestselling novel by the late L. Ron Hubbard (founder of Scientology); produced by and starring John Travolta (the most famous adherent of Scientology), this movie would do …
Imagine this. You go to your local movie theater to see the latest Sam Spade flick. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, Joseph Cotton, Peter Lorre, and the young Orson Welles. It’s in full color, acclaimed as a tour-de-force of the acting talents of all these great stars. There’s just one minor detail: the movie …
Laurel and Hardy. George and Gracie. Astaire and Rogers. Dezago and Weiringo. Who? Okay, maybe we got a little carried away. But in the world of comic books today no two names are more associated with teamwork, high quality, and swashbuckling adventure than Todd Dezago and Mike Weiringo. They first teamed up on Marvel’s Sensational Spider-man series, …
Now that Star Trek: Voyager is wrapping up its sixth season, speculations are at a fever pitch over what direction the Trek franchise will take. If Paramount sticks to tradition, Voyager will end with Season Seven, and for the first time in many years television will be without a Federation presence. Hard-core fans are lobbying for a series starring George Takei …
What could be more fascinating than UFOs, psychics and spontaneous human combustion? The people who investigate such things! Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but there’s no denying that skeptical investigator Joe Nickell is an interesting person. Our first conversation with Joe is designed to get inside his head and find out what makes him tick. …