On the occasion of the last edition of the festival The Myceliads, Étienne offers you a special episode of the Mag.7. Thus, the cinema teams The Lobies and libraries of Agglopolys of Blois have come together to offer you a selection based on imagination and science fiction.
It was the next session!
Mag.7 is a podcast, produced and distributed by the association blésoise The Next Meeting. The principle is simple: in collaboration with libraries of Agglopolys In the town of Blois, the host Étienne invites people to walk through the music-cinema service and video games of the places and to choose DVDs there. More specifically, seven films, series, documentaries or concerts – seven corresponding to the borrowing capacity proposed by the library – then evoke their selection to the microphone. A monthly program based on the sharing and passion of the 7th art, and seeking to highlight the quality and quantity of films available in public libraries, all accessible for modest amounts, if not totally free in some communities.
The imaginary SF within the Mag.7
Launched in 2021 following a call for projects by the CNC, the festival The Myceliads takes place in various cinemas and libraries in our dear French cities. The goal: to propose an annual and national event that combines web creation, scientific research and the world of SF imaginary. In this year 2026, the city of Blois was able to host the festival within its infrastructures (the cinema The Lobis and the libraries of Agglopolys) from 31 January to 15 February. But as all these teams prepared a program worthy of the Myceliads, they also lent themselves to the game of Mag.7. Thus, find a special selection of DVDs chosen for the occasion, which will make you travel through space and time, with their lot of creatures and other cyborgs. In short, a journey that titillates imagination, as cinema has been able to offer during its many decades of existence!
Monsters (2010)
Nationality : United Kingdom – Gender : Drama, Thriller, Science fiction – Implementation : Gareth Edwards – Distribution : Whitney Able, Scoot McNairy, Annalee Jefferies, Justin Hall, Ricky Catter...
DVD Edition France | M6 Video | 06 April 2011 - Blu-ray Edition France | M6 Video | 06 April 2011 - Dissemination platforms : Amazon Prime Video, PremiereMax, Viva and Rakuten TV
The pitch : A NASA probe crashes into the Mexican jungle, releasing particles from an alien life form on earth. Six years later, Mexico and Costa Rica became war zones deserted by local populations, quarantined and populated by monstrous creatures. A photographer is in charge of escorting a young woman through this devastated area. Only on the road, they will try to reach the American border...
Opinion of MaG (the celest wolf): Turned with derisory means, Monsters It is a real tour de force: a sensitive SF road-movie, where romance breaks a path between infected areas and ruined borders. Gareth Edwards unfolds a stunning visual poetry, up to a final that strikes in the heart. Between creatures taped in the shadows and vacillating humanity, this singular film remains a jewel of modern science fiction, to be discovered without delay.
Opinion of The Next Meeting (Sébastien): Whether you like Gareth Edwards' cinema or not, it must be noted that the director was able to stand out by mastering his visual effects. Coming from this technical universe, he has a staging that manages to magnify them. Just look at his Godzilla and Rogue One to measure the extent to which it is able to offer them a disproportionate magnitude. And what about The Creator, blockbuster at « small » Budget (approximately 80 M$) Who visually beats much more expensive titles? In short, it goes without saying that Edwards masteres the effects, understanding and refining them. But until then, we're talking about purely Hollywood films, the cost of which is a lot of zeros. Before entering the workings of the big productions, the filmmaker made himself known in 2010 with a much more modest first feature film: MonstersA small, independent nugget on the budget that hardly exceeds $500,000!
Although it is imperfect at a few levels (writing or directing actors), Monsters shines with his technique and staging. Desirous of filming gigantic creatures with little means, Edwards takes the side of putting his camera at the height of man. By playing the map of the out-of-field and close-ups taking the point of view of his characters, he turns a simple hike into an immersive ride. Thanks to these technical choices, the director manages to give life to his immense creatures by soliciting the spectator's imagination. In return, he offers him moments oscillating between tension and pure poetry. A process he will take over with Godzilla, which will become his visual leg so characteristic.
So if you like Gareth Edwards' movies and you only know his blockbusters, don't hesitate to rush on Monsters. If only to discover a feature film directed by a real craftsman, who literally put his hand to the dough (he officialises as a director, screenwriter, artistic director and photo director of the project). His passion, as well as his ambition, is visible on the screen, and it is clearly good to get out of such a work.
Terminator 2: Final Judgement (1991)
Title V: Terminator 2: Judgment Day – Nationality: United States – Type: Action, Thriller, Science fiction – Implementation : James Cameron – Distribution : Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Joe Morton...
DVD editing: France | Studiochannel | 02 June 2015 - Blu-ray Edition France | Studiochannel | 1 September 2022 - 4K Ultra HD Edition France | Studiochannel | 29 November 2023 - Dissemination platform: HBO Max, PremiereMax, VIVA, Pathé Home, Orange, Canal VOD, UniverseCine, SOONER, FILMO and Rakuten TV
The pitch : Destined to become the leader of a future apocalyptic where machines exterminate humanity, a young boy finds himself being hunted by a cyborg who has passed through time to eliminate him. But her mother, helped by a reprogrammed machine, will try everything to protect her from this relentless adversary, even to prevent the future from happening...
Opinion of MaG (the celest wolf) : After the classic of the cinema of action and anticipation of the 80's which will the Terminator (a mythical figure of the 7th art) in the collective imagination, here is the monument of science fiction that revolutionized the technique of SFX (the digital age) by pushing the limits of the possible. At the edge of the temporal paradox, this true « monster » From cinema to very great show is still an absolute model of the genre. Now I know why you're crying...
Opinion of The Next Meeting (Sebastian): A good suite is not necessarily better than the original. A film can be regarded as such when it manages to preserve the essence of the precedent while evolving its universe and characters, without ever betraying it. That's how we could define a good sequel, and we might as well say that cinema is not lacking! But then, when can an opus be considered superior to the first? In a rough way, a sequel turns out to be better when it resumes the foundations of its predecessor by improving them, pushes the pottery to the fullest and manages to make it forget. In this context, the examples are rather rare: a first episode of saga is usually the one that marks the minds. There are, of course, titles that we think of immediately, such as The Empire Against Attack, The Godfather Part 2, Evil Dead 2 or The Dark Knight. But by watching the polls of the type « The best suite of all time », a film constantly returns to top of the list, proof of its impact on the collective unconscious: Terminator 2: The Dernie Judgementr.
Yet, looking at it well, James Cameron does not do so much more than the first part. He uses the formula, some sequences and replicas, and makes some changes. But doped by a much larger budget than in 1984 (6 million versus 100 million dollars), making him the most expensive film in history at the time, the filmmaker turned his universe into a real playground. 75% of the budget is for special effects, and it's obvious! Terminator 2, it is a unpacking of spectacular action sequences, rich in cascades and explosions. The film is also a technical revolution, with the emphasis on digital visual effects, which are still in its infancy when it is released (Cameron had already experienced them, during the time of a sequence, in Abyss). From a technical point of view, Terminator 2 impose like a tower of unstoppable force, which fills the eyes for our greatest pleasure.
But if the ensemble is full of iconic plans and memorable scenes, it is also on the writing side that this suite stands out. James Cameron breathes heart into his show. This is essentially due to the character of Arnold Schwarzenegger, an evil symbol of the first part of the hero's protection. While this process may seem artificial, it mainly gives material to its star machine. The Terminator, a cold-blooded killer, gains humanity through his relationship with John Connor. In spite of this, he became a surrogate father for this child who had never known his father. Just with this screenshot pirouette, Cameron offers to Terminator 2 a correctness and emotion that was missing from the first film. If it looked a little icy, this suite will make you laugh as much as we cry, while nailing you to your chair. The Final judgementBest suite ever? The answer obviously depends on everyone. But there is much to bet that, for many, this is indeed the case.
Paprika (2005)
Title V: Papurika ( Nationality: Japan – Type: Science fiction, Thriller, Animation – Output: Satoshi Kon – Distribution: Megumi Hayashibara, Toru Furuya, Koichi Yamadera, Katsunosuke Hori, Toru Emor...
DVD editing: France | Sony Pictures | 20 June 2007 - Blu-ray Edition: France | Sony Pictures | 20 June 2007 - 4K Ultra HD Edition: France | Sony Pictures | 21 February 2024 - Dissemination platforms: VIVA, UniverseCine, SOONER, PremiereMax and Canal VOD
The pitch : In the future, a new psychotherapeutic treatment called PT was invented. Thanks to a machine, the DC Mini, it is possible to enter into patients' dreams, and record them in order to probe the depths of thought and unconsciousness. While the process is still in its test phase, one of the prototypes of the DC Mini is stolen, creating a wind of panic among the scientists who developed this small revolution. In the wrong hands, such an invention could indeed have devastating results. Dr. Atsuko Chiba, a colleague of the inventor of the DC Mini, Dr. Tokita, decides, in the appearance of his delusional alter-ego Paprika, to venture into the world of dreams to discover who has seized the DC Mini and for what reason. She discovers that Dr. Tokita's assistant, Himuro, has disappeared...
Opinion of The Next Meeting (Aurélie): PaprikaIt's the story of a team of scientists who created the DC Mini, a small device that makes it possible to go into a patient's dreams, to help him heal his psychoses. Like any good invention, when it falls into the wrong hands, the damage is legion. Imagine that anyone can enter your head and set up a wild parade, high in color and music, but also make you win by madness and drive you to suicide.
Watch PaprikaIt's accepting that you can no longer make a difference between dream and reality. Many films address this theme, with varying degrees of success. Christopher Nolan even confessed in an interview that he "could have inspired" Paprika (2006), for the scenarioInception (2010), and indeed, the similarities between the two films are numerous. Paprika succeeds in making the passages between dream and reality readable, even when the dream becomes invading, thanks to the doubling of his heroine. This is where the story goes further in my view, revealing that even professionals (doctors, psychologists, police officers...) have their share of weakness, doubt and trauma. We are not dealing with protagonists who are masters of their emotions, and transparent with themselves, but with people like us.
Finally, the quality of animation is at the rendezvous, but after animations like Perfect Blue and Tokyo GodfatherIt's not a surprise. Satoshi Kon continues to make us dream, whether by the sensitivity and depth of his stories, but also by his works and rich visuals.
High Life (2018)
Nationality: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, United States – Type: Science fiction, Drama – Implementation : Claire Denis – Distribution : Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin, Mia Goth, Lars Eidinger...
DVD editing: France | Wild Side Video | 24 April 2019 - Blu-ray Edition France | Wild Side Video | 24 April 2019 - Dissemination platforms: Amazon Prime Video, PremiereMax, ARTE Boutique, Rakuten TV, Canal VOD, FILMO, VIVA and Orange
The pitch : A group of death row criminals agreed to commute their sentences and become guinea pigs for a space mission outside the solar system. An out-of-standard mission...
Opinion of The Next Meeting (Aurélie): The film's official pitch announces a science fiction film, where criminals are sent into orbit around a black hole to extract energy from it. Surprising, High Life is also classified in the horror category, without which one can imagine why. The story in space, we can easily hope for the presence of bad animals or other...
We quickly understand that the team is sent to orbit without a return or contact solution to Earth, a form of imprisonment on death row. But the horror of their situation goes far beyond that. Dibs, played by Juliette Binoche, psychologically disturbed, is obsessed with her mission to bring about a healthy baby despite exposure to radiation. To achieve its ends, it engages in dubious fertilization practices, sometimes to the detriment of other inhabitants of the ship.
Disturbing movies, I've seen, and I'm watching them knowingly, for their film interest. Watching High LifeI feel trapped to find myself facing this kind of movie without me deciding. Especially as I don't find it interesting to advance the plot or its staging. As if the undeveloped SF part was a pretext to make a film about sexual violence. We should have gone to the end of the idea.
It is also a slow film, which does not find its balance with scenes now the rhythm and attention of the spectator. One can highlight the interest of his casting with Robert Pattinson as lead role, and Mia Goth who plays a second role in keeping with his habits. But the psychology of the characters, except Dibs, being little exploited, again, we pass aside.
E.T. the alien (1982)
Title V: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – Nationality : United States – Type: Science fiction, Adventure, Fantastic – Implementation : Steven Spielberg – Distribution : Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton...
DVD editing: France | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | 29 October 2002 - Blu-ray Edition France | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | 1 February 2023 - 4K Ultra HD Edition France | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | 7 January 2026 - Dissemination platforms: Disney+, Pathé Home, Canal VOD, Orange, PremiereMax, Rakuten TV, FILMO, LaCinetek, VIVA and ARTE Boutique
The pitch : A flying saucer landed in the middle of the night near Los Angeles. Some extraterrestrials, sent to Earth on a mission of botanical exploration, come out of the machine, but one of their adventures beyond the clearing where the shuttle is located. The latter then heads towards the city. This is his first discovery of human civilization. Soon tracked by soldiers and abandoned by his own, this terrified little creature named E.T. takes refuge in a suburban residence. Elliot, a ten-year-old boy, discovers him and builds a shelter in his wardrobe. Rapproached by a telepathic exchange, the two beings soon became friends. Helped by his sister Gertie and older brother Michael, Elliot will then try to keep the presence of E.T. secret...
Opinion of MaG (le loup celeste) : Débarrassée des retouches de 2002, la version de 1982 retrouve toute la douceur de son conte sur l’altérité et la séparation. Certes, quelques SFX accusent leur âge, mais leur charme rétro s’inscrit désormais comme une patine qui magnifie le souvenir. Dans ce cadre retrouvé, Spielberg signe l’une de ses œuvres les plus intimes, portée par des enfants lumineux et une créature devenue icône. Et l’émotion, toujours vive, affleure encore comme une évidence, touchant petits et grands.
Opinion of The Next Meeting (Mia) : Ce qui fait la force de ce film, c’est la sensibilité de son réalisateur qui place l’intrigue du film d’aliens du point de vue des enfants. E.T est le gentil monstre par excellence. Il est effrayant à première vue, mais se révèle très attachant pour les enfants du film et le spectateur. Ce film s’adresse directement à l’enfant qui est en nous et qui a rêvé de vivre ce genre d’histoire.
Ce sont les enfants qui détiennent le pouvoir, du fait même de leur enfance et de l’ouverture d’esprit qui va avec leur jeunesse. Les adultes ne peuvent pas comprendre, ils sont inutiles, voire dangereux. Ainsi, Elliot, sa sœur et son frère se lient d’amitié avec l’extraterrestre, s’occupent de lui, le cachent et le protègent des agents de l’Etat qui le traquent. La réalisation de Steven Spielberg souligne la magie de ce film tout en l’ancrant dans un univers réaliste : un quartier de banlieue résidentielle américaine. Ce réalisme insuffle la magie directement dans le quotidien des personnages et du spectateur. C’est comme si, nous aussi, on pouvait un jour par hasard trouver un extraterrestre perdu dans la forêt et le ramener chez nous en traçant un chemin de M&M’s. Comme E.T et Elliot, Spielberg tend le doigt pour entrer en connexion avec nous et nous offrir ce conte poétique moderne bercé par la musique de John Williams.
RoboCop (1987)
Nationality: United States – Type: Action, Polar, Science-fiction – Implementation : Paul Verhoeven – Distribution: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O’Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Miguel Ferrer…
DVD editing: France | Amazon MGM | 04 juin 2014 – Blu-ray Edition : France | Amazon MGM Studios | 04 juin 2014 – 4K Ultra HD Edition: Royaume-Uni | Arrow Films | 28 mars 2022 – Dissemination platforms: Pathé Home, Canal VOD et Orange
The pitch : À Détroit, gangrené par le crime organisé, l’officier de police Alex Murphy est laissé pour mort après une fusillade. Il devient alors le parfait cobaye pour la création d’une nouvelle arme, un policier hybride mi-homme, mi-robot…
Opinion of MaG (le loup celeste) : En plein cœur d’un Détroit dystopique en proie à la criminalité et à la corruption, ce spectacle viscéral, où l’humour délicieusement décalé contraste avec la violence grand-guignolesque des scènes d’action, se met au service d’une satire de l’administration Reagan (de la cupidité des entreprises aux dérives autoritaires en passant par le marketing capitaliste). Aussi jouissif dans le fond que dans la forme, RoboCop has lost nothing of its relevance and avant-garde charm.
Opinion of The Next Meeting (Aurélie): RoboCop fait parti de ces films que nous classons dans la catégorie film culte, et nous comprenons rapidement pourquoi dès le début de son visionnage. Le film sort en 1987, les années 80 regorgent de films de science-fiction avec des effets spéciaux de plus en plus crédibles, et RoboCop en est le parfait exemple si nous le comparons avec des films sortis au début de cette décennie.
À première vue, c’est un blockbuster hollywoodien parmi tant d’autres. Mais avec son cyborg au milieu de policiers défendant les bonnes gens contre la montée de la criminalité, le film peut présenter les prémices des films de supers héros. RoboCop est également un titre avec plusieurs niveaux de lecture : politiciens véreux, critique sociale et du capitalisme, avec même un petit côté de réflexion sur la cruauté humaine et le droit à la dignité. C’est d’ailleurs en ayant notion de ces deux thématiques, que la transformation de Murphy en RoboCop m’a paru très longue : que dire de la déshumanisation au profit de l’avancement technologique ? Des questionnements très actuels dans notre société. Pour un film de 1987, il est d’actualité, et vieillit bien. Si comme moi, vous ne l’avez jamais vu, que vous aimez les films de science-fiction, il est à mettre dans votre watchlist.
Alien, le huitième passager (1979)
Title V: Alien – Nationality: United States, Great Britain – Gender : Horreur, Science-fiction – Implementation : Ridley Scott – Distribution: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt…
DVD editing: France | 20th Century Fox | 24 octobre 2007 – Blu-ray Edition : France | 20th Century Fox | 07 novembre 2018 – 4K Ultra HD Edition : France | 20th Century Studios | 24 avril 2019 – Dissemination platforms: Disney+, Pathé Home, Orange, VIVA, Rakuten TV et PremiereMax
The pitch : Le vaisseau commercial Nostromo et son équipage, sept hommes et femmes, rentrent sur Terre avec une importante cargaison de minerai. Mais lors d’un arrêt forcé sur une planète déserte, l’officier Kane se fait agresser par une forme de vie inconnue, un arachnide qui étouffe son visage. Après que le docteur de bord lui retire le spécimen, l’équipage retrouve le sourire et dîne ensemble. Jusqu’à ce que Kane, pris de convulsions, voit son abdomen perforé par un corps étranger vivant, qui s’échappe dans les couloirs du vaisseau…
Opinion of MaG (le loup celeste) : Première apparition de la créature la plus effrayante de l’histoire de la SF et fondateur d’une mythologie énorme, ce huis clos horrifique très raffiné (la réalisation de Scott est toujours une référence après plus de 40 ans) au rythme assez lent, procure des montées d’épouvante hors-norme dès lors que son espèce vedette fait son apparition et met en scène un héros inhabituelle pour l’époque, une femme, qui deviendra aussi une icône du cinéma d’horreur dans ses trois suites. Plus qu’un classique intemporel, ce fabuleux cauchemar s’est imposé comme un chef-d’œuvre incontestable du 7e art.
Opinion of The Next Meeting (Sébastien) : À bien y regarder, rien ne prédestinait Alien à devenir ce film culte. Au commencement, il s’agissait d’une banale série B horrifique, voyant des routiers de l’espace se confronter à un extraterrestre. Mais il aura fallu que les étoiles s’alignent au bon moment pour que le projet marque les esprits et les époques. Alien, c’est tout simplement la rencontre de personnes persévérantes et ambitieuses, qui ont permis à l’ensemble de se concrétiser. Je dirais même plus : qui ont su transformer un simple divertissement en une œuvre intemporelle, au point d’en faire un pilier du cinéma de science‑fiction.
Alien est un film qui joue avec l’inconnu. Par le biais de ses décors et de son écriture minutieuse, Ridley Scott et son équipe mettent en images un univers crédible en tout point. Celui‑ci convoque aussi bien le réalisme dans les moindres détails (les couloirs du Nostromo, les différents pictogrammes visibles dans le vaisseau…), que l’imaginaire suscité par sa direction artistique. Alliée aux travaux plastiques de l’artiste H. R. Giger, elle nous propulse dans un univers malsain et anxiogène. Plutôt que d’amuser la galerie, Alien cultive une horreur palpable de cet inconnu grâce à son ambiance tendue, ses visuels d’un autre monde et, surtout, sa créature transpirant la symbolique du viol. Par le choc qu’elles représentent ou l’intensité qu’elles dégagent, beaucoup de scènes restent en tête : la découverte de l’épave, la soute avec les œufs, le facehugger, la naissance du chestburster, la première apparition de l’Alien, la révélation sur la nature d’Ash, Ripley devant évacuer le Nostromo… Le huitième passager est un roller coaster en matière de sensations fortes, qui doit également beaucoup à la justesse de son écriture et à l’impeccable interprétation de ses personnages.
Ce film a tout simplement forgé ma cinéphilie. Cet écrit n’est donc pas entièrement objectif, et je vois les copains de The Next Meeting esquisser un sourire en lisant ces lignes. Mais parler d’Alien me permet de rappeler qu’une découverte peut impacter votre vision, votre perception. L’art possède une portée allant bien au‑delà de la contemplation. Il vous mute, vous définit et vous accompagne dans votre vie. Donc, lorsque vous tombez sur une réalisation qui vous marque à ce point, c’est que vous vous êtes, à n’en pas douter, retrouvés face à un chef‑d’œuvre.
Paradis pour tous (1982)
Nationality: France – Gender : Drame, Comédie, Science-fiction – Implementation : Alain Jessua – Distribution: Patrick Dewaere, Jacques Dutronc, Fanny Cottençon, Stéphane Audran, Philippe Léotard…
DVD editing: France | Studiocanal | 1er janvier 2013 – Blu-ray Edition : France | Studiocanal | 02 janvier 2023 – Dissemination platforms: Canal VOD, ARTE Boutique, PremiereMax, VIVA, Orange et FILMO
The pitch : Alain devient le cobaye d’un médecin qui a inventé un traitement pour combattre les états dépressifs et rendre les gens parfaitement heureux…
Opinion of The Next Meeting (Étienne) : Dernier film de Patrick Dewaere, Paradis pour tous est un bel exemple de réussite du cinéma français dans le genre de la SF. Dans ce film, Alain (Dewaere), dépressif, se voit proposer par son psy (Jacques Dutronc) un traitement permettant de « flasher » son cerveau et d’y gommer toutes les émotions négatives. L’opération est un succès : Alain est heureux, et bientôt, c’est l’ensemble de la population qui sera traitée. Paradis pour tous est une comédie d’anticipation au ton doux‑amer, voire burlesque. On y retrouve Patrick Dewaere affable, gentil et serviable, très loin de son personnage habituel d’écorché vif.
Voilà un film où les personnages nagent dans le plus parfait bonheur, sans plus jamais connaître le désespoir, la haine ou la jalousie. On se retrouve alors dans une dystopie complètement aseptisée et atone. Cette anesthésie générale des sentiments provoque la perte d’envie, de désir créatif, et ce monde se satisfait d’une médiocrité très banale. Ce postulat est très bien illustré par l’une des scènes fameuses du film, où les musiques de publicité sont devenues la panacée de la création musicale, pour le plus grand bonheur de tous les personnages.
Alain Jessua croque de façon visionnaire, avec cruauté et cynisme, une société toujours en quête d’un bonheur parfait, imposé par les images des grands médias. Et lorsqu’elle y parvient, c’est au prix de son humanité. Un film qui garde encore aujourd’hui toute sa puissance subversive.
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