By NITE (Facebook)
Tales of science fiction and dystopian future worlds have long been the launchpad of great heavy metal songs. From Somewhere in Time to the magnificent Missing Link by Rage, most of us have traversed these alien landscapes following the lyrical twines of such classics. An escape to a realm of myth, space and lasers! Here are the five movies that have influenced us the most as a band. Our new album, Voices of the Kronian Moon, is out March 25. We hope you hear some of our favorite sci-fi movies in it.
5. Star Wars – Empire Strikes Back (IMDB)
Van Labrakis: My number one most favorite SciFi movie of all time. Jungian archetypes, bootstrapped DIY filmmaking getting a proper budget and impending financial doom was apparently a recipe for an incredible movie. The darkest entry in the series had no happy ending. Presenting the hero as the spawn of evil I’m sure had an impact on our collective psyche. The sinister, abysmal gaze of the father of evil. Therapists around the globe sharpen your pencils! This movie is probably the closest thing we have to modern day mythology. Ice planet battle with mechanical behemoths, training with an 800 year old tiny sensei, trapped in the belly of a space worm, a city in the clouds, carbon freeze, father and son fighting using light swords, should I keep going?
4. Blade Runner (IMDB)
Scott Hoffman: I’m obsessed with Blade Runner. My living room is decorated with art of Rachael, Deckard, and Pris. I own whisky glasses like the ones in Deckard’s apartment, and I’ve tried to fold origami unicorns. I made a pilgrimage to LA in November, 2019, to see the holy sites: Bradbury Building, Ennis House, Union Station. Ridley Scott (and Syd Mead) created an atmospheric and beautiful dystopian future that looks as stunning today as it did in 1982. The opening cityscape scene, with the iconic score by Vangelis, still gives me goosebumps. What does it mean to be (more human than) human?
3. Back to the Future – Part 1 (IMDB)
Avinash Mittur: The first time I was exposed to “time travel” was when I saw Back to the Future, a Blockbuster VHS rental! Even though I could barely comprehend the plot back then, the idea of mucking with the future by altering the past was just fascinating and the universe was endlessly fun. We all know that a “flux capacitor” is some nonsense right? And I can’t count how often I’ve yelled “1.21 JIGGAWATTS!” before blowing up electronics. Back to the Future really made sci-fi approachable for me and of course, it still has my favorite version of “Johnny B. Goode.”
2. They Live (IMDB)
Patrick Crawford: They Live remains one of the most quotable, memorable, and entertaining films by the inimitable John Carpenter. The goofy, ad-libbed comedy of Roddy Piper’s “John Nada” could easily undermine the very serious critique of contemporary late-stage capitalism. So could the seemingly endless “put on the glasses” fight scene between Piper and Keith David complete with WWF moves. The reason this film endures and remains relevant today is the vivid foreshadowing of the growing chasm between rich and poor, the social unrest fomented by wage-slavery, and the collective trance of consumerism that has created an “artificially induced state of consciousness that resembles sleep”. Obey indeed.
1. Heavy Metal – The Movie (IMDB)
Van Labrakis: I have a soft spot for European comic book culture and Heavy Metal is pretty much an explosion of that. Perfectly capturing the vibe of its magazine counterpart, with quirky and out of the box topics and stories, this little gem has everything. From radioactive dust snorting triple nosed aliens to warrior goddesses riding flying chickens. A labor of love of a ton of extremely talented folks, unspoiled by producers trying to put a dollar sign on everything. Every time I’m a little stuck in the “real” I put this thing on and I’m instantly transported to one of its spectacular worlds. And on top of all that, the soundtrack is just unmatched. Taking a space ride listening to Don Felder is worth the price of admission alone.
** NITE’s new album, Voices of the Kronian Moon, is out March 25th on Season of Mist. Pre-orders for LP (three colorways), CD, and t-shirt bundles are HERE. Gaze into the Kronian Moon now!
