A.I. TALES
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)

This is a collection of four unrelated science fiction stories with downbeat views of the world we are creating today in which we expect to live in the future. The bleak point of view is strongly reminiscent of the TV series "Black Mirror". Each story is set in the future but expresses fears of modern society and what it is becoming. I will give each film a rating from one to four. A.I. TALES is intended as a calling card for a film distributor Hewes Pictures who are specializing in short films. And each film may itself be a calling card film for its cast and crew.

I will give each film a rating of one to four, and I will give a link to the IMDB for each film.


"Seed"

In "Seed" we see a world beset by over-population. Nelson (played by Nelson Lee who writes and directs) has very mixed emotions today. Today is his 40th birthday and also his last birthday. The state has taken care of Nathan and his family in what looks like a very comfortable lifestyle. Today the price tag for his lifestyle must be paid. Nathan has agreed to commit suicide and to let someone else take his place using resources. Nelson Lee, who is the central actor, director, and writer, gives this situation some deep consideration. The plotline is dark and slow, and it is very reminiscent of LOGAN'S RUN. Rating: 2-1/2.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6815638/reference


"IN/FINITE"

This is a short story of a young woman who is taking a job at a place far away from the home she has known. She seems likable and her friends will very much miss her. But she seems unable to relate to even those people who are closest. In the end this is a science fiction story only because of what her plans are. That seems to be insufficient to interest and satisfy a ready-made science fiction audience. It just seems to say that in the future we will have more choices than we have today. Rating: 2

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6815638/reference


"Phoenix 9"

We see two people watching on video as people somewhere are seem to be in panic mode. It becomes clear for the audience that the world has been totally annihilated in a nuclear war. Years later bands of a few survivors are fighting each other for food. What little is left is considered a treasure. A band of survivors has heard there is a colony of people alive somewhere out west. They are walking the two thousand miles to get to this community and on the day the story takes place they have walked a thousand miles and are half way home. But today has a surprise in store for these pilgrims. But it may not be as big a surprise as our pilgrims are hoping. We reach an ironic denouement. Rating: 2

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6815638/reference


"Redux"

This is the one film of the four that has an actor I recognize, Eric Roberts. The story here is very hard to follow. It has something to do with time travel. There was a killing in 1984 by what appears to be somebody from the military. With the use of a time machine our main character tries to prevent the killing from happening. Rating: 2

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6815638/reference


Incidentally, in the entire film there is no reference to artificial intelligence.

Hawes Pictures reports, "Hewes Pictures is excited to announce the theatrical and digital release of A.I Tales on July 13. The theatrical season kicks off at the Black Box Theater in Los Angeles, July 13-19th. The VOD will be available via Amazon day- and-date."

					Mark R. Leeper
					Copyright 2018 Mark R. Leeper