10 Pint Movies: WEIRD SCI FI FILM REVIEWS

Pi (1998)

Plot: Max (Sean Gullete) hardcore mathematician & loner, he loves Maths, (that's maths with an S), defiantly more than people, he desperately trys to avoid them fuckers. His only friend is Sol (Mark Margolis), a fellow cleaver bloke, who he muses over the implications of equations with and plays a strategy game called Go.

Believing the universe is governed by numbers, and maths is the secret to unraveling it all, he devises that with enough data, patterns will occur and outcomes can be perceived. Basically like all human slime he basically wants to use it to make some cash. To him the right algorithm he could rule wall street and others believe this too wanting a piece of the action.

This fuckin hairdrier hurts

Running the program through his ever increasing computer system it goes mental and spews out a long number plus a dead cert prediction, but thinking the computer had jizzed up he chucks the lot. The long shot comes in, bonus, things would be looking up if it wasn't for these head fuck migraines.

Puzzled by the number he confides in Sol who tells him maths isn't everything relax put your feet up watch Dawson s Creek (Or whatever was on in 98) its all a bit suspicious. Max is on one hes becoming obsessed, but he is stuck and increasing intense headaches are driving him mad.

In a diner he "randomly" meets a Hasidic Jewish guy who puts in Gods 10p worth into maths mentioning a numeric code in ancient texts and the search for a 216 digit code that translates as the name of God. It sets him back on the path giving him new ideas but its some spooky coincidence a 216 digit code is what his program is all about.

The Wall street business bitch wants to up the stakes offering his the most powerful (pretty crappy looking) chip in Nerd history.

Can the code be broken, will he side with money, religion or take his buddies advice and just watch some soaps.

No one fucks with the Jewish Mafia

Is it good: Yes, its fucking great. Not your typical modern sci fi, movie. Its extremely low budget, filmed in grainy black and white, Darren Aronofsky first film (Director of the acclaimed Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler & the Oscar jizzing Black Swan).

A well paced movie at no point was I bored and the premise behind it was simple (Some people want answers they cant get themselves for money or power) but with a nice Sci fi twist.

The soundtrack is fantastic a lesson in 90's alternative dance with a score by PWEI's Clint Mansell & tracks ranging from the trance of Banco De Gaia, to the drum bass of Roni Size, bizarre stuff from the Aphex Twin & random tunes from Orbital & David Holmes plus the awesome Angel by Massive Attack.

Turdige: Maths ain't that interesting, I have seen reviews that state the maths is flawed, of course the maths us flawed because a (god) number to everything doesn't exist (unless it is 42) You don't need to know the functionality of a warp engine to enjoy Star Trek (tell you a secret they don't work please don't let that spoil the next film).

Overall: You can take this movie to your teacher and say maths is fucking dangerous I want nothing to do with it. Plus you don't actually learn anything. A definite hit