Love Movie (2011): A Labor of Love

Is there room for love in the emptiness of space?

What do you have when you make a science-fiction film that’s supposed to be about love? Well, you get a film called “Love” and it’s not your usual film for a number of reasons:

1.       It’s produced by an alternative rock band.

2.       It’s helmed by a first-time director, William Eubank.

3.       Its space station set was made in the backyard of the director’s parents out of stuff like Velcro, pizza bags, insulation, Christmas lights, fiberboard, and other scrap materials.

The movie was originally titles I-Empire, but it was changed, likely because it was really not so much about science fiction and more to do about people, their relationships, and what’s important to them. It tells the story of astronaut Lee Miller as he deals with his grim situation aboard a spaceship with dwindling life support and attempts to make sense of it all, going face to face with depression, insanity, and death in the face of the inevitable. But is all really lost? In his misery, Miller discovers something inside the ship which gives him hope and more. But, it’s not something that you’re expect in a science fiction movie.

What there to live for if one is trapped in an empty space station?

The film Love has been compared to 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris, both of which are classic sleeper science fiction films noted for their effects artistry. They’re not really the Armageddon-type of space movie, but they do give you the sense of emptiness in space and make you introspective in a kind of meditative state where you realize a ton of things you never bothered to think about or appreciate in a hectic and fast-paced life. In Love, you can guess what is at the center of the film and it’s not about being accurate about scientific things like physics. It’s about love!

Is that love striking?

The film Love had taken a long time to reach the stage for commercial release. The first trailer was actually shown on the Angels & Airwaves website way back in 2007 when the movie was still called I-Empire. It really is a labor of love for the band and the director. Love is an official selection in the Santa Barbara International Film Festival of 2011.

Watch the trailer of “Love”

Sky Sweeping with Your Eyes and Binoculars