What's your favorite? I was thinking that most people would say Blade Runner but as I was thinking about it is the future in Blade Runner that bad? Maybe the movie qaulifies as an environmental dystopia and yeah life in the city seem to suck but what about life outside the city? The final scene with Decker and chick driving in the country-side, that seemed pretty nice. Also there is life off-world.

I also caught robocop on TV the other day and it reminded me of all the 70s-80s dystopian flixs that were based on the fear that we would never be able to contain Crime. Consider RoboCop, Escape From New York, A Clockwork Orange (Does "The Warriors" count?)It reminded me that Dystopian Sci-Fi works based when it plays on societal existential threats. In the 70s and 80s I remember one of the biggest things people were concerned about was crime and it manifested in the movies from that era. It was also a big theme in the comics from that era (see the Dark Night Returns).

It got me thinking that's why the Movie V for Vendetta fell so flat. Despite the Patriot Act and the war times powers claimed by the government, are people on a whole really concerned these days about the US turning into a Big Brother type fascists government? I am not but this isn't the place for that debate. I think I am worried more about everyone watching me not just the government like in the movie Minority Report.

I also think the idea behind Atlas Shrugged is kinda garbage. Who is really buying into the idea that successful people are victims of a lazy, parasitic society that would use the govt. as a tool to bleed them dry? Though its a bit slapstick, I think "Brazil" better captures a possible bureaucratic threat from the government.

If you ask me the story that best captures a dystopian future that best reflect the fears and anxiety of people today, I think its got to be "Children of Men"(Not at all coincidentally one of my top 3 sci-fi movies of all time). Though on its surface its a story about what would happen if folks stop having kid, the chaos that was depicted in the movie seemed totally foreseeable if there were a worldwide financial depression (which these days seems totally possible). Actually, there are any number of things that could happen that could throw us into a world that resembles the world in CoM which makes the movie all the more scary.


Anyway, I touched on a few movies that come to mind and shared some thoughts and was interested to hear other folks thoughts. Did I miss any movies worth discussing? Anything to add about some of the movies I mentioned?





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Peace to the Gods.