I watched Barbarella and I’m not exactly sure what this film was satirizing. I just knew that it was absolutely ridiculous and the most sexed up film I’ve watched in a while. It came out in the late sixties so I assume it relates to the US space program and the sexual revolution.
There might be some female sexual empowerment in the film, but I just thought it was exploitive and cheap. Barbarella was the protagonist, a female astronaut flying solo, yet she seemed clueless and proved to be useless and defenseless throughout the movie. It didn’t help that she went from one skimpy outfit to the next and that she was all too happy to bed every man who saved her.
The movie is set in a futuristic world and I thought it was interesting that one of the technologies they introduced was a new and inventive sex pill and that the “old way of doing it” seemed so boring and unnecessary in comparison.

The first time I ever watched MST3K was a few years back and it was the episode where they made fun of Pumaman, which was so badly done. While the characters are mocking these stories, they are also in a sense paying homage to these films. As we all know by now, science fiction films have themes of philosophy and emotion. Though these films were poorly made, they still had these ideas that just got lost in the execution. MST3K pulls the plot and continuity together, helping the viewers make a better interpretation of the film.

I’ve watched Spaceballs a couple of times and I think that they were making fun of the most popular science fiction movies of that time. I guess that they were trying to show that science fiction doesn’t always have to be so serious and be so tragic.

I watched Barbarella, and it was definitely a product of another time, with it’s flamboyant mise-en-scene and presence of nudity, among other strange features. There’s no other science fiction movie that I’ve seen that includes a bright pink spaceship with a shag carpet clad interior. The presence of aliens as sets of adolescent twins was an interesting touch, as were the violet rabbits. Overall the film was very bizarre, but seemed fit for an audience at the time of its release.

There’s an Australian show called Danger 5 it is really great if you get a chance to watch, in the first season is satirizing 60’s film and tv in general but also sci-fi especially in s1,ep2 Lizard Soldiers of the Third Reich,and i think this really shows how you satirize something right.

cronenberg takes away visual subtly so he can add contextual subtly, unlike other directors who would only use the biotech for gross-out effect, in all his sci-fi-ish films he uses it to dig deeper into what the story is trying to get across there is an initial ew effect but then we must think, from brood to videodrome to crash, things get less crazy and out there and more achievable in the realm of possibility and i don’t think this is an accident.

I watched Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and I wasn’t entirely sure what this film was about. Its Wikipedia page says that the film is dieselpunk which is part of cyberpunk. Dieselpunk combines the aesthetics of the diesel-based technology of the interwar period through the 1950s with retro-futuristic technology and postmodern sensibility (Wikipedia). There is conflict between man and machine and the advancements of technology in the film but I didn’t pick up on its punk aspect. The movie felt more like an homage to the glamorous 1940s style movies with its lighting, scene transitions, overlay of shots, design, and much more. I thought the movie was so beautifully rendered and at times, it looked like it was animated as opposed to live action. It also combined so many tropes of the science fiction genre. There were scientists, robots/machines, a rocket, man playing God, apocalyptic moods to create a master race with biblical references to Adam and Eve and Noah’s Ark, distorted Utopian views for said apocalypse. Sky Captain was the savior and he reminded me of the revered astronauts (if only the movie were set in the 1950s/1960s). However, he got too much credit, in my opinion, as he rode on Dex’s coattails. Dex was the brains and he easily could have done everything that Sky Captain did. I also didn’t like how Sky Captain would always say “good boy” to Dex. Is he a dog or is he the person that was constantly saving you and giving you correct and useful information??

I also watched Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and really enjoyed the stylistic element of the film. It felt like a comic book that came to life. This seems to me that it is a modern approach to the famous German Expressionism and film noir styles.

In Johnny Mnemonic, people were being used to send messages because the world was almost in ruins. The movie says that if too much information is in someone’s head, it can be used for good or evil against the company that manufactures its own intentions.

I watched Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow too, and I agree that it’s style is reminiscent of some aspects of both German Expressionism and film noir, as well as some science fiction of course. The movie is full of vintage technology that would’ve been seen in film noir such as typewriters, but also includes futuristic technology such as giant robots. The film contains traces of both mystery and science, and serves as a good example of genre blending.

I remember when the first film came out, I hadn’t watched it about a year later, the main talk was about the violence. Like “ooh wow, they kill kids.” and like you said, it shifted to older enemies and the “grayishness” of who’s killing who got less ambiguous. Katnis becomes idolized by the end, even by the second film. She’s the hero in every sense. The bad guys get more and more evil, they even try to make some of the kids in the 1st film unlikeable and the nice ones have sad scenes. Eventually the foes becomes actual evil dudes with planes and *spoiler/ actual sewer monsters /spoiler* with unworldly nano sludge. I’m jus saying that the focus dramatically shifted as the series went on.

When I first watched the Hunger Games a few years back, I didn’t initially pick up on its reality television element. It does seem like a critique on our current society on how we view these people as gods and put them on a pedestal in our minds. It can also be viewed that they are making a statement on our media, by the bending of truth and portrayals in order for them to relay what they want the public to feel/know.
What I liked most about The Hunger Games was that there was a female hero, unlike other action movies. In a world where female actresses and characters aren’t taken seriously, Katniss became so popular because she proves that women too can be tough and smart. Maybe this was the writers comment on societal views of woman in media and trying to shape a new picture for the future.

I agree with you in that Catching Fire is the best one because of the heavy reality tv and celebrity components. That part of the movie is so much more light-hearted and fun. I also enjoy it for Stanley Tucci’s role in the movies as the fabulous, energetic and over the top Caesar Flickerman, the host of the Hunger Games.
Side note: when the first movie came out in 2012, I had never read the books nor had I watched a trailer for the movie so I went into the theater without knowing that this was a movie where kids would kill other kids. Not a fan of violence, I hid my head on my mom’s lap for a large portion of the movie.
We have some dumb and dangerous reality tv now whether it’s a dating show or a competitive sports type of show but the people on those shows all have free will and sign themselves up for it. We have less compassion for them if they screw up or look dumb on the show because they chose to be on the show. It’s easy to forget that the people on reality tv are in fact people with feelings and emotions. Online bullying and criticism is rampant and these contestants are not immune from it and actually receive a lot of hate. The Hunger Games is such an extreme scenario but today’s tv viewers can be cruel too and have no problem disassociating themselves from that cruelty they exhibit.

The Hunger Games series is an amazing example ofI h a dystopian future. Panem’s society is living in ways that are so close to ours that seeing that there is a possibility that our future can look the same one day is frightening. The films have all the elements of science fiction films. New technology and achievements such as hovercrafts, the arena, the absence of guns, etc. I had always felt that the arena and the games in general, felt like something out of old greek mythology. I actually read that the author intended to evoke greek mythology in her books. I have read the books and seen the movies and i think a reason that i enjoyed it all was because the author writes in katniss’ point of view. The readers/viewers are able to put themselves in her shoes on her cruel adventure and it helps to really immerse the audience into the novel/film.

The idea of children being forced to kill each other in order to stay alive was very harsh and scary, but it’s what attracted many people because violence is just something we as humans are always drawn to. That’s why the games are televised, not only to force the people of the districts watch children murder one another, but because the rich in some ways enjoyed watching the violence. It’s easier to watch it than to experience it. Like Anna, I also didn’t catch on to the reality television aspect of it right away. It’s like a huge part of the movie and is kind of hidden in plain sight. That part is probably the most interesting thing though. Basically the poor people have to put on a show for the rich people and make them like them and sympathize with them. They can’t show their true emotions of anger that the games even exist, instead they have to put on a show and make the rich empathize with them because having fans helps you out later in the games. It is pretty much identical to a reality tv show, especially in the aspect of the fake love story between Katniss and Peeta in the beginning. Peeta having a crush on Katniss led to her being more likable and seeming more appealing. Their fake romance created a large fan base that didn’t want them to participate in the 75th Hunger Games. It’s also similar to reality tv because everything in the arena is controlled. Certain things are done to make sure that the illusion around everything is not destroyed.

Hunger Games reminds me of the original American Gladiators, not the horrible remake with Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali.

I loved the Hunger Games: Series. I did it read any of the books. I was gone of the scenery and the action in the film more than anything else. The most touching scene for me was when Katniss sung to Rue. I found it unfortunate that Rue died at such a young age but she died for the better of her District or community per se. I didn’t understand the correlation between sending girls and boys to fight districts for the Capitol to remain order in society. I understood the part that the games was more so for the amusement of the Capitol. But I do want to bring up the fact that, a film can have an incredible impact on society because Thailand residents has taken a stance against their own government with the three finger symbol from the Hunger Games. The movie took an activist stand point because it is clearly that the districts are tired of living the way they do. Also tired that the capitol has so much power over them. I’ve watched all the movies but one which is the mockingjay part 2. This class has allowed me to have a better appreciation for all genres including sci-fi which is my favorite genre. Get a better look into what each genre has to say.

Along with Anna, when I initially watched The Hunger Games, I didn’t pick up on the reality television element either. After seeing the movie again however, I picked up on the critiques a little bit more than when I had initially seen it. The idea of kids killing kids is definitely a bit gruesome, and I think the idea of The Hunger Games being like the “worst case scenario of a show like Survivor” is pretty accurate. I’ve also heard of people comparing The Hunger Games to Battle Royale before, but have yet to see it.

It was my first time watching The Hunger games. All the trailers and everything when it came out, it didn’t really catch my attention. Now that i watched it, it was an interesting movie. The whole story of the movie almost relates to the movie “Condemned” with stone cold steve austin. In the hunger games world kids from different districts fights each other to death and only one district can be the winner. In condemned criminals fight each other in an island and could only be one winner. I just didn’t like the fact about hunger games is how the children’s are involved fighting each other to death instead of the adults. Beside this fact i think it was really a cool movie.

The Hunger Games is a film that a younger generation can relate to because of the violence and the young teenagers that are in the Hunger Games challenge. I agree with Angel as the Hunger Games is like gladiators, but with teenagers fighting to the death for people pure entertainment.

The first Hunger Games always reminds me of a short story called “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, where a town annually draws papers and essentially whoever gets the bad paper gets stoned to death. In that story, there’s not much backstory about how it started and there’s no resolution alluding to it ever ending. The Hunger Games is different in that way, we know the games are as a result of social unrest and an overpowered government, and we get a hero by the end. I like that the films comment on media and its impact on society.

When I watched The Hunger Games and the sequels. The first thing that came to mine was how President Snow and the other people in their government take advantage of their resources while the other districts are struggling. For example: they drink something so they can eat more while the other districts are starving and eating scraps. This relates to our current situation because of the debate of pay inequality. The people who have the most money are the ones getting tax breaks while the ones without are being taxed more.
I also took note on how the person everyone goes to as their leader is a strong female. Katnis doesn’t even realize how much people are relying on her because she is the only one who can do that. Today, women are feeling more and more empowered to stand up and fight for what’s right and it’s so important that continues.

I think the Hunger Games is a solid concept but I think the point it is trying to make about oppressive governments and societies is done far better and less glossy in films such as 1984 and Alphaville, I don’t know I feel like Hunger Games cares less about being a film and more about being a franchise to really focus on making the point strong

I think this film really shows what defines a science fiction film more than science and is why i personally class something like star wars more as a fantasy in space and see something like seconds which barley has any science elements as completely Sci-Fi, because Sci-Fi is not space or robots or the future, it is the question raised by these elements, Sci-Fi is a deeper meaning being presented in a palatable way, as stated perfectly by Rod Serling creator of the Twilight Zone “Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science Fiction is the improbable made possible.” Science fiction has a question presented because what we see has some form of possibility actually being true and presents to us a moral dilemma based on this truth and that is Sci-Fi the moral dilemma.

I actually really enjoyed this film and previously would have never of thought that this would constitute as a science fiction film. There were so many elements that are key components of this genre throughout this film, one being the philosophy. What made this film so enjoyable that it does answer the question of how would you spend your last days on Earth. In most apocalyptic films, there isn’t any focus on that, but more so on how to save the world. This movie felt like it was made for us who aren’t in the science field and will have no opportunity ever to actually save the world, which was refreshing.

Spectacles in science fiction films are not necessary, but they do come in handy. They help the audience visualize what the world looks like in the future or in whatever time period it is set in. I believe that sometimes the spectacle can be within the story. Like what’s going on with the characters and how they develop from beginning to the end. I also think apocalyptic science fiction films are the most important because they’re really relevant to people’s mindset today. Everyone is constantly worried about the world ending and what will happen when it does and what could happen afterwards. Everything must eventually come to an end.

Seeking a friend for the end of the world was really interesting. At someday in the future our world as we know it it really has to end. How it will no one knows that. If it does end with an astroid colliding with earth and we get an heads up theres only 15 days left. what would i do and what would any body do? would people actually go crazy do riots or being in jail. would that solve the problem or make the astroid go away or gathering food and seeking shelter being a survivalist and pray to God make the astroid by pass earth. would would we humans do?

I think that these types of movies try to remind us of our mortality, that we don’t live very long in spite of our desires to do so.

It had been a long time since I had seen Armageddon, and it is clearly a sci-fi film that emphasizes spectacle. The movie is an action packed sci-fi that displays scenes filled with explosions both on earth and in space. I agree with the comment that people tend to have a fairly existential mindset today, and movies like Armageddon echo that in being about a disaster happening. I think that most people are less concerned with something from space crashing into us though, and more concerned about wars, or global warming.

Movie like these films show an audience that they should be more aware of what is going on around them. People live their lives day by day not knowing a catastrophy can happen at any given moment. I am not saying that people should live their lives in fear every day but they should be more aware.

This movie was interesting because I feel like everyone in the film sort of just accepted their fate and lived life to the fullest except the main character. But he realized in that final moment that his last two weeks left on Earth were better spent with this girl he got to call a friend and a lover. A theme we see in many sci-fi/disaster films is that even in the midst of disaster, love seems to reign above all.

This song is pretty cool. Just the title of this song “up from the skies” . when i look up in the skies two things come to mind. At night skies the stars wonders, how are actually there. During the day time a fear of a nuclear war.

I listened to a lot of Jimi Hendrix as a kid, and he definitely was a big reason why I ever picked up a guitar. I actually think the first time that I heard a song of his may have been “Foxey Lady” in Wayne’s World.

I guess when Wesley Snipes told Woody Harelson you’re just listening to Jimi nit hearing Jimi this is what he meant. All kidding aside when I look into the sky I have many thoughts good and bad ones. The sky is a symbol of infinite thoughts.

The big help of Bootsy was that he brought the idea of the one with him from James Brown into P-Funk and that is what really separates Funk from soul, jazz, r&b, etc so yeah good job Bootsy!

I believe in RHCP’s music video for “Dani California” they perform a scene as the Parliament Funkadelics, clearly showing how much influence the band had on them! I think P-Funk has more of a disco vibe than RHCP, but you can see the strong comparisons between the two.

this song is aweosme. The beginning with the guitar solo was really cool. The starting scene was really interesting as well. This song and the elements made me think of a lot of the Psychedelic things.

Parliament Funkadelic’s influence spreads far and wide. The band is by far one of the more popular sources of samples for today’s music, and they’ve even made appearances in movies over the years, such as the 1994 release, PCU.

After watching Mad Max, the first thing that comes to mind is one of my favorite band Motorhead and their band logo. I love how this movie uses the special effects to show all the classic cars stunts. Although the movie is an apocalyptic movie, it was really exciting and fun to watch. My favorite part in mad max and furry road was where the guitarist never stops playing and how the flames comes out. It was awesome.

What a bleak and depressing movie The Road was. From the sunless grey lighting to the disturbing sounds and images of cannibalism, watching this movie was no fun task. Throughout the movie, I empathized with Papa and found his son to be annoying and unfortunately burdensome from time to time. However, at the end of the movie, when the boy becomes part of his new family, I realized that he was right and that his instincts were better than those of his Papa. The boy had compassion for strangers whereas his father did not, and only focused on his and his child’s survival. But because of his paranoia and worry, he led both of them into dangerous situations. The boy heard a dog and spotted another child. As the audience we think “dumb kid, stick with your Papa. Everyone around you will try to kill you” but he was right with the dog and kid.
The boy constantly needs reassurance from his father that they are the good guys. Papa is a good man because he wants to protect his child and keep him alive. He also refuses to succumb to cannibalism like other characters do. However, when his food and shoes are taken, Papa takes a dangerous turn and leaves the thief naked and defenseless. It’s during that same scene that we see Papa speak to his son in a more aggressive “toughen up” manner. Even with that, Papa can still be considered good because survival is key and he’s trying to survive for himself and for his son.

i never thought about the future being carved by the survivors as them bringing back the past instead of making a new future, but that’s really interesting and i think it’s visually shown in how all the new things are made from things of old like their new super cars, or tools, or hideouts.

The Road was definitely a more depressing view of a post-apocalyptic world. It’s different from other films of this kind because most have a happier ending or give you a sense that the future will be better from that point on. However, personally I wished the little boy would’ve been the one to die instead of the father. The father spends the whole movie trying to survive and protect his son. I feel like this just kind of sent a message that even if you’re a good person and you try hard to protect those and the ones you love, you’re not always gonna have a happy ending.

I agree with both Shira and Andrea in their comments that The Road was a depressing movie. It was the first time I had seen it, and it was one of the more negative views of the future that I’ve seen depicted. The movie is grey in almost every way possible, with the color scheme containing a heavy dose of shades of grey, while the story itself is grey in that it’s gloomy. The father even mentions the greyness at the beginning of the movie. The scenes in which the father is explaining suicide and then giving his son instructions of how to do so, followed up later in the film by him almost killing his son himself is pretty disturbing. Really that was a common theme throughout The Road as it also displays a rather graphic example of cannibalism.

I know everyone else so far haven’t enjoyed The Road, but i thought it was a really good movie due to its simplicity. I really enjoyed the coloring they used, as it’s meant to show how run down and depressing the world has become. Typically in these types of films, theres a savior that will eventually resolve all the problems the characters are having, but I think The Road had a different take. It’s a story about saving our morality and the ideology of Good VS Evil. It reminded me a lot of The Walking Dead, specifically the relationship between Papa and the son in comparison to Rick vs Carl.While the fathers have lost all sight, the kids are the symbols of the future and keeping good still alive. Really the only part of the movie I didn’t enjoy was how the mom just walked into the forest and that was it for her.

Mad max fury Road is one of my favorite film out of the Mad max Series. It made me want watch the other three films prior to this one. & I believe that I’m now a Mad Max series fan. I also want to see if there will be a fifth sequel. I want to know what happens to Furiosa & What’s next for the Wasteland. Does Furiosa become the next dictator or does the wasteland actually have a democracy now. Does Max pack up and leave because he’s a Lonewolf or does he stay to help Furiosa govern the waste land? I have a lot of questions for what the next film will be like. I guess it’s not only about what’s next for the wasteland but also how they can actually implement what’s happening in society and how it fits in the next film.

Fury Road admittedly is the only film from the Mad Max franchise that I have seen. The movie is visually stunning and i’m truly a fan of the steampunk/dieselpunk aesthetics. The film also packs a lot of social and philosophical themes which makes it much more interesting than just a visual showcase. The inclusion of the pro feminist rhetoric by way of Furiosa’s strength and leadership, and the inclusion of religious metaphors through the “green place” as a representation of a sanctuary such as the garden of eden, really leaves room for much discussion aside from the plot of the film. This is a film that I would certainly recommend and is definitely a unique contribution to the science fiction genre

I vaguely remember reading The Road in high school so the film didn’t surprise me or depress me too much. The most shocking parts of the film for me were the parts where suicide was so blatantly and casually brought up. The father talking to the son about how to use the gun and preparing him for a situation where he would have to kill his father and then himself, for example. Even just letting his son walk right up the the family that hung themselves and not trying to hide him from seeing any of it was shocking. I do think that made it that much more realistic, though. I liked the fact that this post-apocalyptic place seemed like it could be real, compared to ones in other films.

Mad Max is a classic Sci-Fi film. It is packed with action and it shows a post apocalyptic world, with super cars and how they ride. What is cooler than super cars and use of weapons in a ski-fi film.

this is one of their best and often forget songs thank you!

All of these classic rock bands really created awesome musics back then. Good music really kind of hard to find these days, although there’s a lot of good bands out there depending what type of music we like. This song is great.

I had heard this song before, but never knew that it was Blue Oyster Cult. Every time I hear them it reminds me of the “more cowbell” Saturday Night Live sketch with Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell.

Really enjoy the guitar work of this song and the song is so epic, that it does kinda give you the vibe of Godzilla

This song is Godzilla, when you see a big monstrous creature like Godzilla this is the song you think of!

it’s funny how the monster is more innocent than the people, even though on a surface level the monster is the bad guy and humans the good guys.

The monster definitely seemed more innocent than the people, in fact, some of them even sympathized with Godzilla and begged for the others to see the good in sparing its life. Honestly I thought the movie was kind of confusing at times, and most of the parts that were supposed to be horrifying were actually pretty funny considering how Godzilla looked.

“The monster is a symbol of that which society represses and can’t deal with” This sentence perfectly describes what Godzilla is. When this movie was released, Japan was still suffering from the effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which is what Godzilla symbolizes. He can be seen as not only the atomic bombs creating destruction to civilization, but also civilization itself.

I echo some of the comments before, in here Godzilla it seems to be the monster when in reality the monster in here is the human race, we are the ones invading her territory and trying to kill her/him for “the safety of our society”. It’s funny how governments usually use the word safety to keep oppressing members of the minorities, in this case, it was applied to Godzilla.

I have to agree with Joao and Ben on how Godzilla is somehow the essence of what makes us human versus the actual humans in the film. Now I watched Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994) and while it was confusing and a bit trippy, because of the fairies and talking moth?… this movie makes Godzilla more human like in the way that (s)he is good and protects the humans who at first try to kill it. I say she because there is a baby Godzilla, so I think that Godzilla is the mother in the way that it was protecting the child when SpaceGodzilla tried to hurt the child. Once again, military and scientists join forces to kill it but soon find that Godzilla is their savior, not their enemy. The fighting scenes between the two monsters reminded me of the battle scenes from Power Rangers the show, because it looked so fake and it had the same backdrop. Must be because these were both originally derived from Japan? This film also links nature, Earth, evolution, romance. some comedy and family values. And in the end I like how the characters are on the beach, not watching the sunset, but instead watching Godzilla go back to the ocean, its home. Which shows this scene as peaceful and a happy ending, with hope for humanity.

I think monster science fiction movies are some of the most interesting films to watch. The monster, whichever one it may be, is the spectacle itself, and as technology has advanced the spectacle just gets greater and greater. I think monster movies are also more realistic because with all the advancements in science and technology and humans experimenting with things they’re not always supposed to be experimenting with, it could lead to big problems. There’s already so many types of animals that we don’t know about or don’t understand that one day they could just show up and we’ll call it a monster. I agree with everyone else that the monster is more innocent than the humans. The monster is kind of like a big child because it’s confused and doesn’t know what to do or what it is and humans first thought is to attack and when the “monster” is attacked it has no other choice but to attack back. All problems can essentially be led back to humans. Humans create a lot of the problems that they one day have to face.

Gozilla, when i was a little kid i used to watch the cartoon series of Godzilla. I think it’s in the human nature to be afraid when we see a monster. it’s also in our nature we want to kill the big monsters because they’re vey big and scary .Although Godzilla is the good guy but humans doesnt know it. Godzilla also reminds me of the movie Pacific rim, but in pacific rim the monsters are actually bad ones.

People get confused with Godzilla. Yes, I know for sure if I seen a monster running through the streets I would be scared for my life. But in this case Godzilla is a protector for the people. At first seen as a threat to the world, overtime Godzilla is seen as a protector like how it should be.

A few days ago I watched interstellar for the first time and even though Matthew McConaughey’s character doesn’t go through time travel per se, I think it was an interesting perception of what trying to affect the past looks like. I think time traveling is a possibility but it’s an idea that is way too complicated to understand.

Nikola Tesla said that he was insanely close to finally discovering how to time travel and after his death, the government seized all his research. Maybe time traveling does exist but he government is keeping it a secret from us.
Interesting enough, the person who was in charge of going through Tesla’s findings was no one other than Donald Trump’s uncle. This and along with the publishing of some oddly coincidental books, has lead to people believing that Donald Trump is a time traveler (yup, you read that right). Obviously this isn’t true but I added a video below that further explains this “theory” for your entertainment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG-plYvYbXA skip to :50

Interstellar, one of my favorite movies all the time. After watching the movie many times it always leaves me with
confusion, questions and curiosity. In Interstellar they show
how they travel through a worm hole and a black hole. Although i wonder, if worm holes did exists or if humans
ever finds one what it’ll take humans to actually travel through one. Our universe is big, with in our universe there
are so many planets. in order to reach the further galaxies and the planets mankind must find a way or make a space ship that travels faster then the speed of light. Interstellar
really shows how space and time travel can be done but in
reality at this current age of humanity it’s just not possible with the technologies that we have. To me the the idea about going back in time or going to the future is just amazing that these are theories. I can only imagine how we humans would be or how the world would be if all of those things were actually possible.

Time travel is something that every person thinks about in one sense or another. Like you (Professor Cornell) said, engaging in nostalgia is a form of time travel, hopping on an airplane to Australia is a form of time travel, and I’ve also been asked “if you could go back in time to kill Hitler, wouldya??” With that being said, time travel fits perfectly well within the scifi genre but the movies I think of when it comes to time travel are the Austin Power movies. He’s frozen in time in the first movie and he can go back and forth in time in the second and third movies through a wormhole and a “shagadelic” car. The movies poke fun at many things from pop culture references to various movie genres (most notably the spy) so it makes sense that it would want to add a scifi element as well. I’m also reminded of Rachel McAdams when it comes to time travel movies because she has been in three time travel movies! She was in Midnight in Paris, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and About Time. In all three, she plays the time traveling protagonist’s love interest/wife. She herself never travels through time and can’t even live vicariously through the men in her life who can. All three movies are thought provoking about ideas of changing the past, living in the past or living in nostalgia. Does it do any good to think of the past (or worry about the future) when we can live in the present?

This comment is about Donnie Darko, which was my first time watching it and it was really good! I was surprised to see both Gyllenhaal siblings in this film. Now, aside from the main topic of the film being about time travel the one thing that I also found interesting is suicide as a topic in the film… and I’m curious to know if anyone else agrees with my views on the film? I did some further research on the film after watching it so that I would have an open mind and i got teen suicide and bi-polar disorder. To me in the way that Donnie is and acts in social environments as well as how at the end with his death, it seems that everyone woke up with a clean slate, better off and happier well except for his family that is left devastated. He sacrificed his own life for his romantic interest’s life. I also read that the director started to write the screenplay for this film 30 years before it was actually made into a movie, so around the 1980s.And in further research, beginning from 1980 through the end of the decade suicide rates amongst teens were at an all time high in the U.S. I just viewed this film as a reflection on society’s teens. The way that the school and teens were portrayed and the things that went on in schools like bullying and overbearing parents looking for their kids to be straight A students and all the stress that young teens faced. In this film and especially in the way that it ended I just couldn’t help but relate this movie to teen suicide. Even the song used in this film “Mad World” by Gary Jules, tells a story of depression, loneliness, sadness, non-existence and dreams of dying that are the best dreams.

While everyone wishes time travel was real, I think if it were real it would only mess up the world even more than it already is. I like how Stephanie brings up the song, “Mad World” and how it’s used in Donnie Darko. When I first watched Donnie Darko, I was so confused and so intrigued at the same time. Watching it again I definitely understand it more. I think the song was used in the film to reflect Donnie’s character and how he felt and how he lived his everyday life. I think aside from the time travel aspect, this film was definitely relatable to teenagers and young adults because we have all felt the way Donnie has felt at one point or another. In this movie, I think Donnie had to die. The black hole opened up and took the plane engine and went back in time just so Donnie could die, but also so he could learn a few more things about life before he died. It wasn’t his destiny to remain alive and live the life he led if he had gotten out of bed the night that the plane engine fell in his room.

I think that the idea mentioned about engaging in nostalgia as a form of time travel is particularly interesting and reminds me of the idea that a person could be “living in the past.” There are multiple examples of people that dwell on past decades, whether it’s the technology that they use, the music that they listen to, or even how they dress. It is in these ways that people can be referred to as “time travelers” in a sense.

I really liked how time travel, and just space in general, was depicted in Interstellar. I never imagined any kind of wormhole to be tangible the way Matthew McConaughey’s character taps out morse code to message his daughter from whatever dimension he ended up in near the end. Also, the idea of time being so distorted in other parts of the universe that one hour on a distant planet is seven years on earth is wildly confusing but still so interesting to learn about or see happen.
Regarding the grandfather paradox, I like to think that the way it’s explained in The Flash is how it actually works; when you change the course of history you just create and entirely new timeline, so if you go back and kill your grandfather there will be a timeline where you no longer exist and a timeline where you never existed in the first place. Then again, if you cease to exist in both scenarios then maybe it’s not such a good theory

Forgive me for talking about the radio show over the film, but I listened to the broadcast in another class and it was really interesting to hear especially knowing the public reaction that followed. There were 3 disclaimers throughout the broadcast, but many people still thought the story was real news rather than a radio drama. I learned that it drew from the broadcast of the Hindenburg disaster as well as broadcasts from journalist Edward Murrow who, for example, reported live air raid drills in London. It was really convincing and had a great sound design, and it wasn’t what I expected from my first radio drama.

The broadcast by Orson Welles is definitely interesting to listen to, especially knowing how much havoc it caused at the time. It’s crazy to think that people would have believed it was real news, but at the same time, a mass media device hadn’t been used in such a way before. I actually think that we might have a harder time convincing people that we were being invaded by martians today because of how skeptical people are when it comes to things such as ufo sightings. I remember seeing the version of War of the Worlds that has Tom Cruise in it and not really liking it, but the 1953 version of the movie was better. The Orson Welles broadcast is the best version of the story in my opinion though.

All I can say about this movie is that we are not that far to become a reality. We’ve seen most of the science fiction become a reality, so I can expect to see this movie become a reality very soon.

Something to reflect in this movie, it’s the importance of media in our lives and how this tool can be used as a destructive weapon of our society in a way.

This film had a strong religious theme throughout and it was not afraid to show that. I watched the remake with Cruise as well, a while back, and from that movie I remembered two scenes, one where he is hiding in the basement from the alien (exact copy of the original scene in the house) and the scene where the aliens have landed and where the battle between the military and aliens take place, similar to that of this original version of the film. I noticed a lot of similarities and this film definitely used religion throughout its entirety. And who would have thought that it would be something so simple yet complex, and so small like bacteria that would save humankind. I like how it is said that God had created this for Earth, protecting humanity. Because he knew of his other creations and this was his way of being sure that peace would be protected and his creations protected from each other? Very good movie.

I accidentally watched the documentary on Netflix that discussed the Orson Wells’ play but I have to say I feel so bad for the people who believed these events were real. Wells used the heightened fear of the public of the time to his benefit and I think he enjoyed the reaction that followed. Taking into context of that time period, civilians did not know much to anything about aliens, so in their mind it was an attack by something/someone that they couldn’t comprehend. I believe now due to internet access, we are more informed about the possibilities of aliens, and while I think there would be some panic, our reaction would be different than the one experienced in 1938.

I watched the Tom Cruise version of War of the Worlds when I was younger and it gave me nightmares for years. It could’ve just been that I was too young to watch it and I had an overactive imagination, but it could’ve also been that it was a pretty big spectacle with the alien machines and heat rays and people dying that scared me. I could only imagine how people reacted when they only heard it over the radio when it was first broadcasted. Their imaginations were probably as overactive as mine was. I agree with Stephanie that there was definitely a strong religious theme throughout the film (the 1953 version, not Tom Cruise.) It contained the idea that God has created all these creatures and he knows what each are capable of, so he knew how to protect them. The aliens died because they couldn’t handle the bacteria that humans have become immune to. It shows that like God has a plan for everything.

H.G. Wells sounds like he was a really cool guy, not only for his incredible contributions to science fiction but also for his diabetes advocacy (!) and views on racial equality and more.
I find it interesting that with the rise of atomic weapons, mankind figured that they could destroy the world and that God no longer had the monopoly on that. Even though the U.S. had a strong religious front, was that just for show? Yes, there was religious freedom and the U.S. was big on loving and believing in God, but wouldn’t there have been a lot of atheists at this time (or people who were more open to calling themselves atheists)? After all, this time period follows two world wars and is now undergoing constant threats of nuclear destruction. The U.S. belief in God was strong but I imagine that there were cracks in that belief, not that the U.S. would let anyone see those cracks and undermine them.

if we can just imagine in this 21st century, all of hours smart phones, internet, radio everything goes out and just a total blackout of our media system and technologies what would really happen if this movie actually becomes a reality someday. Just not like this movie, what if we are not alone after all and aliens from other world does come to extinct humanity.

Everything is better when it comes through the filter of Orson Welles, let’s be honest, also I’d like to take a moment to really appreciate the genius of this man and he can speak a story and make it better than someone can film it

The song I.G.Y seems to be aptly titled judging by the sound of its lyrics. The song sounds fairly optimistic about the future with the chorus being, “What a beautiful world this will be.” I think it’s interesting that Donald Fagen would write a song like this, talking about advancements in technology such as “rails under the sea” and the time it’ll take to get from place to place.

It’s awesome how this song I.G.Y is talking about the world and the time. all the technologies were shown in the video, i guess it was a very glories time be in it. In 2:13 where it shown the spinning thing i don’t know if it’s suppose to represent a space ship but i think it does. It does kind of remind of Interstellars spinning space ship.

So I.G.Y is a polar opposite song in sound and message (at least on the surface) of Zager and Evans In the Year 2525, both are good but one is more subtle while the other is down right depressing

Pink floyd, one of my favorite bands. On a tiring night when no other music bands that can really fulfill the desire to what i want to hear. Floyd’s music is so powerful that it can influence and inspire anybody. My favorite song from pink floyd is “Marooned”. To me i don’t think you can listen to floyd all the time. Theres certain time when you listen to floyd, it makes you think of so many things and so many thoughts that comes to mind its crazy. To me Pink floyds music is very appreciative.

It’s pretty interesting that Pink Floyd wouldn’t have liked the term “Space Rock” when it so accurately describes their overall style as a band. If they didn’t want to be referred to as such, maybe they should’ve picked a different album title than The Dark Side of the Moon.

Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun reminds me so much of Greek music in the beginning, then it gets into this futuristic vibe at around the 5 minute mark. Really interesting how they don’t identify as Space Rock, since that is what I would classify these songs as.

Nick Masons drumming is spot on if you want a spaceship crashing in the middle of your space rock song, just so energetic and raw

So far this is my favorite movie of the semester. One because it’s a movie that challenges the human imagination, the ability to think beyond the impossible or at least for us as of now. What I love the most about the movie is the message of the movie, it sends a clear message to work together as a society in order to survive in this planet, if not we will have to start looking for other places to live.

This was my first time watching any sort of Star Trek film (or show) and I enjoyed it very much. Science fiction as it is, it had a great cast and a relatable storyline that I could hold onto. It was very sad, however, watching the late Anton Yelchin, who died a senseless death at such a young age. It was especially sad in the final scene when the camera cuts to Yelchin when Captain Kirk says “to absent friends.”
I agree with Antonio regarding the movie’s message on unity and teamwork. There is strength in numbers and having a crew work together towards a common goal and the movie was pretty clear in that statement.
Space travel today doesn’t seem as exciting as it was in the 1950s and 1960s. People don’t make a big deal out of it anymore and it seems like our appetite for space exploration is waning. People do mention it in regard to how we are destroying earth and will eventually need to move to a new planet, but hopefully that does not come about any time soon. Maybe the next frontier will be the undiscovered deep sea?

Start trek was a good watch, first time watching Start trek and i like it. Like Antonio, I also like the overall message of the film, the message of having to create unity in a society to survive and overcome disasters. I also find interesting the other ideas the film explore, Ideas that might not be appealing to others such as having a gay man on screen or even three women, Commando Paris, Uhura and Jaylah, who play major roles and are portrayed as important smart figures. I also find it interesting how the use of the radio and music was used as a distraction to help defeat the evil.

Unity is not your strength .. it is your weakness. – Krall
This quote spoke out to me while watching this film. Despite the difference with the crew on the ship, they’ve managed to work together as a team to get back home after the disastrous fight in outer space. They’ve proved to Krall how invalid his statement really was. Another example of togetherness in the film was the scene where Jaylah battles Manas. Manas continually provokes Jaylah as he says that Kirk and his crew will leave her there and she will die just like her father did. Lo and behold Captain Kirk made sure to not leave any one behind even if Jaylah was not not apart of his original crew. “Star Trek:Beyond” was a really good film. This is the first Star Trek film I’ve watched.

Shira – I think that space exploration isn’t a big deal today because its like a been there done that. There is not much to want to inquire if we’ve already had astronauts in outer space. Remember our thoughts about astronauts are men/women risking their lives for the sake on visiting the moon not for other mysteries of the unknown in outer space. If more people cared about science/physics/and philosophy then maybe scientific exploration would be our future. We only care about technically enhancements and yes we need science for it but out first thoughts are never about outer space or beyond that.

This was also my first time watching anything Star Trek related and it was a much better movie than I thought it was going to be. The major theme of the film is that unity is possible, no matter the differences between people, evident by the diversity of the crewmembers in Star Trek. I think that the message the film sends is important in our society today; with public displays of hate happening throughout the country, it’s important to try and stay united. In regards to space travel, I agree that the popular attitude seems to be kind of “been there, done that,” but I think with things such as the launch of SpaceX happening people’s attitudes will start to change.

After watching 2001 and Interstellar, Star Trek: Beyond was a nice break from the intense hard science fiction films. I think its a more “playful” approach to the genre, even though is tackles serious issues.
What I find most interesting about the Star Trek films is that there are no astronauts, as opposed to other common sci-fi films. Originally, I didn’t see this franchise as anything other than just a random creation of different beings made for the sole purpose to sell a story. I enjoyed the fact that there is a deeper meaning in these films that relate to our society.

Star Trek was definitely one of my favorite films that we’ve watched so far this semester. I thought it was an easy watch, perhaps because it is a more recent film. The messages within the film are really interesting. I also agree with Antonio when he says that it sends a clear message to work together in order to survive. That is the biggest message I took away from the film. No matter how hard others try to keep us divided and separated based on cultural, social or racial differences, we have to stay united. We’re stronger in unity than we are divided. I also agree with Shira, space travel has definitely lost its hype. It was so new and different and exciting in the 60s because we were exploring the unknown. The movie in a way tries to show its audience that there’s so much in space to be discovered and there’s so much to learn from what’s out there.

I loved this film being kind of a Trekkie, having grown up on The Next Generation and all. What I always loved about the show and movies is that even though there are many different cultures and nations, we can all come together to find a solution to the problem.

First time watching a Star Trek film and I really enjoyed it. I think this along with invasion of the Body Snatchers are my top two films so far… But why does Krall resent the alliance? I viewed this completely different than the others, and yes he can come across as a terrorist kind of threat, but because when they discovered that it was a Starfleet officer from the USS Franklin, that crashed onto a foreign planet ages before and now resented the alliance and wanted to destroy them, I immediately thought of the military. With Krall’s physical transformation to a different life form and dehumanized way of thinking, I just couldn’t help but see how that resembled PTSD in a soldier after they return from combat in war. His resentment with the alliance, like the way that some veterans resent the military branch of govt with the way that they are treated after war, after they serve their time and are left with mental illness or physical damage. Now, I’ m in no way an expert in this subject, and do not mean to put the military in dark light, but this scene just reminded me of some stories on the news about this troubling subject and especially after the war in Iraq and how so many people were against it and even some soldiers that spoke about that and the way they are dealing. On a more positive note, I also do see the way that the times reflect what goes on in the movie such as women empowerment and the message of unity to overcome war. Also how there is more to be accomplished beyond the “final frontier”.

I have never seen a Start Trek film before this. The only thing close to seeing a Star Trek film was the parody done in the new Black Mirror series. Surprisingly, i really enjoyed Star Trek Beyond. I found the film kept me very intrigued and there was just enough action in my opinion. The special effects were great as well. I found it really interesting when reading about hard vs soft science fiction. I had never seen a soft sci fi film before. Normally i am very interested in hard science fiction films regarding space. Interstellar is one of my favorites and i found Star Trek to be very refreshing and easy to watch. I found the major theme of the film to be unity, as well as other classmates. Peace and unity are more powerful than anything else.

Star Trek really is one of my favorites. The futuristic sci fi
movie how it uses the space ship to jump form one part of the universe to other. what i find interesting of this movie how they work together. In reality i think in order to solve a big problem we all should work together for a greater purpose of humanity.

Many people think I’m crazy for never watching any Star Trek movies up to this point. I honestly wish I had given it a chance earlier. I really enjoyed this movie and the message of unity behind it. Out of all the films I have watched in this class I think I was the most entertained with Star Trek. I was really locked into the action of it.

I loved watching this movie. It was my first time watching a Star Trek film. I also agree, that this movie sent multiple messages. One I think would be that you have to believe in the unimaginable in order to continue to thrive. Like how the crew worked together to help one another. The second I think would be when working together as a unite you’ll be able to succeed and survive.

out of all the newest set of Star Trek films this one is the closest thing to Star Trek but for me it still misses the mark of great star trek episodes like city on the edge of forever (better use of time travel than ST09), space seed (better use of Khan than STID), and let that be your last battlefield (better use of a social message through a characters hatred than STB), it is just sad that they keep missing the mark but maybe Quentin Tarantino will hit the nail right on the head

Even though this movie did play on the fears of the Cold War, I thought it was more about betrayal and paranoia in the movie industry during the Cold War. I thought the movie was alluding more to McCarthyism as the movie takes place in LA and liberal Hollywood actors were blacklisted at the time. I also wondered if there were feuds or beef between writers during that time period because in the scene where Frank calls Miles to come to his house, Frank says “Will you forget that you’re a doctor…I don’t want you calling the police right away” and Miles answers “Quit acting like a writer, what’s going on?” From that, I figured there was a dig in there to writers, but do the writers stand for something else? And wouldn’t that line have been written by a screenwriter?
Random side note, but the pods reminded me of humongous cocoa bean shells, and the fact that they were being distributed to other parts of California to be planted there just affirmed my thought.

Cloning of the original source does not give the exact replica of the species.During the cloning process humans are dehumanize through deep somber; ultimately, causing humans to experience rebirth with memory lost, and become emotionless. Our emotions, cognitive thinking, and our five senses are all characteristics that allow us to be apart of society. The goal here is to live positively amongst each other in a free form world removed from troubles and worldly issues. However, we completely lose our identities and uniqueness. The once so colorful world is now daul because humans have are now one kind instead of one of a kind. For example, the scene taken place at the Bellicec spa bath with the newly created specimen as an adult fetus with no fingerprints. Our fingerprints are also part of our identity and to have millions of people without it confirms my thoughts of one kind. As far as the pods, they do not posed a threat unless you are asleep or until you are not one of them.

I had a lot of fun watching this film. I watched it a second time and there’s a lot of allusions to the “Human experience” throughout the film. Once I knew that was the theme, all the little things made a repeat viewing much more enjoyable. Becky and Miles are returning home from being gone a while, which makes them outsiders. Miles destroyed the premature replica of himself, maybe that bought him time. Knowing how the pod people emote, made me watch the people that I knew already changed closely, seeing that they were “emotionless” the whole time. Just a lot of cool elements that come full circle, thats good writing.

I liked the fact that the “invasion” was very subtle compared to other films where the aliens just show up in their giant ships and cause immediate hysteria. I also liked the idea of creating replicas rather than possessing someone, that was new to me. I caught on to the idea of anti-Communism quite easily since not only were the replicas behaving all the same, they were also essentially mindless, soulless, emotionless, and lacking all the good parts of humanity. Also the end of the 1978 remake got a good reaction out of me – they didn’t have to disintegrate her like that!

I was surprised by how much I liked the film. I expected it to be long and drawn out, but it really kept my interest the whole time. i believe this is because it plays out as a mystery film as much as it does a sci-fi film. One theme I found to constantly resonate was the division between community and individualism. The film portrays a weird paradox in which the main characters seem to preach the importance of human flaws and indiviualism that characterize a being as a human as opposed to the “perfect” yet emotionless pod people. However, the importance of community is also being portrayed by these same characters in that they beg for other towns people to side with them in taking on the epidemic that is the pod infestation. Without the backing of the community, the hope of preserving the ability for someone to act as an individual is lost.

I also thought that The Invasion of the Body Snatchers alluded to the paranoia that had swept over the country, as well as the spread of McCarthyism at the time. With the outbreak of the Cold War and the spread of Communism, I’m sure that many people at the time probably felt the same sense of paranoia that Miles felt throughout the film. The point about conformity is also very interesting, and I can see where that reading comes from as well. The 1950’s were the premier time for the nuclear family, and those who decided not to conform to this trend were often viewed negatively. I think that both themes are present within the film and that The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, as well as The Day The Earth Stood Still, are both well suited for a present day audience.

In comparison to The Day The Earth Stood Still, Invasion of the Body Snatchers was, to me, a much more enjoyable film to watch. The fear of conformity and idea of where people become different versions of the same self was prominent in the film, further showcasing how society in the 50s must have felt. It is a clear reaction to Communism, as the characters are forcibly made to be a collective being leading to the destruction of individualism. It’s interesting how a film made so long ago can still be so relevant in today’s age.

The theme of conformity to communism in this film jumped out at me instantly. Reading more on it gave me more of a background on exactly what was going on in this time period and the film illustrates just that. The people in the movie are not able to help being changed into pod people, I think this was done on purpose to show the connection to the 50s. Out of all the films I watched in this class this one is my favorite so far. I feel it brought the best entertainment as well as thrill.

Like Francis I really enjoyed watching this film. I actually watched the 1978 version first, mistakenly, and then watched the 1956 version and I have to say that I got more chills watching the later version. The last scene of the (78 version) where Nancy finds Matthew and she calls out to him thinking that he was still human, but then he turns slowly, looks at her, and then lets out that alien scream while pointing at her and his eyes panicked still gives me CHILLS! This later version gives no hope to saving humanity as we can safely assume that all mankind is now alien while the original version, gives hope to the salvation of humanity as the main character finds humans and they alert the FBI/government. Comparing both films, the original is more slow paced while the remake is more fast paced, more chilling and the music goes well with the parts in where they are used. Another difference is how the original takes place in the daytime while the remake takes place at nighttime, making it to me at least, much more creepy. Resemblances in both films are the themes of love, romance and fighting to stay true to yourself, not losing yourself, not conforming, like the others have mentioned above too. Also, why do all of these sci-fi films, take place in California?!

Wait what about the best two of the four invasion of the body snatchers films, Body snatchers 1993 and the invasion 2007, obviously these are the films that we should have been talking about this whole time

I remember last Spring semester when we watched “Starman” in your MEDST201W class. I’ve listened to David Bowie music before but “Starman” was very beautiful to me and it was in my head the whole weekend following your class.
I saw that HBO has a documentary out now called “David Bowie: The Last Five years” which would be of interest to you.

Every time I’m driving, I put on my favorite radio station which is Q104.3 NewYork’s classic rock station. When David
Bowie’s song comes on it really puts me on a different state of mind. Specially the song “Space Oddity” makes me think
of Astronauts for some reason. The lyrics of this song also reminds me the recent movie Gravity.

David Bowie will always be a legend in the music world. I find it interesting that most of his music has to do with science fiction, the future itself or a futuristic place or world a feeling within himself. When I listen to his songs and hear his voice I can’t help but get in a great mood and sing along.

What I think elevated David Bowie into a league of his own, besides his music, is how he expressed himself through clothing & makeup and the bending of gender identity. It’s interesting how he relates his music to a lot space themes, as he represented himself as something not from this world.

I echo Anna’s comment, more than just music David Bowie was able to be one of the pioneers in the bending of gender identity, especially in such a hard industry where a good image it’s essential to survive.

i like David Bowie music and what he stands for, his individualism and against social prejudices refusing to conform to social constructions. i also admired how different he was from other artist in the gleam rock world. Bowie was so great that he was able to attracted audience in cultures that differ from Britain such as America.

I’m not really a fan of his music, but I do like that he stood up for wanting black music artists on MTV. I definitely know Under Pressure which he did with Queen, not a fan of the song either.

I’m not a huge fan of Bowie’s music either, but I definitely admire the person he was and what he stood for. David Bowie was someone who clearly did his own thing, and I think there’s a lot to be said for that. I agree that it’s really interesting that he showed such as fascination with different aspects of science fiction and space.

It’s amazing how he could get across so much of what he was trying to say about gender and sexuality by using sci-fi and being an alien as a way to cover the real questions he was asking about his place in society