Dystopian & Utopian Films - General Discussion

Dystopia:is a vision of an often futuristic society, which has developed into a negative version of Utopia. A dystopia is often characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian form of government. It often features different kinds of repressive social control systems, a lack or total absence of individual freedoms and expressions and a state of constant warfare or violence.

We all know what a Utopia is, don't know of any films about them.

This is just a list I stole from wiki as a reference. There is prolly more...

* Aachi & Ssipak (2006)
* Æon Flux (2005)
* Akira (1988)
* Babylon A.D. (2008)
* Battle Royale (2000)
* Blade Runner (1982)
* Brazil (1985)
* Children of Men (2006)
* Class of 1999 (1990)
* Code 46 (2003)
* Deathrace 2000 (1975) and its remake Death Race (2008)
* Demolition Man (1993)
* District 9 (2009)
* District 13 (2004) and its sequel District B13 Ultimatum (2009)
* Doomsday (2008)
* The End of Evangelion (1997)
* Escape from New York (1981) and its sequel Escape from L.A. (1996)
* Equilibrium (2002)
* Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
* FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions (2004)
* Gattaca (1997)
* The Gladiators (1969)
* The Handmaid's Tale (1990)
* Harrison Bergeron (1995)
* Idiocracy (2006)
* The Island (2005)
* Judge Dredd (1995), based on the comic of the same name
* Land of the Blind (2006)
* Logan's Run (1976)
* The Matrix (series) (1999-2003)
* Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (1999)
* Metropolis by Fritz Lang (1927)
* Minority Report (2002), based on the Philip K. Dick short story "Minority Report"
* Nineteen Eighty-Four
* The Omega Man (1971)
* Punishment Park (1971)
* Revengers Tragedy (2003)
* The Running Man (1987)
* A Scanner Darkly (2006)
* Screamers (1995)
* Serenity (2005)
* Sleeper (1973)
* Sleeping Dogs (1977)
* Soldier (1998)
* Southland Tales (2007)
* Soylent Green (1973)
* Strange Days (1995)
* THX 1138 (1971)
* The Trial (1962)
* Turkey Shoot (1982)
* V for Vendetta (2006)
* Z.P.G. (1972)
* Wolf's Rain (2003)
* Battlefield Earth
* The Chronicles of Riddick
* Dark City
* Fantastic Planet
* They Live
* Alien series
* The Final Cut
* Fortress
* Hardware
* I, Robot
* The Island
* Johnny Mnemonic
* Metropia
* Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future
* One Point O
* Parts: The Clonus Horror
* Prayer of the Rollerboys
* Repo! The Genetic Opera
* Resident Evil and its sequels Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Resident Evil: Extinction
* RoboCop and its sequels RoboCop 2 and RoboCop 3
* Rollerball (1975) and its remake Rollerball (2002)
* Soylent Green
* Super Mario Bros.
* Tank Girl
* Total Recall and its television sequel Total Recall 2070
* WALL-E
* The Surrogates
* Daybreakers
* 9 (2009 film) (2009)
* 12 Monkeys (1995)
* 20 Years After (2008)
* 2019, After the Fall of New York (1983)
* 28 Days Later (2002)
* 28 Weeks Later (2007)
* The Bed-Sitting Room (1969)
* A Boy and His Dog (1969)
* Blindness (2008)
* The Blood of Heroes (1989)
* The Book of Eli (2010)
* Casshern (2004)
* Cherry 2000 (1987)
* Children of Men (2006)
* Cyborg (1989)
* Def-Con 4 (1985)
* Five (1995)
* Genesis II (1951)
* Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)
* I Am Legend (2007)
* Le Dernier Combat (1983)
* Logan's Run (1976)
* The Last Man on Earth (1964)
* The Noah (1975)
* Mad Max (1979) and its sequels The Road Warrior (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
* On The Beach (1959) and its remake On the Beach (2000)
* Origin: Spirits of the Past (Anime) (2006)
* Panic in Year Zero! (1962)
* Parasite (1982)
* Planet Earth (1974)
* The Postman (1997)
* The Quiet Earth (1985)
* Quintet (1979)
* Robot Holocaust (1986)
* The Road (2009)
* Rock & Rule (1983)
* Six-String Samurai (1998)
* Tank Girl (1995)
* Terminator: Salvation (2009)
* Testament (1983)
* Threads (1984 film) (1984)
* Time of the Wolf (2003)
* The Ultimate Warrior (1975)
* Ultraviolet (2006)
* Ultra Warrior (1990)
* WALL-E (2008)
* Waterworld (1995)
* Zardoz (1974)

I've seen a number of these movies... And they often contain quite a bit of subliminal-content, not to mention the reflections on human society as we know it today. You could almost say they are the culture-jammers of the film world.

I wanted this to be a open discussion thread about any and all of these movies and the content within. Or the genre in general.

If you wanted to be polite you could add a *SPOILER WARNING* above anything specific.

Otherwise pick a film and start talking. I will tomz, in about 5 mins I'm going to watch the news.

~PeAcE!!



[size=-3]MODS: If a thread about the new series of V can be here, so can this - please have a second thought before moving this, that is if you must. Much respect ~peace!!




[edit on 21/4/10 by ghostsoldier]

Great, I love film threads - nice selection of movies you've got there, some I'll be sure to check out.

I recently got Franklyn, although not got round to watching it yet - but the trailer looked good.



...and I can't believe you forgot Planet Of The Apes.

I have some more titles from my own collection.

Animal Farm. 1954/1999)
Silent Running (1972)
Colossus, The Forbin Project. (1970)
The Trial. (1962)
Things to come (1936)
Ghost in the Shell 1 and 2 (anime)
Jin-Roh The Wolf Brigade (anime)

I recently watched Southland Tales, it's a strange movie but the core of the story is quite right, there are people working on the destruction of our planet.



[edit on 21-4-2010 by Grey Magic]

Originally posted by ghostsoldier
I've seen a number of these movies... And they often contain quite a bit of subliminal-content, not to mention the reflections on human society as we know it today. You could almost say they are the culture-jammers of the film world.

That's where you lost me. I'll grant you that most if not all are social commentary on the times when they were made, but I defy you to find ONE ACTUAL, VERIFIABLE, UNDENIABLE use of subliminal-content intentionally put in any one of the films you listed. And don't waste your time making a list of YouTube videos like Revolution-2012 always does. It doesn't help your case. People can see anything they want to see, if they look hard enough. Doesn't mean it was put in the movie with direct intent to mean what you think it means.

A great one, that isn't too well know (maybe) - Ghosts of the Civil Dead. Written by Nick Cave and directed by Jonathon Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road), an amazing gem of Australian independant cinema.

www.imdb.com...



Can't remember, I'm sure someone has, but Mad Max?

Originally posted by JoshNorton

Originally posted by ghostsoldier
[...]subliminal-content[...]

That's where you lost me. I'll grant you that most if not all are social commentary on the times when they were made, but I defy you to find ONE ACTUAL, VERIFIABLE, UNDENIABLE use of subliminal-content intentionally put in any one of the films you listed. And don't waste your time making a list of YouTube videos like Revolution-2012 always does. It doesn't help your case. People can see anything they want to see, if they look hard enough. Doesn't mean it was put in the movie with direct intent to mean what you think it means.

sub·lim·i·nal:adj.
1. Below the threshold of conscious perception. Used of stimuli.
2. Inadequate to produce conscious awareness but able to evoke a response.

Perhaps my use of the word was different than what you have concluded my intention was (then again maybe not?), in that what I was trying to say is that there are meanings under what a majority of film viewers might just dismiss as a half-decent sci-fi movie. Perhaps I misused the term, just because I thought it sounded cool. My apologies.

Now,
As for the latest Dystopian film I saw, on the suggestion of Heligs post about the US plans to limit salt in foods, Demolition Man:

*POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT*
Where a cop accidentally is held responsible for people dying and is sentenced to a cryo-prison, and wakes up in a future where everything bad is banned, and therefor illegal. A crim escapes and he is brought to back to life to bring him to justice.



It was pretty good, the funniest part is when Sly is talking about Schwarzenegger being president.
[/**]

But basically it was one of those generic(in a good way) action films over a dystopian future overlay.

The other one I saw recently was Wall-E, saw it for the first time, and didn't realise how cool that movie was, and the message it carried.

My favourite dystopian film that I've seen so far, is still (predictably of course).................. Dun Dun Duhhh!!.................. The Matrix.

You can't front on it. 2 & 3 were garbage. The Animatrix was awesome too. But The Matrix is awesome on so many different levels. And can be interpreted from so many different angles, (Japanese, Jewish, Christian, Marxist) Hell, even Maoists are joining in on the action.

"The Matrix" limited as a model for First World revolutionary strategy

Next one I'm looking to buy is Logans Run.

reply to post by jokei

Ghosts of the Civil Dead looks awesome - thank you for bringing to my attention! - My guess is it will be hard to find on DVD, but tomorrow I will see if I can watch it online - my DL limit is almost up this month .

Can't believe I missed Planet of the Apes either - then again I just copied it off wiki, so maybe someone who cares enough can add it and the others mentioned.

GhostsOfTheCivilDead.com for anyone interested.

wiki: Dystopian Films

reply to post by ghostsoldier


It's not too hard to find on Amazon UK - not sure about US and I'd imagine an Australian version really easy to get (although it would be Region 2).

I think... I saw it available to watch on youtube in parts, if you can put up with watching it that way.

If you've got a thing for CHEESY and I do mean CHEESY sci-fi/action then has anyone ever heard of Trancers? It's aged terribly, but I'm fond of it because I saw it as a little kid and watched it again recently... it's sort of so bad, it's good.



Ooh - how about the Orwellian nightmare of Starship Troopers?

reply to post by jokei

Starship Troopers was awesome, I think I might buy that tomz.

I'm just loading the 1927 original of Metropolis by Fritz Lang. Should be cool. Apparently it comes out on DVD later this year.



I've seen it referenced and clipped in so many indy-NWO films, that I have decided to watch it. Its a silent film with a classical score. Will give my thoughts after it.



Looks like there is an anime remake - might have to track that down too.

Metropolis was awesome for when it was made. Without doing to much research about its history, I will say that it must have been The Matrix of its day. Apparently a significant portion of the film has been lost - but I think the latest versions have recovered it.

*POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT*
Club of the Sons was interesting, in alot of films Sons and Suns are often the same, Illuminated. Eternal Gardens, Moloch and The Tower of Babel references all point in a direction as well.

I loved the message of the film:

The Head & Hands need a mediator, The Mediator must be the Heart

Rings true in all manifestations.
[/**]

Anyone else seen this film?

I was glad to see Children of Men on the list. It's one of my faves of the recent ones on the list. Actually it must of been so nice that they listed it twice. Silly Wiki.

I'd like to see the (?)Civil Dead movie... I've been a Nick Cave fan for a long time, but I had no idea he wrote a movie. No surprise its dystopian though, his music isn't looking on the sunny side of the street.

Neat idea for a thread.

reply to post by Chamberf=6


He also wrote The Proposition which is stunning, they're both pretty easy to get online.

Also, his books are stunning.

Sorry to go off topic.

Cool thread. I thought about starting one like it using my dystopian 'master list'.

A dystopia is a fictional society that is the opposite of utopia. It is characterized by opressive social control by an authoritarian or totalitarian government or corporation. Hollywood has examined dozens of dystopias from Metropolis to Children of Men. The view of the future is often bleak but always facinating.

Some Characteristics of a Dystopian Film:
*It takes place in the future. Sometimes only a few years but often centuries from now.
*Something happened to destroy life as we know it today. It could be a world war, a pandemic, or a cataclysmic environmental disaster.
*Human life is devalued or controlled completely. Deprivation, oppression and terror are used to control whatever humans remain. The birthrate is often controlled or suppressed.
*There is an evil force pulling the strings. It could be a totalitarian government, a multinational corporation, an alien race or robots.

Shades of Dystopia :
Five different kinds of dystopia films
*Governmental or Societal: the societies created claims to be utopian but are really dystopian because some segment of society is excluded from the utopian dream. Exclusion can be for many different reasons including genetics. Examples of governmental/societal dystopian films include 1984 and Aeon Flux.
*Cyberpunk/techno: uses elements from the hard boiled detective novel and fim noir. The evil force is at least partially technological. The alienated outsider's battle against a repressive system is a common theme. Examples of cyberpunk dystopia films include: Blade Runner and Strange Days.
*Post-apocalyptic: after a great disaster either man-made or natural. The world is dirty and run down. Very little still works. Humans scrounge for survival. Examples of post-apocalyptic dystopia films include: Mad Max and A Boy and His Dog
*Corporate based: control of the world has been taken over by a corporation. This corporation controls everything from food production to medical services and policing. Examples of corporate dystopia films include: Minority Report and RoboCop.
*Alien controlled: the world has been taken over by aliens. Usually humans don't realize it until someone stumbles on the truth. Examples of alien control dystopia films include: Dark City and They Live

Some dystopia films have elements from more than one category. Tank Girl and The Matrix Trilogy are good examples.
www.squidoo.com...

Cool dystopian fiction news site:
www.quietearth.us...

[Note: This list kind of cuts off around mid-2008, and doesn't include zombie apocalypse or alien dystopian films which would need their own seperate lists. I wish it were possible to have completely distinct seperate lists between dystopian and post-apocalyptic films, but too many are both, therefore these lists need to be side by side.]

Dystopian:
The 5th Element (1997)
The 6th Day (2000)
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Aachi & Ssipak (2006)
Absolute Aggression (1996)
Absolon (2003)
Æon Flux (2005)
Akira (1988)
Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Alien3 (1992)
Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Alphaville (1965)
Appurushîdo aka Appleseed (2004)
Armitage III (1994)
Armitage: Poly Matrix (1997)
Armitage: Duel Matrix (2002)
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
Automatons (2006)
Avalon (2001)
Avatar (2004)
Avatar (2009)
Barb Wire (1996)
Battle Angel (2009)
Battle Angel Alita (1993)
Battle Royale (2000)
Battle Royale II (2003)
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Beat the Blue (2001)
Blade Runner (1982)
Brave New World (1980)
Brave New World (1993)
Brave New World (1998)
Brave New World: Ravaged Planet (2009)
Brazil (1985)
Bunker Palace Hotel (1989)
Caly's Edge (2011)
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (1987)
Casshern (2004)
Chaos (2002)
Cherry 2000 (1987)
Children of Men (2006)
Chrysalis (2007)
Cigarette Girl (2009)
Circuitry Man (1990)
Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II (1994)
Cité des enfants perdus, La (1995)
The City of Lost Children (1995)
Cl.One (2005)
The Clonus Horror (1979)
Code 46 (2003)
Creation of The Humanoids (1962)
Crime Zone (1988)
Cyber Vengeance (1995)
Cyborg 2087 (1966)
Dark City (1998)
Daybreakers (2010)
Death Machine (1995)
Death Race (2008)
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Decima vittima, La (1965)
Delicatessen (1991)
D-I-M, Deus in Machina (2007
Demolition Man (1993)
District 9 (2009)
District 13 (2004)
District 13: Ultimatum (2009)
Dog Days (2000)
Doomsday (2008)
Encrypt (2003)
Enemy of the State (1998)
Equilibrium (2002)
Escape From New York (1981)
Escape From L.A. (1996)
Every Good Thing to Rust (2007)
Exaella (2010)
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
Fahrenheit 451 (2012)
Fantastic Planet (1973) aka "La planète sauvage"
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions (2004)
The Fifth Element (1997)Fdoom
Fight Club (1999)
The Final Cut (2004)
Fortress (1993)
Fortress 2 (1999)
Flying Virus (2001)
The Futurological Congress (2010)
Freejack (1992)
Game (2008)
Gamer (2009)
Gangland (2000)
Gattaca (1997)
The Gene Generation (2007)
The Gift [aka Small] (201?)
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988)
GUNHED / Ganheddo (1989)
Gusha no bindume (2004)
The Handmaid's Tale (1990)
Harrison Bergeron (1995)
Heartless (2010)
Heavy Metal (1981)
Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)
Hotel Rwanda (2007)
Humanity's End (2009)
Hyperion (2010)
I, Robot (2004)
I Am Omega (2007)
Idaho Transfer (1973)
Idiocracy (2006)
Immortel (ad vitam) (2004)
Impostor (2002)
The Invasion (2007)
Inception (2010)
The Iron Heel of Oligarchy (1998)
The Island (2005)
La Jetée (1962)
Jackpot 2 (1982)
Johnny 2.0 (1998)
Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
Judge Dredd (1995)
Killdroid (2009?)
Kin-Dza-Dza (1986)
Land of the Blind (2006)
The Last Chase (1981)
The Last Sentinel (2007)
Lathe of Heaven (2002)
Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)
Let's Visit the World of the Future (1973)
Logan’s Run (1976)
Lost: Black Earth (2004)
The Lucifer Complex (1978)
Lucky Day Forever (201?) [short?]
Lunarcop (1994)
Max Headroom (1985)
The Memory Stealers (2007)
Metropolis (1927)
Metropolis (2001)
Metropia (2009)
Minority Report (2002)
Music of the Spheres (1984)
The Mutant Chronicles (2008)
Natural City (2003)
Neuromancer (2009)
New Crime City (1994)
1984 (1956)
Nineteen Eighty Four (1965)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
No Escape (1994)
No Such Thing As Gravity (1989)
Numb (2003)
One Point O (2004)
Omega Doom (1997)
Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
Pleasantville (1998)
The Possibility of an Island (2008)
Project London (201?)
Punishment Park (1971)
Puzzlehead (2005)
Quarantine (1989)
Press Play (2006)
Rebel Storm (1989)
Red Dawn (1984)
Red Dawn (2009?)
Renaissance (2006)
Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
Repo Men (2009)
The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin (1981)
Riverworld (2003)
RoboCop (1987)
RoboCop 2 (1990)
RoboCop 3 (1993)
Rollerball (1975)
Rollerball (2002)
The Running Man (1987)
Scanners (1981)
Screamers (1995)
Serenity (2005)
Shank (2010)
Shredder Orpheus (1990)
The Siege (1998)
The Signal (2007)
Sleeper (1973)
Sleeping Dogs (1977)
Solarbabies (1986)
Soldier (1998)
Southland Tales (2006)
Soylent Green (1973)
SS humanity (2010)
Stalker (1979)
The Stand (1994)
Starship Troopers (1997)
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004)
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008)
Steel Frontier (1995)
The Stepford Wives (1975)
The Stepford Wives (2004)
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
The Surrogates (2009)
Syngenor (1990)
TC 2000 (1993)
Tekken (2010)
Things to Come (1936)
The Running Man (1987)
Terminus (1987)
Tetsuo - The Iron Man (1989)
Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992)
Tetsuo: The Bulletman (2009)
The Trial (1962)
The Truman Show (1998)
They Live (1988)
THX 1138 (1971)
Total Recall (1990)
Total Recall 2070 [series] (1999)
Traumstadt (1973)
The Trial (1962)
TRON (1982)
Turkey Shoot (1982)
UFC: Toronto Cybercide (2006)
Ultraviolet (2006)
V for Vendetta (2005)
Warrior of the Lost World (1983)
Wedlock (1991)
Welcome II the Terrordome (1995)
Wings of Desire (1987)
Wired to Kill (1986)
Xscape (2000)
Year Zero (2009?)
Z.P.G. (1972)
The Zero Years (2005)


[edit on 29-4-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

Apocalyptic / Post-Apocalyptic:
16th Street (2008)
2019: After the Fall of New York (1983)
2020: Texas Gladiators (1982)
2027 Le Départ (2008)
9 (2009)
After the Apocalypse (2004)
The Aftermath (1982)
A Boy and His Dog (1975)
A Boy and His Dog (2012)
A Loss of Hope (2008)
All Creatures Great and Small (2009)
Amazon Warrior (1998)
Ambassadors Day (2006)
America 3000 (1986)
American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1993)
Android Apocalypse (2006)
The Animatrix (2003)
A.P.E.X. (1994)
Apocalyptic Adventure on the Eastern Frontier (2000)
Apocalypse and the Beauty Queen (2005)
Ark (1970)
Ark II (1976)
Badlands 2005 (1988)
BattleQueen 2020 (2001)
Battletruck (1982)
The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell (2006)
The Bed Sitting Room (1969)
Ben David: Broken Sky (2007)
Black Moon (1975)
Black Sky (2011)
Bleak Future (1997)
Blindness (2008)
The Blood of Heroes (1989)
Blood of the Beast (2003)
Bloodfist 2050 (2005)
The Book of Eli (2009)
Café Flesh (1982)
Chosen Survivors (1974)
City Limits (1985)
City of Ember (2008)
City of Rott (2006)
Clash of the Warlords (1985)
Cold Harvest (1999)
Connected (2010)
Contention (2006)
Creepozoids (1987)
Crossed (2012)
Cumulus 9 (1992)
Cyborg (1989)
Cyborg 2 (1993)
Cyborg 3: The Recycler (1994)
Damnation Alley (1977)
Dance of the Dead (2005)
The Day After (1983)
Day the World Ended (1955)
Deadland (2008)
Deadly Reactor (1989)
Deathlands (2003)
Deathsport (1978)
Def-con 4 (1985)
Desert Warrior (1988)
Ditching (2010)
Doom Hunters (1997)
Double Dragon (1994)
Dust (2009)
Dystopia: 2013 (2010)
Le Dernier Combat (1983)
Le Dernier Homme (1970)
Double Dragon (1994)
Dragon head (2003)
Dream Warrior (2003)
Dune Warriors (1990)
Eater of the Sun (2010) [short]
El Eternauta (201?)
El Sol (2010)
Empire of Ash (1988)
Empire of Ash III (1989)
Empty World (2010)
The End of August at the Hotel Ozone (1967)
End of Civilization (1985)
End of Evengelian (1997)
End of the World aka La Fin Du Monde (1931)
Endgame - Bronx lotta finale (1983)
Eternauta, El (2010)
Equalizer 2000 (1986)
Ever Since the World Ended (2001)
Exhibit Earth (2007)
Exhumed (2003)
Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983)
Ezra Crane (2008)
Fando & Lis (1968)
Fist of the North Star (1986)
Five (1951)
Five (1995)
Flash Future Kung Fu (1982)
The Forever War (2011)
Freedom Deep (1998)
Freedom State (2006)
Fuga dal Bronx (1983)
Future Hunters (1986)
Gene Generation (2007)
Gene Generations: Bloodlines (2010)
Genesis II (1973)
The Genetic Opera [Short] (2006)
The Genetic Opera (2008)
Glen and Randa (1971)
Goodbye, 20th Century (1998)
Gone (2002)
Hard Knuckle (1987)
Hardware (1990)
Hell Comes to Frogtown (1987)
Hell Comes to Frogtown II (1993)
Hell Comes to Frogtown III (1996)
Max Hell Comes to Frogtown (2002)
Highlander: The Search for Vengeance (2007)
Hobo With A Shotgun (2011)
Human Animals (1983)
Hunting Grounds (2008)
I Am Legend (2007)
Idaho Transfer (1973)
In the Aftermath (1988)
In the Year 2889 (1967)
Interzone (1987)
Kampfansage - The Last Apprentice (2005)
Klinikassistenten (1997)
Knights (1993)
Land of Doom (1986)
Laughing Dead (1998)
The Last Man (2007)
The Last Man in Brooklyn (2006)
The Last Man on Earth (1924)
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
Last Men on Earth (2004)
The Last Patrol (2000)
Last Woman on Earth (1960)
Letters from a Dead Man (1986)
Mad Max (1979)
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Mad Max 4 (2009?)
Malevil (1981)
The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Memoirs of a Survivor (1981)
The Men Who Fell (2007)
Mindwarp (1990)
Mutation - Annihilation (2007)
Neon City (1992)
Nemesis (1993)
Nemesis 2: Nebula (1995)
Nemesis III: Prey Harder (1996)
Nemesis 4: Death Angel (1997)
The New Barbarians (1982)
The New Gladiators (1988)
Night of the Comet (1984)
No Blade of Grass (1970)
The Noah (1975)
The Nuke Brothers (2005)
Omega Cop (1990)
Omega Cop 2 / Karate Cop (1991)
The Omega Man (1971)
On the Beach (1959)
On the Beach (2000)
Origin: Spirits of the Past (2006)
Outside (2004)
Panic in Year Zero! (1962)
Parasite (1982)
Paycheck (2003)
Phoenix the Warrior (1988)
Planet Earth (TV pilot) (1974)
The Postman (1997)
Power Corps. (2004)
Post Impact (2004)
Prayer of the Rollerboys (1991)
Prix du danger, Le (1983)
Prototype (1992)
The Quiet Earth (1985)
Quintet (1977)
Rabbia - Fuoco incrociato (1984)
Radioactive Dreams (1985)
Raiders of the Damned (2005)
Raiders of the Sun (1992)
Rats - Notte di terrore (1984)
Ravagers (1979)
Red Sky (2007)
Reign of Fire (2002)
Return of the Swallows (1948)
Revengers Tragedy (2002)
Right At Your Door (2006)
The Road (2008)
Road Raiders (2008)
Robot Holocaust (1986)
Rock & Rule (1983)
Roller Blade Warriors: Taken by Force (1989)
Rush (1983)
Salvation (2002)
Scars of Youth (2008)
Seksmisja aka Sexmission (1984)
She (1982)
Shepherd aka Cybercity (1999)
Shepherd II aka Cybermaster (1999)
The Silent City (2006)
Silent Running (1972)
Six-String Samurai (1998)
Slipstream (1989)
Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em (1988)
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)
The Stand (1994)
Steel Dawn (1987)
Steel Frontier (1995)
Strange New World (1975)
Storm in an Hourglass (2010)
Stryker (1983)
Superstarlet A.D. (2000)
Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)
Survival Zone (1983)
Survivor (1987)
Survivors [BBC mini-series] (1975)
Survivors [BBC mini-series] (2008-2009)
Tank Girl (1995)
Teenage Cave Man (1958)
Terminal Virus (1995)
Testament (1983)
The Terminator (1984)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Terminator 4 (2009)
Testament (1983)
Threads (1984)
The Time Machine (2002)
Time of the Wolf (2003)
The Time Travelers (1964)
Tooth and Nail (2007)
Tracker (2010) [short]
Tundra (2011)
Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Twilight of the Dogs (1995)
Tyrannosaurus Rex (2009)
The Ultimate Warrior (1975)
Último deseo (1976)
Ultimo guerriero, L' (1984)
Ultra Warrior (1990)
Urban Warriors (1987)
Vector (2010)
Vendetta dal futuro (1986)
Virtual Nightmare (2000)
Virus AKA Fukkatsu No Hi (1980)
WALL-E (2008)
The War Game (1965)
Warlords (1988)
Warlords of the 21st Century (1982)
Warriors of the Apocalypse (1985)
Warriors of the Wasteland (1982)
Waterworld (1995)
Wheels of Fire (1985)
Where Have All the People Gone (1974)
White Wall (2010)
Wizards (1977)
Wolf's Rain (2003) [series]
Wonderful Days (2003)
World Gone Wild (1988)
The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959)
World Without End (1956)
Wynter Dark (2009?)
Zardoz (1974)
Zordax II (2006)
Zoo (2005)
Z.P.G. (1972)




Apocalyptic / Cyberpunk / Other:
These are apocalyptic and/or more loosely associated forms of 'dystopia'. This list is in no way definitive for what it is. Mainly stuff that often came up in various listings, but didn't really seem like it fit above.

20 Minutes into the Future (1985)
2012 (2009)
2012 Doomsday (2008)
28 Days Later (2002)
28 Weeks Later (2007)
964 Pinocchio (1991)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Archangel Alpha (2008)
Apocalypse (1998)
Apocalypse II: Revelation (1999)
Apocalypse III: Tribulation (2000)
Apocalypse IV: Judgment (2001)
Armageddon (1998)
Atomic War Bride (1960)
Babylon A.D. (2008)
Before the Fall (2008)
Black Moon (1975)
Calico (2005)
Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
The Cosmonaut (2010)
Countdown: Jerusalem (2009)
The Crazies (2010)
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Dear Beautiful [Short] (2007)
Dear Beautiful (2009?)
Deep Impact (1998)
Doctor Infierno (2007)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Doomsday (2008)
End of the World (1977)
Enter the Void (2009)
Fail-Safe (1964)
Futureworld (1976)
Gears of War (2009)
The Happening (2008)
The Heart of the World (2000)
Hunting Grounds (2008)
Independence Day (1996)
Infected Island (2009)
Inhabited Island(2008)
Iron Sky Signal (2009?)
Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse (2010)
Jubilee (1977)
Judgment (2001)
Knowing (2009?)
The Langoliers (1995)
Last Night (1998)
The Late Great Planet Earth (1979)
The Lawnmower Man (1992)
Left Behind (2000)
Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002)
Left Behind: World at War (2005)
Lord of the Flies (1963)
Lord of the Flies (1990)
Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (2001)
Meltdown: Days of Destruction (2006)
Miracle Mile (1988)
The Moment After (1999)
M.N.P. (2012)
Nirvana (1997)
Oblivion Road (2009?)
Ozark Savage (1999)
Pandorum (2009)
The Planet of the Apes series:
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Playmate of the Apes (2002)
Predators (2010)
Pulse (2006)
Pulse 2: Afterlife
The Rapture (1991)
Revelation (1999)
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Strange Days (1995)
Shelter (2008)
Shijie (2004)
Six: The Mark Unleashed (2004)
Space Battleship Yamoto (2010)
Strays (2010)
This Is Not a Test (1962)
Tribulation (2000)
Unknown World (1951)
The Vanguard (2008)
Vanished (1998)
Videodrome (1983)
The Village (????)
War Games
Wargames: The Dead Code (2008)
War of the Satellites (1958)
Watchmen (2009)
Westworld (1973)
Westworld (2009)
X-Men (2000)
X2 (2003)
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Zombie Allegiance (2008)

[edit on 29-4-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

Alright I'm comparing the lists and updating mine. I've found some newer and even some older ones not in my lists

Hadn't heard of The Clonus Horror (1979), but now I know where they got the idea for The Island (2005), which is a great film. In The Island the people are told there's been a virus wipe out humanity, so they keep them in this massive futuristic windowless compound, all hoping to hit the 'lottery' to get to go to the "Island" paradise where its safe to be outside...

Hadn't considered "WALL-E", although I've never seen anything but the preview.

Hadn't heard of Ghost of the Civil Dead (1998) either.

Ancient films like Metropolis (1927) can often be legally download for free from public domain websites, but theres some silly people out there trying to pull it from the Public Domain currently.

Oh, and they just released a new restoration:

On July 1, 2008, film experts in Berlin announced that a 16 mm reduction negative of the original premiere cut of the film, including almost all of the lost scenes, had been discovered in the archives of the Museo del Cine (film museum) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[15][16] The find was authenticated by film experts working for Die Zeit. Passed around since 1928 from film distributor, to private collector, to an art foundation, the Metropolis copy arrived at the Museo del Cine, where it stayed undiscovered in their archives. After hearing an anecdote by the cinema club manager—who years before had been surprised by the length when this copy was screened—the museum's curator and the director of the film department of the Museum of Latin American Art reviewed the film and discovered the missing scenes. The print was in poor condition and required considerable restoration before it was re-premiered in February 2010. en.wikipedia.org...(film)

Punishment Park (1971)... now thats one I'm sursprised I never found!

[edit on 29-4-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

I thought that although Zardoz was a low-budget, B grade, hippie sci-fi flick, the general story line, along with some of the details, were way ahead of its time. I'd like to see an up-to-date remake, with all the modern special effects, buzzers and bells, but we are practically there now, so it would not be that impressive. What I'd like to see is the "eternals", rather than being jaded into boredom with life, being these extreme personalities taking every aspect of humanity to the hilt. Extreme gluttony, sexuality, science (genetic insanity, power over nature, etc.), whatever aspect of human personality you like to explore, they would have done it all to the highest degree possible with no holes barred. They would be completely out there if they had the type of knowledge and power they were supposed to have in the original movie. Bored, probably, but trying ever more strange and extreme things to break out of the human condition, ultimately making them completely insane.

reply to post by IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Thanks for the update IgnoranceIsntBliss! The list will never be complete. But good to see some additional names.

I spent 2 hours watching Metropolis in poor quality, is 12 parts on youtube, went to JB the next day and found it on DVD. Its awesome, its got a making-of featurette also.

Good your list has Casshern in it, because it was on SBS last night, I watched the first hour or so, and then fell asleep - but it looked pretty good, I'm a fan of Japanese Film, so I might have to track it down.

MichiganSwampBuck, Zardoz looks pretty interesting. I can't get past this photo.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7804941674a6.jpg[/atsimg]
it was the 70's I suppose... I wonder what Sean Connery thinks in retrospect

ALSO:

Is 2012 the movie any good? or is it just Hollywood garbage?

[edit on 29/4/10 by ghostsoldier]

Top 10...

=)

AMAZING selections.

I gotta say that the modern Battlestar Galactica series has got to be the most epic Post Apocalyptic and Dystopian production ever.

I didn't realize this until recently. And even though I'm only aboput 3/4 of the way thru all the episodes (its best to watch this series from the beginning), I can already say this.

The premise is a cyborg race invented by humans in distant worlds destroys all 12 planets that human reside on, and tries to hunt all humans to extinction. The story follows the last 'Battlestar" mega-ship, the Galactica. The mythology even has the workings, whereas the humans on the 12 colony planets are from the same origin planet as the humans on earth, which pits us as the "13th tribe" to exodus the home planet after destroying the environment. Earth is where the last remaining of the 12 colony humans... and the "Cylons" are both trying to reach in this massive endgame.

The thing that really sets this one apart from the rest is as you advance through the episodes you see pretty much all of the facets of Dystopia explored. Over the course, they spend so much time dabbling with the internal politics of these 49,000 humans that it seems like writers went out of their way to assign themselves best in class in regards to the post apocalyptic & dystopian genres, which are 2 genres often intermingled but also distinct.

Considering what's at stake, I argue its more 'epic' in nature than Star Wars. The writing, cinematography and attitude are far more exciting than Star Trek, but I will say that the Star Trek writers were better at describing the most important facet (artificial intelligence) of their Borg much better than the Galactica writers have so far. But they definitely present several original technological ideas, with a good mix predesigned to keep it exciting, and to prevent too many plot holes and from happening later on.

Even further into realm, the newer prequal series Caprica shows the decadent vanity utopian flipside, which is inherently destined to become the post apocalyptic dystopia. So even though the Star Trek Borg writers were better at the AI, the Galactica related writers are the masters of Post Apocalyptic Dystopia.

[edit on 8-6-2010 by IgnoranceIsntBlisss]

does anyone know of any utopian movies?
anyone?
bueller?