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April 2003, Week 1

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Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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Wed, 2 Apr 2003 20:33:29 GMT
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Interesting topic. During the build up of the
so called Cold War and the prolification of
nuclear build up there were a number of films
that dwelt on the Dystopian theme. I wonder,
in the back of people's minds, if the current
and developing events in Iraq and this new virus
plague from Asia is the catalyst for this
discussion - some sort of resonant foreboding,
like a pitch fork humming a bleak future, or
at least a warning of a human landscape there
because of our endeavours. Not so much OF a
future, but FOR a future.

Certainly the late 60's and throughout the 70's
saw an amazing array of films which invited us
to a dystopiasn place of residence. Some of these
and others might be worthy of discussion and the
current value of their warnings

Zardoz
THX 1138
A Clockwork orange
Solyent Green
No Blade Of Grass
The Final Programme
Logan's Run
Fahrenheit 454
Rollerball

Other movies:

Metropolis
Things To Come
Terminator
1984
Planet Of The Apes
Battlefield Earth
The Postman
Waterworld



A few books I'd love to see adapted to film
with a dystopian theme:

Of Men and Monsters - William Tenn
Hothouse - Brian Aldiss

Paul :-)Nz


> There's a decent and teachable article on capitalist dystopias by
> Thomas Byers in Alien Zone (A. Kuhn, ed.) but it references Blade
> Runner and Alien, and may not be relevant to the films you've chosen.
>
> If they're SMART first-year students, you can try to guide them
> through some Baudrillard for The Matrix -- maybe selections from The
> Precession of Simulacra.
>
> In general, the lack of articles in Film Studies that are both 1)
> intellectually substantive 2) accessible to undergrads in a gen ed
> class, is embarrasing and depressing. I don't pick articles for the
> films I want to show. I try to find worthwhile teachable articles and
> then show films connected to the essays.
>
> ----
> Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite
> http://www.ScreenSite.org
>

----
Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite
http://www.ScreenSite.org

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