are ALL movie futures shitty?

[miss fortune]

my SO is oddly in love with movies set in the future, which means that I have to watch them at least once a week (or so it seems!). I can't say I'm the biggest fan, because somehow movies about the future are incredibly depressing because the future is always kind of incredibly dismal. Why the hell are all movies set in the future so depressing? Are there any who aren't?

 

[LadyJaye]

I KNOW!

And, no I can't think of any off hand that weren't really bleak. Most of the futuristic movies I watch offset their depressing scenarios with really hot guys. It does make up for it, IMO.

 

[miss fortune]

it makes up for it some, but if the future is anything like the movies about it I'm not sure that I have any desire to see it

seriously... in the future most people are really dirty, there's shortages of everything and there's usually some sort of fascist government that controls everything... and there are still no jet packs

 

[Giggly]

I'm not much of a movie buff but the "darkness" helps remove it even more from reality (which can be cool for tapping into your imagination) and adds a sense of power at the same time.

 

[Epiphany]

It's inevitable. The human race is destined to destroy itself.

Which personality type is most likely to cause the apocalypse?

... and there are still no jet packs

The future is here.

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr32XFc72hA"]Water Jet Pack[/YOUTUBE]

 

[kelric]

Are there any who aren't?

Watch more Star Trek

You might have to sit through some cringeworthy plots, and some truly wooden Shatner-esque acting, but generally, they have a pretty good outlook on the future. Some of them are even pretty good movies. But if he fires up Star Trek V, run away and go do... well, anything else. Except watch a Highlander sequel movie in the other room. Even Star Trek V isn't *that* bad.

 

[93JC]

[YOUTUBE="d68yRIE9OvQ"]Back To The Future Part II[/YOUTUBE]

In three years we will have flying cars, holographic movies and incredibly bad fashion sense!

 

[Anew Leaf]

[MENTION=1180]whatever[/MENTION], I do NOT recommend the film "The Lost Future." It's so bad that the otherwise overly depressing future looks hilarious.

 

[miss fortune]

oooh... I'd forgotten about Star Trek and Back to the Future! those futures sound kind of fun!

and I have seen The Lost Future... it was rather horrible

and I had a dancer inform me that in 10 years the earth will be a living hell... I prefer to be more optimistic though- I don't know why I have such faith in humanity, but I think that our desire to survive outweighs our desire to destroy the world

 

[Giggly]

It's inevitable. The human race is destined to destroy itself.

Which personality type is most likely to cause the apocalypse?

ISFJ

 

[KDude]

Yeah, Star Trek is pretty optimistic.


So is Planet of the Apes. At least I think so.

 

[Totenkindly]

Most futuristic movies are using the bleakness of the future as a plot device, where the characters are either pitted against the system or trying to change things to make them less bleak. If the future is truly eutopian, then the conflict has to lie elsewhere.

I personally hated much of the Star Trek future because it was too optimistic and just didn't seem realistic. The reboot seems alright, I suppose.

We should make a list of the most depressing "future movies"....

1. Dark City
2. Logan's Run
3. Total Recall
4. Never Let Me Go
5. In Time
6. A Clockwork Orange
7. Gattaca
8. Blade Runner
9. 12 Monkeys
10. Solaris
11. Alien 3
12. AI

Some of the movies (like Gattaca) do have redemptive moments, but the world is pretty dark.

Side note: I found this list of generally depressing movieswhen looking for bleak futuristic movies... the descriptions were pretty funny. I've seen most of them.

 

[MacGuffin]

Those Planet of the Apes ones are pretty uplifting, if you're a monkey.

 

[CrystalViolet]

We should make a list of the most depressing "future movies"....

1. Dark City
2. Logan's Run
3. Total Recall
4. Never Let Me Go
5. In Time
6. A Clockwork Orange
7. Gattaca
8. Blade Runner
9. 12 Monkeys
10. Solaris
11. Alien 3
12. AI

Should I be worried that most of these are in at least my top 20 movies?

 

[Andy]

Demolition Man showed a future so eutopian it made some of people living in it want to scream.

 

[Coriolis]

Watch more Star Trek

You might have to sit through some cringeworthy plots, and some truly wooden Shatner-esque acting, but generally, they have a pretty good outlook on the future. Some of them are even pretty good movies. But if he fires up Star Trek V, run away and go do... well, anything else. Except watch a Highlander sequel movie in the other room. Even Star Trek V isn't *that* bad.

My thoughts exactly. All of the iterations of the series have been generally positive, in that while the protagonists must often confront scary situations or daunting odds, they overcome or resolve them, and often learn through the experience. Star Trek's future orientation is one reason I have always preferred it to Star Wars, which by contrast shows a fantasy "past".

 

[Qlip]

The problem with Utopian futures is that there aren't enough problems to make a good story out of it. Conflict draws us in.

 

[Lightyear]

[YOUTUBE="d68yRIE9OvQ"]Back To The Future Part II[/YOUTUBE]

In three years we will have flying cars, holographic movies and incredibly bad fashion sense!

I thought of the same thing. Back to the Future 2 is the only positive example of a movie future that comes to my mind.

 

[Totenkindly]

How did I forget to mention Brazil?

(I guess it depends on whether you see the real version or the "Love Conquers All" version.)

 

[jhoro115]

This isn't a movie, but Mirror's Edge's "dystopia" has some of the shiniest windows I've ever seen, so not everything is so bad in the future!