So, in the not too distant past, say Last Sunday A.D. or so, I was watching the (then) latest episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 entitled "Prince Of Space" a creaky old Japanese serial about the evil Chickenman of planet Crank Whore, who has come to Earth to steal a secret formula for supersonic turbo powered rocket fuel. And I thought to myself, as I was oft wont to do back in the knowitall days of my halcyon middle age: "Ha! Ridiculous! What a stupid plot point! What super interstellar and amazingly advanced intelligent species would base their entire transportation system upon a faulty fuel source, thereby forcing future generations to invade neighboring worlds for their rich resources? Hahaha! Ha...oh wait."
I can still taste the ever present flavor of Foot in the back of my mouth to this very day.
Anyway, that stinging realization led me to wonder what other films once seemed like farfetched, fantastical funny freak outs and now seemed...well, eerily familiar? Not so farfetched after all? More and more likely as time goes by and the world continues to crumble and society collapses and OMG And We Will Soon Be Devouring Each Other In The Streets Like Dogs And A Crippled One-eyed Boy Will Be King If We Don’t Fix This By Next Week!
Metropolis (1927)
"In the future of 2026, wealthy industrialists rule the vast city of Metropolis from high-rise tower complexes, while a lower class of underground-dwelling workers toil constantly to operate the machines that provide its power."
Wall Street, anyone?
1984 (1984)
"In a dystopian 1984, Winston Smith endures a squalid existence in the totalitarian superstate of Oceania under the constant surveillance of the Thought Police. Winston works in a small office cubicle at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history in accordance with the dictates of the Party and its supreme figurehead, Big Brother. A man haunted by painful memories and restless desires, Winston is an everyman who keeps a secret diary of his private thoughts, thus creating evidence of his thoughtcrime."
So basically, Winston works for Fox News.
Soylent Green (1973)
"The 20th century's industrialization has left the world permanently overcrowded, polluted and stagnant by the turn of the 21st century. In 2022, with 40 million people in New York City alone, housing is dilapidated and overcrowded; homeless people fill the streets; about half are unemployed, the few "lucky" ones with jobs are only barely scraping by themselves, and food and working technology is scarce. Most of the population survives on rations produced by the Soylent Corporation, whose newest product is Soylent Green, a green wafer advertised to contain "high-energy plankton" from the world's oceans, more nutritious and palatable than its predecessors "Red" and "Yellow", but in short supply."
Too bad our oceans are now too contaminated to harvest anything but mercury poison and medical waste. Also, if you don't already know what Soylent Green is made from, I'm not going to tell you.
Battle Royale (2001)
Battle Royale takes place in a fictional police state version of Japan known as the Republic of Greater East Asia (大東亜共和国 Dai Tōa Kyōwakoku). From time to time, fifty randomly selected classes of secondary school students are forced to take arms against one another until only one student in each class remains. The program was created, supposedly, as a form of military research, with the outcome of each battle publicized on local television. A character discovers that the program is not an experiment at all, but a means of terrorizing the population. In theory, after seeing such atrocities, the people will become paranoid and divided, preventing another rebellion.
Pay no attention to the downfall of society. Look! The Kardashians are taking off their clothes on Jerry Springer, the Duggars are filming a live circle jerk and Honey Boo Boo is going to be the next Sister Wife! Big shiny huge distracting things, tonight on UnrealityTV!
V For Vendetta (2006)
"In the late 2020s the world is in turmoil, with the United States fractured as a result of prolonged conflict, and a pandemic of the "St. Mary's Virus" ravaging Europe. The United Kingdom is ruled as a fascist police state by the Norsefire Party. Political opponents, immigrants, Muslims, homosexuals and other "undesirables" are imprisoned in concentration camps."
Yeah, this is old news now.
Today's blog post has been brought to you by Monsanto:
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