Dystopian Futures

A look at some of the celluloid predicted futures.

The 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner was set in the future of November 2019. Things today aren't exactly as advertised in the film though we're now close to having the Cybertruck and sex robots.

The movie Escape from New York came out in 1981 and was set in the future of 1997. The script was written and the movie was filmed while Jimmy Carter was President. After a few years of Ronald Reagan being President the Hollywood view of New York was replaced by movies like 1987's Wall Street.

The envisioned world ravaged by greenhouse effect and overpopulation of 1973's Soylent Green was set in 2022 which is now just 2-years away. Things aren't going to be as bleak as portrayed in the movie though we do now have the Impossible Burger.

Blade Runner

A reminder that the 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner was set in the far off future of Los Angeles November 2019.

We don't have the life-like robots (yet), flying cars (yet) or the space colonies (much further out in the future) predicted by the movie.

But Los Angeles does have out of control traffic, a homeless problem and rolling blackouts. So there's that.

Also a government agent free to hunt for dangerous illegal aliens replicants? That might be the biggest sci-fi aspect of the movie. In real life Los Angeles would have been a sanctuary city and  those replicants on the run probably would have been welcome and given free healthcare.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Philip K. Dick's previously unpublished letter after seeing his first glimpse of Blade Runner

These ads are good but the movie Crazy People did it first

I've linked to this before but they are too good not to link to again. Adding monsters to thrift store paintings.

Heh heh - Leaked Memos: Bobby V is losing the Red Sox and his mind 

Almost 400-years ago Shakespeare joined the choir invisible - here are some surprising things the Bard left behind. 

The men of Mad Men go bowling - you know you want to watch