Dystopian/Cyberpunk movies?

[blakmike]

Ala The Matrix, Bladerunner? I just saw Gamers last nite...stunning visuals, production values, very entertaining 1st half of the movie. After the first 45 minutes though, absolute rubbish.... streams on netflix...

Any other suggestions?

 

[Pander Bear]

popular favorites, some of which, but my tolerance for awful is much higher with scifi:

total recall
demolition man
strange days
johnny mnemonic
freejack (awful, but filmed in my hometown )
brazil
children of men
gattaca
the island
minority report
running man
dark city
they live
rollerball (not the remake, even I have my limits)
videodrome
12 monkeys
mad max
the road
the city of lost children
a clockwork orange

 

[hydroazuanacaine]

Ghost in the Shell

both it and Ghost in the Shell 2.0 are on netflix. even though 2.0 is in HD, the original is the way to go.

 

[comatoserct]

delicatessen
videodrome
gattaca
akira
a clockwork orange

 

[thujone]

Great list Pander, although some of those films are set in a post-apocalyptic world which does not bear much resemblance to a dystopian or cyberpunk vision of the future. Regardless, the only other movie I can think of as actually worth adding is Equilibrium.

If you're looking for something truly brilliant and thought-provoking in the cyberpunk vein I'd definitely agree with the Ghost In The Shell recommendation (although that is technically post-cyberpunk). The series delves deep intellectually and really sets your mind racing.

 

[tribal girl]

total recall
running man
they live
videodrome

Yes yes.

I'll also throw in Solarbabies and Prayer Of The Rollerboys. Both terrible low budget affairs, but also pretty enjoyable. :D

 

[Bridesbiscuit]

The 13th Floor

 

[Pander Bear]

totally blanked on the title of equilibrium... was asking gf what the name of the bale movie with the gun karate was... then i forgot.

Great list Pander, although some of those films are set in a post-apocalyptic world which does not bear much resemblance to a dystopian or cyberpunk vision of the future. Regardless, the only other movie I can think of as actually worth adding is Equilibrium.

Yeah, I take what I can get, unfortunately. Hollywood has done a pretty shitty job of providing us with cyberpunk films. I recall that a "snowcrash" script was optioned, but then shelved when the matrix was such a hit... so depressing. I'm stuck with timecop and the lawnmower man instead.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

12 Monkeys
Brazil

(I know, they're both Terry Gilliam films, but damn they're good)

1984
A Clockwork Orange
Mad Max 1,2 and 3
Fahrenheit 451
Terminator (and Terminator 2/Terminator 3)
etc etc

 

[Belisarius]

"Futurestates"
http://www.futurestates.tv/

I just stumbled across this gem last night. The site is independent shorts (~15-20 min) rather than full-length films, but most of them have a dystopian slant. The quality is hit-or-miss, but a couple of the ones I've seen so far are excellent; I recommend "Mr. Green" and "Play" for starters.

 

[blakmike]

Thanx for the suggesting Ghost in the Shell. I enjoyed. Looking forward to seeing the result of the union of the beings in Ghost in the Shell 2.0.

There was another manga I saw for the first time in high school under the effects of LSD. Genocyber--about cybernetic badass beings. Incredible plot, pace, leads to an earth-shatteringly tragic climax set to the most sublime sountrack ever. Left me in tears.... Ive since watched it a few times and every time it still leaves me with a lump in my throat....Netflix does not stream it unfortunately

I will check out that shorts website linked above^ thanx

Edit: they since made additional installments to the Genocyber manga series.... The one I loved was the first one--Birth of Genocyber

 

[JoeTheStoner]

THX 1138 - Trailer

 

[StarOceanHouse]

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

 

[blakmike]

Dystopia now!

After reading the wiki on 'dystopia', I think we might be living it now in America! So.... head on down to your local movieplex and see Legally Blonde 3 or whatever to see Dystopian films if you want

As the IT and software corporations gain more power and make their advances, the new Jason Bourne/James Bond movie will be Cyberpunk!

 

[atri]

i just watched johnny mnemonic a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. definitely ahead of its time
and for the record i still love freejack :D

 

[yucatanboy2]

I definitely recommend "Dark City"

Its very dark, dystopian, and intriguing, and has many cyberpunk elements that come in more and more as the movie goes on.

It came out about the same time as the matrix, and had a similar "reality is not what you think it is" vibe, but sadly didn't become as popular.

It was directed by Alex Proyas, who also directed "The Crow", and several other movies with dystopian/fantasy/scifi themes.

Its got an interesting cast too: Rufus Sewell, Keifer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, and others incluing Richard O'Brien (who played Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, definitely playing a completely different character in this movie).

 

[Pander Bear]

i just watched johnny mnemonic a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. definitely ahead of its time
and for the record i still love freejack :D

GOTTA watch strange days if you haven't, man.

 

[Belisarius]

^
Ditto--horribly underrated SF flick.

 

[blakmike]

I definitely recommend "Dark City"

Its very dark, dystopian, and intriguing, and has many cyberpunk elements that come in more and more as the movie goes on.

It came out about the same time as the matrix, and had a similar "reality is not what you think it is" vibe, but sadly didn't become as popular.

It was directed by Alex Proyas, who also directed "The Crow", and several other movies with dystopian/fantasy/scifi themes.

Its got an interesting cast too: Rufus Sewell, Keifer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, and others incluing Richard O'Brien (who played Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, definitely playing a completely different character in this movie).

Thanx for the suggestion, this one I missed somehow...I like scifi flix
Addded to the top of my netflix queue.

I vaguely remember smoking up on the way to see Freejack at the theater with friends and loving the movie.... 10th or 11th grade I think

Strange Days was great, I remember the dude wanting to hit the glass pipe in the midst of the armed robbery thing. That's the Ralph Fiennes one rite?

 

[belarki]

i just watched johnny mnemonic a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. definitely ahead of its time
and for the record i still love freejack :D

Haha I was hugely let-down by Johnny Mnemonic having seen it after reading a few of Gibson's books. Neuromancer was a childhood favourite of mine :D

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