I am very fascinated by these info-topic or cyber-toic (or dystopic) imaginings of the "future." I'd be interested in talking about how science fiction and films like Tron, Brazil, Blade Runner, The Net, Johnny Mnemonic, Gattaca, Equilibrium are direct descendants of information culture. (Some movies obviously are better than others.) I'm also fascinated by the combination of information & chemical control used to placate or produce the model population. There is also a long tradition of "life inside the computer" films where characters are subsumed into the cyber world or the cyber world is embodied as characters. I'm also wondering how much of our current world is info-topic just without the hovercars and cyberjacks.

Fascinating...

Interesting thoughts, Ed. I wouldn't mind discussing that stuff myself.

In terms of films to study, you could do a Philip K. Dick fest, using films based on his novels/stories: Bladerunner, Total Recall, Minority Report (and isn't there another in the works?)

Yes! Filmfest! Kelly Like! Filmfest GOOOD! *insert Karloff Frankenstein voice here*

Let's see, movies I'd add to the list for this topic:

THX 1138
Pi (sp? I was just told about it today)
A few old episodes of "The Prisoner"
The Matrix is a given.

This is a topic I find interesting, too. I would love to get my hands on some of the old Mondo 2000 mags and give them a read. From what I have read of them in an article somewhere, there's certainly a tie in with hacker culture and drug culture, the trans-humanist ideas of evolution of humanity with technology and the notions of a u/dys-topian future. I think these things play with the idea that there's a perfect world or at least, a better one to be had, if we can get to it/find a way to create it for ourselves. Mythmaking going on, for sure.

Sometimes, I think we're very much in Huxley's brave new world, and it's the medical sciences that often remind me of this. Modern medicine and psychology lead folks in thinking there's the quick fix of the pill for every problem, mental or physical, (Something hurts? Take a soma!)On a seemingly opposite end, preventative health measures doctors would have us take instead are turned to fads and the crafting of ideal bodies.

We play around with making versions of cyborgs of ourselves who never get sick, who are the "beautiful people". Then we seek or craft the worlds were we can exist as stronger, faster, better--Microsoft keeps asking me where I want to go today. Maybe I should be a good citizen and follow the butterfly?

I keep thinking of this is more modern myth-making in action. We're looking for our shamans, our guides (and we're making them!), and the hero's journey is taking us into the digital cave. I wonder if we'll remember that part of that journal was to bring what we learn/receive into the "real" world? (And yes, Ed, I will blog all my thoughts on this soon, rather than torment you all with piecemeal rambling.)

Kell