Science fiction film
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| + | "in the [[science fiction film]]s, lurk the deepest anxieties about contemporary existence. I don't mean only the very real trauma of [[the Bomb]]."--"[[The Imagination of Disaster]]" (1965) by [[Susan Sontag]] | ||
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| + | "Death to Videodrome! Long live the new flesh!" --''[[Videodrome]]'' (1983) by David Cronenberg | ||
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| + | [[Image:Le Voyage dans la lune.jpg|200px|thumb|right|''[[A Trip to the Moon]]'' (1902) Georges Méliès]] | ||
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| - | '''[[Science fiction]] [[film]]''' is a [[film genre]] that uses speculative, science-based depictions of imaginary phenomena such as [[Extraterrestrial life in popular culture|extra-terrestrial lifeforms]], [[Planets in science fiction|alien worlds]], and [[time travel]], often along with technological elements such as [[List of fictional spaceships|futuristic spacecraft]], [[robot]]s, or other technologies. Science fiction films have often been used to provide [[social commentary]] on political or social issues, and to explore philosophical issues, such as "what makes us human." | + | '''[[Science fiction]] film''' (or '''sci-fi film''') is a [[film genre|genre]] that uses [[Speculative fiction|speculative]], fictional [[science]]-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as [[Extraterrestrial life in fiction|extraterrestrial lifeforms]], [[Planets in science fiction|alien worlds]], [[extrasensory perception]] and [[time travel in fiction|time travel]], along with futuristic elements such as [[List of fictional spacecraft|spacecraft]], [[robot]]s, [[cyborg]]s, [[interstellar travel]] or other technologies. Science fiction films have often been used to focus on [[politics|political]] or [[social issue]]s, and to explore philosophical issues like the [[human condition]]. In many cases, [[trope (literature)|tropes]] derived from written [[science fiction]] may be used by filmmakers ignorant of or at best indifferent to the standards of scientific plausibility and plot logic to which written science fiction is traditionally held. |
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| - | The genre has existed since the early years of silent cinema, when Georges Melies' ''[[Le Voyage dans la Lune|A Trip to the Moon]]'' ([[1902 in film|1902]]) amazed audiences with its trick photography effects. From the 1930's to the 1950's, the genre consisted mainly of low-budget [[B-movies]]. After [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s [[1968 in film|1968]] landmark ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]],'' the science fiction film genre was taken more seriously. In the late 1970s, big-budget science fiction films filled with special effects became popular with audiences. The hugely influential ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'' and ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]],'' appeared, paving the way for the blockbuster hits of subsequent decades, such as ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' ([[1982 in film|1982]]) and ''[[Men in Black (film)|Men in Black]]'' ([[1997 in film|1997]]). | + | |
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| - | == Some titles == | + | |
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| - | *''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film) ]]'' | + | |
| - | *''[[La Jetée]]'' | + | |
| - | *''[[Liquid Sky]]'' | + | |
| - | *''[[Café Flesh]]'' | + | |
| + | The [[genre]] has existed since the early years of silent cinema, when Georges Melies' ''[[A Trip to the Moon]]'' (1902) employed [[Special effect|trick photography]] effects. The next major example in the genre was the film ''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]'' (1927) - being the first [[feature length]] science fiction movie. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the genre consisted mainly of low-budget [[B movie]]s. After [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s landmark ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968), the science fiction film genre was taken more seriously. In the late 1970s, big-budget science fiction films filled with special effects became popular with audiences after the success of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' and paved the way for the blockbuster hits of subsequent decades. | ||
| + | == Chronology == | ||
| *''[[A Trip to the Moon]]'' (1902) | *''[[A Trip to the Moon]]'' (1902) | ||
| - | *''[[Metropolis]]'' (1927) | + | *''[[Metropolis (1927 film)|Metropolis]]'' (1927) |
| *''[[Things to Come]]'' (1936) | *''[[Things to Come]]'' (1936) | ||
| + | *''[[La Jetée]]'' (1962) | ||
| + | *''[[Fahrenheit 451]]'' (1966) - François Truffaut | ||
| *''[[Barbarella]]'' (1968) | *''[[Barbarella]]'' (1968) | ||
| + | *''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968) | ||
| + | *''[[Colossus: The Forbin Project]]'' (1970) | ||
| *''[[Clockwork Orange]]'' (1971) | *''[[Clockwork Orange]]'' (1971) | ||
| + | *''[[Silent Running]]'' (1972) | ||
| *''[[Soylent Green]]'' (1973) | *''[[Soylent Green]]'' (1973) | ||
| - | *''[[Silent Running]]'' (1972) | ||
| *''[[Dark Star]]'' (1974) | *''[[Dark Star]]'' (1974) | ||
| + | *''[[Zardoz]]'' (1974) | ||
| *''[[Demon Seed]]'' (1977) | *''[[Demon Seed]]'' (1977) | ||
| + | *''[[Blade Runner]]'' (1982) | ||
| + | *''[[Liquid Sky]]'' (1982) | ||
| + | *''[[Café Flesh]]''(1982) | ||
| *''[[Videodrome]]'' (1983) | *''[[Videodrome]]'' (1983) | ||
| *''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984) | *''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984) | ||
| *''[[Akira]]'' (1988) | *''[[Akira]]'' (1988) | ||
| *''[[Gattaca]]'' (1997) | *''[[Gattaca]]'' (1997) | ||
| + | *''[[Cube]]'' (1997) | ||
| + | *''[[eXistenZ]]'' (1999) | ||
| *''[[V for Vendetta]]'' (2006) | *''[[V for Vendetta]]'' (2006) | ||
| - | + | ==See also== | |
| - | + | *[[Science fiction]] (novels and short stories) | |
| - | + | *[[List of science fiction films]] | |
| - | + | *[[List of dystopian films]] | |
| - | Gattaca (1997) - Andrew Niccol | + | *[[Science fiction on television]] |
| - | Fahrenheit 451 (1966) - François Truffaut | + | *[[Genres, subcategories and related topics to science fiction]] |
| - | Blade Runner (1982) - Ridley Scott | + | |
| - | Zardoz (1974) - John Boorman | + | |
| - | Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) | + | |
| - | eXistenZ (1999) | + | |
| - | Cube (1997) | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | == Further reading == | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | *''[[Terminal Identity: The Virtual Subject in Postmodern Science Fiction]]'' (1993) - Scott Bukatman | + | |
| - | :Cultural theorist Scott Bukatman has proposed that science fiction film is the main area in which it is possible in contemporary culture to witness an expression of the sublime be it through exaggerated scale (the Death Star in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope), apocalypse (Independence Day) or transcendence (2001: A Space Odyssey). [Aug 2006] | + | |
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"in the science fiction films, lurk the deepest anxieties about contemporary existence. I don't mean only the very real trauma of the Bomb."--"The Imagination of Disaster" (1965) by Susan Sontag "Death to Videodrome! Long live the new flesh!" --Videodrome (1983) by David Cronenberg |
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Science fiction film (or sci-fi film) is a genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception and time travel, along with futuristic elements such as spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar travel or other technologies. Science fiction films have often been used to focus on political or social issues, and to explore philosophical issues like the human condition. In many cases, tropes derived from written science fiction may be used by filmmakers ignorant of or at best indifferent to the standards of scientific plausibility and plot logic to which written science fiction is traditionally held.
The genre has existed since the early years of silent cinema, when Georges Melies' A Trip to the Moon (1902) employed trick photography effects. The next major example in the genre was the film Metropolis (1927) - being the first feature length science fiction movie. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the genre consisted mainly of low-budget B movies. After Stanley Kubrick's landmark 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the science fiction film genre was taken more seriously. In the late 1970s, big-budget science fiction films filled with special effects became popular with audiences after the success of Star Wars and paved the way for the blockbuster hits of subsequent decades.
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Chronology
- A Trip to the Moon (1902)
- Metropolis (1927)
- Things to Come (1936)
- La Jetée (1962)
- Fahrenheit 451 (1966) - François Truffaut
- Barbarella (1968)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
- Clockwork Orange (1971)
- Silent Running (1972)
- Soylent Green (1973)
- Dark Star (1974)
- Zardoz (1974)
- Demon Seed (1977)
- Blade Runner (1982)
- Liquid Sky (1982)
- Café Flesh(1982)
- Videodrome (1983)
- The Terminator (1984)
- Akira (1988)
- Gattaca (1997)
- Cube (1997)
- eXistenZ (1999)
- V for Vendetta (2006)
[edit]
See also
- Science fiction (novels and short stories)
- List of science fiction films
- List of dystopian films
- Science fiction on television
- Genres, subcategories and related topics to science fiction
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Science fiction film" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
