What is/are your favorite dystopian movies

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AcroGimp

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AcroGimp
Blade Runner - jaw dropping visuals and soundtrack, provocative story

Demolition Man - humorous (I'm taking you, to Taco Bell)

Running Man - humorous and not as distant a future as we might like to admit (televised competition shows)

Omega Man - Charlton Heston, sorta-Zombies, Anthony Zerbe - what's not to like

Logan's Run - another one that seemed much farther fetched in '76 than it does now, oh yeah, and Farrah Fawcet

Gotta be some other good ones out there....

'Gimp
 
I am Legend. Best apocalypse movie ever (I assume that counts as dystopia). Personally, I thought Blade Runner had very little plot and a really bad soundtrack.
 
If you want a depressing one, "The Road" comes to mind...
 
When blade runner came out I was 12 or so they wouldn't sell us tickets, so we bought tickets for anrerelease of Bambi and sat through the opening before switching theaters. Friggin Bambi.
 
Another vote for Idiocracy. Although, if you want a truly scary look at a dystopian future, the evening news often works just as well.
 
Why hasn't someone mentioned Children of Men? Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Cain, Pam Ferris. Very close to the top in my thinking, and I've seen all of the others mentioned so far.
 
I just learned a new word today, go figure. I'm going to start using it in normal conversation.

"Don't go there, that restaurant is totally dystopian."

"What a mess. This place looks like dystopia."

"Everything is wrong with me. Stomach ache, headache, flu, bleeding ulcer. I think I have a case of dystopia."

"Damn that chick is hot. I'm like totally having some dystopian feelings right now..."
 
AcroGimp said:
Blade Runner - jaw dropping visuals and soundtrack, provocative story

Omega Man - Charlton Heston, sorta-Zombies, Anthony Zerbe - what's not to like

Logan's Run - another one that seemed much farther fetched in '76 than it does now, oh yeah, and Farrah Fawcet


'Gimp
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Left in the ones I like. Idiocracy was a better idea than movie, though still a good enough idea to carry.

Mad Max was one of the best action films ever, so yeah it gets the nod. Most zombie apocalypse movies fit the bill, I give 28 Days Later some nods along with Zombieland. The second of the Resident Evil series was quite worthwhile, in my opinion. The first wasn't all that bad either.
 
So many to choose from:

(I know, most have already been mentioned)
Children of Men
Silent Running
Soylent Green
Brazil
Serenity
Rollerball
Matrix
Idiocracy
I am Legend


edit: I just saw the previous post - I've also seen all the Resident Evil movies. And while I'm thinking of Milla, might as well add The Fifth Element.
 
Road Warrior
Book of Eli
 
Brazil

The Road is a decent followup.
 
JB1842 said:
I'm going to throw in the Hunger Games series.
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You throw it in, I'm gonna throw up. I argue it's merely teen angst overlaying a gladiator movie.
 
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I found A Boy and His Dog on Netflix. I think I made it through about ten minutes before giving up. Maybe if I'd seen it the first time around I'd be able to sit through it, I dunno.
 
You know, I actually like "The Postman"

But with it being a Kevin Coster, post-Waterworld movie, forget about anyone (except for probably me) saying a positive thing about it.
 
murphey said:
You throw it in, I'm gonna throw up. I argue it's merely teen angst overlaying a gladiator movie.
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You have to read the books. The movies aren't doing a great job of portraying them correctly (but which movie does?). This series is more about how the government treats certain classes of people and the totalitarian rule they use to do that in a post-apocalyptical world.
 
AcroGimp said:
Blade Runner - jaw dropping visuals and soundtrack, provocative story

Demolition Man - humorous (I'm taking you, to Taco Bell)

Running Man - humorous and not as distant a future as we might like to admit (televised competition shows)

Omega Man - Charlton Heston, sorta-Zombies, Anthony Zerbe - what's not to like

Logan's Run - another one that seemed much farther fetched in '76 than it does now, oh yeah, and Farrah Fawcet

Gotta be some other good ones out there....

'Gimp
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ebykowsky said:
I am Legend. Best apocalypse movie ever (I assume that counts as dystopia). Personally, I thought Blade Runner had very little plot and a really bad soundtrack.
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Omega Man and "I Am Legend" were from the same book "I Am Legend". I think "Omega Man" was a better story than the Will Smith version. Much darker.
 
Ed, I didn't think The Postman sucked either. I know it's not fashionable to appreciate anything Costner ever did... but still. And any movie with Tom Petty in it can't be that bad, right?
 
DaleB said:
Ed, I didn't think The Postman sucked either. I know it's not fashionable to appreciate anything Costner ever did... but still. And any movie with Tom Petty in it can't be that bad, right?
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The book was awesome, the movie considerably less so. I did like Waterworld, though.
 
"Fahrenheit 451" and "Harrison Bergeron". In the latter, Kurt Vonnegut brilliantly lays out the end game of political correctness almost fifty years before it's crippling effect on our once proud civilization before it became suicidal and full of self-hatred.
 
Let's see.

Blade Runner, my favorite.
12 Monkeys, even more than Blade Runner.
The Matrix, of course.
Boy and his Dog, watched it again not too long ago.
I really like Demolition Man in the guilty pleasure sort of way.
I enjoyed World War Z. I like movies without superheroes.

edit, just saw a mention of Brazil, definitely in my top 10.
 
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ebykowsky said:
I am Legend. Best apocalypse movie ever (I assume that counts as dystopia). Personally, I thought Blade Runner had very little plot and a really bad soundtrack.
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Which I Am Legend? The Will Smith one or the Vincent Price one? Omega Man is also the same plot.

Blade Runner is the typical hacking to death of a Phillip K. Dick plot line (Total Recall, done twice, was another example). They left out one major plot line from Androids and butchered the other.

Other stinkers include "Space Hunter -- Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" only made slightly palatable by being in 3-D. Had this no name kid in it of Molly Ringwald.

I'm quite fond of Silent Running.

Other ones of note: Soylent Green and all the Mad Max movies.
 
flyingron said:
Which I Am Legend? The Will Smith one or the Vincent Price one? Omega Man is also the same plot.

Blade Runner is the typical hacking to death of a Phillip K. Dick plot line (Total Recall, done twice, was another example). They left out one major plot line from Androids and butchered the other.

Other stinkers include "Space Hunter -- Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" only made slightly palatable by being in 3-D. Had this no name kid in it of Molly Ringwald.

I'm quite fond of Silent Running.

Other ones of note: Soylent Green and all the Mad Max movies.
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I was wondering if Soylent Green was going to get mentioned. I saw Phil Hartman's portrayal of it well before I sat down and watched the real thing. His impression was perfect. For an early 70's movie it was ok.

I'm going to say Idiocracy is probably the most accurate portrayal although a bit extreme (I hope).
 
flyingron said:
Blade Runner is the typical hacking to death of a Phillip K. Dick plot line
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Truth be told that particular plot line was somewhat south of coherent.

flyingron said:
Other stinkers include "Space Hunter -- Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" only made slightly palatable by being in 3-D. Had this no name kid in it of Molly Ringwald.
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Surprisingly fun, with Peter Strauss, a very young Ernie Hudson, and one of my favorite Canadians, Michael Ironside. Wasn't even a B movie, someone spent a lot of money on expansive sets and gadgets.
 
flyingron said:
Other stinkers include "Space Hunter -- Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" only made slightly palatable by being in 3-D. Had this no name kid in it of Molly Ringwald.
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It also has:

Harold Ramis - Voice on Intercom (uncredited)
 
I liked "The Postman" book, but never saw the movie.

My favorite post-apocalyptic movie - "The Mutants of 2051."
 
If someone is going to throw Space Hunter in (my God it was bad), then I bring to you:

Ice Pirates - not dystopian in the way I meant, pure sci-fi schlock - but a true and utter guilty pleasure.

Glad to see Soylent Green added - I didn't want to take all the greats but it is another excellent commentary.

A book series that will likely end up being prophetic rather than dystopian would be the BOLO series (original by Keith Laumer) about artificially intelligent un-manned tanks - we are headed that way in interesting and potentially ethically challenging ways.

Moving away from film for a moment, one of the best post-apocalyptic books I enjoyed was Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - it makes Deep Impact and Armageddon look like walks in the park.

Back OT, I don't think Idiocracy counts as dystopian, we are headed there at light speed - seriously, how long until someone puts a toilet inside a Barcalounger?

'Gimp
 
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