SF Signal: MEME: Top 50 Dystopian Movies of All Time

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MEME: Top 50 Dystopian Movies of All Time

Below is Snarkerati's list of Top 50 Dystopian Movies of All Time. A great topic for a meme!

You know the drill...copy the list and BOLD the movies you have seen. Post yours in the comments, or on your own blog (a link back here would be appreciated!)

Metropolis (1927)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Brazil (1985)
Wings of Desire (1987)
Blade Runner (1982)
Children of Men (2006)
The Matrix (1999)
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
Minority Report (2002)
Delicatessen (1991)
Sleeper (1973)
The Trial (1962)
Alphaville (1965)
Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Serenity (2005)
Pleasantville (1998)
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Battle Royale (2000)
RoboCop (1987)
Akira (1988)
The City of Lost Children (1995)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
V for Vendetta (2005)
Metropolis (2001)
Gattaca (1997)
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
On The Beach (1959)
Mad Max (1979)
Total Recall (1990)
Dark City (1998)
War Of the Worlds (1953)
District 13 (2004)
They Live (1988)
THX 1138 (1971)
Escape from New York (1981)
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Silent Running (1972)
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
A Boy and His Dog (1975)
Soylent Green (1973)
I Robot (2004)
Logan's Run (1976)
Strange Days (1995)
Idiocracy (2006)
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Rollerball (1975)
Starship Troopers (1997)
One Point O (2004)
Equilibrium (2002)

Funny, I just saw Equilibrium tonight for the first time. I thought it was flawed but brilliant. I would switch it with Children of Men, order-wise.

Posted by thoreaubred on Saturday September 29, 2007 at 2:18 AM

I've seen fewer than half of these.

Posted by Divers and Sundry on Saturday September 29, 2007 at 8:57 AM

I've seen 30 out of these 50 films. Wings of Desire is SF? Coulda fooled me.

Where's The Day the Earth Caught Fire? La Jetee? Planet of the Apes III? The President's Analyst? Seconds? Etc., etc.?

Why does this list have boring crapola like Logan's Run and I, Robot? And a pretentious snoozefest like Alphaville?

Posted by Matte Lozenge on Saturday September 29, 2007 at 9:03 AM

Ack, I meant Planet of the Apes II (Beneath the Planet of the Apes). Wait, let me check out the IMDB reviews... hmm, maybe just the second half of the film. Okay, maybe not. I haven't seen it in years, maybe what seemed powerful at the time is now silly.

Posted by Matte Lozenge on Saturday September 29, 2007 at 9:24 AM

john you should see Delicatessen (1991)

Yes it is french and yes it is subtitled....it is still a great movie.

Posted by joshua corning on Saturday September 29, 2007 at 10:05 AM

I don't see how War of the Worlds fits in there.

Posted by Greg L. on Saturday September 29, 2007 at 3:25 PM

Doing well, seen 41 of them. Not sure they all fit under the dystopian tag though.

Posted by Ed on Saturday September 29, 2007 at 5:16 PM

Other people playing: Jeff @ From the Mind of Manxom Vroom, Gerry Canavan and Intergalactic Robot (in Spanish!)

Posted by John on Sunday September 30, 2007 at 7:57 PM

More entries by Rob's Blog o' Stuff and Cephyn...

Posted by John on Monday October 01, 2007 at 7:28 AM

Okay, I've seen 41 out of these 50:

1. Metropolis (1927)
2. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
3. Brazil (1985)
4. Wings of Desire (1987)
5. Blade Runner (1982)
6. Children of Men (2006)
7. The Matrix (1999)
8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
9. Minority Report (2002)
10. Delicatessen (1991)
11. Sleeper (1973)
12. The Trial (1962)
13. Alphaville (1965)
14. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
15. Serenity (2005)
16. Pleasantville (1998)
17. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
18. Battle Royale (2000)
19. RoboCop (1987)
20. Akira (1988)
21. The City of Lost Children (1995)
22. Planet of the Apes (1968)
23. V for Vendetta (2005)
24. Metropolis (2001)
25. Gattaca (1997)
26. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
27. On The Beach (1959)
28. Mad Max (1979)
29. Total Recall (1990)
30. Dark City (1998)
31. War Of the Worlds (1953)
32. District B13 (2004)
33. They Live (1988)
34. THX 1138 (1971)
35. Escape from New York (1981)
36. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
37. Silent Running (1972)
38. Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
39. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
40. A Boy and His Dog (1975)
41. Soylent Green (1973)
42. I Robot (2004)
43. Logan's Run (1976)
44. Strange Days (1995)
45. Idiocracy (2006)
46. Death Race 2000 (1975)
47. Rollerball (1975)
48. Starship Troopers (1997)
49. One Point O (2004)
50. Equilibrium (2002)

And there's two movie's that are NOT on my list to see (great 372 movies now).

I agree with questioning the inclusion of "War of the Worlds," "I, Robot," "Blade Runner," and "Minority Report" as distopian. in IR, BR and MR the societies are normal, healthy and functioning. Okay, there is that segment that has problems (replicants in BR, those abotu to commit a crime in MR and robots in IR), but isn't htat true of all that choose (or are forced) to live outside of any particular society.

If "War of the Worlds" qualifies then shoudln't "Independence Day" be on this list as well?

Rich

Posted by on Monday October 01, 2007 at 9:35 AM

1. Metropolis (1927)
2. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
3. Brazil (1985)
4. Wings of Desire (1987)
5. Blade Runner (1982)
6. Children of Men (2006)
7. The Matrix (1999)
8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
9. Minority Report (2002)
10. Delicatessen (1991)
11. Sleeper (1973)
12. The Trial (1962)
13. Alphaville (1965)
14. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
15. Serenity (2005)
16. Pleasantville (1998)
17. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
18. Battle Royale (2000)
19. RoboCop (1987)
20. Akira (1988)
21. The City of Lost Children (1995)
22. Planet of the Apes (1968)
23. V for Vendetta (2005)
24. Metropolis (2001)
25. Gattaca (1997)
26. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
27. On The Beach (1959)
28. Mad Max (1979)
29. Total Recall (1990)
30. Dark City (1998)
31. War Of the Worlds (1953)
32. District 13 (2004)
33. They Live (1988)
34. THX 1138 (1971)
35. Escape from New York (1981)
36. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
37. Silent Running (1972)
38. Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
39. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
40. A Boy and His Dog (1975)
41. Soylent Green (1973)
42. I Robot (2004)
43. Logan's Run (1976)
44. Strange Days (1995)
45. Idiocracy (2006)
46. Death Race 2000 (1975)
47. Rollerball (1975)
48. Starship Troopers (1997)
49. One Point O (2004)
50. Equilibrium (2002)

I've seen less than I thought. Of course, I've seen bits and pieces of a lot of these, but I don't feel they count if I haven't seen the whole film.
Blade Runner is an all time favorite, but Strange Days had an affect on me that few films have had. For the first act I was sure I wasn't going to like it, it was too overpowering and dark and then I didn't want to like it. But soon it sucked me in completely. It inspired an honest to goodness physical reaction in me, I was shaking with rage and fear and sadness when the cops were beating Angela Bassett. The film was so dark, I was convinced the credits would roll right then and there. Incredible.
I don't know if my viewing of Metropolis counts. I saw the eighties color-tinted version with music by Freddie Mercury, Pat Benatar, etc. and enjoyed it.
Lots of good stuff still to be seen.

Posted by Matthew Sanborn Smith on Monday October 01, 2007 at 6:12 PM

I've seen all but 11 (or 12, since I couldn't get through Alphaville). My list is here:
http://sfgospel.typepad.com/sf_gospel/2007/10/meme-the-top-50.html

Posted by Gabriel Mckee on Thursday October 04, 2007 at 8:59 PM

I've joined this meme party late, but posted here. Mind you, I'd certainly rate Blade Runner, Serenity and Starship Troopers higher on the list than they appear here

Posted by Doug Chaplin on Wednesday October 10, 2007 at 3:42 PM

31/50 - listed here.

Posted by Sam Norton on Thursday October 11, 2007 at 5:39 AM

Seen 33 of these. 'Soylent Green' looks a bit out of place amongst most of its close company on this list. My wildcard entries would be 'Gummo' and as an emotional favourite I would also include 'Children of the Corn'. Does 'Animal Farm' qualify for this category? what a great film.

Posted by nologoboy on Thursday February 21, 2008 at 11:58 PM

1. Metropolis (1927)
2. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
3. Brazil (1985)
4. Wings of Desire (1987)
5. Blade Runner (1982)
6. Children of Men (2006)
7. The Matrix (1999)
8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
9. Minority Report (2002)
10. Delicatessen (1991)
11. Sleeper (1973)
12. The Trial (1962)
13. Alphaville (1965)
14. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
15. Serenity (2005)
16. Pleasantville (1998)
17. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
18. Battle Royale (2000)
19. RoboCop (1987)
20. Akira (1988)
21. The City of Lost Children (1995)
22. Planet of the Apes (1968)
23. V for Vendetta (2005)
24. Metropolis (2001)
25. Gattaca (1997)
26. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
27. On The Beach (1959)
28. Mad Max (1979)
29. Total Recall (1990)
30. Dark City (1998)
31. War Of the Worlds (1953)
32. District 13 (2004)
33. They Live (1988)
34. THX 1138 (1971)
35. Escape from New York (1981)
36. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
37. Silent Running (1972)
38. Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
39. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
40. A Boy and His Dog (1975)
41. Soylent Green (1973)
42. I Robot (2004)
43. Logan's Run (1976)
44. Strange Days (1995)
45. Idiocracy (2006)
46. Death Race 2000 (1975)
47. Rollerball (1975)
48. Starship Troopers (1997)
49. One Point O (2004)
50. Equilibrium (2002)