Scene Cuts: Science Fiction

I can never resist an excuse to talk about films, so when I saw the Scene Cuts challenge from A Guy Called Bloke by way of Bereaved Single Dad, I knew I was going to end up spending Far too much time hunting down clips on YouTube.

The idea is simple:

Once a week, l will pick a Film Genre, post three film clips and tag three readers who in turn will post three film clips on the chosen film genre and tag 3 of their own readers.

This week the genre is the best genre: Science Fiction. So I am going to nominate myself.

The guidelines are as simple as the idea

Thank the Selector

Select three film clips from the Movies Genre of the Day

Select 3 readers to take part in Scene Cuts

Doesn’t get much simpler than that does it…

I don’t want to overthink this, so here are the first three films that came to mind.

Barbarella

I like Barbarella. The film is as old as I am and just as tacky, but it’s a fun tackiness that sweeps you along and encourages you to sit back and enjoy the silliness. And the opening scene is adorable.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man

This is a very different kettle of fish and I should probably include a #NSFW warning before I continue. Consider yourself warned.

Shinya Tsukamoto’s tale of a Japanese salaryman who finds himself slowly becoming a mass of wires, solder and steel following a car accident with a metal fetishist is every bit as bizarre as that synopsis suggests. It’s also a very influential film with a stop-motion driven cyberpunk aesthetic that has influenced films as divers as David Cronenberg’s Crash and Star Trek: First Contact.

Silent Running

Silent Running may be the best science fiction film to have emerged from the 1970s and is certainly the most prescient. From the environmental message to Bruce Dern’s performance, everything is perfect. Even Joan Baez soundtrack, which effortlessly fits the mood of the film, is superb.

Silent Running is a powerful and deeply moving film and one that proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that in the right hands even a box on legs can have a real personality.

I’m not going to tag anyone else for this. I nominated myself and, if you like the idea, go ahead and tag yourself.