JAMES CAMERON’S STORY OF SCIENCE FICTION: SCI FI ON FILM

 

The definition of science fiction is “A literary or cinematic genre in which fantasy, typically based on speculative scientific discoveries or developments, environmental changes, space travel, or life on other planets, forms part of the plot or background.” Since its inception the genre has expanded in numerous ways, including robots, fantasy films with ogres and orcs, mind warping psychological stories and time travel to name a few items.

Alongside the western one of the most prolific genres of film has been the science fiction movie. You can trace it as far back as Thomas Edison’s silent version of FRANKENSTEIN or the George Melie’s 1902 film A TRIP TO THE MOON. The genre inspired writers before film like Jules Verne whose books were the foundation of so many great movies. Who better to examine the genre than James Cameron?

The director of such sci fi hits as THE TERMINATOR, T2: JUDGEMENT DAY, THE ABYSS, ALIENS and AVATAR Cameron now take a look at the genre speaking with notables in the field. Directors like George Lucas who brought us STAR WARS, Christopher Nolan who made INCEPTION and Stephen Spielberg who made E.T. talk about what influenced them and drew them to the genre. Stars like Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Christopher Lloyd talk about their love of the genre and how being in films were their big moments.

Broken down into six episodes the series focused on different sub-genres involved in science fiction. Each one focuses on that sub-genre with the stars, writers and directors who have made their mark in each. The first up is “Alien Life”. Everything is covered here from the harmless alien found in E.T. to the dangerous types in the ALIEN films and all things in between. What is it that might be out there and why are we fascinated by it all? Should we be hopeful for another form of life in the universe of fearful?

Next up is “Space Exploration”. Here we get glimpses of everything from films in the 50s and 60s that offered a hopeful look at space exploration to the swashbuckling heroics of the Skywalker family. It seems the largest focus on this genre took place in the 60s when JFK took us into space and ending with the walk on the moon. How did movies look at these events? And what did they foresee in the future when it came to space?

The third episode is “Monsters”. This is so open to interpretation. From the earliest films like FRANKENSTEIN where man attempted to create life to THE FLY, there have been plenty of nightmarish images found in science fiction. Some tipped into the horror genre but at their roots they were science fiction all the way.

Fourth up is “Dark Futures”. It seems that this genre spans both ends of the spectrum, from the hopeful utopias that some predict to the more dystopian futures where everyone bow beneath a central monarch. Should we look forward with hope or give up and accept what some feel is inevitable?

Fifth is “Intelligent Machines” and there is little doubt that the first thing that comes to mind is Cameron’s own Terminator. This creation has been with us through numerous sequels and is part of pop culture now. But there have been others along the way from Robby the Robot to the almost human like creation in Spielberg’s A.I. Will robots help or will they lead to our downfall?

The final episode is “Time Travel”. Once more the genre shows how versatile it can be from the fun filled BACK TO THE FUTURE to the more serious films like THE TIME MACHINE and LOOPER. The question of traveling back in time affecting the future or traveling forward to learn what took place between segments of time is fascinating.

To attempt to do a series like this thinking you can cover every single movie or TV show involving the topics found in science fiction is daunting and most likely impossible. But Cameron does his best to convey the interest in the genre that affects us more than we might realize. In the end it’s an entertaining series that also brings about something that shows like this always do. It inspires the viewer to remember the movies they saw in the past and think “hey, I should pull that out and watch that again”. It brings back memories of treasures we may have forgotten. And in watching them again, older and through different eyes, maybe you’ll find something you missed the first time around.

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