SCIENCE FICTION FILMS

WHAT IS IT? It has its roots in some form of technology which is not yet possible, but could be one day Before film, there was Science Fiction in books like Frankenstein and The Time Machine

EARLY SCI-FI FILMS With fantastic films, strange technology and almost magical events, sci-fi novels were big influences on early film makers. Frankenstein has been made and re-made many times as film technology has developed and offered increasingly sophisticated and realistic events

Spot the Difference Boris Karloff in 1933 Robert De Niro in 1994

WHY DO PEOPLE TO SEE RE-MAKES OF FILMS? WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE RE-MAKES OF FILMS? If you asked a group of people to draw a picture of Frankenstein’s monster everyone’s image would probably be the same This is because they are familiar with the film archetype representation of the monster.

KEYWORDS! WRITE THEM DOWN!! Film Archetype – the outstanding features of a character, which other film- makers imitate in later films, e.g. Sean Connery as James Bond saying ‘The name’s Bond, James Bond’ Blockbuster – a film, expected to be a hit, so-called because of the long queues around the block to see it.

SCI-FI IN THE FIFTIES American studios produced many Sci-Fi films at this time with the advent of space travel. Good examples are Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, The Mole People, It Came from Outer Space and Earth vs. The Flying Saucers They were popular at the time but, by our modern standards, they were crudely made and ‘cheesy’ Themes included exploration, danger and new technology, as well as invasion of our society

ACTIVITY #1 Using any search engine you choose, find out as much as you can about the big block-buster sci- fi films from the past ten years. What directors and stars have become associated with them? Note them down in your book under the headings FILM, DIRECTOR and ACTOR

ACTIVITY #2 DISCUSS what sci-fi films that teenagers (i.e. you lot) prefer? Note them down in your book. Are you able to explain WHY? Try to decide what the ingredients are that make a sci-fi film really popular

THE BLOCKBUSTER SCI-FI FILM Until around 1990, sci-fi was regarded as a minority genre which only longstanding fans watched – think about Star Trek and its legions of dedicated fans. Then James Cameron produced the special-effects driven Terminator 2 in 1991, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not only was it an excellent movie with unprecedented technology for its time, it was a worldwide success.

SCI-FI BECAME BIG BUSINESS! Steven Spielberg followed with Jurassic Park in 1993 and Roland Emmerich wrote and directed Stargate in 1994 All these films were marketed to audiences as cross-genres of action with science fiction. With a big budget and special effects, Emmerich followed up Stargate in 1996 with Independence Day Science Fiction was established as a hugely exciting and action-packed genre for teenagers.

HOW TO READ A SCI-FI FILM Reading a film is just like reading any book You must know the LANGUAGE Then be able to work out what it means

CHECKLIST CHARACTERS (including aliens) will have clear roles and purposes within the story COSTUMES are important – especially in future worlds SETTINGS are part of the created world and involve special effects COLOURS are important and often symbolic i.e. neon green often symbolises ‘the alien’

SOUNDTRACK is a vital clue to suggesting mood, theme and key moments (think of famous sci-fi films like 2001 or any Star Trek film) CONVENTIONS such as space jargon, gadgets, weapons etc all contribute to the story SPECIAL EFFECTS – these play a huge part. Animation, CGI, clever use of camera angles, action sequences.

WATCH THE CLIP… …from …………. Note the themes, characters and conventions as you go. These notes will form the basis of your homework, due in Wednesday Title - Why is ……….. so popular? One page