Wednesday, November 18, 2015

THE FUTURE ISN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE

The problem with science fiction movies is trying to predict the future.  Folks keep coming up with devastating post nuclear apocalyptic glimpses of the future.  The problem is the actual historical events never matches the movies version of the historical event never matches the actual historical event.  And since Back to the Future Part Two version of October 21, 2015 at 4:45 P.M. never actually matched the actual October 21, 2015 at 4:45 P.M., here are other film predictions of the future which never came true.
1.  The Last Man on Earth/The Omega Man/I am Legend
Based on the novel I Am Legend written by Richard Matheson and published in 1954, there are three versions...
The Last Man On Earth
Released in 1964, it failed to predict what the year 1968 was going to look like.
The Omega Man
Released in 1971, it failed to predict what the year 1977 was going to look like.
I Am Legend
Released in 2007, it failed to predict what the year 2009 was going to look like.
The second version featured a Caucasian who was only attacked by African zombies.  The third version featured an African-American who was only attacked by Caucasian zombies.  There might be a fourth version of this someday.
2.  Westworld
Released in 1973, it failed to predict what the year 1983 was going to look like.
3.  1984
Based on a literary novel written by George Orwell and published in 1949, the first version was released in 1956 and failed to predict what the year 1984 was going to look like.  The second version was released in 1984 and failed to predict what the year 1984 was going to look like.  By the time the second version was released, it was already too late to salvage a failed prediction of the future.
The 1956 version...
 The 1984 version...
4.  Alien Nation
Released in 1988, this film and the resulting television show failed to predict what the year 1991 was going to look like.
5.  Predator 2
Released in 1990, this film failed to predict what the year 1997 was going to look like.
6.  Escape From New York
Released in 1981, it failed to predict what 1997 was going to look like.  What?  You mean the entire New York City wasn't turned into a giant sized prison and the Statue of Liberty was never blown up?
7.  Escape From L.A.
Released in 1996 and one year before failing to predict the futuristic setting of the original installment, this sequel to Escape From New York failed to predict the year 2000 was going to look like.
8.  Deep Impact
Released in 1988, it failed to predict a giant asteroid wiping out the entire human race who didn't escape underground and spent eternity locked away underground from that point onwards starting in the year 2000.
 
9.  Strange Days
Released in 1995, it failed to predict what the year 1999 was going to look like.  Remember when people were afraid that the United States Government was going to be overthrown in the year 2000, chaos was going to erupt, diseases would wipe out large numbers of the population and the United States will be run by a dictatorship?  Yeah, it never occurred. 
10.  2001:  A Space Odyssey
Released in 1968, it failed to predict what the year 2001 was going to look like.
11.  2010:  The Year We Make Contact
Released in 1984, this sequel to 2001:  A Space Odyssey also failed to predict what the year 2010 was going to look like.  Yes, there's skype, but no space stations has a Howard Johnson Hotel.
12.  Freejack
Released in 1992 and starring Emelio Estevez, the older brother of HIV Positive actor Charlie Sheen with Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger as one of the villains, it failed to predict the year 2009.
 13.  The Sixth Day
Released in the year 2000, this action adventure film about illegal acts of cloning starring Arnold Schwarzenegger failed to predict what the year 2015 was going to look like.
14.  Here is a prediction of future events yet to come courtesy of Hollywood.  Who knows, the future predicted in one of these following films may yet come true---Perhaps.  We'll see what happens in the years to come.

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