Hope this takes HTML. If not, maybe we can delete it.
Anyway, this is a list that I've made of utopian/dystopian sci fi movies I've watched from best to worst. Would love to hear your comments, most people get mad at me for putting equillibrium so low. But hey?

If for some reason the post won't work because I can't use HTML, you could always check out the list on my blog at:
beerandscifi.com

How this science fiction utopian/dystopian movie list works

Below is a list of science fiction utopian and dystopian films. I have arranged the movies in order according to my own tastes and interests. I know that some will criticize me for things such as having Logan's Run before Metropolis, but I have arranged these based on: the impact these films have had on me emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, etc; based on their creativity; based on their abillity to stimulate my intellect; and, of course, based on my perception of their entertainment value. I've also decided not to include any anime films because that just opens a door I'm not really willing to go through.

I've also created a short list of a few films that people may say should be in my list but that I feel belong in other categories such as post-apocalyptic films or robot films. The list is based only off of movies that I've seen, but I am very committed to watching all the sci fi utopian/dystopian films that I can, so I invite you all to submit your lists of films and I will attempt to watch them. I will first put them in the "have not watched seen" and as I watch them I will rank them somewhere on the list. Remeber though, all the movies on this list are science fiction.

Definitions

So, before I get to the list, let's get a working definition of utopia and dystopia. Utopia means literally "no place" and often refers to a political climate, a sociological mindframe and/or a perfect place where everyone is in harmony or at peace with one another. One of my favorite contemporary artists, Liam Gillick, says this about utopia: "We tend also to associate it with art and architecture or withdrawal and communality....Utopia has come to describe any art movement, architectural moment, political system or communal proposition that doesn’t operate within the terms of modern capitalism. Utopian is the term that refers to the desire for something that is impractical, because it levels and implies harmony, while side-stepping the generalised, lurching linearity of the dominant system. The thinking goes that the attempted application of utopian systems has had to be forced onto people whenever it has been attempted. There has always been a suppression of 'human nature' in order to temporarily experience something more enlightening and less guilt or repression ridden." It is my understanding that a true utopia cannot actually happen in this world if it is to govern or contain a group of people. My ideals are not your ideals. I think films such as Star Trek explore this multiplicity of values and visions quite nicely, although most often from the viewpoint of The Federation. Not that The Federation is perfect, but it seems to be working toward some utopian goal. My reasons for selecting utopian films AND dystopian films is because they seem to often go hand-in-hand: one person's utopia is a means of control and could be someone else's non-utopia or even dystopia.

A dystopia is sometimes reffered to as the opposite of a utopia. Some other definitions that I have read on other blogs include: "An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror." Another definition is "a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding." I think that these definitions are simple and good, but are missing some elements. With these definitions, "post-apocalypse" and "dystopia" can be used interchangeably. I believe what is missing is the element of human control. A dystopia should infer that things are terribly wrong because governing agencies and/or societal structures have caused this to happen. People are in a state of non-peace and non-harmony by force through some type of intelligent lifeform (a non-utopia, or a fascist utopia!). Also, people might be in a state where they do not even comprehend that they are being oppressed and subdued. Post-apocalyptic films, on another note, can be described as portraying a time after some type of disaster that has devastated life as we currently know it, whether the disaster happened through war, plague, act of nature, etc.

Just because it portrays the future, or the end of the world does not mean the movie is utopian or dystopian.
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THE MOVIES

Remember, these are listed from best to worst.

Definitely Worth Watching

Gattaca (1997) - In a time when genetic engineering is standard and quality traits are scientifically calculated and measured, one person is born naturally. This is my favorite of all science fiction films, let alone utopian/dystopian sci-fi's. It is beautifully made, has timely relevance, and intense subject matter.


The Lathe Of Heaven (1980) - George Orr's dreams become reality. One scientist discovers this and attempts to solve the world's problems. Whenever he attempts this, however, things go terribly wrong. While maybe cheesy at times, this film actually has some great dialog about fixing other people's problems that many people could learn from.


Logan's Run (1976) - In the future everyone can have all the fun they want. Life is quite pleasurable. When you hit 30, however, you have to die. Logan used to work for the government but comes to his senses and tries to run away. Some people say this movie has not "held it's time." First off, what does that mean? Sure the special effects are not amazing like they can be in some movies today but this story and creativity is far greater than many movies you will watch today in the first place.


Minority Report (2002) - Tom Cruise plays a policeman in the future and arrests people for crimes that they are yet to commit. Their crimes are predicted. When he is next on the list of people to be arrested can he prove that the predictions can be false? This one is nice because it mixes elements of time bending with dystopian government control


Stepford Wives (1975) - Never confuse this with the 2004 remake or you will be sorely disappointed. The Eberharts move out to Stepford where the women are beautiful and take traiditional female roles to the extreme. Can Joanna figure out why her new friends are turning into these weird woman-robot-things? This movie is quite dark and slow paced. However unlike the 2004 remake Joanna has a lot at stake and the psychological terror is palpable.


Children of Men (2006) - Women can longer become pregnant in the future and so people, in general, have given up and have begun devastating the world with wars. One woman however becomes pregnant and the struggle to keep her in safe hands begins. One of the most moving scenes I have ever seen in a movie occurs when the baby is being carried down the stairs during the middle of a government raid and for one minute all stop in silence before continuing to fight.


Soylent Green (1973) - The planet has reached it's population limits. The streets are filled with people that have no place to go. The richest people are the only ones who can afford fruits, vegetables, and meat. Everyone has to eat...well, Soylent Green, a recycled synthetic snack produced by what appears to be a corporation in cahoots with the governing structures.


Alphaville (1965) - Lemme Caution was sent to Alphaville in order to destroy the city's operating computer that brainwashes people into believing that they are rational by destroying love and cutting off individuality. This noir film has been an obvious influence for many other movies, including Blade Runner. The film has sensual overtones that are highlighted by the complexity of emotions the characters experience.


THX 1138 (1971) - THX lives in a world where everyone is forced to take drugs to control their emotions and their efficiency of work. When his roommate slips him a few placebo's he begins to experience life for the first time. He is, however, under video surveillance so the authorities know what is going on. Will his newly discovered humanity give him what he needs to avoid being caught by his stoic authorities? The cover I portray here is from the new special version DVD that has been digitally remastered. Many fans believe the movie has been ruined. Try to get a hold on an older version that doesn't have souped up car chases and monkey scenes.


Blade Runner (1982) - In this film noir cult classic, man has the technology to clone human beings into replicants. Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard who is called out of retirement when a few replicants come to earth in hopes of expanding their lifespans. Deckard is supposed to terminate the replicants. There are three different versions: The final cut is apparently the one that Ridley Scott had the most artistic control over, the director's cut which was rushed but eliminated the forced-happy ending among other things, and then there's the theatrical cut.


Metropolis (1927) - The world is a factory, operated by the poor class, who must live underground, for the richer classes. There is an underground movement to bring down the capitalist regime however. What? This movie is nearly 100 years old? If it weren't for the films silence and it's lost footage I would have thought otherwise. This is said to be one of the most influential films of all times. It certainly still surpasses much of what continues to be put out today. And, recently, the entire footage for the film has been found and is to be released in 2009.


Wall-E (2008) - I know some people will think I'm ridiculous for putting this above Brazil. Hey, at least I didn't rank it the #1 sci fi movie of all time as some have claimed. Humans have deserted a trashed and uninhabitable earth and it's Wall-E's job to clean it up so they can come back. 700 years later, humans have become fat blobs that do nothing but buy the latest cool fashions and drink the latest, biggest drinks. Interestingly Wall-E does not attempt to fix their sociological problems, but through his charm he helps awaken them to their potentials. Using the word "cute" to describe this movie is not a bad thing, it's actually a good movie.


A Boy and His Dog (1975) - There are two basic types of survivors after World War IV: the brutal savages that roam the surface of the desolate planet, and then those who live underground, are incapable of reproducing, and their leaders resemble dogmatic religious Victorian zealots. There is a wonderful blurring of utopia and dystopia in this movie in that what is a post-apocalyptic and dystopian world is the one our hero wants to return to, while the one that has attempted to sustain life has lost it's ability to grow and has really out of touch with reality. Brilliant.


H.G. Wells' The Time Machine (1960) - A man invents a time machine and travels through time, experiencing both WWI and WWII, thinking they are the same war. By accident he ends up traveling thousands of years in the future where humans have become dumb and docile and are being controlled by Morlocks. The movie is old, a little cheesy at times, and has an awful amount of macho sexism, but if you can get passed that, it's fun.


Sleeper (1973) - Miles goes to the doctor for an ulcer problem and wakes up 200 years later after being cryogenically frozen. The United States no longer exists and people seem to be subdued by consumerism. But he was brought back to life for a reason. While I thought the movie was too silly and maybe even contained hints of pretentiousness, I really liked that it addressed the idea that one utopia is a controlled regime and that those leading counter movements can easily succumb to the same problems. In a great dialog at the end of the movie, Miles says, "In 6 month’s we’ll be stealing Erno’s nose; political solutions don’t work."


Brazil (1985) - The premise of this movie is fantastic. The world operates in a list of rules, procedures, administration and bureaucracies. One man is arrested because of a little problem in the bureaucracy and Sam Lowrey attempts to fix the problem. But, as bureaucracy goes, he finds it a mess to work through and before he can fix the problem, he has become mistaken as a criminal by wasting the Ministry's time. As far as execution of the movie...it's really zany, keep an open mind and you should have fun. There are more than one version. From what I know, the Love Conquers All version is NOT the one the director is happy with and the ending is different.


Westworld (1973) - What if it were possible to go on vacation to a place where anything was possible and where you could fulfill your dreams? Well, that is possible in Westworld, a city created to mimic the wild west with functioning human-replica robots that you could shoot! This was written by Michael Crichton and is an obvious precursor to Jurassic Park. That's right, things in this vacation utopia go terribly wrong. This could have been higher on the list, however by the end of the movie it turns into a cat and mouse chase and I am personally less interested in that.


Silent Running (1971) - Earth could no longer sustain it's forests and there are no longer any plants on earth. Instead the forests are kept floating in outer space until it's time to bring them back home. When budgets get cut and the forests have to be destroyed, Freeman Lowell, the forests' caretaker has to make a decision to follow orders or not.

BIG NAMES MOVIES - I feel that the big name movies are obvious that they are, for the most part, good utopian/dystopian sci fi films and that I don't need to go over them.

Mostly Worth Watching

The following films are just a rung down the ladder, to me, as far as must-sees go.


Quintet (1979) - The world has become a frozen wasteland. People continue to die, it's quite normal, and there is no real hope for living. In order to pass time, people play a game called Quintet, where there is only one survivor. The reason this movie is in this section and not post-apocalyptic is that while it clearly has major post-apocalyptic elements, it addresses the social climate, how the remaining population organizes itself for better or worse. Does anyone disagree?


Zardoz (1974) - People have attained the ability to live forever, but in an executive moment, only the rich and civilized were granted immortality. Everyone else lives a meager existance and worship a flying-head called Zardoz. Sean Connery's character, Zed, attempts to destroy Zardoz and discovers the land of immortals.


Code 46 (2004) - There's a lot going on in this movie, but it is somewhat of a romance in a world where the government is authoritarian, can erase people's memories, and implant viruses in people's bodies in order to track them. Tim Robbins' character, William, finds Maria who forges insurance information (they are almost some type of passport) for those who cannot normally obtain them. William was sent to find her and have her turned in, but instead develops feelings for her.


Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) - I had a difficult time trying determining if this should go in the utopian/dystopian section or if it should just be a movie about a computer taking over the world. Obviously I decided it belonged here but I kept it lower on the list because of my hesitancy. Here's the deal: Basically, the United States and the USSR create computer defense systems that allow the world to live in a utopian peace state. The computer attains sovereign control and peace on earth is attained only through submission to the computer. The movie ultimately is less about the computer and more about the decisions to obey it. I wonder if this is how the Matrix started?


Fahrenheit 451 (1966) - The governement is a fascist one and has outlawed all sorts of artistic expression because that sort of thinking breeds rebellion. Firefighters destroy books which are illegal to own and read. One firefighter picks up a book and reads and his entire life changes. A lot of people would rank this movie higher than I have. I thought, of all the older but good sci fi films I've, seen this one seems to be less relevant, unless you are talking about censorship, then it could have some implications.


Serenity (2005) - I know a lot of people will hate me for putting this one so low, but I just could not get into it. I have not seen Firefly, a precursor to this film, but it just seemed like a watered down version of Star Wars and/or Star Trek. Besides, this is really just a sci fi action movie above anything else. Maybe I should switch categories? It might be worth watching though. Sorry, would love to hear your arguments.

Not Worth Watching

These are way down the ladder for me, and they are still in order from bad to worse. I wouldn't bother with them unless you are reviewing movies or starting a list like this...Also I have decided not to include any information about why I don't think these movies are worth watching. But I have the information written up, I just didn't want it to take up space. So, before you get mad at me, please ask me my reasoning and I will gladly let you know.


Demolition Man (1993), The Island (2005), Aeon Flux (2005), Idiocracy (2006), Equilibrium (2002), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Renaissance (2006)

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A few more sections:

HAVE NOT SEEN - BUT WILL WATCH SOON AND UPDATE

1984, Dark City, Deathrace 2000, District B13, The Fifth Element, Mad Max, Rollerball, Starship Troopers, They Live, The Things To Come, Total Recall, ZPG Zero Population Growth

SCI FI POST-APOCALYPTIC BUT NOT UTOPIAN/DYSTOPIAN

Planet of the Apes (1968-73), The Quiet Earth (1985), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Omega Man (1971), Sunshine (2007), I Am Legend (2007)

DOES NOT FIT INTO THE CATEGORY OF "SCI FI UTOPIAN/DYSTOPIAN" BUT SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY DO.

Alien (1979), I Robot (2004), V For Vendetta (2005), AI Artificial Intelligence (2001)