Instructional Media Center
May Feature • Science Fiction
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - PN1995.9.S695 T756 2008 DVD
Often considered not just the greatest sci-fi but the greatest film of all time, The Empire Strikes Back stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams, and a cast of aliens, robots, and cyborgs depicted by Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), David Prowse (Darth Vader), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Frank Oz (Yoda). The film follows Luke Skywalker as he furthers his Force training to become a Jedi while Leia, Han, and the Rebel Alliance fend off the evil Empire and Darth Vader. As Vader and the Empire draw nearer, Luke must decide whether or not to face his fears. Groundbreaking at the time, Star Wars Episode IV pulled out another hit with its sequel, which is cited to contain one of the greatest plot twists in history. A phenomenal score composed by John Williams is winner of the Academy Awards for Best Sound Mixing and the Special Achievement Award, and winner of the British Academy Film Awards for Best Original Music. The film remains the thirteenth highest grossing film of all time, and dear to the hearts of millions.
Alien (1979) - PN1997 .A456 2003 DVD
Sigourney Weaver stars in this action-packed alien horror film directed by James Cameron. Considered one of the first instances of the “strong female” archetype in film, the crew of the Nostromo is awoken from stasis by the onboard computer, Mother (voiced by Helen Horton), to investigate the signal coming from a nearby moon on their journey back to earth. Tom Skerritt (Captain Dallas), Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Harry Stanton (Brett), John Hurt (Kane), Ian Holm (Ash), and Yaphet Kotto (Parker) discover something more dangerous and terrifying than they could ever have imagined. This sweat-running-down-your-face horror film captures the fear of being a foreigner in deep space in the dark shadows of its sets, with puppet and costume work by Bolaji Badejo.
Akira (1988) - PN1995.9.J3 A65 2001 DVD
Based on the serialized manga series Akira (1982–90), this animated film is directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, the author of the original series. Often argued as the jump-start to Japanese animation’s distinct sci-fi filmography, this film is set in the year 2019, in post-apocalyptic and futuristic Neo-Tokyo. Kaneda Shōtarō (voiced by Mitsuo Iwata) and Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki) are a part of a biker gang that becomes caught up in a plot to revive the figure known as Akira. Worshipped like a god and feared by many, Akira is chased by those who seek to use him as a means to cleanse the earth or as a rival to test their own power. A supporting cast of a street girl named Kei (Mami Koyama), a military colonel named Shikishima (Tarō Ishida), and a scientist named Doctor Ōnishi (Mizushi Suzuki) add complexity and depth to the buildup of the finale, where everyone suffers in the battle that ensues.
I, Robot (2004) - PS3551.S5 I763 2004 DVD
Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman wrote the screenplay for this exploration into posthumanism, or a world ruled by humanoid robots. Directed by Alex Proyas, in the year 2035, Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) is a Chicago police officer, who is skeptical of the machines who have taken over human jobs in society. When a robot named Sonny (Alan Turdyk) is reported to have killed Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), creator of the robots, Spooner investigates. Eager to uncover faultiness in the robots’ codes, Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan) disagrees and assists Spooner in his investigation, where they both discover the nature of the robots isn’t as opaque as originally seemed. With special effects that were revolutionary for its time, this screen adaptation to Vintar’s “Hardwired” holds up in modern day with its wit and humor, added in with a distinctly human question of “What makes one human?”
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - PN1997.2 .S75 2019 DVD
This 2018 adaptation of the comic book superhero Miles Morales is the winner of the Best Animated Feature Film at the Golden Globe Awards. As an homage to comic book illustration and 2D animation, this 3D-animated action/adventure pulls drawing techniques from the 20th century as the harbinger of innovation in new animation technology, showcasing New York City in an explosion of color, movement, and scale. Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) is swept up in a plot by Kingpin (Liev Shreiber) to eliminate Peter Parker (Chris Pine). In the process, Miles ends up inheriting spider-like powers due to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. With a father who doesn’t understand (Jefferson Davis, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry) and an uncle who holds a dark secret (Aaron Davis, Mahershala Ali), Miles must navigate his new powers alone – that is, until an interdimensional warp causes spider-people from multiple universes to come crashing into his own! This aesthetic and narrative masterpiece focuses on the themes of family, self-doubt, friendship, and the discovery of one’s own unique power.
The Matrix - PN1997.2.M3874 2007 DVD
Considered groundbreaking in the special effects milieu of 1999, this film won the Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects. It also won for Best Science Fiction Film and Best Director in the Saturn Awards. Directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is a computer programmer who continuously encounters a string called “the Matrix.” Contacted by a woman named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) with superhuman abilities, she informs him that a man named Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) has the answers he seeks. An entirely new world that Anderson never dreamed of is revealed in this thrilling feature. Faced with an entity named Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), who tests his abilities to overcome obstacles, Anderson must cut a way to the truth at every turn.
Ghost in the Shell (1995) - PN1995.9.J3 G56 1998 DVD
Based on the famous manga by Masamune Shirow, this cyberpunk anime film was directed by Mamoru Oshii. As the inspiration for James Cameron and the Wachowskis, this film is set in 2029, Japan. The narrative follows Major Motoko Kusanagi (voiced by Atsuko Tanaka), a cyborg working as a spy to stop a hacker named Daita from controlling the Foreign Minister and all of Japan. Kusanagi must navigate the worlds of both humans and cyborgs to keep society from falling into chaos, though she herself remains slave to the mishmash of circuits and human feelings within her. This film’s focus on the complicated relationship between humanity and posthuman robotics/cybernetics makes it the initiator of the posthumanist and transhumanist eras in modern film-making.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - PN1997.E183 E18 2002 DVD
Steven Spielberg’s timeless 1982 classic was one of the first to explore human-alien relations in sci-fi filmography. Young brothers Elliott and Michael discover an alien in their garage, who was accidentally stranded on Earth. As a botanist seeking to “phone home,” the alien is harmless and interacts with the brothers and their sister Gertie with curiosity. When governmental authorities discover the crash-landing of the E.T’s UFO, Elliott must fight against the cold and cruel world of adults in order to save his friend. The film won the Academy Awards for Best Original Score (John Williams), Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects; Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture and Best Score; and Saturn Awards for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Writing, Best Special Effects, Best Music, and Best Poster Art. The film remains a classic for its warmth, realism, and childlike perspective in understanding the vastness of space and the closeness of human connection.
Avatar - PN1997.2 .A83 2010 DVD
This feature film directed by James Cameron controversially holds its spot as the second highest grossing film of all time upon its release in 2009. The film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Signourney Weaver. The story follows Jake Sully, an American ex-marine seeking purpose after becoming disabled from the waist-down. When offered to take the place of his dead twin brother as the pilot of the body of a biologically-constructed Na’vi Avatar, a humanoid creature on the planet of Pandora in the Alpha Centauri system, Jake jumps on the chance. What he finds upon landing is more wondrous and appalling than he ever could have imagined. This breakthrough in cinematic technology was the first film to utilize motion capture filming techniques consistently and on a large scale with 15 years in the making.
Star Trek Beyond - PN1997.2 S83 2016 DVD
This revival of the iconic series is directed by Justin Lin, and received accolades for its return to the essence of the original Star Trek series. Carrying on the tradition of including a diverse set of cast members, the film follows the crew of the USS Enterprise on their fight to keep a powerful bioweapon out of the hands of Krall, former commander of the USS Franklin. Showcasing colorful and unique sets and iconic characters, the film is the winner of Best Make-up by the Saturn Awards and Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild, and stars Chris Pine (Captain Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (Leonard McCoy), Zoe Saldana (Nyota Uhura), Simon Pegg (Montgomery Scott), John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Pavel Chekov), Idris Elba (Krall), and Sofia Boutella (Jaylah). Star Trek Beyond is a dazzling adventure for anyone hoping to get lost with the Enterprise crew in the depths of space once again: the final frontier.