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In this article, I argue for the relevance of Eastern European cinema dealing with the robot revolution in the context of Romanian communism. I aim to fill a gap in the literature by focusing on Galax, the Doll-Man (Galax, omul-păpușă, 1984), the only Romanian drama movie centered on a robot, and directed by Ion Popescu Gopo (1923–1989), the most internationally awarded Romanian animator and cineaste during communism. I argue that Gopo's Galax challenges obliquely socialist realism and the Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters of the period, providing emancipatory gender insights and an appealing alternative to utopian or dystopian scenarios in which robotic technology is either liberating or all-destructive. In Galax, Gopo combines different filmic genres and styles to explore a multi-layered crisis of subjectivity, human relations, and male-dominated public authorities generated by the robot revolution. Gopo's emancipatory vision reconstructs the transformative relationship between the robot Galax capable of learning and creation, and a young female student (Mariana) who challenges different male authorities built on social, political, and psychiatric rationalities, and thus breaks with the typical female heroes of the Romanian socialist films – the sacrificial worker, mother, or activist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metaverse is a universe of communication across boundaries. The provision of new experiences with the highest level of immersion through virtualisation, a greater degree of flexibility to produce and distribute information, and a space for new social communication all occur here. With the aid of technology and gadgets, people can engage digitally and visually in the virtual environment provided by metaverse. It is considered to be an 'extension of the internet' in fact. The metaverse has no restrictions based on location. It is based on an 'immersive digital environment' that is unbroken, without constraints and without borders. Although it seems like something out of a science fiction film or book, it is actually the way that communication will be done in the future. This article is an attempt to analyse the selective literature from the Scopus database to form an opinion about what can be the trends of research in metaverse and what are the areas of applicability of this phenomenon in business scenarios. It highlights the research areas mushrooming in the field of metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The awareness of technological influence has grown, culminating in an increased appreciation for science fiction (sci-fi) movies. Positioned as an imaginative genre with a longstanding history in the film industry, sci-fi movies have witnessed substantial popularity. In the context of uninterrupted advancements in human science and innovation over recent years, numerous scientific and technological breakthroughs have reshaped societal norms. This transformative process not only enhances individuals' lives but also holds educational significance. This investigation sought to explore the potential correlation between the evolution of sci-fi film genres and the psychology of artificial intelligence (AI) environmental behavior. A novel aspect of this study is its interdisciplinary approach, amalgamating elements of film studies and environmental psychology. The examination of how sci-fi films both reflect and influence the societal perception of AI and its environmental ramifications contributes to a profound comprehension of the complex interaction within the realm of sci-fi, technology, and societal dynamics. The study employed a virtual scene construction method for sci-fi movies based on AI. Data were meticulously collected from a diverse cohort, comprising 1,000 movie enthusiasts and 260 individuals specifically inclined towards sci-fi films in China. Utilizing a combination of random sampling and snowball sampling techniques, questionnaires were employed to gather insights. Notably, the study's findings suggest a future trajectory where sci-fi films will seamlessly integrate AI-driven storytelling techniques. This integration is poised to create immersive cinematic experiences, actively engaging viewers in ethical and environmental dilemmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates online fan video remixes that combine footage from the televisual adaptation of the Chinese classic The Romance of Three Kingdoms, set in ancient China, with soundtracks from the American science fiction film Inception (2010) and the magical fantasy Pirates of the Caribbean (2011). Analyzing the audio‐visual aesthetics of these videos, I propose a reversal of Henry Jenkins's "additive comprehension" framework, which suggests that fan works aim to interpret and complete the original story‐verse. Instead, I argue these videos reverse the process of interpretation through temporal–spatial transportation and corporeal transfiguration with false continuity editing, acousmatic aesthetics, and gravitational disorientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the increasing popularity of the science-fiction genre, its capacity for worldbuilding and its long-durée vision, coupled with both the difficulty of discussing issues of migration in today's world as something more than a problem of the present and the necessity to go beyond this presentism, the author argues that science-fiction films provide an excellent tool for peace education inside and outside the classroom in general and to address migration in particular. This article discusses the why and how of using science fiction films for peace education, which the author claims is not necessarily taught in the classroom or special programs but should also be seen as part of lifelong learning/continuous education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationship between Hong Kong gangster films and the political climate of the city. It argues that these films serve as cultural icons and implicitly convey political messages, reflecting the socio-political sentiment of Hong Kongers during significant events. The article explores the use of spatiality in gangster films, highlighting how cinematic spaces embody political meanings and capture collective emotions. It discusses the evolution of gangster films, their reflection of the political and social climate, and the themes of violence, insecurity, and identity crisis portrayed in these films. The text also addresses the use of rooftops and rural spaces in Hong Kong cinema, as well as the censorship and future development of gangster films in mainland China. Overall, the article provides valuable insights into the political and cultural significance of Hong Kong gangster films. [Extracted from the article]

The article examines the film "El futuro perfecto" and its use of acousmatic sound to challenge fixed notions of Argentine identity and the immigrant experience. It follows Xiaobin, a Chinese immigrant in Buenos Aires, as she learns Spanish and navigates daily interactions. The film's use of acousmatic sound, where the source is unseen, prompts viewers to question assumptions about the characters' identities. It critiques the association between being Argentine and being white, while also highlighting the historical context of immigration in Argentina. The article explores how the film challenges assumptions about who can sound Argentine and encourages viewers to question their own beliefs and assumptions. It also analyzes scenes that simulate acousmatic conditions and how they contribute to the film's exploration of language and identity. The article discusses the concept of the acousmatic voice and its ability to challenge assumptions, as well as the portrayal of race, listening, and voice in the film. It emphasizes the importance of listening and understanding different voices and experiences. The article also examines the subway scenes in the film as a representation of a quiet and introspective space. Overall, the film "El futuro perfecto" explores migration and identity, challenging stereotypes and embracing multiple possibilities for a more inclusive future. [Extracted from the article]

Is it possible for today's man to return to the historical past several centuries or millennia and find himself among his ancestors as shown in various science fiction films such as the cult British series "Outlander" when the main heroine enters the hollow of the tree and returns in the middle ages. Is it possible to travel into the future several centuries or millennia into the future as shown by Herbert George Wells in the science fiction novel Time machine or the French film "Les Visiteurs" when the heroes of the Middle Ages travel to the future. Are there parallel worlds or multiverses in which one day future generations will travel only with advanced technologies at the speed of light like in the cult TV series Wars or Dr.No? For now, these impossible feats are possible only on movies, but scientists like Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, and especially Everett Hughes, Stephen Hawking, theoretically explained the probability of such hypotheses. The concepts of time travel and parallel worlds are phenomena that are mutually related and interdependent both in literature and cinema, and in other scientific cultural-artistic or entertainment works. They complement and enhance each other because the phenomenon of time travel cannot be effected if there is no other world, even assuming that it is simply a return to the past or travel to the future. In this review, we will only focus on the phenomenon of time travel. This paper is part of the research dedicated to the project Time Travel and Parallel Worlds in Cinema integrated in my doctoral thesis with the same title. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scientific developments have made possible something that would once—not long ago—have seemed out of a science fiction film: the creation of a human and non-human chimaera with human brain cells and their eventual birth. This has posed novel challenges for lawmakers. Laws have been established to allow for the creation of these entities; the challenge now is to define their legal status. Such chimaeras are neither entirely animal nor entirely human, but unlike other chimeric creatures, they share a feature with humans that has long been considered the basis of the special legal status afforded to the human person: human brain cells. This feature is unlikely to prove sufficient to replicate the human brain. Likewise, it is improbable that these creatures will reach the same levels of autonomous thinking and consciousness as humans. Still, such enhanced chimaeras might acquire capacities that distinguish them from other animals. As such, a special legal status must be created to accommodate their specific characteristics. This paper will analyse the legal status that should be granted to these chimeric entities in light of the existing laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future (2022), a series of mutations persistently germinate within the bodies of a group of humans known as neo-organ generators, manifesting in the form of seemingly superfluous organs. While mutation in Cronenberg's oeuvre is often associated with a viral tendency within the body, leading to grotesque organismic transformations, this article posits that the director's signature portrayal of organic excess in Crimes of the Future bears resemblance to the behavioral patterns of vegetal beings, whose ontology may offer a creative leeway out of the virus-organism dialectic. Although the plant, as a figure, is not the focal point of the film, I argue that the neo-organs' resilience to destruction and disruption of systematic control and manipulation by the governing bodies of the film share an essence with the plant and its will for disorganization. I refer to this rebellious force as "disorganic entelechy," and trace it within the burgeoning new flesh in the film to investigate whether the becoming-plant bodies of the film can combat the deadly modes of the exploitative humanistic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically examines how Gemini Man (2019) incorporates director Ang Lee's cinematic aesthetics and Will Smith's star persona to present a nuanced representation of empowered crossover Blackness. In this film, Smith's commanding status as a Black lead exceeds the typical constraints of social and spatial mobility (a relative rarity in Hollywood production). However, Gemini Man's adoption of sf generic conventions and prevalent ideological narratives ironically neutralizes this momentum and, instead, reveals the precariousness that Asian and Black American filmmakers experience navigating the entertainment industry's unequal decision-making, especially as it seeks maximized crossover appeal to attract wider audiences worldwide. This article explores how the film's artistic expression not only illustrates ongoing ideological and identity negotiations within the racialized sf genre, especially concerning the representation of Black experiences, but also illuminates filmmakers' challenges when collaborating with major studios in Hollywood's profit-driven, racially-determined global marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article takes as its motivation an event in which a plant-based version of the space alien, the Extra-Terrestrial (‘E.T.’), from the science fiction film bearing its name, was barbecued and served as a meal to participants at a conference. The soy dish produced different reactions: some laughed, while others seemed appalled. These different sentiments provide the basis for a broad green cultural criminology analysis of the traditions of meat-eating, tracing its role in human history and in the barbecue. The purpose of this is to explore why humans treat different categories of animals so differently. To understand the reactions the meal produced, the article addresses two contrasting aspects of the human–non-human animal relationship—‘carnism’ and ‘pet-keeping’—and contemplates these in relation to the reactions to eating E.T. The goal is to expand on the study of the human –animal relationship, particularly speciesism—understood as ideology and practice that legitimise and produce animal abuse through the analytical concept categorical discriminatory speciesism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up until the 19th century, the notion 'medium' described the natural elements – e.g. earth, water, fire, and air. John Durham Peters' media philosophy (2015) demonstrates how contemporary technical media rely on this forgotten elemental dimension; as cultural techniques, media can reveal the elemental's environmental sense. Against its broader philosophical background, I extend Peters' account into a 'trans-materialist' film-philosophy: I claim that the notion of the elemental stands, and mediates, 'between' the materialist tradition – currently operative in ecomaterial media theory (e.g. Cubitt; Ivakhiv; Parikka; Parks; Starosielski; Vaughan) – as well as the ethico-existential, immaterial dimension that belongs to the elemental. Two philosophical readings support this mediating aspect of the trans-material philosophy: Levinas' immaterialist ethics ([1961] 1969) and Bachelard's 'material imagination'. Levinas' ethics underscore that existence is defined in relation to alterity; the enveloping elemental environment enables developing a relational sense of self. Additionally, Bachelard's materialism invites us to reimagine our cosmic connection to the material world – and I argue it is the medium of film that expresses this potential most dynamically. As moving audiovisual image, cinema's technical form fosters, for the immersed spectator, a renewed sense for our elemental environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the temporality of recent science fiction films, specifically the ways in which architectural histories are used to imagine and characterise dystopias of the future. Drawing on the writing of Fredric Jameson and particularly on François Hartog's analysis of 'presentism' in historical discourse, the article proposes that the dystopias shown in many recent science fiction films provide visions of the future which have been decoupled from modernist notions of historical progress. This argument is developed through analysis of the built environments of Brazil (1985) and the Hunger Games series (2012–15). In the former, historicising and modernist architecture are combined to create a dysfunctional, highly bureaucratic dystopia from which escape is impossible. In the latter films, monumental classical forms are the dominant architectural element in a dystopia marked by excessive state violence and surveillance. The postmodern housing project Les Espaces d'Abraxas, designed by Ricardo Bofill, features in both Brazil and the final Hunger Games film, providing common ground for their repudiation of utopian modernist design. The strong presence of architectures from the past in science fiction films is thus more than pastiche; instead, it establishes a temporality in which aspects of the past continue to haunt and encroach on present-day notions of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characters play an integral role in animated narratives, but their visual racial presentation has received limited attention. A diverse group of U.S. children watched a 15-min physical activity-promoting animated Sci-Fi narrative. They were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, which varied the lead characters' racial presentation: realistic racially unambiguous (Original: White children, Black mother), realistic racially ambiguous (Ambiguous: All with brown skin without specified race/ethnicity), and fantastical racially ambiguous (Fantastical: All with brown skin with fantastical hair-and-eye color schemes). We assessed narrative engagement, wishful identification, and physical activity intention. Controlling for social desirability and multigroup ethnic identity, children who watched Fantastical characters showed significantly higher narrative engagement than those who watched Original characters, but they did not statistically differ from those who watched Ambiguous characters. Structural equation modeling indicated that narrative engagement and wishful identification fully mediated the racial representation effect (Fantastical vs. Original) on physical activity intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinema has been influenced by mythology since the first years of its invention. Mythological elements, which are frequently used in today's cinema, are used as an important reference. Cinema strengthens the narrative language by reproducing myths and creating new myths. Cinema, which has a strong and effective aspect in this respect, reflects the unconscious of the masses in human history. Considering the similarities of cinema with mythology, dream and reality are intertwined while cinema reshapes reality. Both cinema and mythology use experiences that are constantly repeated throughout generations through archetypes that have been in our collective unconscious since ancient times. Therefore, today, cinema appears as a reshaped form of mythology. In this process, film directors have almost become myth-tellers. At this point, cinema, just like myths, has changing and even transformative effects on society. Especially with the studies of writer Joseph Campbell in the field of mythology, the "monomyth" theory - the hero's journey - was adapted to the filmmaking process in cinema. An example of the work that offers a different cinematic experience is the movie "Dark City" (1998), directed by Alex Proyas, which deals with sociopolitical, scientific and philosophical themes as well as mythological elements. Functionally, the film makes one think about the questioning of human nature and the concepts of identity and memory. The journey of John Murdoch, the protagonist of the film, is designed in accordance with Joseph Campbell's theory of the hero's journey. The hero's journey is a fictional structure frequently used in mythological stories. The hero's journey in the movie "Dark City" follows the outline of Joseph Campbell's hero's journey scheme. The hero breaks away from his normal life and finds himself in an adventure where reality is questioned. This adventure provides opportunities for his personal growth and transformation, and eventually the hero discovers his true identity and power. "Dark City" is a science fiction film inspired by ancient mythological stories and Jungian psychology. In this regard, the study aims to look at various aspects of the film from a psychoanalytic perspective. It is aimed to examine the symbols and cinematographic techniques used in the film, the archetypal characteristics of the characters in the film and mythological references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the evolution of science fiction narratives in film and television, highlighting the central role of digital effects in contemporary sci-fi films like Lucy and Ex Machina. Topics include techno-poetic context of contemporary sci-fi films, contrast between effects-driven narratives in 1950s sci-fi movies and the more muted approach of television shows of the same era, and conflicted reception of television within "hard-core" science fiction fandom of 1950s.

The film industry includes a chain composed of the machinery industry, the production industry and the derivative industry. Its evolution reflects the development of Chinese science fiction (sci-fi) films in the past century. Since the information revolution, marked by computer use, the film industry has undergone changes in digitalization, networking and intelligentization, and Chinese sci-fi films have taken on a new look. Sci-fi films have the duality of being industrial products and spiritual products. Therefore, Chinese sci-fi films have not only evolved with the evolution of the film industry but also highlight the importance of industrialization, reveal the side effects of industrialization and predict new industrial trends through their creativity, thus having rich connotations and value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early twentieth-century coal miners used canaries to detect the presence of poisonous gases underground. Miners treasured canaries for their cheer, partnership, and assistance. This safety practice had largely ended in the United States by the middle of the twentieth century, but the phrase 'canary in a coal mine' took on an extended life as a metaphor, signaling impending disaster in a variety of situations. The metaphor's malleability encouraged the inclusion of caged birds as a plot device. Horror and science fiction films like The Birds, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Arrival, and Bird Box use birds to signal invisible, hard-to-explain risks. The coal mine canary therefore became a sentinel for the most troubling social and political anxieties of each era. It signaled people's worries that they could no longer identify and manage dangers in the modern world, whether those had to do with warfare, the environment, federal surveillance, social media, or epidemics. The birds' use as a warning symbol, though, took miners' beloved, sentient animal and turned it instead into a simple, but powerful tool. The coal mine canary's continued prescence in popular culture also suggests that Americans remain concerned about the viability of new technologies in a rapidly changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the android M3GAN in the 2022 film of the same name, problematising recent framings that celebrate M3GAN as a gay icon, a feminist figure, or understand her as embodying our collective fear of artificial intelligence. Instead, I place M3GAN in a long line of narratives that mediate on the role of women in society, following the loosening of possibilities for woman brought about in the Enlightenment. I go on to suggest ways in which contemporary neoliberal values are forcefully communicated in popular culture and how in turn, the subject reacts and internalises ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article "Cinematic Reviews: Strange Plotlines" by Anna Faktorovich, three films with unconventional plotlines are discussed. The first film, "Damsel," presents a fairytale where the damsel must escape from a murderous dragon after a supposedly happy marriage. The second film, "65," challenges the notion that humans have not evolved since the arrival of alien ancestors on Earth 65 million years ago. The third film, "Leave the World Behind," offers a different approach to an apocalypse, questioning the traditional hero narrative. The article also explores the structural issues in modern cinema and the need for films that promote lifelong happiness for both genders. It examines the portrayal of aliens, history, and dinosaurs in science fiction films, highlighting the tendency to depict aliens as either human-like or monstrous villains and critiquing the problematic narrative of "discovery" in historical fiction. The article concludes by discussing how the film "Leave the World Behind" breaks traditional plot rules to address concerns about humanity's failures. [Extracted from the article]

This study proposes that science fiction (sci-fi), a specific entertainment genre or theme, can facilitate self-transcendence (i.e. moving beyond self-boundaries) by inducing epistemic humility (i.e. awareness of one's epistemic limits accompanied by epistemic openness). Through increasing self-transcendence, sci-fi engagement can further promote prosocial intentions in a real-world context. We conducted three studies with different paradigms to test our hypotheses. Through a retrospective design, Study 1 found that sci-fi (vs. comedy or romance) films were recalled as eliciting stronger self-transcendence. Studies 2a and 2b, using an experimental design, revealed that sci-fi (vs. realistic) narratives induced stronger epistemic humility, and consequently led to heightened self-transcendence. Study 3, extending the findings in the pandemic context through a three-wave longitudinal design, demonstrated that sci-fi engagement within one month predicted the subsequent increase in self-transcendence, which in turn promoted coronavirus disease (COVID)-related prosocial intention over time. The potential of sci-fi to foster self-transcendence and prosociality is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's age, we see the increasing influence of technology on people, which begs to raise the question: "Is society determined by technology?" Rising up within the constraints of each society, technology had its limitations, as it catered to the needs and interests of the masses. As society evolved, so did its requirements. We are at a stage where dependence on technology has gone through the roof with new innovations coming up in the sector, the rise of artificial intelligence, for instance. Technology has replaced the concept of being a mere tool and is creating/demanding space of its own. With advancements in various fields like robotics which churn out machines that can mimic human behaviour and are equipped with anthropomorphic features, it has become rather difficult to view them as mere commodities waiting for one's (human master's) command. Keeping this in view, the paper primarily focuses on the relationship between society and technology, with special emphasis on artificial intelligence, through an analysis of the films Ra One (Bollywood), Android Kunjappan (Mollywood), and Ironman 3 (Hollywood). Secondarily, an experimental study was carried out to know the perception of the Engineering students, the future technologists, who are the stakeholders of the 21st-century technological world, with an aim to know their perception of technology and bring an awareness of the limitations of technology and its role in the creation of utopian and dystopian world. Finally, the paper examines the consequence of technological determinism and autonomy from a colonial perspective and intends to bring preparedness among the students to perceive technology conscious of its limitation and bring harmony between society and technology that leads towards building a utopian world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My aim in this essay is to isolate and describe the eschatological technophobia that is expressed by many popular films in the genre of science fiction. What I have in mind by this designation is the (irrational) fear of advanced technologies with respect to the conjectured likelihood that autonomous systems and programs will inevitably deliver a negative judgment of humankind. In expressing and/or cultivating this fear, I offer, directors in the genre tend to help themselves to the language and imagery of the Biblical Day of Judgment, especially as it is prophesied and characterized in the Abrahamic religions of the global West. This fear, I maintain, is itself an expression of a deeper anxiety pertaining to the possibility (or likelihood) that the achievements of humankind matter very little, if at all, especially when evaluated on a cosmic scale. Following my critique of several films that rely, uncreatively, on the trope of eschatological technophobia, I turn to a consideration of two relatively recent films in the genre: Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014) and Denis Villeneuve's Arrival (2016). From these directors, I suggest, we receive subtler and more thoughtful treatments of the judgments of humankind that superior intelligences are likely to pronounce. What emerges in these two films is the exploratory expression of a religiosity or spirituality that I associate with an updated, epoch-appropriate version of humanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Cybermedia: Explorations in Science, Sound, and Vision" is a book edited by Carol Vernallis, Holly Rogers, Selmin Kara, and Jonathan Leal that brings together interviews and analyses from various experts to explore the connections between science, information technologies, and popular media. The book focuses on popular media objects such as films, TV shows, and music videos, and covers topics ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum computing to race and gender. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining disciplines like cognitive psychology, film music theory, analytic philosophy, and media studies. The book aims to foster dialogue between science and the humanities and emphasizes the importance of listening and speaking across disciplines. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: This paper aims to study the gendered representations of robots, cyborgs, ginoids, clones, holograms, and female artificial intelligences in science fiction film. It is hypothesized that the sexist stereotypes widely studied in female film characters are perpetuated in female artificial creations in science fiction film. Methodology: A sample of 83 characters was taken from the IMdB database. After their classification, we proceeded to carry out a qualitative analysis on representation, gender roles and stereotypes of the characters. Results: The results obtained confirm that the science fiction genre is intensely masculinized and vertical occupational segregation is the dominant note. In addition, gender roles and stereotypes that are common in other film genres are also replicated in science fiction. Discussion: The representations do not manage to get rid of sexist precepts that are maintained over time as a result of the persistence of a male gaze. Conclusions: This study confirms the need to establish tools that allow women to access a highly masculinized cultural industry as well as the need to carry out a representation of female fictional characters far from the gender stereotypes traditionally associated with women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In science fiction films involving space travel, the face is often linked aesthetically and conceptually not only with the flat surface of the screen interface but also the spherical environments of the helmet, the spacecraft, and the planetary atmosphere. I explore the relations between eye, face, and screen in Stanley Kubrick's 2001 and its successors, showing how they use facial-optical motifs to mediate encounters between human subjectivity and unfathomable otherness. Ultimately, investigating the ethical dimensions of space exploration cinema's aesthetics of roundness, I argue that recent films display a turning inward and a contraction of both ethical and ontological spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a genre, science fiction has long played with the idea of all-powerful virtual beings and explored notions of transcendence through technological advancements. It has also been at the forefront of exploring our anxieties and hopes regarding new technologies and the ethical and moral consequences of scientific advancement, raising deeply philosophical and theological concerns about an age-old question, namely: what makes us distinct as human beings and what lies beyond our own existence? This article aims to provide an overview of recent themes that have emerged in science fiction film and television, especially with regard to extending our lives beyond their natural biological age. As the article will outline, these ideas generally appear in notions of cyborgization or mind uploading into cyberspace. Both indicate a deeply human desire to avoid death, and the films and shows discussed in this article offer a range of different ideas on this. As we will see, the final case study, the Amazon Prime television show Upload (2020–), brings both of these elements together, touching on a broad range of ideas about cyber-spirituality along the way. The article concludes that although many shows raise interesting questions about the ethical challenges inherent in transhumanist fantasies of mind uploading, they ultimately remain ambiguous in their critique of the dream of digital immortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: Conversations around diversity, race and science fiction and fantasy films/television have sparked in response to recent casting decisions made in the upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Star Wars' Obi-Wan Kenobi (Deggans, 2022; Romano, 2022). Backlash against casting of actors of Color in these genres highlights racial projects where a cultural memory of whiteness comes up against multicultural change. The authors of this paper feel that there is great potential in using current-day racial issues around fantasy films/television to explore these racial projects with students in social studies classes (Omi and Winant, 2014). Design/methodology/approach: Using a qualitative textual analysis (Peräkylä, 2005), the authors examined online news media outlets addressing the casting of actors of Color in the aforementioned media pieces. After reviewing over twenty articles, the authors determined two major themes that would serve as the findings. Findings: In this paper, themes of nostalgia for an imagined 'way things were' and future-based fears of how things will become emerged from the analysis, revealing a need for engaging students in the history of sci-fi and fantasy media, and the existing, diverse histories of storytelling featuring multiple races. Originality/value: The authors argue that examining racial projects found in contemporary sci-fi and fantasy casting are chances for students to understand complex racial histories and how they blend into current-day cultural landscapes, and are opportunities to practice analysis of real-life racial histories and richly-imagined fantasy worlds, noticing how and why the two often collide when it comes to race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neill Blomkamp’s 2015 science fiction film Chappie engages with the familiar narrative trope of robot sentience. Blomkamp confronts viewers with a naïve and vulnerable childlike robot protagonist that is more human and likeable than any of the stilted and stereotypical real human characters in the film. It is the mechanical creature with which the viewer readily identifies and sympathises. Blomkamp facilitates, not only between his characters, but also with the audience, a kinship of the sort that Donna Haraway in Staying with trouble calls affinity groups or assemblages of ‘oddkin’. The immediately sympathetic response of the viewing audience to the mechanical robot is a key strategy in the way that Blomkamp applies irony in this film, which Haraway also identifies as central to her idea of the cyborg as an alternative and potentially liberatory myth. In this article, I engage in a close reading of the film, focusing on the broad network of speculative and science fiction narrative traditions within which this film operates. I consider possible reasons why the film was misread and met with criticism when it was first released. I also specifically investigate the strategies and techniques Blomkamp uses in his depiction of the robot character and how his use of its childlikeness and vulnerability and its engagement with violence and sacrifice are central to the film’s ironic engagement with the central argument about the dangers of dehumanisation and the need to recuperate humaneness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Technological advancement worldwide has impacted the cinema's narratives, and Indian cinema is no exception to this. Science fiction is one of the fascinated genres of the Indian film industry. Incorporating science concepts in plots with the usual commercial elements provides a unique platform for the creators. This hybridisation by the creators instigates imagination among the audience. This paper explains the scientific concepts handled in the sci-fi genre of contemporary Tamil cinema (2010–2020). The study aims to track down how science concepts are dealt with in contemporary Tamil films. Films are classified into five categories based on the themes identified from the plots. A survey was conducted among the Tamil audience to know their opinion about Tamil sci-fi films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early sound film and "classical-style" Hollywood film periods were important representatives in the history of Hollywood films, producing many classic films as well as many famous film music composers. Among them, Bernard Herrmann was a unique and distinctive representative with his own personal compositional style, and was also the representative composer for thriller, horror, mystery and science fiction films during this period. When analyzing film music, especially Bernard Herrmann's works, using tonal music analysis, many harmonic progressions cannot be accurately expressed. Harmonic function analysis emphasizes the principles of tonality, while neo-Riemannian theory breaks away from the framework of tonality and harmonic functions, emphasizing the spatial progression between chords. For Bernard Herrmann's music, using neo-Riemannian theory can reasonably analyze the characteristics and patterns of musical progression, and explain many chord progressions that harmonic functions cannot. One of the films that can be given as an example of this situation is The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). The Day the Earth Stood Still is a Hollywood science fiction film made in 1951. This work played an important role in the development of later science fiction films. Bernard Herrmann chose to abandon the traditional orchestral instrumentation and used a specific instrumental ensemble to form Herrmann's unique science fiction film music space. Transformational analysis shows that the music uses modes, hexatonic scales and octatonic scales to form melodies and harmonies with ambiguous characteristics, and the use of these modes and scales also provides important color elements for film music of specific styles. Neo-Riemannian theory has been around for less than 50 years. As an emerging music theory system, it is not yet mature and complete, and is still expanding and improving. However, as an analysis tool for nonfunctional tonal film music, it can provide a brand new perspective. This researcher also believes that neo-Riemannian theory can provide theoretical basis for analyzing various styles of film music as an analytical tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to determine where exactly fear of intelligent machines is located in the narrative layers embedded in science fiction film stories based on the intelligence explosion hypothesis. The analysis departs from the assumption that the Robopocaliptic narrative, a science fiction narrative depicting the dystopian future of human–robot relationship, is constitutive of the irrational technophobic stance widespread in the public opinion of today’s postindustrial societies. As narration plays an essential part in our daily reflective and social practices, we are naturally inclined to look for narrative structure in popular culture, particularly in film, the most popular form of visual art, and the easiest one to consume. Nine science fiction films have been selected as relevant empirical evidence: The Invisible Boy (1957), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Westworld(1973), Futureworld (1976), Demon Seed (1977), Blade Runner (1982), The Terminator (1984), The Matrix (1999), Ex Machina (2015). The Robopocaliptic narrative interwoven with the themes of the analysed films uncovers four recurrent ideas or messages that create robotophobia: redundancy of the human race, moral indifference of robots, robots as emotional abusers, and the loss of control over one’s own mind and body. The author proposes that these four ideas or messages mirror four layers of fear, all pointing to a meta-fear: the fear of rejection to be recognised and treated as a morally worth human being. In conclusion, the author suggests that Axel Honneth’s concept of recognition opens a plausible avenue to clarify the roots of the fear of the Robopocalypse.