“Be afraid. Be very afraid.” From the very beginning, Hollywood movies have offered a frightening reflection of our deep fear of technology, its effects, and sinister implications. Time-traveling terminators, resurrected dinosaurs, alien invasions, and virtual prisons all give us a sense of just how terrified Hollywood writers, directors, and producers think we are (or should be).
In this class we will investigate popular, pivotal movies and discuss their fears, warnings, and possible solutions to this ever-increasing cultural technophobia. Discussion topics will include: “the mad scientist and you,” “ghosts in the machines,” “malfunctioning machinations,” “risks and rewards,” and “the power of human ingenuity.”
Friday January 10th at 7:00pm
“I don’t have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad.” In this month’s Talking Technophobia in Film, all we want is “30 share and a 20 rating,” as we get “mad as hell” with the 1976 prophetic masterpiece, Network.
We will touch upon the reflective & projective power of the television, the ethics of journalism, and the sensationalization of tragedy. Some themes will include the “mad scientist,” “brainwashing,” and “dehumanization.” We must be careful, because it might just turn out that “the world is business” and we wouldn’t want to “meddle with the primal forces of nature,” now would we?
Click HERE to register for this free class at LMCTV,
space is limited.
