The Creation of the Humanoids (1962)

A deceptively intelligent early sci-fi film that relies quite heavily on dialogue that contain ideas of even more relevance today as we hurtle toward a future in which we will have to come terms with our relationship with our “smarter” technology.

Directed by Wesley Barry
Written by Jay Simms
Produced by Wesley Barry, Edward J. Kay
Cinematography: Hal Mohr
Edited by Ace Herman
Music by Edward J. Kay
Distributed by Emerson Film Enterprises
Running time: 84 minutes


Cast

Don Megowan as Capt. Kenneth Cragis
Erica Elliot as Maxine Megan
Don Doolittle as Dr. Raven
George Milan as Acto, a clicker
Dudley Manlove as Lagan, a clicker
Frances McCann as Esme Cragis Milos
David Cross as Pax, a clicker
Malcolm Smith as Court
Richard Vath as Mark, a clicker
Reid Hammond as Hart, Chairman of Surveillance Committee
Pat Bradley as Dr. Moffitt
William Hunter as Ward, Surveillance Committee Member
Gil Frye as Orus, a clicker
Alton Tabor as Kelly's Duplicate
Paul Sheriff as Policeman

Trailer

The setting: 23rd century post nuclear war holocaust society.

The surviving population suffers from a decreasing birth rate.

The human race is headed for extinction.

People have become dependent on humanoid robots (‘Clickers’) for assistance.

The ‘Order of Flesh and Blood’ fear that the robots will take over and supplant human beings.

The Order tasks itself with preventing the robots from becoming too human and with ensuring that human beings remain dominant.

A scientist experiments with creating human replicas that have genuine emotions and memories.

Two central characters, Kenneth Cragis and Maxine Megan form a close relationship and make a discovery that will call into question all that they thought they knew about the basis of their society and themselves.

And now prepare yourself for “The Creation of the Humanoids” and to have your ideas challenged on what it means to be human along with the possible future direction of our human civilization……..

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Blade Runner (1982)

A significant sci-fi film that holds a mirror up to humanity and forces us to ask some uncomfortable questions about ourselves

Directed by Ridley Scott
Screenplay by Hampton Fancher, David Peoples
Based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Produced by: Michael Deeley
Cinematography: Jordan Cronenweth
Edited by Terry Rawlings
Marsha Nakashima
Music byVangelis
Production companies: The Ladd Company, Shaw Brothers Blade Runner Partnership
Distributed by Warner Bros. (Worldwide), Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong)
Running time: 117 minutes
Language: English
Budget: $30 million
Box office: $41.8 million

Cast

Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard
Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty
Sean Young as Rachael
Edward James Olmos as Gaff
M. Emmet Walsh as Bryant
Daryl Hannah as Pris
William Sanderson as J.F. Sebastian
Brion James as Leon Kowalski
Joe Turkel as Eldon Tyrell
Joanna Cassidy as Zhora Salome
James Hong as Hannibal Chew
Morgan Paull as Dave Holden
Hy Pyke as Taffey Lewis

Trailer

What is set down here does not involve a future in which machines have risen up to take over and subjugate humanity. Nor is it a future in which governments have specifically conspired to use technology to achieve world domination. Neither are there cyborgs being sent back into the past in order to effect change in the future.

The events that are about to unfold here are set in a dystopian future in Los Angeles in the year 2019. You might think of it as one possible future outcome out of an infinite number of possible future outcomes within a string theory multiverse. This particular future is the result of a certain set of decisions that had been made resulting in the creation of synthetic humans known as ‘replicants’ that were bio-engineered by the all-powerful Tyrell Corporation to work on space colonies. Unexpectedly, a group of advanced replicants committed the unthinkable before escaping back to Earth. It was then up to a jaded and burnt-out former cop – a blade runner - Rick Deckard to hunt them down and ‘retire’ them.

Now let’s begin this tale of a possible future by providing a bit of context which should be scrolling on the screens of your devices…...now:

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