Fans of Sci-Fi have something to look forward to this summer, the Museum of Modern Art is screening 70 sci-fi modern, and past, classics for a showcase called “Future Imperfect: The Uncanny in Science Fiction,”
I know modern sci-fi can be a little disappointing given that Micheal Bay is still directing thinly veiled Bud Light commercials and calling them Transformer movies. Let’s not forget over the last few years we’ve also seen some of the best sci-fi in recent decades. Movies like “Her (2013)”, “Ex Machina (2014)” and “Under the Skin(2013)” have helped push sci-fi in a more arthouse, legitimate, indy direction… despite Bay’s best efforts. Maybe that’s why MoMA has included these three films in it’s “Future Imperfect: The Uncanny in Science Fiction” screenings.
“Future Imperfect: The Uncanny in Science Fiction,” is a gigantic showcase of more than 70 sci-fi films made between 1901 and 2017 from over 22 countries.
The series asks the question, “what does it mean to be human?” with the remit of only showing films that are set on Earth in the present… don’t be disheartened if you’re a fan of space epics, there is plenty in the festival to keep you coming back.
The official launch and first screenings are on July 17 and will continue until August 31, with introductory talks from filmmakers like Larry Fessenden, Lynn Hershman Leeson and John Sayles.
One introduction to highlight is Neil deGrasse Tyson on August 14 who will be introducing The Quiet Earth.
You can get more info here, or check out the lineup below:
6 Hours to Live (1932)
Directed by William Dieterle
It’s Great to Be Alive (1933)
Directed by Alfred L. Werker
Monday, July 17, 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 31, 7:00 p.m.
The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
Written and directed by John Sayles
Monday, July 17, 7:00 p.m.
Introduced by John Sayles and others
Friday, July 21, 4:00 p.m.
The Bed Sitting Room (1969)
Directed by Richard Lester
Tuesday, July 18, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 23, 1:00 p.m.
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Directed by Richard Linklater
Tuesday, July 18, 6:45 p.m.
Wednesday, July 19, 4:30 p.m.
Afronauts (2014)
Written and directed by Frances Bodomo
Les saignantes (The Bloodiest) (2005)
Written and directed by Jean-Pierre Bekolo
Wednesday, July 19, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 20, 4:30 p.m.
Die letzten Tage von Gomorrha (TheLast Days of Gomorrah) (1974)
Written and directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms
Thursday, July 20, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 25, 4:00 p.m.
Marjorie Prime (2017)
Directed by Michael Almereyda
Friday, July 21, 6:45 p.m.
Battle Royale (2000)
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku
Saturday, July 22, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 27, 6:30 p.m.
La Jetée (1962)
Written and directed by Chris Marker
Je t’aime, je t’aime (1968)
Directed by Alain Resnais
Saturday, July 22, 4:15 p.m.
Monday, July 24, 6:45 p.m.
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
Directed by Joseph Sargent
Saturday, July 22, 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 28, 4:15 p.m.
Strange Days (1995)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Sunday, July 23, 3:15 p.m.
Wednesday, July 26, 6:45 p.m.
Welt am Draht (World on a Wire) (1973)
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Sunday, July 23, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, July 28, 6:45 p.m.
“Anticipation” in Le Plus vieux métier du monde (The Oldest Profession) (1967)
Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (Alphaville) (1965)
Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Monday, July 24, 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 30, 6:00 p.m.
Corpus Callosum (2002)
Written and directed by Michael Snow
Tuesday, July 25, 6:45 p.m.
Wednesday, July 26, 4:30 p.m.
Algol – Tragödie der macht (Tragedy of Power) (1920)
Directed by Hans Werckmeister
Thursday, July 27, 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 30, 1:00 p.m.
Przekładaniec (Roly Poly/Layer Cake) (1968)
Directed by Andrzej Wajda
O-Bi, O-Ba – Koniec czwilizacji (O-Bi, O-Ba – The End of Civilization) (1985)
Written and directed by Piotr Szulkin
Saturday, July 29, 1:30 p.m.
Monday, July 31, 6:30 p.m.
Konec sprna v Hotelu Ozon (Late August at the Hotel Ozone) (1967)
Directed by Jan Schmidt
Saturday, July 29, 5:00 p.m.
Monday, July 31, 4:30 p.m.
Pis’ma myortvogo cheloveka (Dead Man’s Letters/Letters from a Dead Man) (1986)
Directed by Konstantin Lopushansky
Saturday, July 29, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 30, 3:30 p.m.
Ex Machina (2014)
Written and directed by Alex Garland
Tuesday, August 1, 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 5, 1:00 p.m.
Donnie Darko [director’s cut] (2001)
Written and directed by Richard Kelly
Tuesday, August 1, 6:45 p.m.
Sunday, August 6, 4:00 p.m.
The Craven Sluck (1967)
Written and directed by Mike Kuchar
The Crazies (aka Code Name: Trixie) (1973)
Written and directed by George A. Romero
Wednesday, August 2, 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 6, 1:00 p.m.
The Last Winter (2006)
Directed by Larry Fessenden
Wednesday, August 2, 7:00 p.m.
Introduced by Larry Fessenden
Sunday, August 13, 6:45 p.m.
Ruusujen aika (A Time of Roses) (1969)
Directed by Risto Jarva
Thursday, August 3, 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 9, 7:00 p.m.
Dni zatmeniya (Days of Eclipse) (1988)
Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov
Thursday, August 3, 7:00 p.m.
Fata Morgana (1971)
Written and directed by Werner Herzog
Lektionen in Finsternis (Lessons of Darkness) (1992)
Written and directed by Werner Herzog
Friday, August 4, 4:15 p.m.
Sunday, August 6, 7:00 p.m.
Shanhu dao shang de shi guang (Death Ray on Coral Island) (1980)
Directed by Hongmei Zhang
Friday, August 4, 7:15 p.m.
Monday, August 7, 4:30 p.m.
Under the Skin (2013)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
Saturday, August 5, 4:00 p.m.
Monday, August 7, 7:00 p.m.
Holy Motors (2012)
Written and directed by Leos Carax
Saturday, August 5, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 8, 7:00 p.m.
Les Yeux sans visage (Eyes without a Face) (1960)
Directed by Georges Franju
Tuesday, August 8, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 10, 7:00 p.m.
Tanin no kao (The Face of Another) (1966)
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara
Thursday, August 10, 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 12, 1:00 p.m.
Invasión (1969)
Directed by Hugo Santiago
Friday, August 11, 4:15 p.m.
Sunday, August 13, 1:00 p.m.
El año de la peste (The Year of the Plague) (1979)
Directed by Felipe Cazals
Friday, August 11, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 13, 4:00 p.m.
Shivers (aka They Came from Within) (1975)
Written and directed by David Cronenberg
Saturday, August 12, 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 15, 4:30 p.m.
Videodrome (1983)
Written and directed by David Cronenberg
Saturday, August 12, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 15, 6:45 p.m.
Minority Report (2002)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Monday, August 14, 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 17, 7:00 p.m.
The Quiet Earth (1985)
Directed by Geoff Murphy
Budet laskovyi dozhd (There Will Come Soft Rains) (1984)
Directed by Nozim To’laho’jayev
Monday, August 14, 7:15 p.m.
Presented by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson
Thursday, August 17, 4:30 p.m.
Alternative 3 (1977)
Directed by Christopher Miles
Wednesday, August 16, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 29, 7:00 p.m.
Seduction of a Cyborg (1994)
Written and directed by Lynn Hershman Leeson
Teknolust (2002)
Written and directed by Lynn Hershman Leeson
Wednesday, August 16, 7:00 p.m.
Introduced by Lynn Hershman Leeson
Saturday, August 26, 1:00 p.m.
Dark City (1998)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Friday, August 18, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 19, 7:00 p.m.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)
Directed by Mamoru Oshii
Friday, August 18, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 19, 4:00 p.m.
Gattaca (1997)
Written and directed by Andrew Niccol
Saturday, August 19, 1:00 p.m.
Monday, August 21, 4:30 p.m.
The Man in the White Suit (1951)
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Ropáci (Oil Gobblers) (1988)
Written and directed by Jan Sverák
Sunday, August 20, 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 22, 4:00 p.m.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Directed by Harold Ramis
Sunday, August 20, 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 23, 4:30 p.m.
Her (2013)
Written and directed by Spike Jonze
Sunday, August 20, 6:45 p.m.
Wednesday, August 23, 7:00 p.m.
Los cronocrímines (Timecrimes) (2007)
Written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo
Come Swim (2017)
Written and directed by Kristen Stewart
Monday, August 21, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 30, 7:00 p.m.
Remigration (2011)
Written and directed by Barry Jenkins
Slow Action (2010)
Directed by Ben Rivers
Tuesday, August 22, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 31, 4:00 p.m.
Pi (1998)
Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky
Visitation (2011)
Animated and directed by Suzan Pitt
Thursday, August 24, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 26, 7:00 p.m.
Ajantrik (Pathetic Fallacy) (1958)
Directed by Ritwik Ghatak
Thursday, August 24, 6:45 p.m.
Saturday, August 26, 4:00 p.m.
Children of Men (2006)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Kempinski (2007)
Directed by Neil Beloufa
Friday, August 25, 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 27, 6:45 p.m.
Jubilee (1978)
Written and directed by Derek Jarman
Friday, August 25, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 27, 4:45 p.m.
Projletinja (The Damned Thing) (1975)
Directed by Branko Plesa
Izbavitelj (The Rat Savior) (1976)
Directed by Krsto Papic
Sunday, August 27, 1:00 p.m.
Monday, August 28, 4:00 p.m.
À la conquête du pôle (The Conquest of the Pole) (1912)
Directed by and starring Georges Méliès
The Fantastic Adventures of
Georges Méliès, Buster Keaton,
and Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Monday, August 28, 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday, August 30, 4:30 p.m.