[extropy-chat] Future friendly movies

[Bret Kulakovich]

I've been wanting to send this to the list for a while, and am glad  
to be prompted rather than introduce a thread.
Let me paste in what I've got so far, from this morning's train ride:

I am NOT referring to the movie, here. So when you read it, don't  
think "meh. that movie was so-so."
This is in reference to Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex, or  
GITS:SAC

It is a 2 season 26 episode per season Anime with pretty much the  
same characters as the movies.


I know cartoon network (I believe) just ran the first season, and the  
english version of this was "ok" - the first 6+ episodes are kind of  
standard future/CSI/bladerunner feel to them, but it goes in some  
good directions after that. Season two is very, very good when it  
comes to fiction, character development and plausible future  
plotlines. As always, the subtitled versions are superior in plot,  
ideas and dialogue, not to mention that the original Japanese  
episodes are a couple minutes longer because of being edited to fit  
the US timeslot.

Here are some things featured in the series:

person to person linking
ai to person linking
ai to ai linking
person uploads
cybernetic 'disease' from the human/machine interface (similar to MS)
a future 'disorder' resultant from too much linking/overstimulation  
(similar to Autism)
nano-pharmaceutical treatments, and of course drug-company/government  
profiteer liason stuff
body changing
surrogate bodies/experiences
mind hacking/body hacking
unsolicited nano-infiltration
ai 'wakeups'
network-only conscious entities
multi-conscious uploaded entities
'leftover' cybernetic parts that are still 'occupied'
a character that grows up as an 90% augment, needing cybernetic body  
changes/upgrades
     every few years to accommodate leftover human body part  growth.
experience hacking
(what is probably) a criminal sentient network virus
intentional meme propagation/cold war/hot war i.e. memetic warfare
copies existing without originals
co-joined physical and "cyberspace" locations


... and pretty much everything about the mind/body problem you'd get  
from four semesters of philosophy courses, all wrapped in the  
wonderful artistic backdrop of Master Shirow Masamune.

The opening is haunting, a blend of English, Russian and Latin choir/ 
industrial. It gives me goosebumps to this day:
http://www.bretorium.com/opening_credits.mov



Maybe if we can 'tear ourselves away' from 20th century political  
motivations for a little while, some would be up for enjoying and  
(dare I say) discussing some of the aspects of this show. ]=)


]3


On Aug 7, 2005, at 10:45 AM, spike wrote:

>> bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Giu1i0 Pri5c0
>> To: ExI chat list
>> Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] Future friendly movies
>>
> ...
>
>> A great transhumanist movie would be based on a great plot in a
>> believable and well researched future scenario...
>>
>
>
> The closest thing we have to a future friendly fiction
> is the Jetsons cartoon from the 60s.  Star Trek was mostly
> about the future of warfare.  Every future-based movie
> or TV program I can think of was filled with conflict.  In
> the Jetsons it was just middle class Americana in a 25th
> century setting.  Of course it was comedy and a kid's show.
>
> Are there *any* examples of future fiction in which things
> worked out well all around?
>
> spike
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> extropy-chat mailing list
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo/extropy-chat
>