"In the year..."

September 24, 2007 11:21 AM

Help me compile a list of movies about the future! Specifically, I'm looking for movies that state the year when they take place.

Intrigued by this Wandering through the Future art project time line, I decided that I wanted to see a graph showing years that movies were made about the future, and how far into the future.

So for starters I've used the list of movies from the time line, adding the year the film was made, but I'm sure there are plenty more out there. For example, the project above only includes movies that take place after 2008, so anything about a 20th century future would be great.

Here is the current list of movies I have. Right now it's almost all from the project above.

So, if you know a movie about the future and know the year it takes place (and it isn't already on the list), please do let me know. Movies about a non-specific future ("in the distant future", etc) are not really what I want. Also, although there are some on the list, I'm not really looking for tv shows at this point.

posted by Lirp to media & arts (22 comments total)

And here's a couple work-in-progress charts that I made for the data I've got so far: by year and by distance.
posted by Lirp at 11:26 AM on September 24, 2007

Wikipedia has year articles way into the future. I tried "2046" at random and there's a 2004 Hong Kong film called just that (although apparently the majority of the film isn't in that exact year). Farther into the future it turns into mostly pages on entire centuries and even millenia, which also get into pop culture uses. Should be pretty useful.
posted by abcde at 11:32 AM on September 24, 2007

You may also want to check out:
http://www.themovietimeline.com/page49#2105
posted by ManInSuit at 11:37 AM on September 24, 2007

The Chronicles of Riddick
Waterworld
Starship Troopers
Judge Dredd
Paycheck
posted by cashman at 11:41 AM on September 24, 2007

"The Time Machine" (in the original H.G. Wells novel and, I think, in the various film adaptations), takes place in partly 802,701. I've always remembered that date, because it has a poetic -- winding down -- ring to it.
posted by grumblebee at 12:10 PM on September 24, 2007

Strange Days (the date/year is a critical detail).
posted by vers at 12:24 PM on September 24, 2007

"The Time Machine" (in the original H.G. Wells novel and, I think, in the various film adaptations), takes place in partly 802,701. I've always remembered that date, because it has a poetic -- winding down -- ring to it.
posted by grumblebee at 12:10 PM on September 24

Ha! So have I. I've always wondered what the furthest date in the future was that was an exact date. So stuff like "A million years in the future" wouldnt work but 802,701 would.
posted by vacapinta at 12:36 PM on September 24, 2007

Idiocracy was released in 2006 and is set largely in 2505.
posted by jacobm at 12:55 PM on September 24, 2007

Also, lirp, your work-in-progress chart links aren't working properly for me (403 error). Maybe some kind of permission thing, because from the index, they appear, with the same links.
posted by cashman at 1:01 PM on September 24, 2007

Thanks for the tips so far. The Movie Time Line in particular looks really helpful.

cashman, I believe I fixed the permissions issue (an over-sensitive htaccess file). Following the links from this page should work now.
posted by Lirp at 1:32 PM on September 24, 2007

Timecop takes place in 2004.
posted by misha at 1:42 PM on September 24, 2007

The original animated Transformers film! "It is the year 2005..."
posted by zebra3 at 2:23 PM on September 24, 2007

Escape from New York. Made in 1981. Takes place in 1998.
posted by essexjan at 2:35 PM on September 24, 2007

There's also The Thirteenth Floor, dates in that link.

Same for Robot Wars.
posted by zebra3 at 2:43 PM on September 24, 2007

This is great. I updated the images and file list with a bunch of new movies from movietimeline and other suggestions.
posted by Lirp at 3:08 PM on September 24, 2007

Things to Come (1936), adapted from Wells' novel The Shape of Things to Come, is in several sections, each labeled by date. It opens in 1940, and the final section is set in 2035. (Interesting, odd tale with a number of striking visuals.)
posted by rob511 at 3:22 PM on September 24, 2007

Death Race 2000 (1975)
posted by Durhey at 3:42 PM on September 24, 2007

Wow - Silent Running happens next year (2008)
posted by seanyboy at 4:20 PM on September 24, 2007

Brazil. It's been years since I have seen it, thus I cannot remember if it states the year in which is set.
posted by AlliKat75 at 5:28 PM on September 24, 2007

Allikat75: I'm pretty sure that Brazil does not mention the date (having watched it far too many times...).
posted by pompomtom at 6:15 PM on September 24, 2007

C'mon, people! Blade Runner takes place in November, 2019 - everyone knows that.
posted by doublesix at 10:45 PM on September 24, 2007

Predator 2 (1990) is set in the distant future of 1997.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:12 AM on September 25, 2007