Help me find these two half remembered movies based on two scenes.
November 21, 2024 10:18 AM   Subscribe

I have scenes from two movies, both older science fiction, that have been rattling around my brain forever and I haven't been able to find them, maybe you can help. Details within!

1) Viewed on TV when I was an early teen. Science fiction movie, black and white or very early color. People are on a trip to the moon and they're being fired from a "space gun". The scientist/operator is very clear that they should be careful and guard their ears during the concussion from firing the gun. This is NOT "A Trip to the Moon".

2) This was on a tv in a bar while I was drinking. Another sci-fi, probably 70s or early 80s. Visually along the lines of Barbarella. Very homoerotic undertones, someone dressed in a toga was served a chocolate bar on a silver tray, and that's all I can remember.

I appreciate your help in potentially freeing up my brain to think about other things!
posted by mikesch to Media & Arts (9 answers total)
 
#2 is making me think of Logan's Run but it's been ages since I watched it.
posted by phunniemee at 10:30 AM on November 21, 2024


Best answer: I think #1 might be Things to Come (1936). There were togas in that one too.
posted by pipeski at 10:36 AM on November 21, 2024 [2 favorites]


I just watched Logan's Run the other day. If the picture in your head is red or green togas, that might be #2, though I can't recall serving chocolate specifically. There's a part where the main character entertains the woman in his apartment after selecting her on the dating app-thing. There's a guy who appears before the woman appears, too.
posted by hydra77 at 12:01 PM on November 21, 2024


Response by poster: I think #1 could very well be Things to Come. I need to watch it to be certain but the kind of epic futuristic vibe from the 30s matches with what I remember about it.

#2 definitely isn't Logan's Run, one of my favorite movies. What I remember about it makes me think it's from the same time period. Thank you for the responses so far!
posted by mikesch at 12:38 PM on November 21, 2024


Things to come, at almost exactly 90' the space gun operator warns the travellers to contract their muscles but that they would be OK after 5 minutes.
posted by biffa at 12:48 PM on November 21, 2024


Although there is a space gun in Things to Come, which is fired at the end of that film, nothing is shown of the occupants inside its bullet-capsule; there's no warning of the inevitable concussion.
posted by Rash at 1:06 PM on November 21, 2024


If it was a TV show - then two sounds a little like The Fantastic Journey maybe - other potential candidates
posted by rongorongo at 2:48 PM on November 21, 2024


Could the second one be Westworld from '73? The Delos resort/theme park containing the robot-populated Old West also had realms where you could live in ancient Rome and a sort of medieval-era realm for all your castle/swordfighting/princess-in-the-tower fantasies. The latter two weren't major portions of the story but their robot populace malfunctioned as well, and IIRC the part where the Gunslinger was in pursuit of the main character took them through all 3 realms as well as behind the curtain, so to speak.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:26 PM on November 21, 2024 [3 favorites]


Is Zardoz a possibility for #2? I don't really remember much beyond Sean Connery's outfit but I think there were folks in robes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zardoz
posted by Awfki at 4:34 AM on November 22, 2024 [2 favorites]


« Older Recs: personal essays, especially available on...   |   TEAch me Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments