In 2005, Scientists discovered a distant planet believed to have a climate nearly identical to Earth. In 2006, Nasa built a transmission device five times more powerful than any before it, and a program to contact the planet began. It was known as the Beacon Project. Battleship 2012 starring Taylor Kitsch & Liam Neeson & Rihanna & Alexander Skarsgard & Broolyn Decker & Tadanobu Asano & Haish Linklater & Peter MacNicol & John Tui & Gregory D Gadson et al, director Peter Berg, opening caption
Five distinct objects that are moving in formation. ibid. English bloke
We’re looking at an extinction level event. ibid.
Law I: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. I, Robot 2004 starring Will Smith & Bruce Greenwood & Bridget Moynahan & James Cromwell & Alan Tudyk & Chi McBride & Shia LaBeouf & Fiona Hogan & Terry Chen et al, director Alex Proyas
An imitation of life: can a robot write a symphony? Can a robot turn a canvas into a beautiful masterpiece? ibid. Smith to robot
I claim the right of challenge. Who will pledge their metal to mine? John Carter 2012 starring Taylor Kitsch & Lynn Collins & Samantha Morton & Willem Dafoe & Thomas Haden Church & Ciaran Hinds & Dominic West & James Purefoy & Bryan Cranston & Mark Strong et al, director Andrew Stanton, green bloke
Take up a cause. Fall in love. Read a book. ibid. John Carter to Ned
I can get you what you want. I can. I can get you anything, you just have to talk to me, you have to trust me. You can trust me, ’cause I’m your priest, I’m your shrink ... I am your main connection to the switchboard of the soul. I’m the magic man ... Santa Claus of the subconscious. You say it, you think it, you can have it. Strange Days 1995 starring Ralph Fiennes & Angela Bassett & Juliette Lewis & Tom Sizemore & Michael Wincott & Vincent D'Onofrio & William Fichtner & Glenn Plummer & Brigitte Bako & Josef Sommer & Nickt Katt & Richard Edson et al, director Kathryn Bigelow, Lenny
The issue isn’t whether you’re paranoid, but whether you’re paranoid enough. ibid. Max
What’s that? That’s no jet. Maggie, look! Down, get down, down! Maggie! Maggie! The Quatermass Xperiment 1955 starring Brian Donlevy & Jack Warner & Margia Dean & Thora Hird & Gordon Jackson & David King-Wood & Harold Lang & Lionel Jeffries & Sam Kydd & Richard Wordsworth et al, director Val Guest, opening scene him to her
Nobody ever wins a cold war. ibid. Warner to Donlevy
Almost beyond human understanding. ibid. Quatermass
What they don’t know won’t start a panic. ibid.
Ignore us – we’re just Mormons. Chronicle 2012 starring Dane DeHaan & Alex Russell & Michael B Jordan & Michael Kelly & Ashley Hinshaw & Anna Wood & Bo Petersen et al, director John Trank, dudes move car
Hi. Welcome to the future: San Dimas, California – 2688. And I’m telling you, it’s great here. The air is clean. The water is clean. Even the dirt is clean! Bowling averages are way up. Minigolf scores are way down. And we have more excellent waterslides than any other planet we communicate with. I’m telling you, this place is great! But it almost wasn’t. You see, 700 years ago, the Two Great Ones ran into a few problems. So now I have to travel back in time to help them out. If I should fail to keep these two along the correct path, the basis of our society will be endangered. Ah, but don’t worry: it’ll all make sense. I’m a professional. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure 1989 starring Keanu Reeves & Alex Winter & George Carlin & Terry Camilleri & Dan Shor & Tony Steedman & Rod Loomis & Al Leong & Jane Wiedlin & Robert V Barron & Clifford David et al, director Stephen Herek, opening commentary
Teacher: Who was Joan of Arc?
Ted: Noah’s wife? ibid.
I’m talking about us following the same routine day after day year after year without questioning it. Total Recall 2012 starring Colin Farrell & Kate Beckinsale & Jessica Biel & Bryan Cranston & Bokeem Woodbine & Bill Nighty & John Cho & Steve Byers & Ethan Hawke et al, director Len Wiseman, hero to Harry
The past is a construct of the mind. ibid. Matthias
The Pentagon likes to keep its eye on government-sponsored research facilities like Brandt. Invasion of the Bee Girls 1973 starring William Smith & Anitra Ford & Victoria Vetri & Cliff Osmond & Wright Knight & Ben Hammer & Anna Aries & Andre Philippe & Sid Kaiser & Katie A Saylor & William Keller & Beverly Powers et al, director Denis Sanders, rozzer
We have to find ways to amuse ourselves. We never really get a chance to get down to LA. There’s a lot of sex games on the go, wife-swapping and a lot of related nonsense. Scientists really aren’t any different from humankind. Just more inventive, that’s all. ibid.
I’ll tell you what it is – it’s an alien, brov. Attack the Block 2011 starring Jodie Whittaker & John Boyega & Alex Esmail & Franz Drameh & Leeon Jones & Simon Howard & Nick Frost & Luke Treadaway & Sammy Williams et al, director Joe Cornish, young gangsta
He says they microwaved Moscow, burned everything out. The Darkest Hour 2012 starring Emile Hirsch & Olivia Thirlby & Max Minghella & Rachael Taylor & Joel Kinnaman & Gosha Kutsenko & Veronika Vernadskaya et al, director Chris Gorak, bird
This is how it starts. ibid. him to her, closing lines
What’s going on? Sphere 1998 starring Dustin Hoffman & Samuel L Jackson & Sharon Stone & Peter Coyote & Queen Latifah & Liev Schereiber & Marga Gome et al, director Barry Levinson, Hoffman to driver of helicopter
Huge grids of catwalks and plumbing and a lot of steam. ibid. driver of helicopter
It’s an American spaceship. ibid. Stone
It arrived seven hundred years ago. ibid. Schreiber
I will kill you all. ibid. message on screen
The beginning is a very delicate time. Dune 1984 starring Kyle MacLachlan & Francesca Annis & Kenneth McMillan & Sting & Everett McGill & Sean Young & Max von Sydow & Patrick Stewart & Dean Stockwell & Sian Phillips & Paul Smith et al, director David Lynch, opening scene
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fear’s path, and only I will remain. ibid. Paul reciting Bene Gesserit mantra
In the late 21st Century Earth was diseased, polluted and vastly overpopulated. Earth’s wealthiest inhabitants fled the planet to preserve their way of life. Elysium 2013 starring Matt Damon & Maxwell Perry Cotton & Jodie Foster & Sharlto Cooley & Alice Braga & Valentina Giros & Diego Luna & Wagner Moura & William Fichtner & Brandon Auret et al, director Neill Blomkamp
I want everyone coming out of that vehicle apprehended. ibid. Foster
Who are you? Why have you come here? Cyborg 1989 starring Jean-Claude van Damme & Deborah Richter & Vincent Klyn & Alex Daniels & Rolf Muller & Jackson Rock Pickney & Dayle Haddon & Haley Petersen & Blaise Loong & Terrie Batson et al, director Albert Pyun, her to him
I am a Cyborg. ibid.