(Previous)…..(Content)…..(Next)

……

The World of Science Fiction Transformers in the Mid-80s

Ts

(Romanian)

1984… Let’s go through other milestones of this year!

“The Last Starfighter” is another movie that I particularly enjoyed (teenager and budding gamer), paving the way for a subgenre of films that explore the intersection of the real and virtual worlds, such as “Ready Player One” (2018) or movies about teenagers who discover they have special powers like “Ender’s Game” (2013) or the “newly released” “The Giver” (2014).

The film’s premise was about a young man (Lance, the film’s protagonist) being recruited into an alien army through a video game to save the galaxy, reflecting the growing fascination with video games in the 1980s.

The “Star Wars” saga is a major influence on almost every science fiction movie of that period, where elements such as spaceships, epic battles, and charismatic characters are “borrowed” from this franchise, where the visual effects of the film were astounding for those times, using computers to create spaceships and alien landscapes was a true innovation.

Another outstanding film (at least for me) is represented by Starman (under the “wand” of John Carpenter, known for horror films such as “Halloween” from 1978) which laid the “foundations” of an exciting and innovative story for that time, which will “find” in the initiation of a future (just one year later) television series of the same name (Starman).

Unlike many sci-fi films that focus on space battles and advanced technology, Starman focuses on the human side of an encounter with an alien, the relationship between the alien (played by Jeff Bridges) and the human protagonist (Karen Allen) is one of the most beautiful and touching in the history of cinema (a love story that transcends the barriers of species and time).

Then, we should remember “Runaway”, a film that explores a theme that has become increasingly relevant with the advance of technology: the danger of artificial intelligence.

Directed by Michael Crichton, the same mind behind the Jurassic Park novel and film, it presents us with a future where robots have become an integral part of everyday life, anticipating many of the current trends in robotics.

The “plot” is “supported” by action and suspense, the film being full of intense action sequences, in which robots turned violent to hunt people, and the special effects, for those times, were quite advanced (especially in the scenes where robots versus humans).

And why not ‘Dreamscape’, a sci-fi directed by Joseph Ruben that explores the fascinating world of dreams and the subconscious, combining elements of psychological thriller, sci-fi, and even horror in a gripping story about a man with exceptional psychic abilities?

Sau, „Iceman” este un film care explorează o premisă fascinantă și ușor macabră, descoperirea unui om primitiv, un Neanderthal, înghețat în gheață timp de mii de ani, bazându-se pe ideea, deși puțin probabilă, a descoperirii unui om primitiv și pe consecințele acestei descoperiri asupra societății moderne.

Or, “Iceman” is a film that explores a fascinating and slightly macabre premise, the discovery of a primitive man, a Neanderthal, frozen in ice for thousands of years, based on the unlikely idea of ​​the discovery of a primitive man and the consequences of this discovery on modern society.

And, from here, it could be said that we move into an “experimental zone” of “Science fiction”, through “The Philadelphia Experiment”, a film that captured the imagination of the public, but also generated a lot of controversies, having as its “starting point” an urban legend of the same name about an “alleged” US military experiment during World War II in which a warship was allegedly rendered invisible, with catastrophic results.

So the film combines elements of science fiction, creating a mysterious and intriguing atmosphere, with special effects considered innovative at the time of release (especially the teleportation and space-time distortion scenes), tackling complex themes such as scientific manipulation, the unintended consequences of experiments, and the impact on the human psyche, becoming over time a classic of the science fiction subgenre, being appreciated for its dark atmosphere and for tackling controversial themes.

Also “experimental” would be “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension”, a real gem of the 80s, becoming a “classic” of the genre (with lots of references and memorable quotes), boldly combining science-fiction, comedy, action, western and even musical elements, developing a cult following over the years thanks to its originality and clever humor.

The film follows the adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, a neurosurgeon, physicist, and racing driver, who, together with his team, must stop an alien invasion from the eighth dimension.

Or “Repo Man”, which is more than just an entertainment film, combining elements of science fiction, dark comedy, punk rock, and film noir originally and surprisingly, standing out as a mirror of a generation, a celebration of non-conformity and a subtle critique of society, capturing the audience’s imagination through its originality, its unconventional humor and its approach to universal themes.

On the same “line” would be “Night of the Comet”, a film that combines elements of horror (with “gore” scenes), comedy (teenage humor), and even a touch of romance, is considered a cult film, appreciated for its originality and unique atmosphere.

The film’s plot revolves around a comet that passes by Earth and which, through its radiation, turns most of the population into zombies, two surviving teenage sisters find themselves in a post-apocalyptic world where they must fend for themselves.

And let’s not forget the “Science Fiction” television series. 1984 “brings” us the release of the animated series “Transformers” (1984–1987, 98 30-minute episodes, as a supplement represented by Transformers: The Movie from 1986) which was a true revolution in the world of animation and toys, an animated series that captured the imagination of children around the world, becoming a lasting cultural phenomenon.

For those times the idea of ​​alien robots that could transform into vehicles and other objects was revolutionary at the time, becoming standout characters (each robot had a distinct personality, from the brave Optimus Prime to the cunning Megatron, making them easy to love or hate), the confrontations between the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the Decepticons, led by Megatron, being full of action and suspense.

It should be emphasized that the animation, although made in the 80s, was of high quality for that time and offered a captivating visual spectacle, and the simple concept, the fight between good and evil (a concept easily “perceived” by children and youth), but effective, with well-defined characters “giving birth” to a real “new universe”.

A “visual universe” represented by the animations:

• Transformers: The Headmasters (1987–1988, 35 30-minute episodes),
• Transformers: Victory (1989, 32 30-minute episodes),
• Transformers: Generation 2 (1992–1994),
• …
• Transformers Prime (2010–2013, 65 30-minute episodes),
• Etc (we are talking about a “temporal” continuity of animation in TV series, including “single” movies like Transformers One from 2024, many “parallel” lines, blah, blah)…

Or the “feature” films represented by:

• Transformers (2007),
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009),
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011),
• Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014),
• Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), sau
• Transformers: Rise of the Beast (2023).

Would we need more “Blah, blah”s?

And, to complete the year 1984 for “science fiction in the image”, some television series should be remembered…

„V”, about contact with “visiting” extraterrestrial “civilizations”, the series managed to combine elements of a psychological thriller with science fiction, creating an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue that kept viewers on their toes (the image of “visitors”, with their reptilian faces, remained iconic and is still recognized by generations to come).

Another series that attracted attention that year was Chocky (6 episodes of 25 minutes), based on John Wyndham’s novel of the same name, a novel and disturbing story about a boy named Matthew and his unusual relationship with an alien entity who calls her Chocky.

And why not the series The Tripods (1984–1985, 25 30-minute episodes), based on John Christopher’s novel of the same name, a post-apocalyptic adaptation featuring a world dominated by mechanical giants, called tripods, who conquered Earth and subjugated humanity (idea picked up in “War of the Worlds”, blah blah).

For the “written book,” 1984 was a year rich in science fiction releases worldwide. Many of the novels published became classics of the genre and continued to influence literature and popular culture, establishing the year as part of the “Golden Age “ of science fiction literature.

In particular, 1984 is a year marked by the “Big Three” (Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein at the height of their careers), but also authors such as Orson Scott Card (with the development of the first part of the “Ender’s Game” series), William Gibson, etc., in which writers began to tackle more complex and nuanced themes, such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, time travel and the impact of technology on society, to which is added the diversification of subgenres, with the “strengthening” of some subgenres such as cyberpunk, space opera and hard sci-fi.

Without going into further details, I think you have enough details about the “transition” to the full manifestation of the adolescence of the “Science Fiction” world…

Merticaru Dorin Nicolae

(Previous)…..(Content)…..(Next)

……