Monsters from the Id: Science is Mankind's Last Great Hope
Science fiction movies of the 1950s, despite their obvious faults, inspired a generation to become scientists. In the films, whatever the problems – even when caused by scientists – they brought the solution. They were heroes. And they got the girl. Sometimes, the scientist even was the girl, an exception to mainstream cinema and fiction generally. That point is not in this documentary. That oversight is one of several, in a generally outstanding effort.
Monsters From The Id weaves the intersecting themes of over thirty classic films in order to tell the untold story of the Modern Scientist and his role in inspiring a nation. The film continues to explore the psychological and cultural impact of 1950s Sci-Fi cinema in America and asks, "where is science inspiration found today?"
The interviews center on Homer Hickam (author of Rocket Boys which became the film October Skies). Physics professor Leroy Dubeck also comments. He teaches from his book Fantastic Voyages (reviewed on NecessaryFacts here) to deliver science via science fiction. Professor of film studies Patrick Lucanio (Smokin’ Rockets and Killers from Mars) is an historian. Also speaking is his co-author for Smokin’ Rockets, Gary Coville. Rounding out the live presenters is a film critic from New Zealand, Richard Scheib, who offers more suggestive hints than substance, another of the flaws in this gem.
Monsters From The Id weaves the intersecting themes of over thirty classic films in order to tell the untold story of the Modern Scientist and his role in inspiring a nation. The film continues to explore the psychological and cultural impact of 1950s Sci-Fi cinema in America and asks, "where is science inspiration found today?"
The interviews center on Homer Hickam (author of Rocket Boys which became the film October Skies). Physics professor Leroy Dubeck also comments. He teaches from his book Fantastic Voyages (reviewed on NecessaryFacts here) to deliver science via science fiction. Professor of film studies Patrick Lucanio (Smokin’ Rockets and Killers from Mars) is an historian. Also speaking is his co-author for Smokin’ Rockets, Gary Coville. Rounding out the live presenters is a film critic from New Zealand, Richard Scheib, who offers more suggestive hints than substance, another of the flaws in this gem.
A “next generation” did follow exploring with Jean-Luc Picard and continuing for 20 years through the Star Trek universe. Today, Star Trek continues. We have some reason to predict success, at least for some of the nerds. (See the many citations to Big Bang Theory on this blog.)
At the same time the computer revolution of the 1980s also added kindling to reignite the fire. War Games touted the hacker. But Tron 2 Point Oh made the beta version look great. The most heroic computerist in recent film was Matt Ferrell (“feral”) in Live Free or Die Hard. Though he employs his hacker skills to help John McClain, Matt makes his day with a gun, becoming “that guy” who blasts away when no one else can, getting shot (but only wounded) and smiling while the medics patch him up.
And that leaves out all the other sciences. Perhaps the essential characteristic of the scientists of the 1950s film – also not mentioned in Monsters of the Id – is that they are generalists: “scientists.” Dr. Patricia Medford (Them) was an entomologist, just as we met physicists, astronomers, and mathematicians. However, each of them was an artesian well of information about anything that needed to be explained at the moment. Science is not an object or a subject, but a method. While other people rely on faith (superstition) or force (the military solution), the scientist reasons from facts and tests her hypothesis.