Saturday, May 28, 2011

Amazing movie: Transatlantic Tunnel (1935)

I just watched an old movie on Netflix streaming, and I was blown away by how good it was.  "Transatlantic Tunnel," filmed in 1935, was incredible, a quality science fiction movie with an impressive set of correct technological predictions.  The movie is set in the late 40's to mid 50's, and predicts:

  • Skype
  • Wireless Skype
  • Awkward social situations caused by Skype
  • Clean rooms / Central control rooms (almost a data center)
  • Widespread use of broadcast television
  • Widescreen television
  • Vertical take off and landing of heavier than air vehicles
  • Mobile Skype (VTOL aircraft to Home, Automobile to Home)
  • Helipads on top of buildings
  • Advanced tunnel boring technology
  • The Chunnel (the Engish Channel Tunnel)
  • An impending war with powers from "the east" (possibly Germany or Russia)
  • Issues with supplying war material from America to Great Britain during a European theater war
  • America and Great Britain coming together as allies during a European theater war
  • Love quadrangles with high-stakes stock price chicanery (ala Gordon Gecko)
  • The "military industrial complex".
The flick created detailed, plausible, science fiction movies sets and promptly ignored them in favor of a decent human plot, including fully realized female characters in pivotal roles, in the same vein as James Cameron in The Abyss, Alien, and of course Avatar.  Science fiction at it's best, this movie is a gem, check it out!