Steampunk Cinema: November 2015 Movie Marathon

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I love the look of steam punk. All the gears and haze, copper and valves... the Blimps. I love the idea of steam punk. Trying to figure out what the world would look like if we were built on something other than electricity. I’ve always looked for a favorite steam punk movie. But trying to capture the look while telling the epic tale is a challenge. This month I decided it was time to finally find my all time favorite steam punk movie…
  1. 9 (2009) - It was a little more violent than I expected. A good atmosphere though. Plenty of action. Great cast. I like Elijah Wood. I love Crispen Glover. But somehow this movie missed the mark for me. I couldn’t connect with the story and the characters were flat. I’m glad I saw it and might give it another chance some day, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it again. I liked the short film better.
  2. Time after Time (1979) – the nostalgic choice. This is one of those movies that came on HBO a lot when I was a kid. I remember liking it, but I also know that I was so young that I was never quite sure what Jack the Ripper was. I remember that I really liked the time machine and the suggestion that all of HG Wells’ stories might be based on his actual adventures. It’s a fun story with a solid cast but at the end of the day it’s more of an 80s movie than Steam Punk. That’s nothing wrong with a good 80 movie, but it’s pretty dated and hard for me to watch out of the context of the 80s.
  3. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) – I want to love this movie. I love the idea of this movie. I love the cast. Heck, you would have to actually try to make this a bad movie... It's a great idea. But somehow the execution falls flat. I can’t even say that it’s all image over content because the image isn’t even that great. It’s just a mess of a movie.
  4. City of Ember (2008) – How is it possible that I haven’t heard of this movie before? It’s got Bill Murray. Did the studio advertise it at all? Great cast. Great story. Incredible visuals. I love this movie. It was a nice surprise. I bought it. I’m glad I did. If you can find it and you haven’t seen it already you should go it a try.
  5. Time Bandits (1981) – I forgot that this was steam punk. I love this film. One of the most quotable movies I’ve ever seen. I need to get a copy. On Bluray. Steelbook. Hands down, this is my favorite.
Honorable mention goes to Doctor Who and the Discworld.  I’m not sure that Discworld actually is supposed to be Steam Punk, but in my head it fits. Going Postal is generally considered steam punk.

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