A Battle To The Death, In A Totalitarian New-Wave Nightmare

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:00:00 PDT

Of all the neon-dystopia music videos that came out after Blade Runner, my favorite is probably 1983's "Magnetic" by Earth Wind & Fire. It's the year 2051, and despite the "Plenty Through Technology" posters everywhere, people live in a neon-tinged squalor, with only giant nightclubs and dancing street vendors to keep them pacified. Raver-cops keep order by wielding glowsticks mercilessly. But the biggest instrument of social control is some kind of gladiator combat, in which the government's plexiglass shield-bearing champion always wins... until now.

Mutants Meet Magnets In Taiwanese SciFi

Kevin Kelly — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:00:27 PST

According to Shen xuan zhe, a new science fiction film from Taiwan, the time, place, and date of your birth in relation to the Earth's magnetic field can give you special powers. You might become an ultra-special "chosen" member of the Brotherhood of Legio, a sort of dark Taiwanese version of the Justice League.

When the Brotherhood comes calling, it forces potential members to undergo brutal tests and wear funky LED handcuffs to determine if they're worthy or not. The film has good-looking special effects and has a The Matrix meets The X-Men feel, with a dash of bondage thrown in. Looking forward to seeing this one when it hits stateside (it's variously listed under the English titles Brotherhood of Legio and Brotherhood of Legion).

[Quiet Earth]

io9: magnetic

A Battle To The Death, In A Totalitarian New-Wave Nightmare

Mutants Meet Magnets In Taiwanese SciFi