Monsters from the Id Anxiety and Optimism in 1950s Science Fiction

Connell Creations (Firm) (Added Author). Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm) (Added Author). Infobase (Added Author).

Summary: It was the era of McCarthyism, the Korean War, and nightmares of nuclear oblivion-but, as this documentary illustrates, the 1950s also witnessed a surge of optimism and confidence in America that figured prominently in the period's science fiction cinema. Interweaving clips from over thirty classic movies, the film describes the emergence of a distinctly 20th-century archetype, the Modern Scientist, which emboldened an uncertain nation to face new challenges head-on. Chief among these was the 1957 launch of Sputnik, a principal catalyst in the international space race and a paradigm shift in the way Americans imagined space travel. Commentary on the decade's scientific and sociological transformation-and on America's shortcomings in science and technology today-comes from Homer Hickam, retired NASA engineer and inspiration for the 1999 movie October Sky; Dr. Patrick Lucanio, author of Smokin' Rockets: The Romance of Technology in Film, Radio, and Television in the 1950s; film critic and sci-fi expert Richard Scheib; and others.

Record details

Physical Description: 1 streaming video file (52 min.) : sd., col.
remote
electronic resource (video)
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Infobase, [2013], c2009.

Content descriptions

General Note:	Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on February 10, 2013. Films on Demand is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.
Formatted Contents Note:	Cinema as Exploration of Cultural Fears (2:15) -- Science Fiction's 1950s Rise to Popularity (2:34) -- Anxiety Over Atomic Energy & Monster Movies (3:22) -- Blending Science with Fiction in Film (1:31) -- Teaching Science Creatively for Widespread Appeal (5:01) -- Child & Scientist Archetypes in 1950s Science Fiction (3:09) -- Domestication of Scientists in Cinema (1:51) -- Television as Space Program Propaganda (2:38) -- Monsters from the Subconscious (3:33) -- Homer Hickam: Sputnik as a Turning Point (3:07) -- Homer Hickam: Amateur Rockets & Boyhood Dreams (1:53) -- Sputnik, Space, & Science: Inspiring 1950s Youth (1:25) -- Dr. Wernher Von Braun & Scientist Role Models (2:18) -- President Kennedy's Idealism & Space Aspirations (2:25) -- Kennedy's Assassination & End of Optimistic Era (1:14) -- Potential for Revival of 1950s Scientific Zeitgeist (3:09) -- Private Industry & Space Exploration Today (3:05) -- Students' Disinterest in Science & Its Impact on Nation's Future (1:18) -- Advantages of Space Exploration (1:21) -- Nostalgia for 1950s Aspirations & Curiosity (3:53) -- Credits: Monsters from the Id: Anxiety and Optimism in 1950s Science Fiction (0:37)
Restrictions on Access Note:	Access requires authentication through Films on Demand.
Target Audience Note:	9 & up.
System Details Note:	Mode of access: Internet. System requirements: FOD playback platform.
Language Note:	Closed-captioned.
Source of Description Note:	Title from distributor's description.