Future Shock Film: Roundtable Reflection Artwork

Special Topics in Media

Special Topics in Media Studies is a lecture-based podcast that tackles media history one artifact at a time. Each season of the series we will investigate a different mass media theme, medium, or programming genre. While our focus is educational (it is an academic podcast after all), we tailor our conversations toward a broad audience of media enthusiasts.

All Episodes

Special Topics in Media

Future Shock Film: Roundtable Reflection

October 15, 2024 • Garret Castleberry • Season 3 • Episode 8

In a world where free speech converges with film studies, one group of students fight the pandemic and enter the "forbidden zone" whereby their thoughts on Future Shock Cinema enter the public sphere.

Following the accelerated film class Special Topics in Media Studies, course designer and primary instructor Garret Castleberry is joined by a handful of students who successfully completed the "Future Shock Film" course. To recap, the accelerated film and genre course examined Soylent Green (1973), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Minority Report (2002), and The Hunger Games (2012). Student reflect on course themes and relate the films in conversation with the course readings, comparative screenings, and the overall emphasis on future shock science fiction film.

"Future Shock" originated as Season 3 of Special Topics in Media, and the first batch of film conversations comprise a RETRO REWIND mini-series. Following these Retro Rewind film talks, Season 3 will collide with its altered future as we converge with a new season (and NEW university film course!) of future shock analyses.

Host: Garret Castleberry

Producers: Garret Castleberry, Will McMurry (Audio Engineer), Alli Garner (Cover Art), Austin Foster (Music)

Recommended readings to pair with Season 3 "Future Shock Science Fiction Film":

Keith M. Johnston. Science Fiction Film: A Critical Introduction. Bloomsbury, 2011.

Rick Altman. Film/Genre. British Film Institute, 1999.

Laurie Ouellette and Jonathan Gray (Eds.). Keywords for Media Studies. NYU Press, 2017.

Ways to Connect with us online:
Follow and engage with Special Topics in Media on Twitter at @podcast_topics.

"Like" to follow our Special Topics in Media Page on Facebook (search Special Topics in Media).

Join the Special Topics in Media Facebook Group and share your reviews of the film or this episode.

Subscribe to Dr. Castleberry's academic YouTube Channel.

Garret's academic website is available at https://garretcastleberry.academia.edu/.