Memory Modification
Memory modification is a common theme in cyberpunk movies. In some cases, such as Total Recall, the memory modification is complete, dumping our anti-hero into an alternate reality confined by the prison of their perception. In other cases, the memory modification involves removal of existing memories, or a revision of previous events. This category brings together all of these, but does not distinguish them further. Like all of my themes categories, I don’t distinguish here between movies and animes (which are very influential in cyberpunk) - you will see both listed.
And yes, I realize I don’t have all memory modification movies listed…yet. I’m still in the process of uploading my reviews. If you have one in mind that you don’t see here, let me know, and I’ll bump it up in priority.
- 964 Pinocchio
- Blade Runner
- Brainstorm
- Casshern
- Cl.One
- Code 46
- Cypher
- Dark City
- Final Cut
- Galerians: Rion
- Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex
- Hardwired
- Immortel
- Impostor
- Johnny 2.0
- Johnny Mnemonic
- La Jetée
- Lathe of Heaven
- Looker
- Matrix
- Menno's Mind
- Minority Report
- Nirvana
- Puzzlehead
- Technotise: Edit I Ja (Edit & I)
- The Island
- Total Recall
- Twelve Monkeys
- UCF: Toronto Cybercide
- Xchange
Comments
July 19, 2006
Khristian said:
Strange Days
October 16, 2006
D Lacey said:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind would be a good movie to review, too; strong theme of memory modification, additional themes of punk visuals, weird jury-rigged tech, and corporations selling stuff people don’t need…
How about the movie(s) Vanilla Sky / Abre los Ojos? That fits, too…
As for anime, I would almost want to nominate Madlax, but I’m not sure it counts, because it’s more of a cyberpunk-styled dark fantasy - the technology that the corporations are using to mess with people and their memories have the feel of curses or magic, though they use computers to apply them extensively. But consider it anyway. Except for the curse/magic stuff, it has pretty much all the cyberpunk themes: corporations manipulating society, outsiders, memory confusion, who’s a real person/who’s virtual, hackers, mercenaries.
October 23, 2006
GnuX said:
Cube Zero is about memory modification
Best fucking movie ever, I don’t know if it is cyberpunk but…see it!
January 18, 2008
Mira Firefly said:
You forgot the original Ghost In The Shell! The ghost-hacked dude got his memory modified, remember?
December 4, 2009
Beyondpair said:
To Force,grant gain sell recognition quality vary inform complete detail black forget final engine image arise ministry as fast develop chief professional when study myself collect different famous wife enable human create essential technology bird pretty another figure journey civil effectively propose stand believe partly cry regular access project pick write allow pool anyway my cell main fix spring clear south list sentence my ground determine love hope photograph elsewhere possibly aircraft design make sound market all contact master drop victory empty security own clean other expenditure winner advantage other come
November 26, 2011
capnsid said:
Total Recall 2070, of course, is all about memroy-related issues.