I had the extreme pleasure of participating in a live tweet last night with @GeekSoulBrother’s SaturdayNightSciFi event. This Saturday’s double feature movie was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Running Man and Total Recall. Both movies are set in the 80s/90s vision of the future. Watching both movies back to back, I found some common similarities, not surprising as both are dystopian in genre. There’s a huge difference in budgets between each movie, but I prefer Total Recall as it was based on a Philip K. Dick story and Running Man is a Stephen King (writing at Richard Bachman) story. Two of my favorites and two of the great geniuses of modern cyberpunk and horror respectively.
I also enjoyed that the female protagonist was a person of color in both movies. Of course, both Latina actress had to avoid some of the stereotypes of the decade to which both films were made, I liked not seeing the typical buxom blonde on the arm of the hero.
What I enjoyed about the event had everything to do with the lure of social media. The immediate feedback and banter that went back and forth between those in the TL. The knowledge and witty comments turned a solitary viewing via Netflix® to become an outright party with @GeekSouBrother and @BlackGirlNerds. Others joined and soon, the movie became an event of fantastic foray into 80s propaganda and outdated visions of the future. It was like being at a sf convention with people you liked and not 100 guys who smell of feet and soda.
If you haven’t spent any time doing a livetweeting event, I strongly encourage you to join either or both of @GeekSouBrother and @BlackGirlNerds events on Twitter. Of course, stay tuned to this blog for other updates and information about events.
Do you have a livetweet that you’d like for me to participate in? Is there one you’d like for me to begin? Do you want to follow me on Twitter? Join me at @nicolegkurtz.