8 Dystopian Films That Might Come True

Cryogenically frozen in 1996, John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) is thawed out thirty-six years later to discover a “society of peace, love and understanding” where anyone who dislikes the leadership is forced underground.

In 2032, alcohol and profanity are outlawed, radio stations play “mini-tunes” (commercial jingles) rather than youth-corrupting rock music and bodily contact is verboten. Pornography, masturbation and abortions are illegal, Virtual Reality sex has replaced the norm and artificial-insemination pregnancy is licensed. Criminalizing the old in-out has turned the menfolk into wimps stuck who are disgusted by sex talk but couldn’t care less how the other half live, so it’s a completely different society from the one that was more appalled by Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” at the 2004 Super Bowl than anything happening in Iraq.

The architect of this mess is Dr Raymond Cocteau (Nigel Hawthorne), and after condemning the “radical terrorist behaviour” of some starving opponents who attempted to steal food, he sends Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) to kill their leader, Edgar Friendly. Friendly is played by stand-up Denis Leary, which is ironic: comic-turned-director Michael Moore later became the Republicans' fiercest critic and was cheered on, half-assed like, by the Democrats.

While Friendly was willing to starve in a sewer for his beliefs, however, Moore made a career out of knocking George W Bush, becoming a best-selling author, an Oscar-winning filmmaker and a Cannes-feted millionaire simply by preaching to the choir.