http://www.nobelitythemovie.com/

     In Nobelity, director Turk Pipkin tires to find out more about the world's most pressing issues - namely global warming, the energy challenge, global health, economic disparity and development, cultural understand, nuclear proliferation and general questions of war and peace - and how to help alleviate them.  To do this, he travels worldwide to sit down and talk to the people he thinks will be able to offer the most insight - Nobel Prize Laureates ranging from Jody Williams, Wanjari Maathai and Desmond Tutu.

     I think Williams best summed up the major theme of the film: "There's nothing magical about change.  If someone wants to change the world, it takes getting up off your ass and caring enough to take the first step to contribute to change on anissue you care about.  It's not a magical vision of the future.  It's being the future you want to see."

     It is evident that Pipkin's main goal was to make a positive change seem realistic.  Rather than spiel off scary fact after scary fact, he introduces people like Maathai who founded an organization that simply promoted planting trees to rural Kenyan women.  Maathai counteracts the often-held notion that the government is the only real agent of change: "Development agencies and governments need to understand that development dosen't come - hasn't come from anywhere - until the people themselves work with their own hands and engage themselves and change!  Because they change the environment in which they live but they also change themselves, and that's what is very important in Africa."  I appreciated this approach because it gave me hope rather than leaving me thinking, "Yeah, that all sounds really nice, but it will never be that way and I can't do anything about it."

     In the movie, Pipkin often showed footage of his children and talked about how he wanted to leave a better world for them and their future families.  I found this footage to be a little too cliche and contrived.  However, when he shows footage of Calcutta and talks about his feeling and experiences there, the film really dazzles.  These emotion-filling scenes of orphaned children roaming the streets really show why we need to act now.

     When I decided to go see Nobelity, my hopes were not too high.  To be frank, I thought it would be terribly boring and preachy.  However, I found it to be increbily thought-provoking and inspirational.  Where my past experiences with documentaries have left me with a deep regret for how the world seemingly works, Nobelity left me with the greatest feeling of optimisism.  The image that sticks with me the most if of Desmond Tutu's bright smile.  Just his exuberance despite all of the challenges he has had to face was worth seeing the film.

Starring:  Vincent Price

Running Time: 86 minutes

Release Date:  March 8, 1964

Based on the novel, I am Legend that was hereafter adapted into two other films by the name of Omega Man starring Charlton Heston and the more familiar, I am Legend starring Will Smith as Robert Neville.  The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price, is entertaining for a number of reasons.  These also serve as reasons why the film is... not very good.  First and foremost, a synopsis:

Robert Neville is a lonely man, and as far as he knows, he is the last human man left.  He begins his day preparing large wooden stakes that he then uses to plunge through the hearts of those who are "infected."  The infected cannot withstand the rays of the sun, and although they also display aversions to garlic and their reflection in the mirror, these are said to be merely psychological.  Lastly, they must drink fresh blood.  According to Wikipedia, this is the first time a film has attempted to use scientific reasons for vampirism.

For whatever reason, Robert Neville--our antihero--has not been affected by the disease.  What did he do that was different?  Wifeless and childless, Robert Neville has lost most of his hope for mankind--and most of his sanity.  This is until he happens upon a lone woman walking around during the day.

Alright, the downsides of this movie...  Vincent Price does well in roles that have a mysterious air about them.  He does not, however, do very well traipsing around plunging stakes into the hearts of vampires.  He just isn't... manly enough.  His movements throughout the film are vaguely effeminate and thus, unconvincing.  Every night, he waits for the vampires to come to his door.  They throw things at his house, hoping to break his fortress and charge inside--they even yell things at him:  "We're gonna get you," they say menacingly...  Needless to say, these vampires aren't very charismatic.

Starring:  Ray Milland

Running Time:  93 minutes

Release Date:  July 5, 1962

The Baldwin family set out of Los Angeles, California for a fishing trip one sunny day.  They are a seemingly normal family:  Man and wife Harry and Ann Baldwin with their two children Rick and Karen.  Only after a little while's drive, the family sees a great explosion behind them, what they would later find out is the beginning of a third world war.  Immediately, Harry predicts the mayhem and lawlessness of his family's impending future and breaks many laws for their preservation.  This includes robbing a hardware store and gas station within the first couple hours of the nuclear blast.  But they're not the only ones operating on "survival of the fittest" mode.  People are scrambling to leave the city, driven only be fear.

And of course there are others who seek to take advantage of all the madness...  Three hooligans Carl, Mickey and Andy rape and pillage their way about town only making matters worse for the Baldwin family.  Of course, Harry Baldwin guessed that would happen too, and he tells his wife and daughter to hide in the trailer attached to the back of the car.  They don't seem to understand why until the hoodlums show up.  How will the Baldwin family ever have a normal life again?

An extremely brave, realistic, and tense movie, Panic in Year Zero! triumphs in its portrayal of human nature and the complete breakdown of societal norms.  The movie's faults lie in its women characters.  With her world crumbling before her very eyes, Ann Baldwin insists that people are still inherently rational, although she is repeatedly proven wrong.  Even with the threat of rape constantly looming, Ann Baldwin remains in denial insisting that Harry not harm "those boys."  This is, of course, until her daughter wanders too far away from camp and encounters the infamous cackling hooligans.

An excellent movie that has yet to receive the credit it deserves.

Starring:  Charlton Heston

Running Time:  97 minutes

Release Date:  May 9, 1973

Yes, indeed, it's the year 2022 and the world is suffering from global warming, overpopulation, an abundance of poverty, few crops, and few animals in existence.  The only people who can afford such luxuries are--you guessed it--the rich.  Everyone else is forced to eat soy products produced by the mega-corporation Soylent Corporation.  Soylent Green is its newest product (proceeding Soylent Red and Soylent Yellow), produced from plankton.

Charlton Heston stars as the antihero, semi-dirty cop Robert Thorn who finds himself investigating the murder of one of Soylent Corporation's highest executives.  Thorn's suspicions begin early on, when he realizes that the victim William R. Simonson doesn't seem to have struggled during the encounter.  However, over-worked and underpaid, Detective Thorn helps himself to many of the dead man's amenities--including the "furniture girl," a young prostitute who is included with the apartment and must remain after her patron's death.  Heston does well as a man who has nothing to live for, but nothing to die for either.  Hence, at times the audience finds his behavior completely understandable, and at other times he can be crude and violent.  His dedication to the case is strengthened by erratic and suspicious treatment he receives from those somehow connected to the Soylent Corporation.

Who is behind Mr. Simonson's death--and what does that have to do with Soylent's products?

This movie displays great foresight into what would be nearly our present.  Of course, its predictions are a little too soon and it neglects any major technological advancements.  Not attempting to give the movie too much credit, but I am assuming that this is because their economy wouldn't be able to profit from an influx of technology no one could afford.  Where there is technology, it is huge and clunky--usually gray or brown in hue.  I'm assuming this is due to budget constraints.

Another of the movie's faults?  It looks like the 70's version of the future.  The hairstyles and clothing are nearly the same as they would have been when the movie was in production.  Many science fiction films are guilty of this, yet it never ceases to frustrate me.

Check out the following trailer:

Essentially, Soylent Green is a very American cowboy-structured film meant to be a warning to the inevitable environmental factors that could possibly lead to humanity's demise.  Less than one percent of the Earth's species are documented and studied.  And in the next thirty to forty years, a great deal (possibly 40%) of species will be extinct due to drastic environmental change.

1. Zen Intergalactic Ninja
   

   
   
   Created by Steve Stern and Dan Cote in 1987, Zen is blue-skinned, alien superhero who came from planet Blatoon. He was a product of a genetic experiment which had gone wrong and was supposed to be terminated. However, one of the scientists involved transported him into the space. Then, Masters of Om found baby Zen, who then raised and trained him to become a skillful Ninja, working for the highest bidder. He was then hired to fight Lord Contaminuous and his allies such as Garbageman, Sulfura and Oil Slick among others who had sworn to harm the Planet Earth ecology.

2. Captain Planet and the Planeteers

   
   
   In 1990, Captain Planet was born based on Ted Turner's idea. He has green hair, blue skin, costume which consists of red vest, red gloves and boots, and also a symbol of yellow globe on his chest. He has super human powers and is able to transform himself into the various elements and powers relating to nature. His main objective is to protect planet Earth from destructive human activities as well as to provide help in the aftermath of natural disaster. His weaknesses include smog or polluted air and nuclear radiation. He has sidekicks called the Planeteers comprising five teenagers representing five common elements - Earth, Wind, Fire, Air and Love. The Planeteers assist Captain Planet in protecting Earth from pollution, national disasters and also criminals.

3. Chlorophyll Kid

   
   
   In the 1960s, a group of heroes called the Legion of Substitute Heroes were created to depict the future of the DC Comics Universe. This group consists of five young heroes who were not yet able to prove themselves as superheroes but tried very hard to get a place in the elite group. One of the young heroes is called the Chlorophyll Kid whose original comic name was Ral Benem from Planet Mardru. He has the super power which can accelerate the growth of plants. He obtained the power since he was small after accidentally falling into a container filled with super plant growth formula. He can also communicate with flora and create trees and plants such as cacti to distract enemies.

4. Animal Man

   
   
   In 1965, Dave Wood and Carmine Infantino created Animal Man, a DC Comics superhero. Animal Man aka Buddy Baker acquired the capability to imitate the ability of animals after he encountered a crashed alien spacecraft. He uses this ability to fight crimes. In the 1980s, the Animal Man character was revitalized by a Scottish writer, Grant Morrison, which has seen the Animal Man as an environmentalist, a committed animal rights activist and a vegetarian.

5. Sonic X

   
   
   Sonic X is a character in comic book series published by the Archie Comics, which was originally based on the Japanese anime with similar name. Sonic X is also featured in the SEGA video game with a slightly different title - Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic is a blue, alien hedgehog who lives in another planet. During one of his attack on his angonist, a villain by the name of Dr Eggman, Sonic and his team are caught in an explosion that resulted in them being transported to another dimension; in what appeared to be planet Earth. Sonic was separated from his friends and was saved by a boy named Chris. Chris helped Sonic to locate his friends as well as the “Chaos Emeralds” in order to get back to his dimension. In one of the series, Sonic and his friends fought Dr Eggman's “Green Robots” designed to pursue the most powerful natural energies ever, i.e. Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald. Sonic X and his friends sworn to fight the evil Dr Eggman who planned to launch massive destruction to the Earth environment and conquer it.

6. Aquaman

   
   
   Arthur Joseph Curry aka Aquaman is a DC Comic Superhero, first created in the 1940s by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger. He was said to be the son of a famous oceanobiologist, Dr Phillip Curry. Arthur and his family live in his father's research facility at Avalon Cay under the sea, and his only window to the outside world being television. As his mother died during childbirth and he was born three months premature, his father was forced to use a mutagenic serum on his son to ensure his survival. Arthur learned from his father to draw oxygen from water and live under the ocean. He is able to swim at high speeds, see in total darkness and communicate with oceanic life. He ensures peace in the ocean kingdom and protects the ocean from any harm done against the sea creatures as well as the ecosystem.

In the movie I saw a lot of cute animals (polar bear cubs) I think that we should do more than just watch them die I think that we should try to save them by cutting down carbon admissions, and I'm not saying to only save the cute animals but save all the animals.

I think that it's really neat how many different types of forests there are around the world and how diverse they are. Like how the great boreal forest is so different then the rain forests in Central America. One has barely any life and another has 70 percent of all plants and animals on earth!

What I find amazing is that animals have adapted to so much to survive in the extreme cold of the arctic and ant arctic like the penguins. Its really neat how they keep their eggs under there fathers and still walk. And how polar bears need the ice to hunt seals or else there will be nothing to eat.

It's really neat to see all the different kinds of exotic birds and learn how they live (like the one that cleans up it's area). I think it's neat how they have developed frills and other ways to attract mates. It is amazing top see how many ways evolution broke off, it's amazing that all these animals came from a hand full of bacteria. Did you know that birds are among one of the closest living animals related to dinosaurs?

In the animal kingdom we are really well off because we don't have to hunt for food run from prey (other than our parents during bath time!) or search for water and shelter. I think that this is true and believe that pumping co2 into the environment is wrong because the environment gives us the basic needs of survival.

A forestation experiment being conducted in a sealed biosphere on the lunar surface goes awry and dealy hybrid plants that can survive in any environment are released, descending to Earth and laying waste to the cities, blanketing almost the entire planet in a new, primordial wilderness.

Three hundred years later some survivors live in a place called Neutral City on the edge of the forest, trying to co-exist with the ever-encroaching vegetation by maintaining an uneasy agreement with the Zruids, strange beings more plant than person, and the equally strange twin sisters who command them.

Other humans live a harsh, austere existence far away in the industrialized, militaristic nation of Ragna. Neutral City holds a truce with them as well. The founders and administrators of Neutral City are all “enhanced” humans, transformed into faster, stronger beings by the twin sisters after agreeing to continue to promote peaceful co-existence.

Into this divided world come Toola, accidentally released from suspended animation in the ruins of a facility called the Stayfield that has been swallowed up by the forest. The one who released her is Agito, capricious son of one of the founders, whose enhancement is on the verge of consuming him and turning him into a tree.

Toola is brought before the administrators, who are actually not at all surprised by her presence. They tell her about a young man named Shunack, who came out of the Stayfield five years ago. Unlike her, he left to go and live in Ragna.

Toola slowly settles into her new life in a new time, becoming friends with Agito and his cohorts. One night, though, Shunack arrives in Neutral City and tries to persuade Toola to come with him to Ragna. He tells her that he was a colleague of her father and that her father was working on a way to bring the hostile plant life under control. Toola, desperate to find any link to her lost life in the past, agrees to help him. When Agito learns of the choice Toola has made he makes the ultimate sacrifice and lets the twin sisters enhance him. He becomes a warrior for the forest and sets out to find her.

Like Princess Mononoke, and before that, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Origin carries the powerful message that humans are as much a part of the ecosystem of this planet as any other living thing and that we as a civilization desperately need to reconnect with, and live in harmony with, the natural world.