rienced world, and this concern of science fiction
converged powerfully with film’s ability to construct
visceral illusions in such paranoid metaphysical fan-
tasies as David Cronenberg’sScanners(1981) and
Videodrome(1983). Inevitable delays in production,
however, ensured that further Dick dramatizations
were postponed until subsequent decades.
The new special effects were also deployed in a
new generation of futuristic satires, includingThe In-
credible Shrinking Woman(1981),The Brother from An-
other Planet(1984),Repo Man(1984), andHoney, I
Shrunk the Kids(1989). These relatively amiable ex-
amples were, however, outshone by the scathingBra-
zil(1985), whose ending was considered too harsh for
a U.S. audience that showed a blatant preference for
the exuberance of such comedies asBack to the Future
(1985),Innerspace(1987),Back to the Future, Part II
(1989), andBill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure(1989).
U.S. cinema did make some attempts to address
actual trends in science and technology, particularly
in computer-inspired movies such asTron(1982)
andWar Games(1983), but it demonstrated no con-
spicuous understanding of how those technologies
actually functioned. By contrast, continued experi-
mentation with the new special effects resulted in
some remarkably sophisticated visual representa-
tions and strikingly iconic images. Although most of
these were contained in big-budget movies such as
Blade Runner,E.T.,Brazil, andBatman, it remained
possible for enterprising technicians to produce such
unique ventures as Mike Jittlov’sThe Wizard of Speed
and Time(1989).862 Science-fiction films The Eighties in America
Fans wait in line for the premiere ofReturn of the Jedi, the final film of the firstStar Warstrilogy, in New York’s Times Square on
May 25, 1983.(AP/Wide World Photos)