Can Time Travel Films Address Ecological Catastrophes and Pandemics?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the exploration of science fiction films that incorporate themes of time travel, ecological disasters, and pandemics. Participants share their interests in movies that depict time travel as a means to prevent or address catastrophic events, particularly those related to environmental crises and viral outbreaks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks films that involve time travel to avert ecological disasters, suggesting a scenario where a virus is used to enforce lockdowns to save the future.
  • Another participant references "A Sound of Thunder," highlighting the unintended consequences of time travel on ecological systems.
  • There is a discussion about the portrayal of time travelers in various films, with a focus on their expertise in handling viruses and ecological issues.
  • One participant proposes a narrative where a time traveler inadvertently brings back a virus while attempting to cure an initial outbreak.
  • Another mentions "Contagion," discussing its themes of a deadly virus and its implications for society, while seeking similar films that explore viral outbreaks and time travel.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the market for apocalyptic films that combine time travel and viral catastrophes, suggesting that such plots may be too complex for a standard film format.
  • There are repeated mentions of "Earth Abides" as a notable story about a virus leading to societal collapse, but it does not involve time travel.
  • Some participants note the difficulty in finding films that effectively combine both time travel and viral themes, with "12 Monkeys" being a frequently referenced example.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that there is a limited selection of films that successfully combine time travel with themes of ecological disaster and pandemics. However, there is no consensus on the availability of such films, with some expressing frustration over the lack of options.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of merging time travel narratives with ecological and viral themes, suggesting that such combinations may not be well-represented in existing cinema.

chirhone
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I'm seeking sci-fi flicks having to do with traveling back in time to save some ecological disaster and the future.

I'm intrigued by this after reading that the ozone is healing so thinking of watching movies like this during the Lockdown.

Synopsis: In the middle of the 2020, the ozone gets so thin with holes and billions die and the future is forever bleak. Then time travel was initiated and a group traveled back in time to 2019. They need to stop the ecological disaster by letting countries go into lockdown and industries and traffic close. So the virus was planted and spread. 10 Billions humans saved in place of 50,000 deaths or sacrificed.

Any flicks similar to it? 12 Monkey is sort of but I think it is about the virus. Can you remember any flicks about saving the future and Extinction Level Event (Ecological Disasters) by going back in time and preventing it?
 
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There's this story and movie of the same name:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sound_of_Thunder

about a commercial venture to take wealthy patrons back to the time of the dinosaurs so they could have the thrill of killing one. The trick was the dinosaur would've died anyway at that same spot. However, the electric guns jam and disaster strikes, and a guest steps off the raised walkway and tramples a butterfly and time changes forever.
 
Travelers is one of my favorites but i couldn't see it in tv anymore. They referred to time travelers simply as Travelers #10, etc.

What are these called in other movies?

I will watch again 12 Monkeys later as I think time travelers should be experts in viruses.

To cause massive lockdown and present some ecological disaster. It has to be inflict minimal damage as compared to the human race. So children and women were spared *more* than aging people. So the virus has to target more of the aging population.

After the ecological disaster is averted. The Trackers (or Time Travelers) have to put a halt to the virus spread (by releasing the vaccine or eliminate them by some means to avoid more losses).

But I don't understand. Why can't they say fix the ozone hole directly? What technology or unhidden manipulation to the atmosphere would it take to seal the hole? What ecological disasters that can't be fixed directly but by Lockdown?

Please give more flicks for more ideas. I can only think of 12 Monkeys now. I want to watch others like it, something related to virus and time travelling.
 
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What would be a cool story is if the time traveler brings back a virus while trying to cure the initial one.
 
You probably should include an iconic car in your story...

 
In the movie Contagion. The virus can cause encephalitis and millions died. The virus is meant to kill.

Coronavirus is more surgical. Meant to kill many of the aging. And some young people are collateral damage. The ultimate goal seems to be worldwide Lockdown.

254 days before the Fall or Extinction Level Event. The virus is the only way to save humanity. I'm looking for flicks with such plots. What other good movies besides Contagion with worldwide virus spread? I tried to get the movie Quarantine. But it is not a virus movie. Hot zone is old.

Lockdown is boring. What virus movies with deep plots or time travel or even alien involvement intrigue you guys?
 
I don't think there's a market for those kinds of apocalyptic movies.

The best story I know is Earth Abides where a man on a camping trip succumbs to a virus and when he wakes up four days later no one is alive. The story goes on to describe the crumbling of civilization, the discovery of other survivors and the mission of mother nature to reclaim the Earth in the form of plagues of insects, rats, cats, ... on up the chain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Abides

I think the combination of time travel and viral catastrophe is probably too much plot for a two hour flick. As I search I find one or the other but not both. The Seventh Seal is an apocalyptic movie where plagues come and biblical signs appear to signify the end of the world but no time travel.

https://www.thewrap.com/virus-outbreak-movies-coronavirus-hackers-seventh-seal-contagion/

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls068617191/
 
jedishrfu said:
I don't think there's a market for those kinds of apocalyptic movies.

The best story I know is Earth Abides where a man on a camping trip succumbs to a virus and when he wakes up four days later no one is alive. The story goes on to describe the crumbling of civilization, the discovery of other survivors and the mission of mother nature to reclaim the Earth in the form of plagues of insects, rats, cats, ... on up the chain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Abides

I think the combination of time travel and viral catastrophe is probably too much plot for a two hour flick. As I search I find one or the other but not both. The Seventh Seal is an apocalyptic movie where plagues come and biblical signs appear to signify the end of the world but no time travel.

https://www.thewrap.com/virus-outbreak-movies-coronavirus-hackers-seventh-seal-contagion/

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls068617191/

Why didn't you mention 12 monkeys? It is both a virus and time travel movie.. is it not? I'll watch it now to get the whole plot.
 
You did at the start of the thread so you want me to mention it again?

I couldn't find any more like it and if I did they likely would have the same plot but different circumstances and actors.

I'm sorry but there really aren't more of these time travel + virus movies around.I think this thread has run its course and so it's time to close it.
 
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