MEGAVILLE

US, 1991, 96 minutes, Colour.
Billy Zane, Daniel J.Travanti, Grace Zabriskie.
Directed by Peter Lehner.

Megaville is science fiction, a glimpse of a totalitarian future in a contemporary Los Angeles. Megaville is totalitarian, particularly critical of the mass media, with its special squads sent out to destroy the media. Billy Zane is the hero, a young man, ambitious to be of service, yet subject to technological experiments. His mysterious father confronts him - and kills him. Daniel J. Travanti portrays, with some subtlety, the ailing ruler of Megaville. Grace Zabriskie appears as Zane's mother.

The plot is difficult to follow, but is interesting for its ideas of a totalitarian future as well as the sets and decor of Megaville.

1.Popularity of this kind of science fiction? Predictions of the future? Totalitarian societies? The role and critique of media?

2.Sets and decor? The imagining of the future metropolis? The contrast with the contemporary aspects of California? Musical score?

3.The title, the huge city of the future and its totalitarianism? (And the memories of Jean-Luc? Goddard's Alphaville?)

4.The government, Duprell? His government, assistants? His illness? His control of the media? The raids, the military? The ideological attitudes towards the media and its influence? Puritanical? Yet violent? Duprell and his schemes, his use of Raymond? The doctor and the experiments? Raymond defeating them? But Raymond being defeated?

5.Raymond as an earnest young man, his participation in the raids, his presence at the inspirational talks? His collapses? His love for his mother? The doctor and his believing him? The treatment? Migraines? Dreams and hallucinations? His going on the raids? His special mission, taking the identity of Jensen? Meeting the people connected with the media, the black market, the underground and the deals? Men and women? Identity and confusion? Relationships? Reporting back? The success of his mission, the failure of his mission? The framework of the voice-over, his father, Raymond and his being destroyed by Megaville and its authorities, his father killing him?

6.Raymond's mother, her concern, love for her son? Relationship with the doctor? The absent father?

7.The doctor, mind control, technology, psychology? His manipulating people? The command of Duprell?

8.The underground, media - and the kind of media that audiences of Megaville take for granted as their free right? The authoritarian taking away of this media?

9.Science fiction, its conventions, interpretation of the future? The particular focus of Megaville?