Johnny Mnemonic introduces its audience to a cyberpunk dystopian future; that when observing its background setting makes it the first movie in cinematic history to capture the full extent of our real future by almost 100%. Meaning the film was released in theatres in 1995, and takes place today 25 years in the future. Opening up in Beijing China on January 17th, 2021, and resolving a couple days later in Newark New Jersey. The events and problems of the world that did not exist in 1995, but are fully enacted in 2021, and matching a time frame of events that correspond to Covid-19 life today.
Based on a short story by famed science fiction writer William Gibson who helped pioneer the subgenre known as cyberpunk. Johnny Mnemonic tells of a story of when the world's population is ravage by an epidemic plague called Nerve Attention Syndrome (NAS) that brings convulsions and other health problems. Technology that bombards us is muddily explained as the cause, and a large Asian corporation has had the cure. This cure resides in Johnny's mind, as his brain becomes an information courier to be downloaded at a remote destination. The film misses the mark on the actual representation and use of technology of today, but what it makes is a historic landmark on how it differs from movies with tales of the future, such as Omega Man, Terminator, Barb Wire, and HG Wells Time Machine; all of which provides us a year and a prediction of events. Unfortunately they all rarely predict the world as it is. Johnny Mnemonic defies that, by not only shattering the best fortune tellers and Nostradamus predictions of our time, it out right time stamps it, while thinly dramatized in a vail of absurd story telling.
My disclaimer, the following are mere observations, and no way suggest any personal or political beliefs, just witnessing some similarities within recent events. The movie was a cyberpunk story, Keanu Reeves is also the promotional face of a new cross platform game by CD Projekt Red's role playing game called Cyberpunk 2077, which launched on December 10th, 2020 Where his character named Johnny Silverhand a former terrorist and punk guitarist living in the minds of players offering advise and sarcastic gibes. Keanu who was initially scoffed at, as one note actor whose Theodore Logan bland surfer persona would be his only cinematic contribution. On November 20th, 2020 in an article from the New York Times, Keanu was ranked fourth from "The 25 Greatest actors of the 21st Century". My point to bring up here is that there is no conspiracy with this actor; and with Matrix 4 set to be released in late 2021 by a legally embattled Warner Brothers who is owned by AT&T from its purchase in 2018. AT&T is sponsored heavily in the movie Johnny Mneumonic. And Keanu Reeves is an obvious fan of the cyberpunk genre as some film choices do reflect that genre is some cases.
Reality check: after one full year the world has been embattled in a global pandemic with Covid-19, January will see the official global roll out for the vaccine. January 2021, as the movie concludes with information behind and the cure for NAS is released online to the world.
Chinese government and its' communication giant Huawei has been in the headlining news all year, eradicating movements of democracy in its country, the planned trial of two Canadians imprisoned for alleged espionage, and Huawei CEO held into custody for US Justice extradition. Are some reasons for civil unrest. The opening of the movie begins in Beijing China where the cure for the epidemic was kept all along in their research labs, as protesters and health scanners exist at security & travel check points. For the longest time Wuhan was the allege outbreak source to world's pandemic. Conversely Mainland China has continued to keep it's country vastly unaffected by the pandemic. Making many conspiracy theorist to speculate.
The villain in the movie is the big corporation, as there is no money in the cure. PharmaKon can prosper on medical aids as opposed to blockers to eradicate which is what Pfizer, AstraZenca, and Moderna are proposed to do.
The internet is main source of public and private communications, the world has adapted to video conferencing. Zoom calls in the classroom, office, and for general business practices and social gatherings has become the new normal. Medical clinics are common place for human interaction, and among the homeless as those who have no where to self isolate are the only ones found with continued close contacts. The Lo-teks, and homeless are the only people seen on the streets of Newark, The elite rich which is represented by the Rafi character are partying in very inclusive nightlife venues that are kept small in scope to traditional night clubs. The headlining news to end out 2020, was actor Elliot Page, being recognized as transgender. There are two prominent characters who are not the principle actors, but however have a large role in the movie and are recognized as significant players in telling this story, giving strong representation of the LGBQ community. Something that was not widely accepted yet in 1995.
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