Steampunk Movies

This weekend Vix and I are off to a party with a Steampunk theme. Now I must confess..until recently I knew very little about Steampunk. I certainly didn't realise there was so many related topics/blogs/websites etc devoted to it on the 'net.

In case anyone is unsure, 'steampunk' was a term first coined back in the eighties to describe a subgenre of Sci-fi and fantasy that is set in a particular timeframe. It's been described as 'retro futuristic' or 'Victorian Hi-Tec'. Basically it's books/films/comics etc set, normally, in the latter half of the 19th century, and featuring inventions/machines/devices that were not actually invented in reality until much later (20th or 21st century) but use 'Victorian technology and science'. (before plastic, splitting the atom, and the micro chip). Think of stuff like Jules Verne and H.G.Wells. Things made before the World wide spread of electricity. Think steam powered, gears, clockwork, valves, ornamentation and made from materials like wood, leather, brass, copper, bronze and steel.

The League of Extaordinary Gentlemen (both graphic novel and film) are very Steampunk, Van Helsing as well (the gas powered multi bolt firing crossbow he uses is a perfect example of a steampunk weapon.)

The Anime films 'Steam Boy' and 'The Iron Giant' are both classed as Steam punk..as is 'Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow' (although TIG and SCatWoT, not being set in the 19th century but early 20th is technically referred to as 'Dieselpunk' but I don't want to start splitting hairs.)

Wikipedia lists the following as examples of Steampunk films
Metropolis (1927)
Frankenstein (1931)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1933 - as Island of Lost Souls, 1977, 1996)
Things to Come (1936)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958)
From the Earth to the Moon (1958)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
The Time Machine (1960, 2002)
Mysterious Island (1961)
Master of the World (1961)
Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1964)
First Men in the Moon (1964)
The City Under the Sea (War Gods of the Deep) (1965)
Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969)
Time After Time (1979)
Return To Oz (1985)
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
Castle in the Sky (1986 anime)
Windaria aka. Once Upon a Time (1987 anime)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
The Rocketeer (1991)
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
The City of Lost Children (1995)
Wild Wild West (1999)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Vidocq (2001)
[B]Le Pacte des Loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf) (2001)
A Detective Story (2003)
Casshern (2004)
Hellboy (2004)
Steamboy (2004 anime)
Van Helsing (2004)
Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (A proper period version of the tale - 2005)
Howl's Moving Castle (2005 anime)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
The Fall (2006)
The Prestige (2006)
Stardust (2007)
Perfect Creature (2007)
The Golden Compass (2007)
City Of Ember (2008)
Mutant Chronicles (a steam punk universe - steam powered spaceships) (2008)
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (Steampunk technology and settings) (2008)



While searching the 'net for ideas for my costume for Saturday I came across some amazing pics of costumes, weapons, devices and characters that Steampunk fans have made/adapted. Their inventiveness is amazing. Check out some of these brilliant images:
Steampunk lap-top (http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2007/06/gallery_steampunk/steampunkLaptop2.jpg)

Steampunk dalek (http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/steampunk_dalek11.jpg)

Steampunk Iron Man (http://altjunk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/steampunk-ironman.jpg)

Steampunk PC (http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/steampunk-3.jpg)

Steampunk Justice League of America (http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/01/steampunk_justice_league.JPG)

Steampunk Star Wars (http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/04/steampunk-star-wars.jpg)(L-R Obi-Wan, Leia, Chewy, R2-D2, Han Solo, Luke, Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin and a Stormtrooper

and finally..check out some of the home made costumes and devices here (http://mydisguises.com/2008/05/19/deconstructing-steampunk-designing-your-own-costume/)

Needless to say I've been working on a costume and a suitable weapon for Saturday. Pics will follow...watch this space..(or at least the 'fav pic' thread)

Never heard this term before. But cool, I love those types of movies.

Have a good time Charlie, can't wait to see your costume. I am sure it will be a gasser.


*edit*
Oh yeah I looked at all the links and costumes. How utterly cool is this..Steam punk rocks!

I am a big fan of Steampunk movies and generally any kind of revisionist technology movies. I also enjoy Cyberpunk movies as well.

I've always especially loved when they reinvent flying machines, Hayao Miyazaki's films are very obvious examples of this.