I’m into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. See, according to Cocteau’s plan, I’m the enemy. Raymond Cocteau, one of the creators of the CryoPrison and an architect of the paternalistic society. And as impressive as it is, the list doesn’t include what is in my opinion the most prophetic (and best) part of Demolition Man: Edgard Friendly’s soliloquy on why he’s living as a criminal underground (literally in the ground) rather than on the surface.įriendly (portrayed by Leary), explains to Spartan why he’s viewed as the enemy by Dr. This list is by no means exhaustive, mind you. Portable phones that access the internet? Check.Īnti-smoking laws, language police, germaphobia, and gun control? Check. Humans using computers to increase their self esteem? Check.Īrnold Schwarzenegger’s entry into politics? Check.Īttention spans the length of goldfish? Check. The movie was even campier than I remembered, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also impressed by just how much of our future Demolition Man got right. I had to rewatch Demolition Man after the release of an Out of Frame short that explored all the ways Demolition Man predicted the future. When all the hostages are found dead following an explosion, Spartan, along with the criminal he was trying to stop, Simon Phoenix (Snipes), is sentenced to be cryogenically frozen.īoth Spartan and Phoenix are unthawed in 2032-36 years after being frozen-in a world that looks much different. Stallone plays John Spartan, a Dirty Harry-style police officer whose life takes a sudden turn when his attempt to rescue a bunch of hostages goes awry. The movie has a delicious if ludicrous plot. Featuring a star-studded lineup that included Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, and Sandra Bullock-not to mention up-and-comers like Denis Leary and Benjamin Bratt, as well as stage actor Nigel Hawthorne and the guy who played the warden in Shawshank Redemption (Bob Gunton)-the movie was a hit, raking in $159 million worldwide. Made by filmmaker Marco Brambilla in his directorial debut, Demolition Man is one of those movies that manages to be simultaneously campy and ingenious. I haven’t thought about the movie Demolition Man in a long time, but this changed recently when it was brought to my attention that the film is now nearly 30 years old.
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