The Past’s Future

Science fiction of the 1970s had motifs as distinctive to the era as four-on-the-floor dance percussion, biorhythm charts and halter-neck catsuits. Citizens of the future wore white unitards; all computers had Gary Owens-announcer voices; the Statue of Liberty was repeatedly destroyed. Often, Donald Pleasance was involved. In the ’70s, there was a lot of concern among filmmakers about “the Man” and his authoritarian propensities. THX-1138, the 1971 debut film by George Lucas, reflected this concern by depicting a futuristic dystopia in which all emotions and sexual impulses are controlled and regulated by the government. For some reason, the Lesbian and Gay Community Center of Greater Kansas City (207 Westport Road, 816-931-4420) thinks this scenario is relevant to the present. Catch tonight’s free 7 p.m. screening as part of the center’s Friday Night Movies. The theme for August is “The Fabulous Future: Straight Sci-Fi with a Twist.” Upcoming films include Planet of the Apes and A.I. Lesbian and Gay Community Center of Greater Kansas City