Unassuming tweets can often lead to trends.
Such was the case this week when Twitter users played a game of naming Sylvester Stallone films that are not Rocky, Rambo or The Expendables.
While these exchanges unearthed forgotten gems like 1987's arm-wrestling drama Over the Top and the utterly awful 1992 comedy Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, one film propelling the discussion to viral status was 1993's Demolition Man.
While the futuristic action-comedy was a moderate hit and starred a relatively unknown actress called Sandra Bullock (her breakout role in Speed was a year away), newfound attention was sparked after commenters noticed how the film spookily predicted the future.
The Marco Brambilla-directed film, in which cryogenically frozen cop John Spartan (Stallone) wakes up in a future world he can't fathom, joins the likes of other sci-fis such as 2011's Contagion and 1994's The Stand in making eerily accurate observations about the world we live in today.
Here are five ways Demolition Man got it right.
1. It is set in a traumatised world
Set in the fictional metropolis of San Angeles in the year 2032, the film depicts a society recovering from an environmental catastrophe.
In the film, a massive earthquake in 2010 unleashes an endless stream of diseases and viruses that renders the streets empty and destroys the restaurant industry.
In fact, one dining spot that remains standing – depending where you watched the film – is either Tex-Mex joint Taco Bell (for US viewers) or Pizza Hut.
With today's pandemic shuttering restaurants across the world and hushing once vibrant cities, Demolition Man's setting is more chilling than quirky.
2. A society that has lost touch
Decades before we were figuring out ways to deliver Covid-friendly greetings, Sly and co were doing it on screen.
To stymie the spread of disease, San Angeles banned all forms of physical contact such as kisses, hugs, handshakes, fist and elbow bumps.
The approved salutation, instead, can be best described as a flamboyant version of an air high-five.
3. The advent of Zoom
While video conferencing is a standard trope of sci-fi films, Demolition Man didn't use it as a gimmick.
The film features scenes illustrating how the format seeped into our everyday lives, from social calls to high-level government meetings.
4. TikTok is coming
A small and inconsequential scene predicted today's blurred lines between art and advertising, as well as how music is heard in bite-sized bits thanks to social media and video-sharing apps such as TikTok.
During a car ride, Spartan is miffed when the radio plays nothing but jingles.
"This is the most popular station in town," says fellow officer Alfredo Garcia, played by Benjamin Bratt. "(It's) wall-to-wall mini tunes; you call them commercials."
5. No party zone
To help combat the spread of disease, San Angeles instigated a series of health and safety measures that many of us would be familiar with. This includes outlawing unsanctioned mass gatherings and celebrations.
If that strikes you as too close to the bone, then remember it could have been worse: also included in the banned list are sports activities and eating meat.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
If you go
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates.
The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
More coverage from the Future Forum
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
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The Good Liar
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
