Soylent Green (introduced by Bill Nye)

Introduced by Bill Nye 

Dir. Richard Fleischer. 1973, 97 mins. DCP. With Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors, Joseph Cotten, Brock Peters, Paula Kelly, Edward G. Robinson. It is 2022 and New York City is hot, thirsty, overpopulated, and short on food. So begins Richard Fleischer’s iconic sci-fi thriller, one of the first ecologically minded films to envision the effects of climate change. Detective Thorn (Heston) is investigating the murder of a businessman (Cotten) whose affluent life—fresh fruit, air conditioning, running water, apartments that come furnished with women—contrasts drastically with the way most people live, sleeping on top of each other and subsisting on a synthetic product called Soylent. Following on cautionary landmarks such as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962), Paul R. Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb (1968), and the Clean Air Act (1970), Soylent Green is an essential film, and one worth reconsidering especially now that we live in the year in which it was set. Legendary Science educator Bill Nye will place Soylent Green in context, compare what was known about climate change in 1973 to today, and address how humans relate to our unstable world. 

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / Free or discounted for MoMI members. Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.

About the guest:

Bill Nye is an American science educator, engineer, comedian, television presenter, inventor, keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling author. In his role as the creator and host of the Emmy Award-winning television series Bill Nye the Science Guy, Nye helped introduce viewers to science and engineering in an entertaining and accessible manner. Today, Nye is a respected champion of scientific literacy who has challenged opponents of evidence-based education and policy on climate change, evolution and critical thinking. He currently serves as CEO of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest and most influential non-governmental space organization, co-founded by Carl Sagan. He is also an executive producer and host of upcoming science series The End is Nye, which will air on Peacock in August 2022.