MOVIES AT THE MUSEUM - FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN ENTERTAINMENT
SEPTEMBER 2026
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) - sept. 24 | 6-8pm
2001: A Space Odyssey is an epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke. Its plot was inspired by several short stories optioned from Clarke, primarily "The Sentinel" (1951) and "Encounter in the Dawn" (1953). The film stars Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Douglas Rain, and follows a voyage by astronauts, scientists, and the sentient supercomputer HAL 9000 to Jupiter to investigate an alien monolith.
The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. In 1991, it was selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.
the terminator (1984) - Sept. 29 | 6-8pm
The Terminator is an American science-fiction action film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote it with producer Gale Anne Hurd. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular character, a cybernetic assassin sent back in time from the post-apocalyptic 2029 to 1984 to assassinate Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose future son will one day save the world from Skynet, a hostile artificial intelligence. Soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) additionally travels back in time to protect Sarah.
In 2008, The Terminator was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
GUEST SPEAKER: DR. DAVID MORTON
Both films explore how creating artificial intelligence or advanced tools inevitably leads to a dangerous power shift, where human creators lose control to a cold, superior machine intellect that views humanity as obsolete or expendable.
OCTOBER 2026
the MATRIX (1999) - OCT. 20 | 6-8:15pm
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction–action film written and directed by the Wachowskis.[a] The first installment in the Matrix film series, it stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. It depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality created by intelligent machines. The plot follows the computer hacker Neo, who is recruited by Morpheus into a rebellion against the machines.
The Matrix is considered to be among the greatest science fiction films of all time. In 2012, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant."
READY PLAYER ONE (2018) - OCT. 29 | 6-8:00pm
Ready Player One is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality game, the discovery of which would lead him to inherit the game creator's fortune and the game itself. Cline sold the rights to publish the novel in June 2010, in a bidding war to the Crown Publishing Group (a division of Random House).
A film adaptation, screenwritten by Cline and Zak Penn and directed by Steven Spielberg, was released on March 29, 2018. A sequel novel, Ready Player Two, was released on November 24, 2020, to a widely negative critical reception.
Both films raise a discussion about simulation, ruined earth/reality, and whether escaping into technology is salvation or self-destruction.
NOVEMBER 2026
LO AND BEHOLD (2016) - NOV. 12 | 6-8:00pm
Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Werner Herzog. In it, Herzog ponders the existential impact of such things as the Internet, robotics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of things on modern human life.
Beginning his journey at the University of California, Los Angeles, where pioneering work on the development of the Internet took place, Herzog visits the first piece of Internet equipment ever to be installed. The film then explores some of the positive and negative impacts the Internet has had on society. Artificial intelligence is touched upon, and the film considers whether robots might become replacements for human interaction in the future.
the ai doc (2026) - NOV. 18 | 6-8:00pm
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is a 2026 American documentary film directed by Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2026, which was followed by a theatrical release in the United States.
Told through the perspective of filmmaker Daniel Roher as he prepares to become a father, the film investigates the existential threats and potential promises of artificial intelligence. Roher conducts interviews with leading experts in the field to understand the world his child will inherit, balancing anxiety with "apocaloptimism".
Both documentaries explore how transformative digital technologies reshape our society, calling attention to the teetering seesaw of optimism vs. existential anxiety and despair.
DECEMBER 2026
mercy (2026) - dec. 3 | 6-8:00pm
Mercy is a 2026 American science fiction thriller film written by Marco van Belle, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, and starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. The plot involves a detective (Pratt), who is accused of murdering his wife, and must prove his innocence to an artificial intelligence judge (Ferguson). The film also stars Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, and Kylie Rogers.
Mercy was released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios and internationally by Sony Pictures Releasing International on January 23, 2026.
GUEST SPEAKER: DR. DAVID MORTON
PROJECT HAIL MARY (2026) - dec. 10 | 6-8:00pm
Project Hail Mary is a science fiction film produced and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and written by Drew Goddard, based on the 2021 novel of the same name by Andy Weir. In the near future, middle school teacher and former molecular biologist Ryland Grace (played by Ryan Gosling) wakes up from an induced coma on the interstellar spacecraft Hail Mary, suffering from amnesia. Grace learns that he is the sole survivor of a three-person crew that was traveling towards the Tau Ceti system, 11.9 light-years from Earth. Grace recalls that scientists discovered a "Petrova line" of infrared light stretching from the Sun to Venus; an alien microbe in the line, dubbed "astrophage", was proliferating on the Sun's surface, dimming the Sun at a rate that would cause catastrophic global cooling within thirty years.
Although these films don't share a narrative premise, both protagonists face high-stakes countdowns where they must piece together fragmented realities or memories to avert total disaster.
Survival is the core essence of both of these films.
Presented in the Madorsky Theater at Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, 32114. All films are free and open to the public. Call (386) 506-3894 for additional details.