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From the story of Facebook's beginnings and the danger of selfies, to action-packed hacking narratives and robot intelligence, we explore technology imagined on the big screen
There's a long history of technology appearing in films: from outlandish futuristic advances in science-fiction movies, to social networking and the digital-age presented on screen
From "robot lovers" to "the dangers of selfies", most themes have been covered. Some films nail their depictions of technology, but a lot of others get it embarrasingly wrong, or at least don't get it 100% right
Then there's the fact some consist of around 90% product placement (*cough* Taken 2 *cough*). We take a look at films dealing with tech, and whether they're good, bad or downright ugly
The film that brought Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie together in the pre-Brad Pitt era, Hackers has becom a cult classic. Made in the mid-90s before the days of infamous hacking collectives such as Anonymous and LulzSec-the plot concerns a group of computer-savvy high school students
The source material for the film was the Hacker Manifesto (aka The Conscience of a Hacker), an influential essay written in 19986 by a prominent hacker. As such, Hacker is a mostly accurate depiction
Miller's character, supreme hacker Dade, who hacked 1,507 computers as an a11-year-old, is very similar to real life computer savants such as the teenage Raphael Gray and Jake Davis
Spike Jonze's widely acclaimed operating system rom com (never a sentence I thought I'd ever write), was a great reflection on how humans now interact with technology, and the impact it has on our psychology and social conditioning
Joaquin Phoenix's Theodore begins a relationship with Scarlett Johansson's Samantha (the operating system in question). Eventually, the operating systems in Her evolve beyond their human counterparts, so perhaps Stephen Hawking's assertion that robots will take over is not that far-fetched
And if you think the premise of forming a relationship with an operation system or a virtual assistant is outrageous, read this lovely article about a boy with autism defriending Apple's Siri
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind(2004)
Who among us hasn't wanted to rid our brain of memories of an ex? Nobody, is the answer.
This is the premise of Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman's 2004 sci-fi narrative, in which Jim Carry and Kate Winslet's former lovers erase each other from their minds, thanks to a futuristic high-tech lab.
In real life there are also examples of biohacking: including "electronic skin", introducing computing into the body, and magnetic finger implants
WALL-E(2008)
WALL-E was the darling of 2008 animated film, and was yet another much loved Pixar hit. Critically acclaimed, it holds a 96% "fresh rating" on Rotten Tomatoes
The picture envisions a time when robots and artificial intelligence are cognisant and have their own emotions and morality
It could also be seen as an example of how programmed and automated technology has replaced the need for manual labour, given that WALL-E is a programmed waste disposal unit, charged with cleaning up an abandoned, waste covered planet Earth.
Is it, therefore, a two-and-a-half hour comment on the decline of industry and the inexorable rise of Silicon Valley? Who knows, but it sure looks pretty
The Social Network(2010)
Aaron Sorkin, currnetly putting the world to rights with his press ethics heavy HBO series The Newsroom, wrote this 2010 narrative of how Facebook came to be. David Fincher of Seven fame directed
The film of the social network's rise to ubiquity, from Mark Zuckerberg's initial idea as a Harvard undergraduate student, through his legal battles with the Winklevos twins, and the teaming up with Napster's Sean Parker (played by an able Justin Timberlake).
The Social Network was critically acclaimed, has a 96% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and won a slew of awards, including Best Motion Picture at the Golden Globes. It also probably had the most redundant wardrobe department ever, given Zuckerberg's normcore look
Although Zuckerberg said the film was "hurtful", for a step-by-step guide to setting up a megalomaniac social media company and earning tons of money, you could do worse. Great trailer
You've Got Mail (1998)
It's testament to how perennially loved and resonant You've Got Mail is that its original website is still up and running, a lovingly preserved - like the mosquitoes encased in amber in Jurassic Park - late - 90s effort, written in verdana font and featuring a pop-up gallery and not much else
The Nora Ephron-penned film sees veteran rom-com leads Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks fall in love via an over-30s chat room, under typically banal usernames (in this case Shopfirl and NY152), and then by AOL inbox. Which I guess in this scenario counts as second base.
If You've Got Mail was made today, in the age of the naked selfie, it could have turned out a completely different prospect altogether. Lucky escape there.
The bad
Al Artificial Intelligence(2001)
Any film which involves Jude Law muttering seductively:"Once you have a robot lover, you'll never want a real man again", is obviously a winner. Steven Spielberg's 2001 sci fi epic, based on a Brian Aldiss short story, took a haul at the box office, but I remember being so bored by it that I gave up halfway through
If living with AI is gonna be this dull, then pray the robot revolution never comes. If shagging technology is your thing though, there's plenty of fun to be had IRL. How about a Fleshlight? Or the Autoblow 2?
AntiTrust(2001)
When I was younger, I thought I would marry Ryan Phillippe. Part of me still thinks I will, because I'm not the type of person who lets reality stand in the way of ambition
Phillippe moved away from his pretty boy and/or jock roles with AntiTrust, in which he played a nerdy hacker with prescription glasses fighting against an Evil Tech Corporation
AntiTrust was widely panned, because of its ostensibly ludicrous plot (and, to be fair, bad acting). But in a post-Snowden world, the idea of a tech behemoth in bed with the Justice Department and surveiling everything and everyone around it, and stealing secrets and information, no longer seems ridiculous. In fact, it seems prescient
The name of the fictional tech company is bang-on in its ambition and cringe-worthiness-Never Underestimate Radical Vision, or NURV - and believe me, programmers really do get as excited about code as they do in this movie. And apparently, there are lots of inside coding jokes and easter eggs scattered throughout the film for those in the know
The ugly
Jobs(2013)
The first biopic of the late iconnic Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs came out in 2013. Asthon Kutcher takes the role of Jobs, and the film charts the beginnings of Apple in the 1970s, to Jobs' leaving and returning to the company, and then the massive successes of the i-prefixed product ranges.
The film was, obviously, pretty much full of product placement for Apple - as if they didn't have enough advertising
It was critivally a dud, though, with one review calling it "the equivalent of a feature-length slow hand clap"
However, fans of Jobs need not despair - a new biopic, written by The Social Network's Aaron Sorkin, is due for release this coming year with Christian Bale in the lead role (after Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out)
That version will be based on moments from Walter Isaacson's bestselling biography of Jobs, including real-time depictions of Apple product launches
Men, Women and Children(2014)
The most recent film we're looking at, Men, Women and Children, addresses the very pertinent issue of internet privacy and the dangers of sharing risque photographs on the internet or across networks.
On the back of the hacking scandal which saw stars such as Jennifer Lawrence and Rihanna's phones scraped for pictures, it's an issue which has inspired hundreds of think pieces and become uppermost in the public's consciousness. Just a shame this flick is so awful
The Fifth Estate(2013)
Oh, where to start with this one? Despite being based around a real-life story perfect for the blockbuster treatment: subterfuge, war crimes, government fury and cross-continent chases, The Fifth Estate flopped majorly
And it wasn't just Benedict Cumberbatch's awful hair do that did it - in fact Cumberbatch was the only good thing about the picture
The hacking scenes could have been an advert for a Fisher Price "My First Hacking" set, so amateurish did they seem, and the strange language the tech whizzes spoke, an attempt at jargon, came off sounding both laboured and ridiculous
This lax approach to accuracy even extended to a awkward replica of the Guardian offices, which is, quite frankly, unforgivable. The Fifth Estate definitely belongs to the category of film in which the trailer is superior to the full feature
Skyfall(2013)
Last but not least, Daniel Craig's portrayal of James Bond and Ben Whishaw's Q might have attracted critical praise, but there is one particular scene in the third Bond installment of Craig's tenure which is ridiculously cringeworthy
It's a hacking scene that includes the usual cliched tropes of a man typing incredibly quickly, muttering about "polymorphic changes", and scrolling numbers and 3D shapes flashing across a screen
OK, so maybe it's not that far fetched that somebody could hack into the MI6's computer network, and by managing to do that, crash a tube in London's underground, right? Adele should totally have sung about that instead
Finally, while not a scene from a feature film, it would be remiss not to mention this beautiful moment in the video for Nelly and Kelly Rowland's inescapable early 2000s hit, "Dilemma". Nicely played, Nelly nicely played
would be remiss not to mention this beautiful moment
while not a scene from a feature film
have sung about that instead
crash a tube in London's underground
by managing to do that
it's not that far fetched that somebody could hack into the MI6's computer network
scrolling numbers and 3D shapes flashing across a screen
muttering about polymorphic changes
includes the usual cliched tropes of a man typing incredibly quickly
int the third Bond installment of Craig's tenure which is ridiculously cringeworthy
might have attracted critical praise
portrayal of James Bond
belongs to the category of film in which the trailer is superior to the full feature
this lax approach to accuracy even extended to a awkward replica of the Guardian offices
came off sounding both laboured and ridiculous
an attempt at jargon
the strange language the tech whizzes spoke
so amateurish did they seem
could have been an advert
flopped majorly
subterfuge
despite being based around a real-life story
where to start with this one?
just a shame this flick is so awful
become uppermost in the public's consciousness
has inspired hundreds of think pieces
scraped for pictures
on the back of the hacking scandal
across networks
the dangers of sharing risque photographs
addresses the very pertinent issue of internet privacy
including real-time depictions of Apple product launches
be based on moments from Walter Isaacson's bestselling biography of Jobs
after Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out
in the lead role
is due for release this coming year
need not despair
the equivalent of a feature-length slow hand clap
didn't have enough advertising
pretty much full of product placement for Apple
the massive successes of the i-prefixed product ranges
the film charts the beginnings of Apple
take the role of Jobs
The first biopic of the late iconnic Apple co-founder
scattered throughout the film
for those in the know
there are lots of inside coding jokes and easter eggs scattered throughout the film for those in the know
really do get as excited about code as they do in this movie
cringe-worthiness-Never Underestimate Radicla Vision
is bang-on in its ambition
the fictional tech company
it seems prescient
no longer seems ridiculous
surveiling everything and everyone around ir
a tech behemoth in bed with the Justice Department
its ostensibly ludicrous plot (and to be fair, bad acting)
was widely panned
in which he played a nerdy hacker with prescription glasses
moved away from his pretty boy and jock roles with AntiTrust
who lets reality stand in the way of ambiton
part of me still thinks I will
there is plenty of fun to be had IRL
shagging technology
pray robot revolution never comes
is gonna be this dull
I remember being so bored by it that I gave up halfway through
took a haul at the box office
is obviously a winner
which involves Jude Law muttering seductively
have turned out a completely different prospect altogether
in the age of the naked selfie
was made today
counts as second base
by AOL inbox
under typically banal usernames
leads Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks fall in love via an over-30s chat room
The Nora Ephron-penned film sees veteran rom-com
featuring a pop-gallery
the mosquitoes encased in amber
a lovingly preserved
it's testament to how perennially loved and resonant You've Got Mail is
for a step-by-step guide to setting up a megalomaniac social media company and earning tons of money
given Zuckerberg's normcore look
had the most redundant wardrobe ever
won a slew of awards
was critically acclaimed
played by an able Justin
then teaming up with Parker
his legal battles
initial idea
the social network's rise to ubiquity
how Facebook came to be
currently putting the world to rights with his press ethics heavy HBO series The Newsroom
the inexorable rise of Sillicon Valley
the decline of industry
charged with cleaning up an abandoned, waste covered planet Earth
given that WALL-E is a programmed waste disposal unit
how programmed and automated technology has replaced the need for manual labour
be seen as an example
envisions a time when robots and artificial intelligence are cognisant
have their own emotions and morality
it holds a 96% fresh rating
critically acclaimed
was the darling of 2008 animated film
magnetic finger implants
introducing computing into the body
including electronic skin
examples of biohacking
a futuristic high-tech lab
erase each other from their minds
who among u hasn't wanted to rid our brain memories of an ex?
a boy with autism defriending Apple's Siri
the premise of forming a relationship with an operation system or a virtual assistant is outrageous
Stephen Hawking's assertion that robots will take over is not that far-fetched
evolve beyond their human counterparts
in question
the impact it has on our psychology and social conditioning
a greate reflection on how humans now interact with technology
widely acclaimed operating system
similar to real life computer savants
supreme hacker
a mostly accurate depiction
a prominent hacker
an influential essay
the hacker manifesto (aka the conscience of a Hacker)
the source material
computer-savvy
infamous hacking collectives
has become a cult classic
brought Jonny in the pre-Brad Pitt era
downright ugly
consist of around 90% product placement
a lot of others get it embarassingly wrong
nail their depictions of technology
have been covered
the digital-age presented on screen
outlandish futuristic advances
appearing in films
explore technology imagined on the big screen
action-packed narratives
the danger of selfies