Triple Play — Movies about Programmers/Hackers/Geeks
So way back 6 months or-so ago I answered a question on Stack Overflow regarding the best films about Geeks/Hackers/Programmers. My answer was a bit obscure and outlandish, so it was never upvoted, but I felt it worth a mention here, along with some other awesome coding movies.
So, without further ado, three awesome films about Programmers/Hackers/Geeks
Evilspeak.
Clint Howard is a nerd at a military academy. He’s picked on by bullies morning, noon, and night…that is, until he contacts Satan on his IBM Compatible 286!!!! Bloody revenge in the monochrome era. Highly recommended.
Primer
One of the best hardcore science-geek films, and one of the best time-travel pictures of all time. Two engineers build a time travel device in their garage, and use it to play the stock market. Things go well enough until greed and overwork/use result in terrible mistakes. Check it out.
Paranoia 1.0 (aka: Virus 1.0, One point 0)
Excellent paranoid techno-horror starring Jeremy Sisto and Udo Keir. Nanomachines, coding, romance, murder, and mayhem..what’s not to love? If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Bonus Mainstream entries
Weird Science
Two geeks make a supermodel in their basement, using nothing more than a Barbie doll and computer know-how. John Hughes, Anthony Michael Hall, and Robert Downey Jr. with underwear on his head. High class stuff, and highly recommended.
Hackers
This is a duh entry, and a bit unrealistic (hackers with fashion sense?)but it actually featured creative consulting from 2600’s own Emmanuel Goldstein. Worth a look today for both Angelina Jolie, and hearing someone geek out about a 28.8 bps modem!
And keeping with that era, you might be interested in Takedown (erroneously referred to in many circles as “Hackers 2″), the story of Kevin Mitnick.
Superman III
This needs no introduction (Office Space pimped it enough already), but is nonetheless awesome. My favorite superman film ever, and it features loads upon loads of old computers. It’s like taking a trip to The Computer History Museum or Weird Stuff Warehouse without leaving your home.
So, those are my recommendations. What are you favorite films about Programmers/Hackers/Geeks?
