The Top 10 Best Movie Depictions of Video Games
07. Game Technology Perched on the Bleeding Edge
The 1995 Irwin Winkler film -- The Net -- starring Sandra Bullock as protagonist-hero Angela Bennett and Dennis Miller (yes, THAT Dennis Miller) as Dr. Alan Champion in what has to be his greatest role ever, helping to establish a new genre in movies called 'Cyber Action Thriller.'
The film tells the story of an uber haxor and white hat security expert who works from her home in Venice, California, where she uses her trusty Macintosh Quadra 900, a Motorola 25 MHz 68040 that was brand spanking new in May of 1992 but somehow when we look at the display, at various points it is running Apple's Big Bang OS (System 7.0.1), then an early version of Linux, then Microsoft Windows 3.0, then Big Bang again... Not possible.
While we watch Angela's amazing OS swapping Quadra do its thing, we see her loading up the clients game, which turns out to be the Mac version of Wolfenstein 3D as the following phone conversation takes place:
Angela: 'This is a very dynamic game Mr. DePino!'DePino: 'You can be honest, Angela - this game is as bloody as it gets. But believe me, the kids will eat this up! But first you have to tell me what keeps crashing the damn thing?'
Angela: 'Well you have been virused Mr. DePino; a not so very nice one.'
DePino: 'You are the best! I knew I could count on you! So what should we do?'
Angela: 'Well... Don't think about hitting the Escape Key on any of your systems for a while. One key-stroke will wipe out your whole system.'
That version of the game was released in May 1992; the events in the movie are supposed to be taking place in midsummer 1996; that would make it a 4-year-old game.
We are not meant to presume that DePino actually works for id Software because we are meant to believe that the game is not Wolfenstein 3D but some other new bleeding-edge title that the kids will eat up.
Somehow DePino has a product distribution network that will allow him to 'get this back in store's by week's end'?!
Well yeah! Of course you'll be able to get that 4-year-old game back in store's by week's end - because yeah! But without the virus...
In an interview given shortly after the movie released by Eric Bigas, the bloke who was responsible for the computer display graphics, as well as the special visual effects, the reason that they chose Wolfenstein 3D was a combination of its bright colors and very easy to see play screen - basically the game could be shown on the computer screen as being recognizable for what it was - a bloody shooter filled with dead bodies.
So much for bleeding edge -- or cutting edge for that matter -- say hello to easy to recognize!
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World?