Cyberpunk Movies

[Scott Davis]

I just finished watching Johnny Mnemonic, i didn't rent it, it was on tv, and it got me thinking..... Where are all the other cyberpunk movies??

I know there's the Matrix, Johnny Mnemoic, Hackers, and what else??

[me]

I don't know if you want to count this as a 'cyberpunk' movie, but "Strange Days" had a tech-type theme to it.

[Scott Davis]

That was one I forgot.

Yeah, I would include Strange Days in with the Cyberpunk Movie genre.
It was pretty f**ked up if I remember right.

The whole stealing peoples memory and using them as first person videogames was a pretty cool idea.

[Phantom 187]

Would "Tetsuo" 1 or 2 count?

[N. E. Moses]

How 'bout "Lawnmower Man"?  And a few longshots--t.v.'s Max Headrum and an oldie, but a goodie,Tron.  OH!  I almost forgot--t.v.'s Automan

[Mofo Rising]

Depends what you mean by "cyberpunk".

I assume you means that deal with the concept of "cyberspace", ie the immaterial world of ideas and information flow made concretely visual through the wonderful world of computer networking.  If that would be the case, then you don't see many movies about it because it's a fairly new idea to the movie viewing public.  The internet didn't really get rolling until about five or six years ago, so they had no real point of reference.  Since the internet has pretty much exploded, and the movie THE MATRIX was a huge hit, we should be seeing quite a few movies dealing with "cyberspace".  At least by my quick and stupid observations.

The only other American movie I could think of was EXISTENZ, which deals with people immersing their whole body into "games".  Also, check out Cronenberg's VIDEODROME, which explores the same ideas.  No internet in that movie, though.  The headspace was communicated by the new technology of the time, video.

For another venture into cyberspace, check out the anime GHOST IN THE SHELL.  Amazing movie with amazing animation.  I thought it was interesting that in that movie mankind did not overcome its tools, a la 2001, but instead became one with them.

By the way, I'm sure you're familiar with NEUROMANCER by William Gibson, which launched the genre way back in 1982.  (If not, go read it!)  I'd also recommend SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson.  Also, check out the works of Philip K. Dick, which don't usually address cyberspace directly, but have the same reality-shifting that usually accompanies it.  See UBIK or A MAZE OF DEATH.

[Scott Davis]

After I wrote up this topic, a crap load of movies flooded into my mind that dealt with cyberspace.

I am trying to read Gibsons IDORU right now. 'monly 60+ pages and its pretty cool so far.

I got Ghost in the Shell back in '96, it freaked me out then cause I knew nothing about the internet or anything, I didn't get access to it til '98,

[Josh Leman]

I think Blade Runner can also be considered cyberpunk, since it deals with questions concerning whether or not human-like robots can be considered human.  And let's not forget the dozens of animes that fit into the genre.

[Jay O'Connor]

How about "eXistenZ" or "The Thirteenth Floor"

Does "Dark City" count?

And for some reason, I feel compelled to throw "Cyber Ninja" in, as I just saw it this weekend