Older Cyberpunk Tech Movies

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- 5 minutes read - 866 words

I’ve always found it so interesting that so many movies out there feel like the framework for what became Shadowrun and Cyberpunk. I know the zeitgeist of the time was that technology was going to give us a world that would allow for infinite convenience and automation. That would have allowed tech to come into every aspect of our lives, from micro foods that give us all of the nutrients needed to cars that could beat traffic by flying into the sky. This was what we had dreamed of in the 1980s. Some of us however, saw the writing on the wall. We knew that with automation would come the loss of jobs, with new and greater technology corporations greed would not be satisfied with old profits and that the human cost would rise. So a few things from the shiny future dared to show us its underbelly and from that we started to see the dystopia.

These movies I believe get to show us what potentially became some of our favorites pieces of tech.

SimSense / BrainDance / Recorded Memories / BTLs / Chips as Drugs

The ability to experience and see what others see. What could become the bridge between humanity together through a true shared experience. Instead we almost always see it as showing us the worst of humanity along with addiction to sensations we cannot experience whenever we want.

  • Brainstorm (1983): Scientists develop a device that allows people to experience the thoughts and feelings of others, leading to unforeseen consequences and ethical dilemmas. This is kind of a cool explanation of things as the very EARLY days of simsense. Before things could have been scaled down to a single chip.
  • Strange Days (1995): A former LAPD officer uncovers a black market trade in recorded memories, allowing users to experience the sensations and emotions of others. This is a very cyberpunk experience in general, but shows trode’s like devices and chips with experiences on them. It also shows a kind of addiction to these chips. There idea is brought up too that some chips could have recorded something that could have changed the world if people knew the truth of some experience. An absolutely great plot hook.
  • Final Cut (2004): A funeral style director cuts together the memories of loved ones who have a memory recorder installed in early childhood. Of course when crimes are recorded he has to both endure the memories and keep them safe from others who want to use it as black mail. Once the Mob gets involved, all bets are off.

Invoked Memory Simulator / Cyberzombie / Physical Adept

  • Eliminators (1986): A time traveling cyborg fights for his freedom from a mad scientist. His memories are scrambled and he dissociates when specific things trigger his memories. He uses various tools that attach to his cyberarms, which is pretty nifty. Also see the filthiest boat ever to ride the river. Also this is the STRANGEST combination of characters i’ve ever seen assembled. At some point in the movie a ninja gets involved and begins showing superhuman speed, agility and strength, which is just wild.

Rigging / Neural Interfaces for Vehicles

Controlling a vehicle via a plug and cable is not very common in old movies it seems. It did become very popular in Anime (and I’ll eventually make a list of those too). Still this was the only movie I could find that covered it.

  • Circuitry Man (1990): A cyborg bounty hunter known as Circuitry Man roams a dystopian cityscape, using his cybernetic enhancements to track down and eliminate his targets.This has the only 1980s rendition of rigging I could find. I remember this movie from my earlier years but going back to it, it definitely has a Mad Max meets Johnny Mnemonic, which is a strange combination for sure.

Decking / Netrunning

As many people know, there is a special place in my heart for all things computer security. It has always been a dream of mine to fully interface with a machine. It’s been a wild ride to see what we have started to achieve. Far from true interfacing, but hey every new tech has to start some place. The movies showing these kinds of technologies are plentiful. A bunch can be found here: https://cybersecurityventures.com/movies-about-cybersecurity-and-hacking/

  • Lawnmower Man (1992): A scientist creates a new and powerful mind-enhancing medication. A once-simple man is given the medication and through computer-simulated training sessions, becomes a genius. The once kind and dolce man becomes power hungry and obsessed with taking control of his newly discovered world.This is probably one of the most iconic scenes of “new VR style hacking” scenes in the era.
  • Johnny Mnemonic (1995): A data courier with head memory is tasked to transport important data. Unfortunately for him the data is much larger than his head memory will hold so he uses a back alley compressor program to fit it in, but this causes some kind of brain damage if the data is left too long. Also Yakuza are after him over this data.

I’m sure I will stumble onto more movies, but if you have any suggestions i’d love to hear from you! Send me an email dean@nullsheen.com.