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83: “You’re The Moron That’s Been Invading My Turf?” – Hackers

In cyberspace, there is no right or wrong… there’s only fun and boring! At least, that’s what 1995’s techsploitation thriller HACKERS would have you believe.

After getting caught up in THE NET in Part 1 of our “net-rospective,” Part 2 finds our hosts recalling other 90s movies involving the internet, including The Lawnmower Man, Virtuosity, Johnny Mnemonic, and Disclosure, which were heavy on virtual reality but short on stuff people actually use the internet for nowadays. Then, we take a deep dive into Hackers, starring future sweethearts Johnny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie, plus an eclectic supporting cast that includes Matthew Lillard, Fisher Stevens, Penn Jillette, and Marc Anthony.

With its pulsing techno soundtrack, rave-inspired fashion, and some badass rollerblading, we marvel at how 90s one film can be — and cringe at Lorraine Bracco’s unintentionally hilarious turn as a trashy corporate executive whose main function in the story is repeating nonsense computer jargon with perpetually increasing desperation.

Is this teen-oriented techno thriller still a seriously righteous hack? Or, when viewed through a modern lens, does it seem universally stupid? Hackers of the world unite for our latest episode!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which includes purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

82: “Give Us The Disk And We’ll Give You Your Life Back” – The Net

You’ve got podcast! In our latest episode, we’re flashing back to the bygone days of floppy disks, away messages, and actually disconnecting from the world wide web sometimes. It’s a two-part When We Were Young Net-rospective as we reminisce on all things internet, including the cyber-conspiracy thrillers that were Hollywood’s first attempt at cashing in on the dot-com boom of the 90s. In Part 1, our hosts recall their earliest memories of both the net and THE NET — the 1995 techno-thriller that raised issues of online privacy long before social media made being tracked and manipulated by sinister forces part of our everyday lives.

First, we share our memories of chat rooms, CD-ROMs, and what it was like to dial-up with a modem every time we wanted to get online. Then, we learn a little about why 1995 was such a seminal year for the information superhighway, before diving into that year’s surprisingly prescient Sandra Bullock flick — made back when ordering a pizza on the internet was still just a bit of movie magic.

So close out that chat with CyberBob, get a virtual fire started, and whatever you do, don’t push the ESC key — because we’ve only just begun hacking into the 90s!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which includes purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung