Tea with Copi: Movie Night
Introduction
As I mentioned in the very first post, the site will often go slightly off-topic. This article is just such a diversion from the realm of IT security. Every defender deserves some time away from the frontlines to have a little R&R. Granted, I am currently out of work, but that doesn’t mean I have been stagnant. I spend my time applying to jobs, studying for certs, studying interesting topics, reading the news, yada yada. I try to keep my skills sharp, regardless of my official employment status.
Anyway, in an attempt to take a break from those efforts and sit back with another of my passions: films. Hoping to avoid a wasted night of scrolling, I look to Copi for some suggestions. This article is a very light piece, describing my attempt to find an interesting movie to watch. I focus on sci-fi with a security theme at first, so the article is IT security adjacent, in a way. It probably won’t be my last article on films. Maybe the reader will find a recommendation or two. Most likely, this one is just for me.
Searching for Something New
I want to watch something new this weekend, which is a daunting task despite the many services available. So, I start a convo with my buddy Copi to get some ideas, and ask what it considers to be the first sci-fi movie. It comes back with the consensus of Le Voyage dans la Lune (“A Trip to the Moon”) from 1902. I am aware of this film and its place in the historical chronical, and many readers may be as well. Its “cover art” is a black and white photo of the moon with a face on it, and a rocket ship crash-landed in one of its craterous eyes.
Being cheeky, I press on and say something along the lines of, “Noooo, what do you think?” Of course Copi, as always, claims not to have personal opinions. However, it does admit that there is some debate, and there may be earlier works that could be said to be the first, such as The Mechanical Butcher (1895). Excellent! I have not heard of this film. I ask for more information.
So, La Charcuterie Mécanique (“The Mechanical Butcher”) is a French silent film by the Lumière Brothers. It is apparently a comedy about a machine that makes sausage, running at a whopping 49 seconds. I asked for some other examples, and it provides Gugusse et 'lAutomate (1897) and The X-Rays (1897).
While Le Voyage dans la Lune, The Mechanical Butcher and The X-Rays (aka The X-Ray Fiend) are all still available online, Gugusse et l’Automate is lost. That’s unfortunate, as it is a short, silent film about a clown named Gugusse being confused by an automaton. I would like to have watched it. My search continues.
I try to hone in on some more recent options. I ask about scifi films from the 1960s with a cybersecurity theme, and Copi rightfully points out that digital security wasn’t really a thing yet. I did end up with a movie I had not heard of called Hot Millions (1968), which is about a man committing fraud by bypassing a mainframe’s security to issue fraudulent checks. If you don’t know a mainframe is like a big ol’ computer that goes bzzt beep boop. They’re still around. Anyway, that one is a comedy starring Academy Award winner Peter Ustinov. The trailer on Ama)zon is very brief and doesn’t provide much insight other than British jailers were very polite in the 60s. A $3.99 rental. I’ll keep looking for now.
As I am trying to avoid the obvious choices for such an article, I press onward and ask for the first movie about hackers. Of course, Copi’s believes it to be WarGames (1983). Predictable. Okay, so what is the second? Hackers (1995), or so says Copi. Interesting. During our conversation, Copi had previously mentioned Sneakers (1992). Surely, that counts first before Hackers if we are going in order? I question Copi on this, and it concedes my point. Human: 1, Robot: 0. (I could have also made the argument that Ghost in the Shell was released before Hackers but only just…) Chuffed about my win, I continue the search.
Still struggling to wrangle anything new from my artificial cohort, I try to find more esoteric examples. For the second time, Copi mentions Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), a film about a rogue supercomputer that takes control of global defense systems. The trailer directly mentions 2001: A Space Odyssey, obviously playing off 2001’s success to promote itself. It seems to be a mash-up of 2001 and WarGames. Unfortunately, it’s not available on Prime for me at this time, though it looks interesting and the retro style is enjoyable. I should note, I mention Amazon Prime because it is currently my only streaming service. So, whatever I watch will have to be available there. I plod on.
I go through a series of prompts, attempting to find retro, unique, esoteric, unknown examples, but it yields little to satisfy my search. At this point, I feel my efforts have proven fruitless and I am doomed to a night of endless scrolling. Anyway, the cats need to be fed.
Intermission
I step away to feed the cats, make some tea, and change the music. Returning to the keyboard I simply mention that I need a movie recommendation. Based on our chat (which included a few prompts I didn’t mention, such as indies, and movies set on distant planets), Copi comes back with Prospect (2018). Oh, boy. If the reader takes nothing else from this mess of a post (which is very likely) then at least remember this: This movie is fantastic. In a genre overrun by CG special effects, horribly regurgitated plots, and expositional dialogue, this is an absolutely unique find. It’s story and setting are a minimalistic microcosm that hint at a massively expansive world beyond its small scope. Very few movies have achieved what amounts to a well-written sci-fi short story in its simplicity and impact. Very few movies have left such an impression on me.
Energized from the thought of this movie and the tea, I approach my search with new vigor. If nothing else, I’ll just watch this again.
Conclusion: The Search Continues… and Ends
My continued prompting is perhaps becoming too specific, as Copi is narrowing the search based on previous prompts. I try to widen the search, narrow it back down, and widen again. Nothing new. Quickly losing motivation, I decide to end the search, and admit to myself that I have seen everything that has ever been made worth watching up to this point in time. I’ll just have to wait.
In the meantime the fates will decide.
Coin in the air.
WarGames? Or, Prospect?
The coin lands in my palm.
Daily Cuppa
Today’s cup of tea is Mandarin Mint Mindfulness provided by Yogi. Organic and ethically sourced. Sweet and rooty. A sense of calm in a mug.
If you enjoyed this article, or the site in general, feel free to buy the author a cup of tea.