GWC Podcast #80

Podcasts Galactic Watercooler
#1

What? Is this Monday’s podcast early?

No, no it isn’t. You’ll receive a full BSG-related 'cast per usual on Sunday.

This is in fact what in the past would’ve been called a DTA. After receiving a lot of email suggesting that we change the (admittedly lousy) name of the DTA podcast – and suffering through some serious PITA getting both casts to work right technically on the site – we came up with an even simpler solution: we’re simply integrating them into the standard podcast stream. We’re calling the “bonus podcasts,” and you won’t have to subscribe to anything additional to receive them.

And, as we say at the outset in this 'cast, if you hate things non-Galactica and aren’t interested, just delete 'em. Hopefully, though, you’ll check 'em out, as while we’re massive BSG fans, there’s a lot more 'verse out there.

(Speaking of 'verse, look for a first-of-at-least-a-few Firefly-rewatch-related bonus 'casts soon.)

On to the standard recitation of the show notes:

In this bonus podcast, we take a walk back to the early eighties to discuss the GWC re-watch of Wargames — the hacker movie. Highlights: we discuss why Wargames is indeed sci-fi, drool over young Ally Sheedy, dissect David’s motivation(s) for getting in trouble at school, wonder why the movie’s stylist is so into vests and tweed, criticize ’80s female fashion, critique McKittrick’s assistant’s undergarments, bemoan the demise of the (real) arcade, digress to other Matthew Broderick movies, and reassure listeners that we’re indeed going to record a bonus Firefly ‘cast soon.

http://www.galacticawatercooler.com/2008/01/11/gwc-podcast-80/

#2

Here’s a pic of the cute, teenaged Ally Sheedy for you:

#3

Great idea. Love it. So is it coming out every Friday or week? I also apologize for saying wargames was not sci-fi.

#4

Fantastic - that has made my day!

#5

The standard podcast will still come out every Sunday, and we’ll add in additional bonus casts from time to time. (Though we have a number of things stacked up for focus, so you’ll probably see a few of them soon.)

There are a lot of truly enjoyable people around these parts, and we’re really happy we found another. :slight_smile:

#6

Bonus podcast – pleasant surprise!

IMDB says Sheedy was born in 1962, and Wargames was released in '83, so it’s OK to actively think she’s hot.

Critical ethical issue thus resolved.

Thanks for the 'cast.

#7

yep, made my day too :smiley: :smiley:

really enjoyed watching Wargames again and just got Serenity and disk one of Firefly from netflix too

pleased with the “bonus” podcast deal

thanks for doing what ya do
namaste
melinda

#8

Sounds like the Season 3 DVD will be released on March 25, 2008.

Took 'em long enough.

Sorry - back to the Wargame-ed ness :smiley:

#9

Vinyl player?!?!?! I nearly fell out of my chair laughing at that Audra. :smiley:

#10

Thanks for posting this 'cast, the timing could not be better.

At this very moment I am downloading thru iTunes in the departure lounge of Adelaide airport before I fly off to Madrid for 10 days so this will give me something to listen to in flight.

Thanks again, guys!

gaf

ps. I love my iPod. When travelling it’s my best mate…

#11

I’m gonna have to get War Games from Netflix and catch up.
Thanks for the bonus podcast.

Interestingly, on the description page for War Games on Netflix that have a list of “Enjoyed By Members Who Enjoyed [War Games]”, and on the list are The Last Starfighter and Tron.
And incidently also Project, Blue Thunder and Real Genius (none of which I’ve seen.)

#12

Score! Got it in my feed right before I had to leave for work!!!

#13

Sounds like a DTA challenge!

#14

Now, I’ve known for quite some time about this, being a history major and having written my master’s thesis about the Cold War, but it’s only now occurred to me that this happened in the same year that WarGames was released:

It was a pretty horrifying scenario, a Russian colonel, who was like a radar operator, he got warnings on his screen about objects that assumedly were incoming American missiles and he chose not to act on this information, not to notify his superiors because he alone believed it was a glitch in the system. Now, as it turned out, he was right, it was in fact a false alarm, but I think the whole story is shockingly close to what happens in WarGames, that there are computer warnings about an incoming attack and that there’s people who have doubts about the omniscience of computer systems and make a choice not to blindly follow what a computer is telling them.

Here’s the link to the Wikipedia entry for what is now called the “Petrov incident:”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov

Now, of course I’m wondering if the producers/writers knew anything about this at the time and no, we can all be pretty sure they didn’t, such things didn’t make the US papers during those days, but I think it’s just one hell of a coincidence that this happened around the time WarGames came out.
Furthermore, I think it’s a shame that the guy was dissed by the Soviet system but what’s an even greater shame is that today’s public is not really aware that this happened, it’s really an obscure thing, I’m a history major and I had to dig it up, it’s not in the books about the Cold War etc.

And this, I believe, would also be a great example of how to show people that one guy can really make a difference - actively make a difference by making a choice.
And this is not science fiction. This was real.

p.s.: by the way, there’s going to be a WarGames sequel this year:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0865957/

#15

Oy! Now I’m THREE podcasts behind. At this rate, I’ll never catch up. (It doesn’t help that my iPod decided to die this week. Frakking cylons!)

#16

Just finished the movie. Wow, it has been a while since I saw that! The opening sequence with the missle lauch was interesting because I recently toured the only remaining Titan II missle site still intact (sans warhead of course). The tour guide took us through the lauch sequence and the movie was pretty close to accurate.

Cool movie, good memories.

#17

Way cool on the extra pod cast!!! I had just seen the movie a few months ago, so this extra pod cast was even that much better for me.

On the issue if the movie was sci fi… I will have to say if might seem less sci fi today but I would bet if felt much more sci fi back when it came out…

I would venture to guess that there are more movies out there that are less sci fi in the modern world than when they came out in the early 80’s. I can remember in the movie Looker (I know, not one of the all time greats by any stretch) they actually do a close up of someone sliding an security ID card to gain access to a restricted area…a movie would never do that today.

#18

If I recall correctly, the movie with Matthew Broderick and the chimps was called “Project X”. I remember watching it once, it came on a local television station on a Saturday afternoon. I remember the cigarette smoking chimp…

#19

Wow. 80s Ipod. :smiley:

#20

alright guys, i am a noob on the forum. but I have been listening to Galactica Watercooler for a while now.

After hearing the newest podcast, i can’t help myself to look up wargames on youtube, and there were a few clips.

I have to say, yes, Ally Sheedy was very beautiful in this. But at the same time I kept thinking she looked very familiar. Then I finally realized why I feel like I’ve seen her before.

Now, don’t grill me for this, but I think the girl from Harry Potter movies, Emily Watson looks a lot like her (in the newer movies of course).

Anyway, Wargames is a great movie. Too bad I wasn’t old enough to have seen it in the theaters.

Keep up the good word and please have a firefly rewatch podcast.