Tron Re-Watch

Frak Party Archives Classic Movies Frak Archive
#1

The bad news: Tron’s SFX don’t stand the test of time nearly as well as The Last Starfighter’s.

The good news: This is a bona-fide classic and a must-see for any sci-fi geek in good standing.

Incredibly, the last time I saw this movie was in the theater during its original release. My mother took me to see it, and I came home with an intense desire to be a programmer. I tried very hard to re-create the light-cycle game on the Commodore Pet that I rented from a local computer school – my parents had to drive me down to the school once a week to return it so they could use it for a class, then I’d take it back home – but failed. I did end up with a pretty sweet series of text animations, though. And, of course, the basics of a skill that pulled me out of some pretty lousy times in life.

Anyway, if you get the chance, snag a copy and join us here to discuss it. I know Sean has a copy, so maybe I can con him into bringing it to the GWC lair to share with me and Audra.

Update: If you came here directly from the GWC Blog, don’t miss our DTA podcast on Tron:

http://www.galacticawatercooler.com/2007/11/25/gwc-direct-to-archive-3/

#2

I have very simliar memories to you Chuck. I saw it in my local cinema and decided I wanted to create a Light-Cycle game. I was in a Computer Studies class at the time and wrote a light-cycle simulation for my O Level class on the computer I owned at the time a BBC Micro.

#3

Woot! Tron is one of my all-time favorites…

Of course, I do what I do today because of Tron. Flynn had me trying to break into every computer, and computer network I could get my hands on…

“How are you going to run the universe if you can’t answer a few unsolvable problems? Come on, big fella, let’s see what you got.”

#4

I don’t know how many of you have played Kingdom Hearts, but I really enjoyed being able to explore Tron in Kingdom Hearts 2 and the Tron outfits Goofy and Donald wore.

#5

I was such a fan of this movie as a kid…looking forward to my own rewatch…light cycles? To quote Cartman, “Kick-ass”

#6

This is another inspired choice. Tron was an eye-opening movie, although I was disappointed later when I realized how many of the effects were done optically. Still, it was definately a path breaker.

#7

I find this statement disturbing… You DON’T own your own copy of Tron? Hmmm…

#8

Any chance we can get a DTA cast on TRON? :slight_smile:

(Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?)

#9

People talking about Tron games had me just remember-there is a section of Kingdom Hearts II that takes place in “the computer”

cutscene video: here
my searchterms: here

can’t find game play footage (my youtube-fu is weak today) but I do remember a lightcylce race.

#10

Hey – just wanted to let everyone know that we managed our re-watch this week and will drop a DTA 'cast on this hopefully soon. A few thoughts right now, though:

While the graphics in this don’t hold up anywhere near as well as those from the Last Starfighter, the ideas do. It reminds me of a time when we knew so much less about the world of computer software and networking – and yet at the same time had more vision of its future. When cell phones were just a dream, and realistic-looking computer games a fantasy, we imagined that in the near future computers would become “intelligent” in a way that makes them almost indistinguishable from people.

But now that we have Halo 3, the WWW, podcasting, and global online communities like GWC, it seems like our dreams have taken a step backwards. Now we imagine smaller cell phones, better email systems, and, well, pretty mundane stuff.

If there’s one piece of advice I can give you for your re-watch of Tron, it’s this: ignore the inaccuracies and the bad graphics/costumes. Instead, remember a time when free-thinking was still in and owning an arcade was the coolest thing in the world.

#11

Good choice. This was another movie that was seminal at the time, but hasn’t seen much attention since. I do remember being disappointed after the fact when I learned how much of the effects were NOT done on a computer. But then I was a geek.

#12

I found this very easy to install free game re-creating the light-cycle race: glTron. It works on Windows, Max OS and Linux. Pretty cool.

#13

My God, Jeff Bridges is such an idiot in this movie! And the high rise pants! Really brought me back - I was a teenager when this came out. At any rate, that talking desk is very cool, and the 1984 overtones interesting. I never got a chance to see it during the original release - there weren’t even VCR’s then!!! (or at least we didn’t have one).

#14

Doesn’t the Hybrid in BSG say “end of line” during her ramblings? Reference to Tron?

#15

I recognized Barnard Hughes (Dr. Gibbs/Dumont) and cracked up laughing…Grampa from The Lost Boys! “One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires.”

#16

We recently took some time to re-watch a sci-fi classic that inspired many young boys and girls to become programmers (and artists!) — Tron. Join us as we discuss the movie and related themes plus take a call and discuss Chuck’s new Transformer toy. Highlights: we hear about how Sean is soon to become the Rev. Sean (though not the good Rev. Sean because he’s too cheap), consider building a real light cycle, reminisce about early computers, note how a programmer’s personality really does show up in his or her code, get a kick out of the Dumont turret (or “Lay-Z-Bot” as Sean calls it), remember how back in the day we all thought if computers just got powerful enough they really would start to seem human, wonder why everyone in the ’80s work Buckaroo Bonzai glasses, love the fact that Flynn saves his butt with his knowledge (the mark of any true geek movie), and mourn the now-lost Arcade Hero.

http://www.galacticawatercooler.com/2007/11/25/gwc-direct-to-archive-3/

#17

Would you rather have…

  • a light cycle
  • a light saber
  • a flying car
  • a robot (includes Cylon)

I’m torn between robot and lightsaber. To really make a decision, I’d need some more information about the circumstances under which I could get one.

If you’d press me to make a decision now, I’d have to go with a robot. I think it would be more functional. It could actually do things for me. As opposed to a lightsaber, which would generally just be another toy to play with. Yeah, robot would do more to improve my quality of life.

Lightsaber would be great, but as they say, “You’ll cut your arm off, kid.”

ps. Personally, Wargames* was more of an inspiration to program than Tron was. But I’m sure Tron planted the bug, no doubt. Once Macs came along, though, it was like I heard the big Handel “Hallelujah” chorus, accompanied by big giant beams of heavenly light. Like, “You mean I don’t have to program any more? I can just USE the computer?”

But learning to program was a totally valuable experience that helped set up a lot of my subsequent mental infrastructure.

  • Wargames’ Eddie “Mr. Potatohead!” Deezen, better known as the Eugene from Grease and also Midnight Madness, most underappreciate actor ever.
#18

Can I choose Larry the light saber wielding cylon, who is riding in his flying car that transforms into a light cycle?

If I could only pick one, it would be an old school centurion as seen in the new school BSG.

#19

Dxf, it’s funny how intuitive you can be sometimes. Sean and I have an ongoing discussion very much like this, but including all sorts of other items and powers. It’s ongoing because we often change our minds, then challenge each other by offering the items in different combinations.

Some of the items on our list (off the top of my head):

[ul]
[li]The Millennium Falcon[/li][li]A Wookie[/li][li]The Ability to Fly[/li][li]Matrix-Like Powers (bend reality, kick ass, etc.)[/li][li]Various Sci-Fi heroines (for us) and heroes (for Audra)[/li][li]A Viper[/li][li]An X-Wing[/li][li]A Light Saber[/li][li]A Cylon[/li][li]A Heavy Raider[/li][li]Wolverine-like Healing Capacity[/li][li]The Ability To Create Fire With Your Mind (You know, like little Drew.)[/li][li]A Cool Alien[/ul]The list is way, way too big to print here, and we’re constantly adding to it. And yes, we do realize that some of these are inclusive of each other. For example, Matrix-like powers encompasses the ability to fly. But what if you got a light saber and could fly? Better than Matrix-like powers?[/li]
Seriously, this is a way addictive discussion. Maybe I should create a thread for it.

#20

Originally Posted by dxf
Would you rather have…

  • a light cycle
  • a light saber
  • a flying car
  • a robot (includes Cylon)
    Personally, I would prefer a # 6 because I think it’s simply amazing what she can do using a couple of napkins as wardrobe!