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Worst representations of computers in movies


I recently saw Jumpin' Jack Flash, the film, for the first time. It was enjoyable, but their idea of computers made absolutely no sense. It had that whole "if you're on one computer, you're on all computers" thing going for it. Whoopie's character's motivation was really bizarre. She's contacted by a man she's never met, and has absolutely no reason to help. She helps him repeatedly, and their various communications are bonkers. At some point, the computer starts reading off Jack's IMs to her, despite not having done that at all for the first half of the movie.

*Spoiler*
Not only does he not end up being a catfishing perv who abducts and muders her, he is actually exactly who he said he was, and they end up romantically involved.

I know it was the 80s, but come on.

What are other films where they get computers all wrong? Bonus if it's unforgivably recent.

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The Net (1995) One of the more realistic (in some ways) movies about identity theft and hacking, maybe even the first. That stuff can happen to an extent of course, to my recollection though Sandra Bullock's character becomes a non entity. She can't turn to anyone and no one believes who she is. It almost becomes a horror film.

That is the part I don't buy, you would still be able to go to the authorities and prove yourself to exist (you are there after all) and get things sorted out.

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I was just about to mention that one.

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"I recently saw Jumping Jack Flash, the film, for the first time."

That is not a sentence you hear often in every day life.

One of the most disturbing depictions of a roque computer is Demon Seed (1977). It kind of takes the idea of the HAL computer in 2001 and sets its super intelligence loose in earth.

Interesting movie, hard to find, disturbing to watch.

My vote for the worse date film of all time.

(I took your term 'worse' as despicable, not unrealistic)

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Evilspeak (1981) Clint Howard uses a computer to summon the Devil to get revenge on his classmates.

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the worst representation, which is inevitable, is that anything significant can be done with code in a matter of minutes.

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worse , they dont use code.

Hack into the pentagon... i'll just click on "yes"
(Eddie Izzard quote)

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Superman 3!

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Lol.

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When they "enhance" the image , or zoom far beyond whats possible.
This happens countless times in movies and TV.
I believe this is how crimes are normally solved on that CSI program ( i know there are countless spinoffs , maybe even an IT based one , but for simplicity i'll just refer to them all as "CSI")

Now then, talking of CSI, we in the I.T business have a definate well known instance / example , a meme almost, of stupidest thing ever done with a computer onscreen.
and "CSI something or other" spawned it.

From what i can tell from the clip , the CSI computer badasses are in their stratic computer batcave where they keep all their servers and shit , and some miscreant is attacking them.
As often happens on TV the hack happens in a progressive plot friendly "stages" way.
"oh no they are through the {insert buzzword}"
"my god now theyre through to the {insert another buzzword}"

So computer lady is banging away on her keyboard trying to fend off this attack when another stage is breached an her colleague thinks its now serious enough that he will have to help....


SO HE STARTS BANGING AWAY ON THE OTHER END OF THE KEYBOARD!!!

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The biggest one being that no one uses a computer mouse in movies or TV shows: Somehow everyone who uses a computer is an expert at the keyboard and typing in commands, as if this is the MS-DOS era from the early 90's still, despite using holographic (futuristic) and modern interface.

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Hackers (1995)

They are guilty of the frantic typing trope. Also, the graphics. Incredible considering they were impressed with Burn's 28.8 bps modem.

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