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Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
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Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#102In no particular order, and covering a variety of genres:
- Sneakers (1993)
- Antitrust (2001)
- The Godfather (1972)
- Mindwalk (1990)
- Groundhog Day (1993)
- Finding Forrester (2000)
- Startup.com (2001)
- Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
- A Knight's Tale (2001)
- Tron (1982)
- Wargames (1983)
- Quigley Down Under (1990)
- True Grit (2010 (or 1969, but the 2010 is better (imho))
- Ender's Game (2013)
- The Space Between Us (2017)
- Hackers (1995)
- Apollo 13 (1995)
- Twister (1996)
- The Matrix (1999)
- Sharknado (2013)
- Dark Passage (1947)
- Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
- The Dreamer of Oz (1990)
There're a few to get you going :)
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#103In no particular order, and covering a variety of genres: - Sneakers (1993) - Antitrust (2001) - The Godfather (1972) - Mindwalk (1990) - Groundhog Day (1993) - Finding Forrester (2000) - Startup.com (2001) - Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) - A Knight's Tale (2001) - Tron (1982) - Wargames (1983) - Quigley Down Under (1990) - True Grit (2010 (or 1969, but the 2010 is better (imho)) - Ender's Game (2013) - The Space…
I haven't seen many of these so I can't confirm, but from the look of the list there's a lot of generic movies that don't fit the bill here. I know for a fact that The Godfather, being probably my favourite movie of all time, has nothing to do with tech, sales or tbh anything that should be inspiring.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#104Hidden Figures
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#105These may be a bit far afield, but they are fun to watch anyway:
The movies Singin' in the Rain (1952) and The Artist (2011) are both about response to technological change: the introduction of sound into the movies. The classic noir Sunset Boulevard (1950) touches on a dark side of that.
The musical My Fair Lady (1956) is about education, science, and technology for personal and social transformation. The movie version (1964) shows some early sound recording technology to comic effect.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#106One that immediately comes to mind is "The Imitation Game", on the life of Alan Turing during WWII. For something less tech-oriented, "Molly's Game" is inspiring for me. The characterization of Molly as being both smart and relentlessly hard working is motivating to me, while also showing the dangers of taking it to the nth degree. In a similar vein to "Molly's Game", "The Queen's Gambit" series on Netflix is not abo…
Breaking the Code with Derek Jacobi is a much better portrayal of Turing
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#107The Andromeda Strain. The film and the book are both excellent. It's a sci-fi when all is said and done, but it sticks in the mind, and is a good symbol for/of modern scientific practice.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#108One that immediately comes to mind is "The Imitation Game", on the life of Alan Turing during WWII. For something less tech-oriented, "Molly's Game" is inspiring for me. The characterization of Molly as being both smart and relentlessly hard working is motivating to me, while also showing the dangers of taking it to the nth degree. In a similar vein to "Molly's Game", "The Queen's Gambit" series on Netflix is not abo…
I also found Imitation Game, Molly’s Game and Queens Gambit galvanizing. It’s interesting that those movies elicit that kind of response despite their ostensible message being the human cost of pursuing goals at the expense of everything else. In a similar vein a Beautiful Mind and The Social network also were motivating for me. I’m not sure if I’m just taking away the wrong message (like the people who read Liar’s D…
Even as I wrote my recommendations, I questioned whether other viewers take the same inspiration I take from them, given the negative consequences explored in each, so I'm glad to see I'm not the only one.
In addition to your points, I do think there is an aspect of human nature that is most strongly fascinated by people who achieve extraordinary things, but simultaneously have some major flaw or deficiency (especially a deficiency in something ordinary that we, ourselves, do not have).
It's as though, while we crave role models and achievements to aspire to, we are also comforted to think that our relative shortcomings with regards to our aspirations are made up for in other areas that our role models may lack.
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#109The Dish (2000) https://archive.org/details/TheDish2000
Re: Ask HN: What are some technically inspiring movies, TV shows or documentaries?
#110If you need external inspiration to do something that's usually a bad sign. If you need it to start a business that's a recipe for disaster. I tend to agree with Elon Musk, he said: "If you need inspiring words, don't do it." [0] [0] https://www.facebook.com/drivelinebaseball/videos/if-you-nee...
Sure, but keep in mind Musk and Gates read a lot of sci fi in their youth. I think if you consume enough fiction, it eventually inspires you.