Thursday, July 9 at 7:30pm | $8 |
“Computers are your life, aren't they?”
Any movie that relies heavily on cutting edge technology for its storyline is doomed to a future of
looking laughably dated, but few films suffer this fate worse than 1995’s THE NET.
This was of course a time before smart phones, and the Internet as we know it was barely in its infancy. AOL was how most people got online, while hogging the phone line with unpleasant electronic tones. Chat rooms reigned supreme, the phantom of catching a “computer virus” was terrifying, and the idea of ordering a pizza online was positively mind-blowing.
In this spirit, Americans were ready for a movie about a technology they barely understood, and needed a thrilling adventure to go along with it. They were also ready for a full-fledged Sandra Bullock vehicle, having recently fallen in love with her over the action hit SPEED.
Things are different these days. Now, Bullock is of course considered an absolute A-list star after her turns in GRAVITY, CRASH and her Oscar-winning performance in THE BLIND SIDE; and we mostly use the Internet to argue about things.
In the film, Bullock is Angela Bennett, master computer hacker and chat room addict. She unexpectedly uncovers a computer security backdoor via a seemingly innocuous floppy disk, and immediately goes to vacation in Mexico. She barely returns with her life, but her identity is already lost, and - possibly most alarming - the only person she can trust is Dennis Miller. From there, a series of cyber-twists and tech- turns follow Bennett as she uncovers a grand computer conspiracy.
THE NET was a financial success however, doing very well at the box office despite its loose grasp on the technology of the time and quality filmmaking in general. Twenty years later, the movie stands as a great example of cheesy 90’s cinema - and it managed to precede the equally Hecklevision-worthy HACKERS by nearly two months!
This special screening is presented in HECKLEVISION: Through the magic of MuVChat technology, your jokes, heckles and commentary are encouraged - in TEXT form! Tap out your wittiest wisecracks with your phone and they'll appear instantly on screen! Each month, special guests will hang out to crack jokes via text with you and a few hundred of your best friends!
Be at the Hollywood Theatre on Thursday July 9 to experience this hilarious and unique event!
This month’s special guests:
Aaron Klopfer
Zak Toscani
Robbie Pankow
Patrick Quinn
Shane Hosea
Phillip Mills
Amy Miller