Jeff Taylor wrote:
>That is why it is called fiction. ...
>The problem I've noticed with SCIFI is
>that it is easy, particularly given our understanding of the universe, to
>pick apart. Why can't you just enjoy the movie as FICTION? Does fiction
>only become 'good' when it is believable? Read any good Physics books?
Doug Bailey wrote:
>The key to this movie is that is makes people think. It expands
>horizons. It enhances the elasticity of people's idea of existence and
>enlarges the realm of whats possible.
Michael Butler wrote:
>It's worthy of note that the Brothers W made it explicit that they
>were trying to create a new "live action anime" genre. ...
>SO yes indeed, it is/was a cartoon--by design. And quite a
>conversation starter, for all its flaws.
Scott Badger
>I had a great time at this film. Besides being great eye-candy, there were
>some exciting ideas in it . ...
>I also didn't particularly care for the mystical component to what should
>have remained a hard sci-fi yarn.
Mike Lorrey writes:
>I just saw the movie tonite, just got back in fact. This movie is
>powerful stuff, memetically. I left the movie with the most intense
>sense about the unreality of reality that I've ever had. ...
Jsn@concentric.net wrote:
> The dumb science problems you mention in your spoilers are, in my
> opinion, not too important to the film. They're mentioned in detail
> for all of about 30 seconds. The 'serious' thrust of the movie, such
> as was there, was about the nature of reality. Everything else was a
> set-up.
Paul Hughes wrote:
>Within the medium of film, the Matrix does a fabulous job of conveying
>fantastically many of the ideas that we've discussed on these lists for years.
>Frankly, its the only film to fully convey the disturbing and exhilarating
>feeling of having *reality turned inside out*. ... Are we in fact
>archived versions of our older less evolved selves, being re-run for amusement
>by our far-future selves? The Matrix is the only film to address the issue as
>radically as it does and with such tremendous visual and emotional impact.
>When Neo awoke in the vat of fluid, I was just blown away and left completely
>speechless! In 32 years, I have never felt as impacted as from that scene.
Obviously, a lot of people liked the movie a lot more than I did. I have no objection to a little escapist fantasy. I was reacting instead to the idea suggested that we should talk about this movie, as a way of helping us to understand the transhuman/extropian topics we commonly discuss.
I still see nothing useful to talk about among ourselves, nor do I see how referring to the movie would help me in talking to others. The movie might be a nice backdrop to "brain in a vat" discussions in intro philosophy courses. But I don't consider the possible "unreality of reality" a very interesting or important concept, esp. re transhumans.
Robin Hanson
hanson@econ.berkeley.edu http://hanson.berkeley.edu/ RWJF Health Policy Scholar FAX: 510-643-8614140 Warren Hall, UC Berkeley, CA 94720-7360 510-643-1884 after 8/99: Assist. Prof. Economics, George Mason Univ.