June 4, 2002

7:00 PM

In light of the highly anticipated Tron 2.0 - Tron Killer App next year, (has its own google directory :) here're some v.cool production illustrations from the original visionary Tron! Includes sketches of Yori's apartment from the infamous deleted love scene :) [also see moebius!]
posted by kliuless (11 comments total)

While you're at it, don't forget to download the excellent GL Tron. A childhood fantasy come true!
posted by Dirjy at 7:43 PM on June 4, 2002

Wow. I just got the DVD this year and finally watched it. I threw this movie in the Betamax VCR many a time when I was a wee lad.

I found the plot rather confusing this time around... I understand that Flynn has licensing issues with Encom, but why is Alan writing a program that will run free in his employers network, "watchdog the MCP," and generally fuck with the company? Somehow it was a victory when they all woke up the next day and the company mainframe was wiped out? What's the point again? What does Encom do, besides provide the grand landscape upon which this swash-buckling adventure takes place? Is the computer-world just the Encom system? Or the entire world/internet? Ah well. Suspension of... confusion.

I found it amusing that the User was the most powerful person in the Tron fantasy computer world. We all know that's exactly the opposite of the way things really are. In the real world, the hierarchy of power is:

Joe User --> Joe User's kid --> Tech Support --> Software Programmer --> Department of Justice --> Bill

But those criticisms aside (leave alone some of the more obvious ones) I really enjoyed the leaps of imagination made in the film, and Jeff Bridges is so, so young in it! The art design is still stunning. There's something so cold and infinite about the look of that film. The visuals, sound design, and even some of the language in the film still give me chills:

If you lose your disc, or fail to follow commands, you will be subject to immediate de-resolution
- end of line

Not to mention that the frisbee-weapon/disc rivals the lightsaber as the toy I most wish were real.
posted by scarabic at 7:50 PM on June 4, 2002

Ah, but in the pre-PC mainframe Tron universe, there was no Joe User. There were only uber Unix geeks. Besides, even if Joe User doesn't know how to do what he wants to do, when he clicks the mouse button, the computer does jump to fulfill his demands (just not the demands he intended).

Actually, the battle in the movie is all about the average computer users trying to get system time wresled away from the sys admins (although these days you can watch it as a *nix versus Microsoft battle for control of the computing landscape.
posted by willnot at 8:38 PM on June 4, 2002

I hope they can get moebius, Syd Mead and Wendy Carlos to work on the second one too.
posted by destro at 8:48 PM on June 4, 2002

If you lose your disc, or fail to follow commands, you will be subject to immediate de-resolution

Wow. Sark sounds like the MPAA!
posted by kfury at 11:12 PM on June 4, 2002

I don't know how well the movie would do, but the Tron 2.0 videogame looks verra promising.

Six degrees of Babylon 5 alert: what other B5 star, besides Boxleitner, starred in the original Tron? :)
posted by WolfDaddy at 11:16 PM on June 4, 2002

I understand that Flynn has licensing issues with Encom, but why is Alan writing a program that will run free in his employers network, "watchdog the MCP," and generally fuck with the company? Somehow it was a victory when they all woke up the next day and the company mainframe was wiped out? What's the point again?

Alan is a disgruntled employee working for an evil company. The mainframe was not wiped out; Dillinger's theft of Flynn's software was revealed. It's all pretty straightforward, actually.
posted by bingo at 2:38 AM on June 5, 2002

Peter Jurasik. heh. Don't waste my time.

Tron was my favorite movie for a while.....I wasn't even two when it came out, so I had a while to wait. *grin*
posted by KoPi_42 at 3:39 AM on June 5, 2002

there's also discs of quake! and the best acrade game ever :)

thanks destro, those syd mead and wendy carlos links are great.
posted by kliuless at 8:40 AM on June 5, 2002

gotcha, bingo. It's coming back to me know. They have that planning session in Flynn's attic and then run out to set the plan in motion. Thank you.

"The kids are putting 8 million quarters a week in the Paranoids machines! I don't see a dime except what I scrape out of here."

Now Flynn sounds like the RIAA!
posted by scarabic at 9:14 AM on June 5, 2002

Actually, there's a huge crossover between Tron and B5 (and Star Trek TNG).

For one thing, Sark/Dillenger plays Commander Tomalok on ST:TNG, and a similar character on B5. The hair and makeup artists are the same for Tron and B5. there's the aforementioned Peter Jurrasik and Bruce Boxlightner connection.

Damn. I wrote a long email about this a year ago. Why didn't I post it soomewhere permanent? I don't feel like slogging through IMDB all over again...
posted by kfury at 7:24 AM on June 6, 2002