Unpopular Geek Media Opinions

[Bedrockgames]

Looking back, it's astonishing to me how quickly cellular phones went from being rare sights to ubiquity. The Blair Witch Project came out in 1999, and a few short years later I heard people argue it was completely unrealistic that none of them had cell phones. In 1999? I didn't know anyone in my group of friends, we were in our early to mid 20s, who had a cell phone. Most of the people I knew who had a cell phone were in their 40s.

I am sure it showed up sooner, but 24 was the first media I remember seeing where cell phones were ubiquitous. I didn't have a cell phone until about 2003. And in the 90s, I knew people with beepers but no cell phones (and you used to use pay phones to call the person who paged you). When I do see a cell phone in a 90s movie, I almost find it jarring

 

[Ryujin]

I remember going to see Blaire Witch in the theater and people were wondering if it was real as they entered because of the marketing

The first of the really successful "found footage" genre, that I generally despise. One hell of a financial success, though, considering it was bought for a song from the original producers.

 

[Zardnaar]

I am sure it showed up sooner, but 24 was the first media I remember seeing where cell phones were ubiquitous. I didn't have a cell phone until about 2003. And in the 90s, I knew people with beepers but no cell phones (and you used to use pay phones to call the person who paged you). When I do see a cell phone in a 90s movie, I almost find it jarring

First time I saw a cellphone was 1992.

I had a cellphone case in the 80s, family worked at telecom. It was the size of a small backpack think I stored army men in it.

In 2000 they started pushing them eg buy one for $180 nzd get $200 credit on it.

Bought my first a small Sagem, most people (with them) had those Alcatels.

Sometimes they trial stuff here early eg EFTPOS (electronic bank cards). Got them in the 80s, got mine 1994 or so.

Had no idea what cable TV or pay per view was though watching American TV. Satellite TV was an option circa 1989.

 

[MarkB]

I am sure it showed up sooner, but 24 was the first media I remember seeing where cell phones were ubiquitous. I didn't have a cell phone until about 2003. And in the 90s, I knew people with beepers but no cell phones (and you used to use pay phones to call the person who paged you). When I do see a cell phone in a 90s movie, I almost find it jarring

Yeah, I recall 24 as being pretty much the turning point, from writers viewing mobile phones as a hindrance to their tried-and-tested plots, to them being seen as useful plot devices.

 

[Autumnal]

Cannon is silly to worry about.

Cannons are serious business! You want fortifications of the right sort to resist them.

Canon, now…

 

[Bedrockgames]

The first of the really successful "found footage" genre, that I generally despise. One hell of a financial success, though, considering it was bought for a song from the original producers.

It is too bad the genre got so bloated. Horror long had a foundation in found media as a structure for stories (Dracula is a bunch of journal entries, telegrams, news paper clippings, etc. It was a pretty common framing device for horror. Lots of classic horror stories are first person or second hand accounts of something that is presented as really having happened. It takes a certain amount of craft though. I think Blaire Witch did it well, a few other films have too. But some of the found footage films I have seen are so flimsy in their efforts to make it look believable (I am actually not the biggest fan of Blaire Witch but one thing I will say for it is it committed to the idea that this was found footage). Part of the problem is the need to make it look like found footage is a little at war with the need to make the movie well crafted and the scenes framed

 

[Bedrockgames]

First time I saw a cellphone was 1992.

I had a cellphone case in the 80s, family worked at telecom. It was the size of a small backpack think I stored army men in it.

In 2000 they started pushing them eg buy one for $180 nzd get $200 credit on it.

Bought my first a small Sagem, most people (with them) had those Alcatels.

Sometimes they trial stuff here early eg EFTPOS (electronic bank cards). Got them in the 80s, got mine 1994 or so.

The only thing close to a cell phone I encounter in the 80s was one of those old car phones

 

[Bedrockgames]

Yeah, I recall 24 as being pretty much the turning point, from writers viewing mobile phones as a hindrance to their tried-and-tested plots, to them being seen as useful plot devices.

It made good use of them

 

[Zardnaar]

The only thing close to a cell phone I encounter in the 80s was one of those old car phones

Saw them in movies didn't know they were a cellphone until the 2000s?

It went into the "something they have overseas" category like theme parks, skyscrapers, cable TV, fine dining, culture.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

"You are not a 'real fan' unless you have consumed all of X and insist that you love Y" hurts geeky franchises more than any Hollywood suit ever has.

Gatekeepers are for castles.