Episode 3 - Strange Days

This week Sean Faust is back to help us dissect Tron: Legacy, and for possibly the first time ever on this podcast we have a house divided. Some of the hosts loved the movie, and some didn't care for it at all.  You won't know who is who unless you listen!  How do you like that clickbait, internet rubes?! 

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Sean Faust: https://linktr.ee/seanfaustmusic

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

Charlize Theron is many wonderful things, but Aeon Flux, she is not.  The 2005 film adaption of the 90's animated series attempts to capture the magic, but falls short due to a number of things, including studio interferance.  This week we talk about what went so drastically wrong and what could have been done to at least make this thing watchable.

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

In 1991 Peter Chung created an animated series for a late night MTV anthology series called Liquid Television.  It was artistic, weird, and most of all... super horny.  As young teens, your hosts of course were instantly enthralled.  Thirty some years later we have returned to watch it with adult eyes and as it turns out, we are still pretty enthralled.

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

This week we are recapping the iconic 60's sci-fi novel by Philip K. Dick.  Yeah, the one that Bladerunner is based on.  In an incredibly bleak dystopian future, Rick Deckard has to kill a bunch of androids so he can get himself a new farm animal.  First he just had to deal with this damn "empathy" thing that makes him feel bad about murder-copping his way through San Francisco.  

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

In the dystopian future the kids are so out of control that the only way to keep them from killing each other is with military grade robotic teachers.  When the teachers' AI goes berserk and starts killing students, it will be up to the kids to take back their school, if only they can put their own differences aside first.  Big thanks to Stardaddy Stan from the Astronomica podcast for riding shotgun and manning the mortar tubes as we drive this puppy to school.

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Astronomica: http://astronomicapodcast.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

Imagine a hotel for professional criminals.  Now imagine that hotel is actually a hospital.  Now imagine that hotel/hospital is staffed only by Jodie Foster and Dave Bautista.  That's basically Hotel Artemis.  A little cyberpunkish film from 2018 that really slipped through the cracks of all the huge summer blockbusters it was up against that year.  Turns out, it's kind of a good time. 

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

Sometimes movies surprise you.  Sometimes you're sitting down expecting to watch a pile of garbage get set on fire on the screen, and instead you watch a pile of garbage animated into a beautiful dance that you can't take your eyes off of.  Nemesis is riddled with flaws, but despite them all, it's an incredibly enjoyable and fun film.  I won't bore you with a synopsis, just know that Thomas Jane is in this movie, and never once wears a stitch of clothing.  That should sell it.  Big thanks to Sean Faust for joining us on this one! 

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Sean Faust: https://linktr.ee/seanfaustmusic

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

In the year 20__, Theodore is a lonely man in a lonely world spending too much time on his computer.  Then he purchases Samantha, a new AI Operating System with a fun personality and a sexy voice, which leads to him spending too much time ON his computer.   It's a real situationship between Man & Machine, in a world without belts.  That's Spike Jone's Her.

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

Last week set the stage, this week we dive deep.  Ancient sumerian myths, the bicameral mind, sword fights, and some suuuuper problematic sex stuff.  We talk about it, we hash it out, some of it we really love, some of it we viscerally hate, but that's Snow Crash for ya.  Thanks, once again, to Geoff from the Astronomica podcast for joining us on this sleigh ride.  Get it?  Cuz snow?  You get it.

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Astronomica: http://astronomicapodcast.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com

I don't even know where to start on a summary of Snow Crash.  Basically imagine a book about what the world's biggest dork would think was cool.  That's a start.  This book contains multitudes, good and bad, so we are giving it two parts.  The first one sets the scene, describes the world, and introduces the characters.  The second one will get real weird. Also, we have a special guest! Geoff from the Astronomica podcast joins us to discuss the many highs and lows of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.

The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon halls of Neo Valhalla.

Astronomica: http://astronomicapodcast.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnny60seconds

Patreon: http://patreon.com/hightechlowlife

Theme music by http://www.nihilore.com