The Thirteenth Floor

[Mighty_Emperor]

[edit: I split this off from TV reminders as it is worth its own thread]

And then over on BBC1 is:

The Thirteenth Floor

Sat 12 Nov, 11:25 pm - 1:00 am 95mins

Tech noir thriller starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Craig Bierko and Gretchen Mol.

A computer genius has created a simulated world back in 1937 that he can travel to. But there is something wrong with it and before he can warn his colleagues he is murdered. They must now unravel the mystery that may lie back in 1937 or beyond... Strong language. [Josef Rusnak, 1999]

Hannon Fuller/Grierson ...... Armin Mueller-Stahl
Douglas Hall/John Ferguson/Dav ...... Craig Bierko
Jane Fuller/Natasha Molinaro ...... Gretchen Mol
Jason Whitney/Jerry Ashton ...... Vincent D'Onofrio
Detective Larry McBain ...... Dennis Haysbert
Zev Bernstein ...... Steven Schub

Full outline:

Computer scientist Hannon Fuller has discovered something extremely important. He's about to tell the discovery to his colleague, Douglas Hall, but knowing someone is after him, the old man leaves a letter in his computer generated parallel world that's just like the 30's with seemingly real people with real emotions. Fuller is murdered in our "real" world the same night, and his colleague is suspected. Douglas discovers a bloody shirt in his bathroom and he cannot recall what he was doing the night Fuller was murdered. He logs into the system in order to find the letter, but has to confront the unexpected. The truth is harsher than he could ever imagine...

www.imdb.com/title/tt0139809/plotsummary

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

Interesting film - I saw it last time it was on TV but its interesting to see it again with more distance from the Matrix and the various Matrix sequels played out too (as well as haivng read more on The Matrix too).

Obviosuly The Matrix rather ruined the party for TTF as it came out earlier in the same year with a similar thesis. However, its interesting to see that where The Matrix falls down, esp. some of the criticisms it has had for use and abuse of theory (in particular Baudrillard's), are where TTF does better.

It certainly went more down the path I was hoping would happen in The Matrix in that we are never really sure if the reality people think is real is really a simulation.

----------
Out on DVD anyway:

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000 ... ntmagaz-21

R1:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767821 ... enantmc-20
www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/07678 ... ntmagaz-21