Virtual Reality

While flicking through the tv a few nights back, I came across a program on Discovery Channel, it was called "Sci Fi Saved My Life: The Matrix".

Much of the material was a re-hash of what is widely known in the research community about the state-of-the-art in VR. I persisted with the program as it contained an interesting interview with Jaron Lanier
However watching the show got me thinking about the list of movies that have been and continue to be important in influencing developments and research in VR. Here is a list of some notable movies:
Seminal Hollywood moments that have been influenced by, or have influenced developments in technology.

StarWars 1977-2008
TRON 1982, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner and Cindy Morgan
Brainstorm 1983, starring Christopher Walken, Natalie Wood and Louise Fletcher
Videodrome 1983, starring James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits and Peter Dvorsky
Total Recall 1990, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside
The Lawnmower Man 1992, starring Jeff Fahey and Pierce Brosnan
Disclosure 1994, starring Michael Douglas, Demi Moore and Donald Sutherland
Strange Days 1995, starring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, and Juliette Lewis
Virtuosity 1995, starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Kelly Lynch
Johnny Mnemonic 1995, starring Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren, Dina Meyer and Ice-T
Andoromedia 1998, starring Hiroko Shimabukuro and Eriko Imai 
The Matrix 1999, starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Laurence Fishburne
ExistenZ 1999, starring Jude Law, Jason Leigh, Ian Holm and Willem Dafoe
The Thirteenth Floor, 1999 starring Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol and Armin Mueller-Stahl
Avalon 2001, starring Malgorzata Foremniak and Wladyslaw Kowalski
Minority Report 2002, starring Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow and Colin Farrell

If you feel I have omitted an influential movie or have anything to say on the above please leave a comment.
Dave

Randy Pausch, known to many for his work in promoting the positive side of games and interactive systems, gave his farewell lecture at Carnegie Mellon (September 18, 2007). This is indeed a sad occasion, as Randy is only 46 and is suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer.

The lecture follows the tradition of (hypothetical) farewell lectures by distinguished speakers at Carnegie Mellon. The main difference this time is that this is very much a 'real' farewell lecture from Randy.

Randy is a distinguished published speaker on many of the positive aspects of interactive systems and games - in particular the educational benefits.

A video of the lecture is available for viewing.


Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

rgds Dave