WarGames (1983) & Short Circuit (1986): Cold War Tech Meets Comedy

from Journey Through Sci-Fi: A Science Fiction Film Podcast · host James Payne

In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, James and Matt continue their Artificial Intelligence series by exploring two very different visions of AI from the 1980s. First we look at WarGames (1983), the Cold War techno-thriller that imagined a military computer accidentally triggering global nuclear war. Then we explore Short Circuit (1986), the sci-fi comedy about a military robot that unexpectedly becomes self-aware. Together these films reveal how the rise of computers in the 1980s shaped science-fiction storytelling — from fears about automated warfare to more hopeful visions of intelligent machines. Journey Through Sci-Fi explores the history of science-fiction cinema one subgenre at a time. Follow the show for deep dives into the films and ideas that shaped sci-fi. Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/ Email Us! Follow us on TWITTER Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on LETTERBOXD

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This episode is 1 hour and 18 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 19, 2019.

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