List of nerdy documentaries and docu-dramas

[Level9]

Hi All,

This is my first proper post as a newbie here. I like a good nerdy documentary or docu-drama... anything about computing, gaming or technology history, or even the modern scene. After just seeing BigEd's post about the new "From Bedrooms to Billions" docco I thought it might be useful to make a list of similar doccos that people on this forum might enjoy. Here's a list of everything I own on DVD or have seen on TV or online, as well as some stuff that is in production.

Any other recommendations guys?

Cheers,
Darren.

- Triumph of the Nerds - http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Nerds-Bob ... B00006FXQO

- Micro Men - might still be on Pirate Bay, but also on YouTube in lower quality. Hopefully on DVD some day with extras!

- Get Lamp - http://www.getlamp.com

- Pirates of Silicon Valley - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168122/

- The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923752/

- BBS: The Documentary - http://www.bbsdocumentary.com

- Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview (refound interview footage from Triumph of the Nerds - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8mttU82V64

- Indie Game: The Movie - http://www.indiegamethemovie.com

- TPB AFK (The Pirate Bay - Away from Keyboard) - http://watch.tpbafk.tv/

- Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade - http://www.chasingghoststhemovie.com


IN PRODUCTION:

- 1) The 6502 2) Arcade 3) Tape - Jason Scott's new tripple whammy of documentaries: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tex ... three-pack - (Good to see the Acorn Computer designers in the potential cast list for 'The 6502')

- The Space Invaders: In Search of Lost Time - http://vimeo.com/50465335

- Inside the Dragon's Lair - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB9jgRpy9KE

- From Bedrooms to Billions - http://www.frombedroomstobillions.com

- Viva Amiga - http://www.amigafilm.com

- Gamer Age - http://vimeo.com/26945765


ON HOLD or MISSING IN ACTION:

- 8-bit Generation - http://www.youtube.com/user/8bitgenerat ... rid&view=0


Cheers,
Darren.

[Dave Footitt]

This is also worth a look:

Commercial Breaks - A documentary about Imagine and Ocean Software

[MarcT]

There's a Micro Men DVD (from the original production company, I believe) on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micro-Men-bbc ... 1c3231dde4

There were torrents of it available in the past...

KRs,
Marc

[davidb]

If you're interested in plain interviews, there are some on YouTube with people from the early Acorn days:

• Steve Furber (via the Centre for Computing History)
• Andy Hopper - there's a two part interview with him starting here as well, which I thought was very interesting
• Hermann Hauser - despite the title, this is the first part of an interview for which there is also a "part 2"

Some of them are more about their lives than about their time at various companies, but I find them more interesting because of that. It's worth looking at the channels these videos are from for other interviews.

[Room5]

There's a Micro Men DVD (from the original production company, I believe) on eBay

If anyone gets this DVD, I'd be very interested to hear whether the quality and/or content has any benefit over the original Freeview broadcast.

If you like Micro Men, you may be interested in a band called The British IBM. Their name is taken from a quote from the film. They also have a song based on the film. The video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCyLLFNh24E

[Room5]

I'll add two Tetris docs to the list (of what I like to call 'geekumentaries'):

- Tetris, From Russia With Love - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074pz0
- Ecstasy of Order, The Tetris Masters - http://watch.ecstasyoforder.com/

Simon.

[Level9]

Thanks for the recommendations. Keep them coming!

I had a look at the Micro Men DVD on eBay, thanks MarcT. I'm tempted. The company name 'Darlow Smithson Productions' is legit... they were defo the production company for Micro Men. But I doubt Darlow Smithson have anything to do with this eBay listing because the BBC's lawyers would be on their backs if they knew about it! The seller has 26 available... and I bet he'd burn another 26 if he sold all of those!

[nOmArch]

I have all of these and a few more, I'll have a butchers around my HDD tomorrow.

[Room5]

My copy of Micro Men was captured from iPlayer at a resolution of 640x360. Looking at the BBC page for Micro Men, I see it was also broadcast on the BBC HD channel. Do any of you have an HD copy?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n5b92/broadcasts

[Room5]

Extending the list further...

- High Score - http://www.highscoremovie.com/

In production:

- The King of Arcades - http://www.thekingofarcades.com

Going slightly off-topic, The Computer Programme, the first series within the Beeb's Computer Literacy Project, is available on archive.org (as are loads of other old computing-related TV programmes): http://archive.org/details/computer-programme

[Level9]

Thanks Room5, some great additions there.

I'm going to add this after seeing it again on TV on Sunday:
The Social Network - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/

[richardtoohey]

What about Whiz Kids, do they count?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiz_Kids_%28TV_series%29

And of course, War Games ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WarGames



No, didn't think so ... I enjoyed them back in the 80s ...

[sdcbmthsch]

My copy of Micro Men was captured from iPlayer at a resolution of 640x360. Looking at the BBC page for Micro Men, I see it was also broadcast on the BBC HD channel. Do any of you have an HD copy?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n5b92/broadcasts

Yes...

[nOmArch]

As we're on the subject, I remember watching a movie about hacking circa 83/84 which featured a young male hacker being employed by a large company to test their security systems for holes. While on the case he figures out a way to rob the company for all their money and decides to go down that route instead.

That's the basic storyline. It also includes a girl (love interest) who is heavily addicted to outrun and has a butterfly tattoo on her left shoulderblade.

She poses at a decoy to the MD of the company to get the security system override key.

I have spent hours searching the net to try and find out what it was called so I could watch it again but alas no dice.

If this jogs anyones memories I would be eternally grateful to finally find out what this film was called.


e2a: Other than the ones already mentioned I have these.



I can add the directory to the FTP if anyone wants to see them.

[Room5]

If this jogs anyones memories I would be eternally grateful to finally find out what this film was called.

You're talking about Smart Money. It's one of my childhood favourites (alongside Wargames).

It has a truly awful IMDB rating, but... each to their own!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096123/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4

I can add the directory to the FTP if anyone wants to see them.

Sounds good to me

[nOmArch]

If this jogs anyones memories I would be eternally grateful to finally find out what this film was called.

You're talking about Smart Money. It's one of my childhood favourites (alongside Wargames).

It has a truly awful IMDB rating, but... each to their own!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096123/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4

OMFG!!!! That's the one!! Mate I owe you a massive beer! Seriously I have been trying to track this movie down for about 20 years, I honestly can't thank you enough for putting me out of my misery at long last!!

I owe you big time for this.

I can add the directory to the FTP if anyone wants to see them.

Sounds good to me

Okey dokey done and done.

[sPhilMainwaring]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_JuSlLLMs

Starring Spencer Leigh who played "Icky" in a (non computer) favourite of mine, about two lads from Liverpool who run away to live in Wales called "One Summer". This was filmed in the village where I live (as was The Englishman who went up a Hill but came down a Mountain)

I was sure that "The Box" (who usually have stuff like The Computer Programme, Making the Most of the Micro [Making the most of your establisment lackies more like], Micro Live, etc.) would have a copy but alas no

http://thebox.bz/browse.php?incldead=0& ... nboolean=1

Good luck finding a copy though

[nOmArch]

Indeed I was a tiny bit disappointed when I saw it wasn't there.

Might have a couple of leads though

[PitfallJones]

This is an excellent thread.

Does anyone know where the forerunners to The Computer Programme might be found:

Managing the Micro and The Mighty Micro(ITV)? (I've read the book but never seen it).

Apart from that I recommend the Your Sinclair Rock n Roll years series:

http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/index.htm

- PJ

[nOmArch]

I've been on the hunt for those two for a while but haven't found a dicky bird

On a slightly more positive note I now have a copy of Smart Money!

Yay!

Many thanks dude!

[AndyGarton]

Newbie question sorry, but which FTP are the videos listed above on please?

[nOmArch]

Newbie question sorry, but which FTP are the videos listed above on please?

My privately hosted FTP.

You'll need to PM me if you want access.

Donuts are an acceptable form of bribery.

[AndyGarton]

Newbie question sorry, but which FTP are the videos listed above on please?

My privately hosted FTP.

You'll need to PM me if you want access.

Donuts are an acceptable form of bribery.

Understood thanks

I don't have PM access yet and understand why access isn't freely given. Hopefully I can make a useful contribution to this community soon though.

[Level9]

@Alex - some awesome additions there, thanks! I've just had a look on YouTube and many of them are on there, but I'd still love an FTP password for the ones I can't find But like Andy, I'm in the newbie situation of not being able to PM yet

-----------
Darren.

[Level9]

Here's another one guys. Can't believe this passed me by... looks quite good:

- Thumb Candy: Iain Lee's Brief History of Video Games - a 50 minute documentary made for Channel 4 in 2000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAo4CZTGFQQ

------------
Darren

[nOmArch]

Also Thumb Bandits and Bits.

Although these were both review shows in the same vein as Gamesmaster, they had the added advantage of not being presented by Dominik Diamond

Bits is more fun to watch though with Boof and her antics.


e2a:

Re: King of Kong, it is well worth tracking down the DVD of this as there is a commentry track from two game journalists that is priceless.

It's kinda like a MST3K Riff track and doesn't pull any punches about a certain mullet loving freak.

[Level9]

Never seen any 'Bits' before but I just did a bit of quick searching on YouTube and found it was presented by three rather nice ladies! This show must have been massively popular with the teenage boys! (and if I'd known about it back in 2000 I might have been a regular viewer too!)

I've had The King of Kong DVD for ages but completely forgot to listen to the commentary. Sounds like fun, I'll put that to the top of my to watch pile.

Gah, hate to ask but what does 'e2a' mean?

[nOmArch]

e2a = edited to add

Yes Bits was a pleasure to watch when I was a teenager... Thumb bandits was slightly more serious but still a good show.

And did I mention that neither feature Dominik Diamond in any way whatsoever, back of the net!

Re: King of Kong it's the one with Chris Carle & Jon M. Gibson, the other one, by the director and the producers is just a run of the mill lets talk about how we made the movie.

[helpful]

Bits is more fun to watch though with Boof and her antics

Mmmmm, Boof

She was also in the short sci-fi film Inferno which was set inside a video game IIRC.

[nOmArch]

Indeed.



/droool...

Yeah I have Inferno, she was also in a couple of low budget Horror flicks as well

Pervirella 1997

Evil Aliens 2005

In these but not playing a leading character

Dog House 2009 <-- Unfortunately this has Danny Dyer in the lead role, so probably best avoided.

Inbred 2011