Cyberpunk Goes To The Movies

Oof. Long day yesterday, and today promises to be even longer. So while I still owe you a critique of the last batch of Friday Challenge entries and I've got a couple more blogs items backed up in the queue, this morning I'm just going to toss out a quick question. Voula Kalogeras writes:

Hi Bruce,

I accidentally stumbled across your work by searching for the word cyberpunk.

The reason why I was searching for the word is because I wrote a scifi screenplay and it was reviewed on a website called triggerstreet. (Kevin Spacey along with a partner developed it for new screenwriters.) The reviewer said it was cyberpunk and he loved it. I didn't know what this meant and looked it up to discover the meaning -- and you of course.

My question is this: have there ever been any cyberpunk movies made? Is there a strong interest in this genre as a movie? High tech and low-life are the characteristics of a cyberpunk movie?

Many thanks!
Voula

Well? How about it?

Right off the top of my head I can think of The Matrix and its sequels, of course, and Johnny Mnemonic. I can also remember being in the room when William Gibson described Blade Runner as being the first cyberpunk movie and an inspiration to us all. And then there are all those Japanese anime epics: Ghost in the Shell, Battle Angel, Cowboy Bebop, etc., etc.

But what about, say, RoboCop and its sequels, or Terminator 2? What about Total Recall? Which movies belong in the Cyberpunk Cinema Hall of Fame, and just what is it that makes a movie "cyberpunk," anyway?

Your thoughts and comments, s'il vous plait?