TR2N

10 Comments

1. 

   Ned

   July 25, 2009 at 4:05 pm

   So your link didn’t work for me, but then I thought it was a joke – you click and nothing happens. Then I thought what if, with each click, I was transported to an alternative reality, somewhat symbolic of choices you make in life. I could remove myself from my current path in life x 5 by clicking five times on the alternate reality link.

   Then I saw the word Tron there, pasted the link in my browser, and looked at the new Tron bike. Oh well, so much for alternate realities. It looks cool, but its hard for me to get excited about remakes.
2. 

   Pete (Post author)

   July 25, 2009 at 7:58 pm

   Maybe if you cut and paste the link. it has a little mo
3. 

   Ned

   July 25, 2009 at 9:36 pm

   Did you read my whole post Pete?
4. 

   Shotts

   July 26, 2009 at 10:33 am

   I agree with Ned, and wish it had indeed been a parallel universe. And I didn’t like the original Tron that much to begin with, even at the age of ten or thereabout.
5. 

   Pete (Post author)

   August 4, 2009 at 9:57 pm

   I think you miss the cultural relavance of the first Tron movie to dismiss it so quickly. Yes, it was a b- disney film; yes, the plot was lacking. What Tron did do, though, was open the door in a significant way to computer animation in the three-dimensional world. The scenes within the computer were cutting edge, and unlike anything seen before. To be able to animate (although somewhat crudely) three dimensional computer graphics and have them appear somewhat realistic not only made special effects such as those in the latest Harry Potter film possible, but also those in the Lord of the Rings, LT Dan’s missing legs in Forrest Gump, and far too many others to name. Add that to the use of such technology to create whole animated films such as Up, Toy Story, The Incredibles, etc. Tron was ahead of its time in many regards, primary the interface between bellievable animation in real world (not just roger rabbit) as well as the use of this media to incorprate a digital media with a movie (IMHO this clearly has still not been done well). It was a B movie. So, 25 years later, Why Tron, Why now? Unless, perhaps, there is something new to show us.
6. 

   Shotts

   August 5, 2009 at 5:02 pm

   I hope you’re right, Peters, about the new Tron. And yes, the special effects at the time were impressive. To quote George Lucas, before he jumped off the deep end of his own ego: “A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing.”
7. 

   Ned

   August 7, 2009 at 8:10 pm

   Where is Toby, damnit? It’s Tron for crying out loud.
8. 

   Shotts

   August 8, 2009 at 3:27 pm

   He’s been in a parallel universe for quite some time. Our only way of accessing him now is through our collective memories.
9. 

   Tobias

   August 12, 2009 at 5:27 pm

   >> ACCESS GRANTED >>

   Good afternoon, Tobias Pete Becker, reporting for blog duty. In my defense, I have taken a little time to spruce up, categorize, and fix the link on the post. But I haven’t responded or written in a while.

   Tron was a little boring to me as a kid, especially the parts without the neat-o computer graphics. I loved the vision of the world and some of the exciting bits, but overall most of the geeky talk went over my head at the time. I much prefered The Last Starfighter. I bought Tron on DVD (then sold it again) and it was better on the second viewing because I caught most of the references. While I have a fondness for it, I realized it wasn’t a movie I wanted to hang onto and watch multiple times.

   The importance of Tron (in my opinion) wasn’t the presentation of the film, but the impact on society and the forward-thinking glipse it gave us. Sortof like a huge meteor crater, I think the effect and importance of Tron is the residual societal crater it’s left. It was ahead of it’s time with special effects, which still sortof hold up (some of the matte painting work is fantastic) and the singular vision and imagination of it is pretty ineteresting.

   I do think it is uncannily predictive in the way we would come to interface with computers and others through a digital lens (Facebook, email, this blog, etc.). Back in 1982, the idea of a personal computer and a population interacting in a digital world was pretty hard to imagine. I think from a cultural perspective, it holds up pretty well. It hadn’t really dated from a technical standpoint. Although the veneer may have changed…a lot of the information and terminology in Tron is still accurate. At the base level, bits and bytes haven’t changed a whole lot. There’s just more stacked up on top of it.

   Still, my curiosity won’t allow me to pass this up, hopefully I’ll be able to catch it in 3D at the AMC near my house. You’re all invited to join me 😉

   >> END OF LINE >>
10. 

    Ned

    August 12, 2009 at 7:31 pm

    Toby, You’re always a breath of fresh air.