Cyberpunk Documentary (1990) | Region-Free (DVD)

**DISC ONLY**

Source:  WEB

Title: Cyberpunk (1990)

Genre: Documentary

Plot Synopsis:
Directed by Marianne Trench, Cyberpunk is a 1990 documentary that delves into the emerging cyberpunk movement of the late 20th century. The film features interviews with key figures such as William Gibson, author of the seminal novel Neuromancer, and Timothy Leary, a renowned advocate of psychedelic drugs. Through these conversations, the documentary explores themes of technology, virtual reality, hacking, and their implications on society’s future. It serves as a time capsule, capturing the ethos of a subculture that blends high-tech advancements with countercultural ideas.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Marianne Trench
• Featured Personalities:
  • William Gibson
  • Timothy Leary
  • Jaron Lanier
  • Brenda Laurel
  • Michael Synergy
  • Vernon Reid

IMDb Link:
Cyberpunk (1990)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Robyn – ★★★★☆
   “I love that for a brief, perfect time hackers was relevant and not outdated in the big wide world and the World Wide Web. Some eerie predictions in this masked with N64 graphic animal heads. A guy called Michael Synergy assures you in a fascist government ever comes into power he will take them down. I wonder what Michael is doing now and realize it’s likely he’s calling people a cuck on Twitter.”
2. pd187 – ★★★★½
   “People are afraid technology will make them less free, make them less powerful, in a personal way. That’s entirely possible. There are lots of good examples of how that’s happened, the defense industry being a major one. But technology can also empower. You can take that all the way back & say the first apelike humanoid who used a tool was the guy who put the nail in our coffin, right? Because our tools, oh my god, it’s not my arm, it’s a hammer, does that mean I’ve lost power to the hammer, or does that mean I can build a cathedral?”
3. S*x Ray Spex ⚡ – ★★★½
   “High tech/low life. Cyberpunk (the documentary) captures a time when there was something dangerous about the internet. It sometimes asks serious questions but isn’t afraid to be silly. I was delighted by the flamboyant computer animation, obligatory ‘phone hacking,’ and general naivete. Cyberpunk is a literary genre, but at that time also a nascent subculture. Featured prominently, author William Gibson is insightful but humble. I appreciated his perspective on genre publishing, science fiction as the ‘golden ghetto’ from which money but not art could be made. The stills of Timothy Leary’s Neuromancer video game were fun too, and led me down an interesting rabbit hole re: Leary/video games. It’s weird to see the future in the eyes of 1990. I don’t know that in 2024 we are even allowing ourselves to dream like this. It may be a little smug and naïve, but hell it’s something. Today, cyberpunk is more an aesthetic, a frame of reference for ‘content’ absent context.”
4. Audiovisualizer – ★★★★☆
   “This is the future I want, this is the aesthetic I want. This is so ahead of its time it’s beautiful.”
5. Iqwrestler – ★★★★☆
   “The future ain’t what it used to be.”

Meta Description:
Explore Cyberpunk (1990), a documentary directed by Marianne Trench that examines the cyberpunk movement through interviews with influential figures like William Gibson and Timothy Leary. Available for viewing on YouTube, this film offers a unique glimpse into the fusion of technology and counterculture.