WarGames - Revival House Perth Event Bio
Fire up your dial-up modem for the thriller that made computer hacking cool and accidentally predicted our anxieties about artificial intelligence by decades. John Badham's 1983 Cold War techno-thriller is part teen adventure, part nuclear nightmare—a film that terrified Reagan-era audiences and remains shockingly relevant in our age of AI and cyber warfare.
Matthew Broderick stars as David Lightman, a tech-savvy high school kid who accidentally hacks into NORAD's supercomputer while searching for video game companies. Thinking he's found a game company's new simulator called "Global Thermonuclear War," David unwittingly triggers the military's AI defense system WOPR (War Operation Plan Response), which can't distinguish between simulation and reality. As WOPR begins running scenarios that could trigger actual nuclear war, David must convince the military he's not a Soviet spy and stop the computer from ending the world.
What makes WarGames brilliant is how it makes technology both accessible and terrifying. The film captures early '80s computer culture with surprising authenticity—from acoustic couplers to backdoor passwords—while building genuine Hitchcockian suspense from keyboard commands. Ally Sheedy shines as David's accomplice Jennifer, while Dabney Coleman and Barry Corbin anchor the military side with conviction.
The film's message about the futility of nuclear war—delivered through WOPR's famous conclusion "the only winning move is not to play"—resonated powerfully during the Cold War and hasn't lost its punch. Badham keeps the tension mounting while never losing sight of the human stakes behind the technology.
A smart thriller that helped define '80s techno-paranoia.
Present in authentic 35mm film for the true cinematic experience!
When: Saturday, December 6th at 4:45 PM
Where: Revival House Perth
Rating: PG - Mild themes and Cold War tension
The hacker thriller that predicted our AI anxieties—'80s tech paranoia that's never felt more relevant.
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