Pwned By Jenkins.


-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mark Jenkins
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 19:04
To: [email protected]
Subject: [SkullSpace-Discuss] In defense of Swordfish

Ian wrote:
 > 2. The hacker movie you despise, why?
 >
 > Swordfish

On balance, I find Swordfish to be okay (not great) as a film and not
terrible. Some of the bad hacking crap is offset by what I consider to
be a really good hacking scene later in the movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjGbvpr_dB8
(This isn't the notorious crypto break with human distraction earlier in
the film)

Once your get past the dramatization, ridiculous GUI and ridiculous rig
there's lots of good stuff there:

* A dead drop

* A great retro computing reference, complete with tape drive

* Long basement tunnel cabling run

* Re-use of old code

* Adaptation of old code for current circumstances required, can't just
use the old stuff

* Distractions removed, non-hackers out of the room

* Late night setting

* Frustration when things aren't going well, but not quiting

* Waiting for compiling/linking/testing http://xkcd.com/303/, with
uncertainty while you wait for them to complete to your satisfaction

* Incremental and modular development, with joy/celebration as each unit
of progress is completed

* Realization that you've forgotten many little details that you used to
know when you've been away from something for awhile

* Taking a break (and coming back inspired)

* Talking to yourself while working
http://justseventhings.com/2009/01/25/why-talking-to-yourself-might-be-t
he-highest-form-of-intelligence/

* Despite being involved in rather serious business, Stanly manges to
have fun and be playful while working on this (yes, its over the top) Is
this perhaps hinting at a more general spirit playful cleverness being
present?
http://stallman.org/articles/on-hacking.html

* Serious amount of time elapse (hours) for work to get done (unlike
earlier bad scene under pressure)

* Exhaustion (sleep and mental) when done

* Bad personal health habits (smoking, excessive drinking?)


What other film has this many good elements all in one scene?
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