Popular reviews

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  Review by Matt Singer ★★★★ 9

  A movie just about David’s weird parents who are totally oblivious to their son’s hacking, don’t care when he’s arrested by the FBI, and butter (uncooked!) corn by coating a piece of bread and then rubbing the bread on the cob, is the great 1980s spinoff we never got.

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  Review by The Reel House ★★ 2

  Ohhhhhh.

  So this is what Ferris does when he’s not skipping school. 

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  Review by Travis Lytle ★★★★ 2

  John Badham’s “WarGames” is a techno-thriller that is both quaint and prescient. Centering around buzzing, ticking, and beeping 1980s technologies that may spell the end of humankind, the film revels in modems and two-color displays; but, more importantly, carries the classic and contemporary warning that that same technology can be humanity’s undoing. Combined with an energetic cast, a compelling narrative, and a mostly serious tone, the film’s message rewards its audience with a gripping, well-assembled drama.

  Beginning in an underground military installation where human beings are charged with carrying out orders that could lead to the nuclear destruction of nations, “WarGames” quickly establishes its narrative query: should calculating machines perform the duties of emotionally driven humans? Revolving around that question,…

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  Review by [the worms]

  Now why was their first instinct to nuke Las Vegas

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  Review by Austin Burke ★★★★ 8

  ✅82%
  PopXCast Retro Rewind - Click HERE

  A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III.

  I am hoping to find some time to start visiting some wild 80’s movies that I have never seen before. I am slightly overwhelmed with new content, but our podcast “retro rewind” segment is giving me a reason to go back and check out some of these classics. How have I not seen this film? First off, a young Matthew Broderick is my cup of tea, and he is delivering this awkward yet brilliant character to perfection here. It is a drastic difference from something like a Ferris Bueller, but…

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  Review by ethxn🏴‍☠️ ★★★★★

  “I don't believe that any system is totally secure.”

  The internet connects everything & I don’t think we’ve truly seen what long lasting harm can be done with it yet. I remember seeing WarGames a long time ago, the concept of a couple kids accidentally finding a “game” that just so happens to control the nations nuclear arsenal is wild.

  This film isn’t perfect but holy shit is it a classic. Whenever people ask me what my favorite 80’s cinema is, my mind almost always recalls this one first. It’s the Jurassic Park of the 80’s for me, an easy watch with a fascinating plot. Matthew Broderick plays the high school tech geek/hacker nerd well. 

  Also, fun fact, I consistently mixed up Matthew Broderick & Michael J. Fox when I was young, it wasn’t until I was in my teens before I realized they weren’t the same.

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  Review by Sebastian Zufelt 3

  if this came out now he'd constantly be saying "poggers" or some shit

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  Review by Naughty aka Juli Norwood ★★★½ 3

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  Film #9 of the March Madness 80s Sci-Fi Movie Challenge!
  letterboxd.com/naughty/list/march-madness-80s-sci-fi-movie-challenge/
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  The film is 30+ years old! So it is no surprise with the leaps and bounds weve made in technology the film feels somewhat dated but the message manages to resonate with audiences today as much as it did when the film first made its way to the big screen!

  It definitely has the 80s aesthetics and campy charm that we have all come to know and love! The film featured a very young Matthew Broderick (David Lightman) whom showed early signs of a promising career in film!

  Feeling nostalgic for the 80s then check this out it's a much welcomed blast from the past!

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  Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★½ 8

  Three years before he became the iconic sociopathic teen Ferris Bueller, Matthew Broderick helped starting the WWIII, just for fun.

  So for those who read my review for "Battle Royale" know I for some weird reason (especially after watching this movie) confused this flick with the Japanese's survivor thriller. And well, yeah the two couldn't be more different.

  What can I say about this flick? This is certainly the epitome of the teen films where its established our stars sucks at school and are kinda stupid, especially on science, yet they are programming wizards? I dunno, the 80s were weird man...

  In terms of the story, I really appreciated the little discussion on the importance of human beings in this…

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  Review by Mikael Stånggren ★★★★

  Ferris Bueller: The Prequel - Fucking Up Global Relations

  I wish I was a young Matthew Broderick, hanging out with a young Ally Sheedy, drinking Tab and hacking into NORAD.

  Instead, I'm a post-20's Mikael Stånggren, hanging out with my right hand, drinking Cola Zero and looking at Dolan & Gooby memes.

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  Review by Leighton Trent ★★★½ 8

  And all God's eighties cult gem children said, "AMEN!"

  My wife had one more movie for me for her birthday viewing this year and I knew she was going to do it. She had threatened (in the kindest way) to do it and she finally did.

  Finally crossed off my ever so long List of Shame, John Badham's modem-adorned, dual-colored displayed, ticking, beeping, and booping 1983 techno thriller that I'm sure felt like a rather realistic watch (despite the suspension of disbelief, of course) back in 1983 considering the heat the Cold War was giving off during this time, and though it has aged rather quaintly some forty years later, it still felt like a rather prescient viewing considering the…

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  Review by Blake Bergman "Various Spaghetti" ★★★★½ 2

  "WarGames" is a 1983 technology-based family thriller directed by John Badham. Set with a completely different era of computer technology than obviously we see today; we get the story of a smart high school troublemaker (who is still a good kid) who dabbles in the early 80's world of computer hacking. Attempting to break into a system to find an exciting new computer game, he hacks into NORAD and initiates a self-operating computer system to start World War III without knowing it. The machine itself, in a status that was advanced for the time of the releasement of the film, thinks a game is initiated and won't stop playing the game until it is complete. With no way of turning…