I'm a huge fan of Real Genius. This comes at a real oddly coincidental time...
Back when I was probably 16, so '86, I came across Robert Woodhead, probably on Usenet, probably with some mention that he worked on the movie. So I sent him an e-mail and told him how much I loved the movie. He wrote back and told me a little about the computer graphics that he did for the movie. So every time I see some of the graphics scenes, I think of him.
A few days ago I was watching a Youtube video "10 things you didn't know about Real Genius", and it showed those computer graphics.
And I thought "I wonder what he's up to." Turns out he's done some kind of interesting things, has a github, etc. So, I fired off another e-mail to him ("I'm sure you don't remember, but back in '86 you graciously replied to an e-mail I sent you and I've often thought of that kindness.") He happens to live where I visit typically a couple times a year, so we've set up going out to coffee.
2 e-mails, 40 years apart, and then this. Coincidences, man.
That is absolutely the video, thanks for finding it. Also of interesting note: Real Genius was originally going to be more raunchy, but the director steered it towards more geek content.
Are you sure it was '86? I was using IBM's BITNET in 88 from UMASS before Al Gore invented the Internet lol. Email took 2 days to go from Boston to London, passing thru a node in California before routing to the UK. I got on Usenet in 88 or 89, and had fun chats with professors at Caltech and elsewhere using the finger command and talk (with tee pipe to dev/tty and a file, so I can play back the whole session.) I am vague in my memory about how and when I went from being n BITNET to ARPANet/Internet, but I do remember Gore was busy promoting the Information Superhighway around that time, and it was the time the first iteration of excitement around neural networks was cooling off... Memories! Real Genius was a fun movie to watch and an inspiration for getting into lasers.
UPDATE according to ChatGPT:
ARPANET itself began in 1969 at a handful of research universities, so some US universities had access as early as the early 1970s. However, many institutions that didn’t have a direct ARPANET connection joined BITNET in 1981—a store‐and‐forward network that was easier and less expensive to join but often led to long email delays (sometimes on the order of a day or two, especially on international links). By the mid‑to‑late 1980s, with the emergence of NSFNET (which provided a TCP/IP backbone) and the broader adoption of Internet protocols, many universities transitioned from BITNET to the more immediate, real‑time connectivity of the Internet.
In other words, while ARPANET was available to some US universities from the early 1970s, widespread academic use via the modern Internet (with NSFNET and TCP/IP) really picked up in the mid‑1980s. The long delays you remember (such as a two‑day email from Boston to London) were more typical of BITNET’s store‑and‑forward mechanism rather than ARPANET’s near‑real‑time communications.
That's funny, because at lunch my coworker mentioned my comment without realizing it was me who made it and he was trying to figure out how we had access to e-mail back then. It might have been '87, no later than mid '88 because that's when I left HP Loveland and I'm quite sure it happened before then. I'd put money on the e-mail having been sent with bang-paths.
You mention being on Usenet in 88 or 89, which was after "the great reorganization". I was on Usenet for a while before the reorg, so that'd cement the earlier end at 85-86. I definitely had e-mail, but never used BITNET or ARPANet. I do recall sending e-mail to a crazy girl in maybe Tazmania that loved wombats, and it taking <a day turnaround (the girlfriend of a summer student in the lab).
I first saw this film when I was a kid, and it made a lasting impression on me. Unfortunately, it feels like the lesson of the film has not been learned: too many "geniuses" over the past 40 years have failed to consider the negative social consequences of the technology that they create. These naive geniuses are all too happy to solve technical problems and cash paychecks given to them by powers that turn out to be malevolent (despite draping themselves in a costume of benevolence).
Question authority, and question your own role in the power structure. It's a moral imperative.
Also a lot of lessons for the average tech employee - working long hours for some goal and then at the end realize it’s going to be used for evil and you’re all about to get laid off anyway.
Real Genius was one of the things that helped me to soldier on through my (terrible) high school experience surrounded by bullies and knuckleheads, knowing that if I was lucky, I could have at least a good four years afterwards "among my own people." And as you said, it also helped to lay the ethical foundation of always looking at the potential applications of technology before deciding to work on it. Too few software "engineers" have taken that lesson to heart.
Pro tip look for an industry that works for big capable customers that can defend themselves. Helps to create a structure of accountability inside a company that you can connect to as someone trying to have a positive career. Doesn't mean everything will be perfect, but it is easier than pushing against the stream in a company that "serves"[1] a disaggregated (and thus mostly defenseless) customer base.
From the perspective of conspiratorial thinking, fringe “I’m special because I see the surprising, simple real key to everything” economic schools, and anti-enlightenment politics :-(
You're absolutely right, and, while it's good for life-karma, it's not so good for HN-karma.
No one bullies harder than the nerds around here. Such a hateful bunch of ignorant fools.
Of course, that doesn't apply to everyone here, for sure -- some people are absolutely lovely, like DonHopkins -- but perhaps 90%.
But that's always the problem with majorities, they follow the lead of their leader, and damn their conscience and other points of view, wielding their power like a cudgel. They tend to bully minorities of every kind, especially ideological minorities.
"There is nothing more important than compassion, and only the truth is its equal."
> No one bullies harder than the nerds around here. Such a hateful bunch of ignorant fools.
I’m not sure if this is true. We’re all people, and people have tendencies to other others and seek belonging, that can hurt people.
I don’t think this community is particularly bad. And I’ll add that it’s probably the most “civil” of all the sites I’ve used over the years (usenet, slashdot, fark, lobste.rs, kuroshin, plastic, digg, reddit, netslaves, 4chan).
Ignorant fools, perhaps. But bullies, I don’t think so.
"Why do you wear that toy on your head?" "Because if I wear it anywhere else, it...chafes"
"What's that?" "A laser beam, bozo!" "What are we supposed to do?" "Follow it!"
"Your stutter has improved" "I've been giving myself shock treatment" "...Up the voltage"
"You're laborers, you're supposed to be laboring. That's what you get for not having an education!"
"It's a coherent beam of light" "So that means it talks?"
Of course, the non-quote where one of the kids at the study table stands up, screams repeatedly, and leaves, and with no reaction one of the kids at the periphery of the room moves to sit in his place.
And of course: "If there's ever anything I can do for you, or, more to the point, to you..." "Can you hammer a six inch spike through a board with your penis?" "Well, not right now..."
"OK Mitch, I'm gonna make it up to you. Let's just pause...take a step back. No, I was wrong, I'm sorry: take a step forward. Now, take a step back...and now we're cha cha-ing!"
>where one of the kids at the study table stands up, screams repeatedly, and leaves, and with no reaction one of the kids
Also the part where they are gassing Kent in his dorm room, and another student passes them by with just a "hey" and keeps walking while they are wearing gas masks and clearly Up To No Good.
A classic "show, don't tell" example as you have all the information you need to know about the sort of place this school is from that scene.
“I never sleep I had a roommate once but I drove her nuts I mean really nuts they had to take her away in an ambulance I knitted you a sweater.” that’s from memory so probably not 100% but was my sister’s favorite line.
Heh when Mitch goes to her dorm in the middle of the night and she’s using one of those giant floor sanders to refinish her dorm room floor is pretty effing funny.
I still use the "I'm only saying this because I care: there are lots of decaffinated brands on the market today that are just as tasty as the real thing" retort in work meetings that get too heated. That entire scene[1] is one of my favorites.
Real Genius made college look like a lot of fun. And to a very young kid Mitch, Chris, and Jordan was my motivation. I was a first gen college bound student who had a vague notion of what university would be like. And it wasn’t that far off the mark. I did work with lasers. I had a weird roommate. I streaked on the quad after a snow storm. College was challenging a lot of the time and also fun some of the time.
I still watch this movie and encourage my son to watch it with me.
Kilmer, Jarret, Meyrink, and Gries all rendered performances of scientists and engineers that are honestly more realistic and more human than anything I've seen since except possibly McKinnon's in the 2016 "Ghostbusters". Also Atherton's performance was top-notch as the villain.
This remains my favorite movie and the inspiration for me to go into STEM when I saw it as a 10-year-old.
Kilmer was a rare, if difficult, talent, and I'm so sorry we lost him so early.
I thought "Real Genius" and "Film Nerd" was referring to "Val Kilmer", like it was saying "RIP Val Kilmer, a real genius and film nerd that culture deserves" instead of "RIP Val Kilmer, who worked at Real Genius, the film that nerd culture deserves".
I must say that I never heard about this movie and I'm happy that this is a recommendation of a 80s movie
I can always count on an eye-roll from my wife when I have the rare chance to drop the "I've not yet begun to defile myself" line, haha... ah great now I need to go re-watch Tombstone
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Tombstone (I think I’ll watch this evening in tribute), but even with that I have the exact tonality of all the quotes listed here replaying perfectly in my head.
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Back when I was probably 16, so '86, I came across Robert Woodhead, probably on Usenet, probably with some mention that he worked on the movie. So I sent him an e-mail and told him how much I loved the movie. He wrote back and told me a little about the computer graphics that he did for the movie. So every time I see some of the graphics scenes, I think of him.
A few days ago I was watching a Youtube video "10 things you didn't know about Real Genius", and it showed those computer graphics.
And I thought "I wonder what he's up to." Turns out he's done some kind of interesting things, has a github, etc. So, I fired off another e-mail to him ("I'm sure you don't remember, but back in '86 you graciously replied to an e-mail I sent you and I've often thought of that kindness.") He happens to live where I visit typically a couple times a year, so we've set up going out to coffee.
2 e-mails, 40 years apart, and then this. Coincidences, man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo0SWoqQ44w
UPDATE according to ChatGPT:
ARPANET itself began in 1969 at a handful of research universities, so some US universities had access as early as the early 1970s. However, many institutions that didn’t have a direct ARPANET connection joined BITNET in 1981—a store‐and‐forward network that was easier and less expensive to join but often led to long email delays (sometimes on the order of a day or two, especially on international links). By the mid‑to‑late 1980s, with the emergence of NSFNET (which provided a TCP/IP backbone) and the broader adoption of Internet protocols, many universities transitioned from BITNET to the more immediate, real‑time connectivity of the Internet.
In other words, while ARPANET was available to some US universities from the early 1970s, widespread academic use via the modern Internet (with NSFNET and TCP/IP) really picked up in the mid‑1980s. The long delays you remember (such as a two‑day email from Boston to London) were more typical of BITNET’s store‑and‑forward mechanism rather than ARPANET’s near‑real‑time communications.
You mention being on Usenet in 88 or 89, which was after "the great reorganization". I was on Usenet for a while before the reorg, so that'd cement the earlier end at 85-86. I definitely had e-mail, but never used BITNET or ARPANet. I do recall sending e-mail to a crazy girl in maybe Tazmania that loved wombats, and it taking <a day turnaround (the girlfriend of a summer student in the lab).
https://i.imgur.com/V8CmQV4.gif
Deleted Comment
Question authority, and question your own role in the power structure. It's a moral imperative.
Heavy lifting for a silly 80s comedy movie.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Serve_Man_(The_Twilight_Zon...
From the perspective of conspiratorial thinking, fringe “I’m special because I see the surprising, simple real key to everything” economic schools, and anti-enlightenment politics :-(
No one bullies harder than the nerds around here. Such a hateful bunch of ignorant fools.
Of course, that doesn't apply to everyone here, for sure -- some people are absolutely lovely, like DonHopkins -- but perhaps 90%.
But that's always the problem with majorities, they follow the lead of their leader, and damn their conscience and other points of view, wielding their power like a cudgel. They tend to bully minorities of every kind, especially ideological minorities.
"There is nothing more important than compassion, and only the truth is its equal."
I’m not sure if this is true. We’re all people, and people have tendencies to other others and seek belonging, that can hurt people.
I don’t think this community is particularly bad. And I’ll add that it’s probably the most “civil” of all the sites I’ve used over the years (usenet, slashdot, fark, lobste.rs, kuroshin, plastic, digg, reddit, netslaves, 4chan).
Ignorant fools, perhaps. But bullies, I don’t think so.
"Why do you wear that toy on your head?" "Because if I wear it anywhere else, it...chafes"
"What's that?" "A laser beam, bozo!" "What are we supposed to do?" "Follow it!"
"Your stutter has improved" "I've been giving myself shock treatment" "...Up the voltage"
"You're laborers, you're supposed to be laboring. That's what you get for not having an education!"
"It's a coherent beam of light" "So that means it talks?"
Of course, the non-quote where one of the kids at the study table stands up, screams repeatedly, and leaves, and with no reaction one of the kids at the periphery of the room moves to sit in his place.
And of course: "If there's ever anything I can do for you, or, more to the point, to you..." "Can you hammer a six inch spike through a board with your penis?" "Well, not right now..."
Real Genius had a significant impact on me...
"OK Mitch, I'm gonna make it up to you. Let's just pause...take a step back. No, I was wrong, I'm sorry: take a step forward. Now, take a step back...and now we're cha cha-ing!"
I still use this when pair debugging.
Also the part where they are gassing Kent in his dorm room, and another student passes them by with just a "hey" and keeps walking while they are wearing gas masks and clearly Up To No Good.
A classic "show, don't tell" example as you have all the information you need to know about the sort of place this school is from that scene.
Heh when Mitch goes to her dorm in the middle of the night and she’s using one of those giant floor sanders to refinish her dorm room floor is pretty effing funny.
Mitch: "..um, I can't start." Jordan: "Weird."
"Would you classify that as a launch problem, or a design problem?"
"They're beauticians?!" "Not yet"
"These military types are so untrusting"
1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k9gI58sHa0
I still watch this movie and encourage my son to watch it with me.
Thank you and rest in peace, Mr. Kilmer.
This remains my favorite movie and the inspiration for me to go into STEM when I saw it as a 10-year-old.
Kilmer was a rare, if difficult, talent, and I'm so sorry we lost him so early.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajLjmtyx0_o&list=PL0r_mFZtkX...
The article is from 2015, but Kilmer died yesterday (April 1, 2025).
I thought "Real Genius" and "Film Nerd" was referring to "Val Kilmer", like it was saying "RIP Val Kilmer, a real genius and film nerd that culture deserves" instead of "RIP Val Kilmer, who worked at Real Genius, the film that nerd culture deserves".
I must say that I never heard about this movie and I'm happy that this is a recommendation of a 80s movie
RIP Val Kilmer
“I will not be pawed at. Thank you very much”
“I know, how about a spelling contest?!”
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Tombstone (I think I’ll watch this evening in tribute), but even with that I have the exact tonality of all the quotes listed here replaying perfectly in my head.
Genius performance.