FCW Insider: Seeking the best government IT movies

By Christopher J. Dorobek

| January 21, 2008

10. (1995)11. (1995)12. (1995)13. (1992)…This movie is a tad bit cheesy, but I enjoy it. That being said, I generally like movies where a group of people come together as a team, each with their different skills, like …and why didn't that movie make the list?14. (1985)15. (1985)16. (1983)…Number 16? You've got to be kidding me!Again, Baseline's write-up:17. (1982)18. (1982)…Yes, Jeff Bridges is in this movie, and it is a Disney movie too. This was one of the very first computer movies. 19. (1977, et al) 20. (1968) Bonus: (1964)The list is fun, but they are missing movies such as the afore mentioned movie, Not to mention, the most recent Die Hard movie, (2007), which is all about a former DOD cyber-guy who gets ticked off because people won't pay attention to his cries about the risks of a cyberwar…so he does it himself. 1105 Media's CEO Neal Vitale, who is a movie buff, added , and Twelve, and Thirteen.So, I'll gladly take suggestions for other IT movies -- especially the best government IT movie. Post your suggests here, or you can .Let's come up with the list of the greatest government IT movies of all time.

Given that it is a holiday and most people are off -- not 1105 Media, obviously -- I thought I'd post a nonwork specific question:

What is the best government IT movie?

Giving credit where credit is due, Baseline magazine has a wonderful slideshow on their Web site that seeks to list the "greatest hacker movies of all time." The question was spurred because of the movie "Untraceable," which will be 'in a theater near you' starting this Jan. 25. (Not many reviews of it yet.) The movie is about a serial killer who broadcasts his victims' murders over the Internet. (Baseline also has a review of Untraceable.)

So with that as a backdrop, Baseline magazine came up with the 'greatest hacker movies of all time.' Their list:

1. Breach (2007), which I loved…but I'm not sure it is a hacker movie.
2. Firewall (2006)... Yes, the Harrison Ford movie. This one shocks me!
3. Swordfish (2001)
4. Takedown (2000)
5. The Matrix (1999, 2003)
6. Office Space (1999)... Again, this is a hacker movie?
7. Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)…A made-for-TV movie
8. Enemy of the State (1998)…Still an ultra cool movie nearly a decade later.
9. Independence Day (1996)…This movie came out more then a decade ago? Time flies. And I thought this was one of the more fun selections -- I almost forgot about the hacking part of it.
From Baseline:

Aliens invade and destroy cities with their massive spaceships. The human race is powerless against their superior technology. Not even nukes make a dent against their shields. How do they save the day? A computer virus. Luckily, the aliens were running Windows 95.

GoldenEye
Hackers
Strange Days
Sneakers The Italian Job
Real Genius
Weird Science
War Games

Before there were such things as Web sites and Hypertext, we had this Matthew Broderick gem, in which he hacks into a supercomputer designed to manage the U.S. nuclear stockpile and simulate attack scenarios. Fortunately, Broderick is able to get it to stop playing when the computer threatens to spark World War III.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Tron
Star Wars
2001: A Space Odyssey
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

The Italian Job.Live Free or Die Hard Ocean's Eleven

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