William Gibson - No Maps for These Territories

Rating:
Summary: Riding in a Limo with the Inventor of Cyberspace
Review: Forget book signings and the Playboy interview-this is your chance to get inside the head of the writer who almost single-handedly bridged the gap from Beats to geeks. Following a highly-stylized, self-consciously post-modern interview format, No Maps For These Territories dances around some of the hard questions-where did we come from, why are we here, where are we going-and, amazingly, delivers some answers, though it may take two or more viewings to even begin to understand them. Gibson's genius combined with tight filmmaking turn extemporaneous stream of consciousness into a fire hose of cultural information transfer. Appearances by Bono and The Edge-not to mention Bruce Sterling, Jack Womack, a creepy baby and a porn star-are almost gratuitous, but that's all part of the post-modern vibe. Be prepared to jack in at terabit speed.

Rating:
Summary: Riding in a Limo with the Inventor of Cyberspace
Review: Forget book signings and the Playboy interview-this is your chance to get inside the head of the writer who almost single-handedly bridged the gap from Beats to geeks. Following a highly-stylized, self-consciously post-modern interview format, No Maps For These Territories dances around some of the hard questions-where did we come from, why are we here, where are we going-and, amazingly, delivers some answers, though it may take two or more viewings to even begin to understand them. Gibson's genius combined with tight filmmaking turn extemporaneous stream of consciousness into a fire hose of cultural information transfer. Appearances by Bono and The Edge-not to mention Bruce Sterling, Jack Womack, a creepy baby and a porn star-are almost gratuitous, but that's all part of the post-modern vibe. Be prepared to jack in at terabit speed.

Rating:
Summary: Techno-losophy
Review: If you've read William Gibson, or are at all interested in the ethnographic aspects of technology, then this is a film you will probably want to see. At times the music video techniques of the too-hip-for-its-own-good cinematography is headache inducing. Likewise, some of Gibson's rambling rumination is a little self-indulgent - he doesn't always have much to say about technology or humanity that hasn't been uttered to the point of cliché. He's at his best when talking about his own work, although he is often maddeningly self-effacing. Like his novels, he always seems like he's about to say something huge and mind-blowing, but never quite gets there. Still, he is a fascinating and often eloquent interview subject and there is much more good here than bad. The readings from Gibson's novels by U2 singer Bono are especially fun, and the tomandandy soundtrack provides a lovely melancholic atmosphere for the proceedings.

Rating:
Summary: CYBERSPACE GUY TALKS
Review: WILLIAM GIBSON -- NO MAPS FOR THESE TERRITORIES continues the exploration of meaning in the post-modern digital age. Gibson, who coined the term "cyberspace," sits in the back of a limo cruising concrete highways while reflecting on the digital byways. He considers fundamental questions of consciousness and wonders if the internet is an extension of our nervous system. Provocative and brilliant. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: CYBERSPACE GUY TALKS
Review: WILLIAM GIBSON -- NO MAPS FOR THESE TERRITORIES continues the exploration of meaning in the post-modern digital age. Gibson, who coined the term "cyberspace," sits in the back of a limo cruising concrete highways while reflecting on the digital byways. He considers fundamental questions of consciousness and wonders if the internet is an extension of our nervous system. Provocative and brilliant. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: CYBERSPACE GUY TALKS
Review: WILLIAM GIBSON -- NO MAPS FOR THESE TERRITORIES continues the exploration of meaning in the post-modern digital age. Gibson, who coined the term "cyberspace," sits in the back of a limo cruising concrete highways while reflecting on the digital byways. He considers fundamental questions of consciousness and wonders if the internet is an extension of our nervous system. Provocative and brilliant. Recommended.