1. We have talked a lot in class about the way virtual spaces are represented. In his cyberpunk writings, William Gibson described cyberspace as a consensual three dimensional hallucination, a visual representation of data organized in space. How does the film approach this dificult representational task? If you want, reread the parts of Neuromancer that we discussed in class. Does the description of cyberspace in the novel have different requirements? What does it make concrete, and how?

2. In Johnny Mnemonic the navigation into cyberspace is specifically designed to evoke human movements: Johhny points at objects, manipulates things with his hands, punches numbers, and in general interacts in an almost embodied way with this environment. How do you understand this interaction of the user and cyberspace? What are the design principles of this interface?

3. Given this embodied interaction, think about the theoretical claims we read that cyberspace "deletes" the human body, or provides the opportunity for transcendence. Is this what is going on in this film?

4. Think about the different urban landscapes we see in the film. The "revised" San Francisco Bay area and the Bay Brigde have been central to other Gibson texts such as Virtual Light. How does the city function is this film? What types of experience and presence are possible in different city locations?

Production Information

Here is what Johnny desires:

Jane: Maybe it's not just about you anymore.
Johnny: Listen, you listen to me. See that city over there? That's where I'm supposed to be! Not here with the dogs and the garbage and the last month's newspapers going back and forth! I've had it with you... I've had it with them... I've had it with all this! I WANT ROOM SERVICE!

The taglines for this film include the following memorable puns:

The Ultimate Hard Drive.

The hottest data on earth. In the coolest head in town.

The danger is all in his head.

Cast Information

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