28 ms·
The real canary in the coalmine was actually a movie from 1999 called "Enemy of the State." The plot for the movie was actually based on an account from an NSA
by UltraViolence 4y ago
The real canary in the coalmine was actually a movie from 1999 called "Enemy of the State."
The plot for the movie was actually based on an account from an NSA employee who tipped one of the producers or director (I forget which) of the mass surveillance the agency was involved in.
To me this movie is iconic just because it predicted events so vividly almost a quarter of a century ago.
- 0x445442 4y agoEven before that, Sneakers “predicted” the NSA spying on its own citizens. I use quotes because it happens too often to be happen stance IMHO.
- i_am_jl 4y agoI remember watching Enemy of the State in theaters with my dad. I remember thinking it was a cool movie, but sort of unrealistic and over-the-top, like James Bond. Now I think it's unrealistic because Will Smith and Gene Hackman survived the first 25 minutes of the film.
- a4isms 4y agoDigression: If you like "Enemy of the State," you absolutely must watch "The Conversation"[1] if you haven't already. You may decide, as many have before you, that it exists in the same universe as "Enemy of the State," and that Gene Hackman's character in "Enemy of the State" is an older, even more cynical Harry Caul from "The Conversation." [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conversation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conversation
- varispeed 4y agoPredicted or inspired... Imagine a young, going to be politician, kind of person watched it and thought "Hmm, this is not a bad idea at all!" and then climbing the political ladder lobbying for these kind of measures.