WarGames (1983) & Short Circuit (1986): Cold War Tech Meets Comedy

In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, James and Matt continue their Artificial Intelligence series by exploring two very different visions of AI from the 1980s.

First we look at WarGames (1983), the Cold War techno-thriller that imagined a military computer accidentally triggering global nuclear war.

Then we explore Short Circuit (1986), the sci-fi comedy about a military robot that unexpectedly becomes self-aware.

Together these films reveal how the rise of computers in the 1980s shaped science-fiction storytelling — from fears about automated warfare to more hopeful visions of intelligent machines.

Journey Through Sci-Fi explores the history of science-fiction cinema one subgenre at a time.

Follow the show for deep dives into the films and ideas that shaped sci-fi.

Visit our website https://www.journeythroughscifi.com/

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