Remember those tech movies where the character was just weak sauce?  Like Neo from the Matrix or just about the every character from the movie Hackers?  Or maybe a character that was overbearing and frightful, like HAL from 2001.  Well, thankfully Nightmare Code falls in to the later of those two categories.

The geeks were joined by Mark Netter, director and co-writer of Nightmare Code.  Nightmare Code has one of those characters, ROPER, that is in our opinion more frightening than HAL, quite possibly because it is a bit closer to the reality we already live in.
What is Nightmare Code?

Nightmare Code is the winner of the Philip K Dick Sci-Fi Film Festival.  Nightmare Code is suspense thriller about a behavior "modification" system.  Just writing behavior "modification" should give you an idea of just how bad things are going to go for the people involved.  Having everything from a workplace shooting, to workplace sex, to other workplace chicanery, this one may hit close to home (without the violence part) for some our techie listeners.  The main character, played by Andrew J West of Walking Dead fame, plays a brilliant and soon-to-be troubled programmer brought in to finish the work of another, more recently "removed" programmer.  We'll let you listen to the broadcast for more details :)

Just watch the trailer, you'll be hooked!

For more information on Nightmare Code visit their website: https://www.nightmare-code.com/

You can watch Nightmare Code on your favorite VOD platform and on Amazon!

 

Some of the questions from the audience are answered here by Mark Netter himself:

1. Why did ROPER decide that a wounded victim would be ok to leave without finishing her off?  -- TracyB

Answer:  Cotton doesn’t hate the woman who attacked him – she’s not on his hit list because she never did him wrong in business.  He only kills the OptDex executives who were lying to him and taking his baby (ROPER) away.  However, as the story progresses and ROPER starts making others into its weapon, its scruples appear to loosen for the worse.

2. What does the acronym ROPER stand for?  -- Blaine Stussy

Answer:  ROPER was so named for “roping in” all the video in the wi-fi/network area.  However, it was fitted with the acronym, "Rationale, Operative Psychology, & Emotion Recognizer” after the fact.  Some viewers have also pointed out that ROPER “ropes in” various characters for its nefarious purposes.

3. This would be an excellent video game is there one possible? -- Listener in Hamburg

Answer:  We would love to have someone approach us to make a NIGHTMARE CODE video game!  It’s been on our minds, as we actually shot all the office scenes over seven weekends in a videogame development studio, and most of our funding came from that company, the now-defunct Spark Unlimited, one of two studios that build the first CALL OF DUTY.

4. Can ROPER be bluffed like a poker player? -- Pokerface11

Answer:  That is a great question and one that gives us some very cool ideas if we’re able to extend NIGHTMARE CODE with a series or sequel.  As far as recognizing emotions, ROPER is continually increasing in accuracy, so it’d be extremely tough.  ROPER not only analyzes facial expressions, but if you notice in the lower right corner of the ROPER interface, it is analyzing voice as well, which is even harder for an individual to control.  Maybe a masterful actor like Daniel Day Lewis or Meryl Streep could give ROPER a run for its money!
******* And here is DM's glowing review of Nightmare Code from IMDB *******

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The first complete work by director Mark Netter and co-writer and co-execu...