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Mobile Suit Gundam proved to be pretty popular as the Wing Commander movie club was busier than ever last week! Next time we're going to see if hard hitting action is as popular: we'll be screening Hard Target (1993) next week. Hard Target is an over the top action movie from the legendary John Woo, his first film made for Hollywood. You can join us this Friday via Discord to watch along.
Why the interest in John Woo movies? Because the Wing Commander III team loved them! Wing Commander III's executable contains a hidden 'quotes' file from the development team full of in-jokes and shoutouts to what sustained them through a hard development cycle… and John Woo movies are mentioned twice! Hard Target would've been in theaters while Wing Commander III was being made. Below is a reproduction of the entire file; there's a lot of inside baseball here but it also paints a wonderful picture of who these developers were and what inspired them. The phrase at the end, also hidden in Wing Commander IV, means 'we made this'. (Note that we will cover a pre-Hollywood John Woo film in a future screening.)
CREDTIME
GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS
CHRIS TODD - Seraphim
Scheherazade, the Wing Commander III (Crazy, FRtm) Gameflow System, The Chief Tech
Oh, people's minds are going to be mine.
I am a man who will grasp at all straws.
I love this program. It gives me unparalleled ability both to create and destroy.
Oh, it's too hot. Oh, it's too cold. Oh, there's a big monster eating me. Whiny little Sim-Bastards. I know dorks. I feel qualified to make that assessment.
Yes, I'd like vanilla and butterscotch, and doesn't the sheer tragedy of life depress you sometimes?
GREETS TO: My parents, Ryan, Casey; Kenji, Christa, Mary Beth, Wade, Su, Paul, Ellen, Vincent, Betty, Brad, Grey, Chad, Ed, Jeffrey, Robert (wherever you are), Francis Wrightman, Steve; Tori, Johnette, and John Woo.
FRANK ROAN - Bear
The Superb (CTtm) AI , Turret-Boy , Spaceflight Dude
OHow many times have you seen me put a sharp stick in my eye? Twice, that's it.
It's weird going out to dinner with your ex-girlfriend. It's just like it used to be, but you don't have sex.
Hey, he's a nice guy. Wow, yeah. Let's put his intestines on hot coals.
It's like lipstick, then pepper. This is the worst softdrink I've ever had.
I'm with the project; I'm just not with the craziness.
GREETS TO: Christine. Mom and Dad. Gordy and Colleen. The Luks, Todd H., Vance N. and everyone else at Dynamix. Micheal L., and friends at Sierra On-Line. Dema Z. and friends at Silicon Space. Todd P. at Atari. Marty F. at Sega. John C. at Tachyon. Martin P. at SGI. Everyone at Union College in Schenectady, NY. All my friends around the world and of course all Phis.
TONY MORONE - Instigator
That 3-D Nav Thingie, That Neato Cockpit Lens Thing, All Those Sound Things, Cockpit Doodads ,Knees and Hands
Okay, so we don't get paid much, but at least we have total creative -- oh.
GREETS TO: Lisa - sorry about the crappy hours. Tish. Mom and Dad. *Uncle Bob. Long Grain Rice. Dutch Pipers.
FRANK SAVAGE - Wombat
bermeister
Do a check on that; I'm sure she's been naked in something.
It's going to be great when full-length capes come back in style.
Piss on trading! Blow things up!
It's like Russian rockers -- they just don't get it.
This is great! I could order executions to this!
Don't sit there thinking! Make the little things go now!
Frank, can we go to lunch before I say something else?
-and-
So lemme get this straight. Tony's sitting at his desk reading the newspaper, Frank's spinning a ruler on his finger, and Chris is smoothing the Chief Tech?
JASON YENAWINE - Equality
Movie Compressor Guy , DPMI Guy , Neato Credits Guy
There's such a fine line between what we wanted and stupid.
Well, we've got plenty of -- what are those?
Awww, Daddy's tired; don't do this to me.
ADDITIONAL GREETINGS
PETE SHELUS - Nice Guy
Special Guest 3DO Star, Glass of Milk, Math Consultant to the Rich, the Famous, and Programmers
You get enough stupid in one place it becomes funny.
I don't like chunks in my liquids.
So now we're underpaid and we're using crappy mail.
1 times 2 to the thirteenth. What weird units. Well, I'm going to play with it. What if I make it...zero.
Of course not. Why would I be cool?
ADAM FOSHKO - Ad-man
The Man Who Knows Video, The Character Quentin Tarantino Wishes He Had
I'm in Allepo? I have no hashish in my loins!
Uh, I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing down here.
The slow brain penetrates the shield.
PREM KRISHNAN - Wipeout
Food Ordering Person , Gameflow Galley Slave,Goat and Body Parts
/Those wacky assassins. I always fall for that!
Look! Nap of the earth! Oh. Stuff on a rock.
There aren't enough orgasms in the workplace.
Very very cool. I think I need a mechanical pencil.
I'm sorry, but hair length is not an accurate measurement of grammatical acumen.
I'm efficient before I'm anal. I'll let things anally slide if I can do it efficiently.
My heartfelt thanks to all of you who've stood behind me through the long hours and ridiculous work schedules. Your patience and understanding is appreciated more than I can express...
MARK VEARRIER
3-D Pixel Pusher Extrordinaire
In space . . . who gives a fuck.
Drink with God. Man, can he hold his liquor.
ALAN PEREZ and Toby
Keeper of Toby , The Chief Tech's Original Look , Art Guy with the Hair
SPECIAL THANKS GO OUT TO SEAN MURPHY FOR THE LOGO
GREETINGS TO THE NOT-SO-COOL GANG
TIM RAY - Ragtop
This is like a nice day in Mordor.
You never know when you're going to need a gulag.
I don't know what it is, but it's mysterious and I don't trust it.
BEN POTTER - Styg
I've never heard bone on metal sound that good before.
JEFF SHELTON - Primate
You know, I've never once used duct tape on a duct.
KID'S TABLE
Rob 'Vampire' Irving
Jay 'Ponytail' Mahavier
Dave 'Anti-Weasel' Downing
Andie 'QB' Brannan
DAN THE QA MAN
AND THE REST OF THE TEAM
Okay, let's ship it.
TEAM SOUNDTRACK
Tori Amos ; Concrete Blonde; Nine Inch Niles ; Holzt ; Kodo Drummers ; Fabu ; Ryuichi Sakamoto; Nirvana; Machines of Loving Grace; Chick Corea; Poi Dog Pondering ; Vangelis; Sarah McLachlan; Seal; Carmina Burana; Melissa Ethridge; Arrested Development; Patty Larkin; Bunny Wailer; Dazed and Confused; Peter Gabriel; Flash Gordon; Cranberries ; Alice in Chains; John Williams; Siouxsie and the Banshees; Pat Benatar; Duran Duran; Bob Marley; Wagner; Miles Davis; Bill Evans; Indigo Girls; John Gorka; Orlando; Jimi Hendrix; STP; William Orbit
TEAM INSPIRATION
Mystery Science Theatre 3000; The X-Files; The Tick; Nietzche; Double Dave's Big Fucking Cokes; Not Money ; Not Short Hours; Doom ; X-Com; People On Fire; Two-Fisted John Woo Action; Doom II; Dilbert ; Simpsons; More Doom; Seinfeld; Net Doom; Star Trek (so sue us)
TEAM GREETS
Future Crew
renaissance
Id
Dust
Doom WAD Authors Everywhere (the good ones at least)
James Hogan
NOS FECIMUS HOC, 1994Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?
Hard Target is available for rent or purchase on all of the standard streaming services. If you would like a physical copy, it was released on BluRay in the US in 2019 and remains in print around the world. If you are not able to locate a copy please stop by the Discord and ping a CIC staff member before Friday's showing.
How do we watch the movie together?
It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!
How can I help pick future movie club movies?
The movie club movies are voted on each week by the Wing Commander Discord. The poll is typically posted 24 hours before each week's screening and the next movie is announced at the end. The choices for the poll come from a master pool of Wing Commander-related movies. If you would like to suggest a film for inclusion in that pool you can post it to this thread.
