# Movie buffs, I need your help. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422 "2013-06-07T20:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/1 "2013-06-07T20:47:11Z")
I’m doing a little research and need examples of movie scenes where computers or machines speak instructions or warnings. You know, the typical “30 seconds to impact” or “15 seconds until self-destruction”. In _The Amazing Spiderman_ there’s a serum-making machine that says something like “30 seconds until serum completion.” I’m not looking for sentient robots or computers like Data from “Next Generation”, Ash from _Alien_ or Jarvis from _Iron Man_. Just machines that give vocalized status updates. Thanks in advance for your help. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/2 "2013-06-07T21:03:16Z")
The Andromeda Strain, IIRC. You can hear a bit of the countdown [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUHDyqZCErA). ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/3 "2013-06-07T21:10:37Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The Andromeda Strain, IIRC. You can hear a bit of the countdown [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUHDyqZCErA). I’ve never seen that one. Do you recall what the machine was and what it said? ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/4 "2013-06-07T21:15:51Z")
Wargames? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/5 "2013-06-07T21:19:16Z")
In Alien, there’s a countdown to self-destruct from the ship’s computer. In the more recent Olympus Has Fallen, there’s a countdown until something bad happens – I think (not 100% sure) that it’s vocalized by the computer. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/6 "2013-06-07T21:22:15Z")
I think there’s one in Galaxy Quest ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/7 "2013-06-07T21:25:33Z")
Wasn’t there one in one of the Austin Powers movies? ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/8 "2013-06-07T21:45:07Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I think there’s one in Galaxy Quest I’ve seen the movie. Is it the usual “30 seconds until detonation/impact”? ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/9 "2013-06-07T22:01:17Z")
There’s an extended bit/gag where they ask the computer questions about the power supply for the ship, and then the main female character repeats everything the computer says. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/10 "2013-06-07T22:03:37Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > I’ve seen the movie. Is it the usual “30 seconds until detonation/impact”? At the end they’re going to disable something or else the ship explodes or something like that. I haven’t seen it in a long time, so my memory may be conflated with something else, but I thought there was a countdown. Lasciel, I love that part, where the computer only responds to her like it did on the TV show. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/11 "2013-06-07T22:04:13Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > There’s an extended bit/gag where they ask the computer questions about the power supply for the ship, and then the main female character repeats everything the computer says. \*Look! I have one job on this lousy ship, it’s _stupid_, but I’m gonna do it! Okay? \* ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/12 "2013-06-07T22:57:57Z")
_[“Teach the Bomb Phenomenology”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjGRySVyTDk)_ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/13 "2013-06-07T23:25:54Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > I’ve never seen that one. Do you recall what the machine was and what it said? Did you click on the link? It was just the research facility computer that had a doomsday scenario in the event of a viral contamination. GASKET INTEGRITY ZERO. LEVEL V CONTAMINATED. Five minutes to self destruct. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/14 "2013-06-07T23:29:08Z")
Space balls. “have a nice day” ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/15 "2013-06-08T00:06:30Z")
WALL-E might be an interesting example as it has robots and computers. Here’s a clip of a computer letting a robot know that it’s now OK to move around the cabin but not for very long: [Wall-E and Eve escape from the Axiom ship - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odhaj7rpXco&t=1m50s) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/16 "2013-06-08T00:08:58Z")
I wonder if **Logan’s Run** counts. I’m pretty sure the computer responses were all generated by the questions asked or the objects scanned, so was not a sentient computer. “The question has been answered, Logan 5.” ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/17 "2013-06-08T00:30:51Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Did you click on the link? It was just the research facility computer that had a doomsday scenario in the event of a viral contamination. > > GASKET INTEGRITY ZERO. LEVEL V CONTAMINATED. > Five minutes to self destruct. Got it, thanks Chef. The link didn’t show up for me at first. It’s a great example. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/18 "2013-06-08T00:35:19Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > \*Look! I have one job on this lousy ship, it’s _stupid_, but I’m gonna do it! Okay? \* You sure that wasn’t Counselor Troi in TNG? :dubious: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/19 "2013-06-08T01:14:06Z")
_Monsters vs Aliens_ ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422/20 "2013-06-08T01:33:07Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > You sure that wasn’t Counselor Troi in TNG? :dubious: :rolleyes: That was the point of the parody movie, yes. 😃 Although pointedly, the Ship’s Computer in Star Trek Next Gen was, if not sentient, pretty damned close. The computer in Galaxy Quest is presented as being much less capable, so I was more comfortable posting it as an example. Husband suggests that the Austin Powers movies might have them, as they’re pastiches of James Bond. Likewise James Bond itself, but he can’t remember any specific examples. Blade Runner might have, likewise Minority Report, the Aliens movie series might also have a few places. He remembers a specific Twilight Zone episode that’s post-fallout, and a character gets information from a computer in a cave. It might not SPEAK - he doesn’t remember. Likewise original Star Trek also has instances of “intelligent” computers that might talk. Ultraviolet has the “firearms present - many” scene. Fifth Element has talking computers. If animation qualifies, Incredibles has the little flying spoon that reports back to Syndrome, and the Jetsons has lots of computers talking. He also seems to remember one in Final Fantasy Spirits Within, but he admits he might easily be wrong on that one. Hope that helps! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-buffs-i-need-your-help/660422.md?page=2)