Send us a text

Grab your light disc and step inside the grid as Jon and Donald revisit Tron (1982)—Disney’s groundbreaking cult classic that fused early CGI with a video-game aesthetic decades ahead of its time. From arcade nostalgia to AI paranoia, this episode explores why Tron still sparks debate about technology, storytelling, and the future of digital worlds.

We dive deep into:

• First Impressions & Ratings: How the film’s visuals wowed audiences in 1982 and where the script still falls short.
• World-Building vs. Missed Potential: Why Disney’s digital frontier felt huge yet strangely empty—and how Tron Legacy and the upcoming Tron Ares might finally deliver the scope fans crave.
• AI Before AI Was Cool: The Master Control Program as proto-AI villain and what it predicts about today’s tech anxieties.
• Cult Classic Status: From light-cycle battles to hidden spiritual themes, how Tron paved the way for cyberpunk aesthetics, arcade culture, and modern CGI blockbusters.
• Love Triangles & User Worship: A hilarious breakdown of Flynn, Laura, Alan, and their digital counterparts (plus a questionable on-grid kiss).
• Production Secrets: Black-and-white film stock, backlit animation, and why the Academy once called computer graphics “cheating.”

🎙️ Listen now and subscribe to Almost Classic Movies on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a nostalgic deep dive into films that are almost classics—but unforgettable all the same.

Support the show

You can support the show by becoming a member on Patreon.

If you like what you’re listening to, don’t forget to share the podcast with fellow movie fans and give us a 5-star review!

Subscribing to the podcast ensures you get our newest episodes right when they publish.

Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @almostclassicmovies

Co-Hosts:
Jon K.
Donald S.

Podcast Production:
Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2025 Almost Classic Movies LLC. All Rights Reserved.