# Computer Boy

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{{Short description|2000 short film directed by Abe Forsythe}}
{{For|the 2017 song by Poppy|Poppy.Computer}}

{{Multiple issues|
{{cleanup rewrite|date=February 2014}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=June 2022}}
{{refimprove|date=July 2022}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2012}}

'''''Computer Boy''''' is a 2000 [short film](/source/short_film) by Australian director [Abe Forsythe](/source/Abe_Forsythe). It is a [parody](/source/parody) of ''[The Matrix](/source/The_Matrix)''. It gained a cult following after being released over the internet, receiving over 350,000 views on Ifilm. It was filmed in [Sydney](/source/Sydney), Australia, and uses many of the same locations as ''The Matrix''. 

It was never fully released, the film had an injunction put against it, forcing them to never really release it fully. The total production cost was rumoured to only have cost $2500.

This is the transcript direct from one of the hosts:

Metro has often been appalled by the bloated budgets of Hollywood blockbusters. Now an 18-year-old film-maker from Newtown has laid bare Tinsel Town's shameless profligacy by making his own version of ''The Matrix'' - which was rumoured to have cost more than $100 million - for $2,500(AUS)!
Forsythe, who has seen ''The Matrix'' three times, was inspired by spoofs of ''[The Blair Witch Project](/source/The_Blair_Witch_Project)'' and his own irritation at ''Matrix'' audiences who ooh-ed and aah-ed when they recognised chunks of their own city on the silver screen.

He admits he had to cut a few corners to bring ''Computer Boy'' in under budget. Besides writing and directing, he took on the role of [Agent Smith](/source/Agent_Smith), the character played by [Hugo Weaving](/source/Hugo_Weaving) in the original.

"I played him as a mixture of [Hugh Grant](/source/Hugh_Grant), [Dr. Evil](/source/Dr._Evil) and [Sean Connery](/source/Sean_Connery)," says Forsythe.

Morpheus, the mysterious cyber-guerilla played by [Laurence Fishburne](/source/Laurence_Fishburne), is portrayed by Marcus Pointon. 

The role of "Neo", played by [Michael Falzon](/source/Michael_Falzon_(actor)) in a manner reminiscent of [Keanu Reeves](/source/Keanu_Reeves)'s character "Ted" from ''[Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure](/source/Bill_and_Ted's_Excellent_Adventure)'' earned a Best Actor Award at the [Melbourne Underground Film Festival](/source/Melbourne_Underground_Film_Festival)<ref>{{cite web|title=MUFF 2000 Award Winners|url=http://www.muff.com.au/2000/goings_on.html|publisher=Melbourne Underground Film Festival|accessdate=17 January 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427000407/http://www.muff.com.au/2000/goings_on.html|archivedate=27 April 2013}}</ref>

Not content with paying homage to ''The Matrix'', Forsythe aimed to enhance the original plot as well.

==Cast==
* [Michael Falzon](/source/Michael_Falzon_(actor)) as Neo
* Marcus Pointon as Morpheus
* Simone Chapman as Trinity
* [Abe Forsythe](/source/Abe_Forsythe) as Agent Smith
* Marc Turner as Agent Kowalski
* Brett Garten as Agent Jones
* Daniel Peters as Cypher
* Daniel Tobar as Tank
* Andrew Brittain as Hobo
* Alexander Hazelbrook as Spoon Boy
* Justin Hazelbrook as Colour Book Boy
* Sharyn Winney as Sheet Girl
* [Charles Falzon](/source/Charles_Falzon) as Chuck
* Ryan Tan as Asian
* Miguel Sanchez as Bob/Oracle/Hobo/Juggler/Koala

==Music==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Song
! Artist(s)
! Length
! Scene(s)/Details
|-
| ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073512/https://sonictail.tumblr.com/post/27696811853/had-lunch-with-peppy-and-the-guys-today-top-tip New Moon]''
| Anders and Matthew Nielson
| 3:35
| Second half of closing credits
|-
| ''[http://www.soundscapemusic.com/projects.htm Computer Boy]''
| [Lance Lenehan](/source/Lance_Lenehan)
| 1:03
| 0:00 to 0:21 – during Morpheus's pep talk with Neo, and Agent Smith's interrogation of Morpheus<br />0:22 to 1:03 — [oom-pah](/source/oom-pah)-esque or [polka](/source/polka) tune enjoyed by Agent Smith during and after the car chase
|}

''New Moon'' contains an [ID3](/source/ID3) artist tag of ''Sinister Sam''.

Lenehan's [http://www.soundscapemusic.com/projects.htm downloadable version] contains several incorrect [ID3](/source/ID3) tags, claiming the title is ''Computer Suite from Little Boy - Flight And Countdown (1968)'', an unrelated song [Jean-Claude Risset](/source/Jean-Claude_Risset); the [ID3v1](/source/ID3v1) comment field contains ''Copyright (c) Lance Lenehan''.  It's speculated that these tags were incorrectly generated by some sort of automatic song detection or ID3-labelling software as a result of detecting the phrase "computer boy".  The official movie home page at the time contained references to Lenehan's old MP3 repository at [mp3.com](/source/mp3.com).

A [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/aus.films/a8nrsmM6o-c/IyKmtMOsiCgJ post from April 27th, 2000] on [Usenet](/source/Usenet) newsgroup ''[news:aus.films aus.films]'' states that the film contains "...new music by Lance Lenehan as well as tracks by up and coming bands Sinister Sam and The Stud & Track House Band."

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0388850|title=Computer Boy}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20031009011807/http://www.geocities.com/cobweb_films/computerboy.html Watch ''Computer Boy'' at iFilm.com]
*[http://www.spike.com/video/115368 Watch ''Computer Boy'' at Spike.com]
*[http://www.ausgamers.com/files/details/html/3544 Download ''Computer Boy'' via AusGamers]
*[https://puu.sh/KrkV Download ''New Moon'' MP3 file]
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031009011807/http://www.geocities.com/cobweb_films/computerboy.html |date=9 October 2003 |title=Original promotional site for Computer Boy }}

Category:2000 films
Category:2000 short films
Category:Australian comedy short films
Category:2000s parody films
Category:Films shot in Sydney
Category:2000 comedy films

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Computer Boy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Boy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Boy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.