Part of me is stuck in the early-to-mid-90s. This is when I discovered a number of technologies that would, through unfolding evolution in years to come, change my life. I didn't watch Wild Palms the first time it came around in 1993 (and it takes place in 2007), but I'm glad I spent several nights going through the miniseries with my wife, fixated on the experience of each scene. Esp. with such depth.
Wild Palms has occasionally been likened to Second Life, and this was part of the intrigue for me; I'm tracking down quality cyberpunk from the era, and while Wild Palms takes place in a much sunnier California than Blade Runner, the film noir influences are at the forefront. I smiled when there was one line to the effect of "You can be whatever you want to look like in this virtual world."
I felt disappointed there wasn't much in the way of cyberspace trips — aside from a ballroom that reminded me of the one on Tempura Island and a retrospectactularly-crude monster that ate a ballerina — and also found it odd how retro many of the cars were, despite contemporary fashions. (After watching Dark City, I'd expect more anachronistic amalgamation.) But despite a conspiracy of un-coincidences, I really got into it.
Wild Palms' soundtrack, by Ryuichi Sakamoto, is a pleasure. Besides the Baroque-esque theme that reminded me of Dynasty, "Harry To Hospital", with its repeated piano figures and airy choirs, sounds like what Moby would take on years later, sans the deep south influence. Not much in the way of beats on that track, but "Tully Hooked" has the same sampled breakbeat as Milli Vanilli's "Girl You Know It's True".
Naturally, after the last minutes aired with a beautiful yellow-white sunset, I went into Second Life and made a WindLight sky setting which I'll include in the forthcoming v3:
![[TOR] SCIFI- Wild Palms](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3791527506_7d0901c2e4.jpg)
But I must say, before the calm, Wild Palms sure had a lot of messed-up people.
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I’ve been looking for some good cyberpunk movies lately, so I’ll have to see this one
Extra reason to if the OST was composed by Sakamoto ( + when I saw his name here, Rydeen got stuck in my head yet again XD)
Miniseries – my mistake. ^^’
I have been looking for anything of the moving picture type, so movies, miniseries, any will do
I absolutely loved Wild Palms when it first came out as a 3+ hour television program wayyyyyyy before it’s time. I recorded it then, have since lost that video tape, and recently bought the DVD on EBay (all hail EBay). I knew I would find and live that life, and Now I have, without a lot of that drama, with some added drama of my own, in Second Life. All hail Second Life.
I LOVED Wild Palms! I had it recorded on a VHS (actually, I think it was on two VHS tapes because they were in SP) for years. I used to watch it as a tween when I wanted to see something really “out there” that still had ties to reality.
Anyway, just wanted to drop in and thank you for being such a strong influence on my SL experience. Your video tutorials have really enabled me to move forward in-world.
Thank you!