Facebook surprised the tech community (again) on Tuesday with the announcement that it would acquire virtual reality firm Oculus VR for $2 billion.

In a conference call, Mark Zuckerberg said he envisioned a system whereby Facebook users could virtually attend a sporting event, go shopping, or visit the doctor. Why just scroll through friends' updates when you can live them?

But while virtual reality has been in the news recently thanks to the Oculus Rift and Sony's new Project Morpheus, many people still regard it as a somewhat antiquated technology from the 90s that never really took off. In an age where our gadgets are getting smaller and smaller, who wants to strap on a massive piece of headgear (and possibly vomit all over the place)?

Zuckerberg claims that technology innovation means that virtual reality is more realistic and less stomach-churning than ever, but can a combined Oculus-Facebook (or Sony) move virtual reality beyond that 90s stereotype? Hollywood has certainly not shied away from depicting virtual reality, perhaps most notably in movies like The Matrix. It's even had its day on TV - from the Star Trek Holodeck and Agent Mulder's crime-fighting VR spin on The X-Files to entire virtual reality-themed shows like VR Troopers and VR.5.

Hit the slideshow and take a trip down memory lane with some of the more amusing (and puzzling) depictions of virtual reality on the big screen over the years. And tell us about your favorites in the comments below.


1. The Lawnmower Man (1992) In The Lawnmower Man, Pierce Brosnan is a scientist experimenting with a virtual reality world that turns chimps into soldiers. What could go wrong, right? Unfortunately, there is a bit of a mishap and Brosnan's project is suspended, forcing him to make his mentally challenged gardener his next subject. Again, what could go wrong? Well, a lot. It starts out innocently enough, with the gardener (Jobe) bettering himself through virtual reality. But this was a sci-fi/horror flick, not a touching movie of the week, so Jobe ultimately turns to revenge and God complexes. As you do. In, Pierce Brosnan is a scientist experimenting with a virtual reality world that turns chimps into soldiers. What could go wrong, right? Unfortunately, there is a bit of a mishap and Brosnan's project is suspended, forcing him to make his mentally challenged gardener his next subject. Again, what could go wrong? Well, a lot. It starts out innocently enough, with the gardener (Jobe) bettering himself through virtual reality. But this was a sci-fi/horror flick, not a touching movie of the week, so Jobe ultimately turns to revenge and God complexes. As you do.

2. Disclosure (1994) Before there was the cloud, you had to strap on some virtual reality goggles to search through your company's files. At least that was the case in Disclosure, the 1994 film that turned the table on sexual harassment, with Demi Moore as the aggressor and Michael Douglas as her victim. Her harassment extends to the virtual world in the movie, Before there was the cloud, you had to strap on some virtual reality goggles to search through your company's files. At least that was the case in, the 1994 film that turned the table on sexual harassment, with Demi Moore as the aggressor and Michael Douglas as her victim. Her harassment extends to the virtual world in the movie, as she lurks in the background while Douglas pokes around company files.

3. Brainscan (1994) Several years after Edward Furlong hit it big as a young John Connor in Terminator 2, he starred in Brainscan, a Nightmare on Elm Street-esque movie about a virtual game that has real-life repercussions. The point of the game, overseen by a delightful gentleman known as Trickster, is to kill innocent victims, but Furlong's character later discovers that the murders are real. Several years after Edward Furlong hit it big as a young John Connor in, he starred in, a-esque movie about a virtual game that has real-life repercussions. The point of the game, overseen by a delightful gentleman known as Trickster, is to kill innocent victims, but Furlong's character later discovers that the murders are real.

4. Johnny Mnemonic (1995) I will admit to seeing this movie in the theater, as I had quite the thing for Keanu after Speed came out. It didn't quite live up to that cinematic gem, but Johnny Mnemonic featured Keanu as an information courier ("I can carry nearly 80GB of data in my head!") trying to dodge would-be assassins who wanted access to whatever was stored in his head. At one point, Johnny straps on some virtual reality gear (above) to save the world. Oh, there's also an appearance by the Yakuza and a heroin-addicted dolphin. I will admit to seeing this movie in the theater, as I had quite the thing for Keanu aftercame out. It didn't quite live up to that cinematic gem, butfeatured Keanu as an information courier ("I can carry nearly 80GB of data in my head!") trying to dodge would-be assassins who wanted access to whatever was stored in his head. At one point, Johnny straps on some virtual reality gear (above) to save the world. Oh, there's also an appearance by the Yakuza and a heroin-addicted dolphin.

5. Strange Days (1995) Before he was The English Patent, Ralph Fiennes was a former LAPD officer trafficking in memories. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty), Strange Days featured a recording device called SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), which records peoples' activities directly from their brain and lets other people experience those memories using a portable CD player-like device called a "deck." It wasn't exactly a runaway hit, but it's an entertaining 90s take on our dystopian future. Before he was, Ralph Fiennes was a former LAPD officer trafficking in memories. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (),featured a recording device called SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), which records peoples' activities directly from their brain and lets other people experience those memories using a portable CD player-like device called a "deck." It wasn't exactly a runaway hit, but it's an entertaining 90s take on our dystopian future.

6. Hackers (1995) The hacking adventures of a merry band of roller-blading teenagers (including Angelina Jolie) screech to a halt when they are blackmailed by an "evil computer genius." They must use their skills to avoid capture by the Secret Service and thwart the destruction of several huge oil tankers. A final sequence finds one of those hackers strapping on a familiar VR headset to clear his name. The hacking adventures of a merry band of roller-blading teenagers (including Angelina Jolie) screech to a halt when they are blackmailed by an "evil computer genius." They must use their skills to avoid capture by the Secret Service and thwart the destruction of several huge oil tankers. A final sequence finds one of those hackers strapping on a familiar VR headset to clear his name.

7. eXistenZ (1999) I'd never actually heard of this movie, but nearly gagged at least three times while watching the clip above. According to the IMDb description, "a game designer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee (Jude Law) to determine if the game has been damaged." For some reason, this involves holes in peoples' backs into which you deposit alien-like pods. Enjoy! I'd never actually heard of this movie, but nearly gagged at least three times while watching the clip above. According to the IMDb description, "a game designer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee (Jude Law) to determine if the game has been damaged." For some reason, this involves holes in peoples' backs into which you deposit alien-like pods. Enjoy!

8. Vanilla Sky (2001) Vanilla Sky is kind of like a trippy version of The Truman Show. Tom Cruise's character David thinks everything is A-OK until he notices strange glitches - people who shouldn't be there and visions. Ultimately, he discovers that he is part of "Life Extension," a service that essentially puts sick or dying people in a lucid dream state until a cure for their ailment is found. is kind of like a trippy version of. Tom Cruise's character David thinks everything is A-OK until he notices strange glitches - people who shouldn't be there and visions. Ultimately, he discovers that he is part of "Life Extension," a service that essentially puts sick or dying people in a lucid dream state until a cure for their ailment is found.

9. Avatar (2009) James Cameron's epic 3D film features humans in a lab who use virtual reality to interact with the Na'vi people who live on a distant moon. James Cameron's epic 3D film features humans in a lab who use virtual reality to interact with the Na'vi people who live on a distant moon.

10. TRON: Legacy (2010) The movie is, of course, a sequel to the 1982 classic, but both feature a digital world, good vs. evil, some killer digital effects, and Jeff Bridges. The movie is, of course, a sequel to the 1982 classic, but both feature a digital world, good vs. evil, some killer digital effects, and Jeff Bridges.

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