12 Films That Had Surprising Commercial Consequences

10. Nokia Had To Make A New Phone Following The Matrix

nokiamatrix It wasn't much of a surprise to discover that The Matrix had done wonders for the sales of trenchcoats and sunglasses- a fashion statement that did little to boost the reputations of computer-nerds and conspiracy theorists alike. But there was another commercial consequence of the sci-fi classic that went over (or, rather, beside) everyone's heads... Audiences stumbled out of The Matrix with cascading columns of binary code before their very eyes. Their heads were crammed full of CGI, machine guns and martial arts. They emerged from the darkness, unsure which side of the rabbit hole they had found themselves. For, mere minutes ago, they had been gifted with a vision of the future. A future where the rules - time, gravity, free will- could be manipulated. A future where everything you thought you knew was turned on its head. A future where mobile phones could be flicked open. At the time of the film's release, the Nokia 8110 handset was to be opened and closed manually. I know; the Nineties, right? But if the likes of Neo and Morpheus were afforded the luxury of a flick-open phone, then why weren't we? And so it came to pass that the 8110 was modified to increasing customer demand; spring-loaded and as scientifically advanced as space dust; as sure a sign as any that, truly, this was the dawn of a new age.
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Yorkshireman (hence the surname). Often spotted sacrificing sleep and sanity for the annual Leeds International Film Festival. For a sample of (fairly) recent film reviews, please visit whatsnottoblog.wordpress.com.