"Simulacra and Simulation" and Hollywood

[David Morris]

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/24/opinion/24FRI4.html

A French Philosopher Talks Back to Hollywood and 'The Matrix'

The French philosopher Jean Baudrillard seemed to fight off a yawn when I 
asked him recently about the celebrity that has come to him through "The 
Matrix," a futuristic cyber-thriller that hit the screen three years ago and 
became one of the hottest movies of all time. Before this movie, Mr. 
Baudrillard's dense little book "Simulacra and Simulation" was studied 
mainly by cloistered graduate students and theory-heads. Because "The 
Matrix" cribbed from the book for its dialogue and gave a full-screen shot 
of the title, "Simulacra and Simulation" has become a cult hit, even though 
it is difficult to pronounce and not easy to read. The book's profile is 
likely to rise even higher when the first of two sequels hits the screen 
next year.



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