Top 10 fun computing films

2. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Shaun Nichols: I don't think you can earn a degree in engineering, computer science or mathematics without watching this movie. In the annals of geek cinema, only Monty Python is more beloved than the film version of this classic Douglas Adams novel.

I'm not sure if I should even bother with a plot summary, as anyone who hasn't seen Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy likely has no interest in visiting this web site, but here's the jist of it: an ordinary guy is pulled off the Earth shortly before the complete destruction of the planet and sent on a journey across the galaxy with his crazy neighbour, a clinically depressed robot and the president of the galaxy.

In addition to being a great film, it was also a book, radio drama and television series. Truly, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a story that has entertained and delighted decades of science fiction fans.

Iain Thomson: OK, I'm in a quandary about this one. Douglas Adams is one of my gods (as a self-described radical atheist he might disapprove of that) and I still have the tattered and much-repaired first edition paperback of the Guide I bought as a teenager. I regularly chased the family out of the room so I could listen to the original radio series. But this list is about films.

I held off on watching the film for years after it came out. Nothing could compare to the books and radio series was the thinking. As it turns out they did a pretty good job overall, although the gun sub-plot was rather mystifying.

As a geek, one of the original concepts of the book was so stunning in its simplicity and humour it blew me away. A race builds a computer to discover the answer to the life, the universe and everything. The answer, as I'm sure you know, is 42. It was the classic example of GIGO programming – garbage in, garbage out.

1. Weird Science
Iain Thomson: OK, technically this might not have been a logical choice for the number one spot, but it is a John Hughes inspired list so give us a break.

Bear in mind if you watch this that the film came out in 1985, when the very notion of having a computer in the home was rather new and people weren't really sure what you could do with them. Of course, no-one but maybe a few hormonally challenged teenagers actually thought you could build a software woman, something still impossible today.

But the film is undeniably fun. Leaving aside some very dodgy racial stereotypes and the failings of Kelly LeBrock as an actress, the film is a very good teenage comedy that covers all the bases: wanting to be cool and desired, dealing with older siblings and coping with the parents. Yes, a part of me winces every time Einstein's face is scanned to give intelligence but there have been worse abuses of logic and there are still parts that bring a chuckle even now.

Shaun Nichols: I'm guessing PC sales got a slight jolt when this film hit and teenaged boys got the idea that you could build a supermodel with a Commodore 64 and a lightning rod.

One thing Hughes always did well was underdog stories, and Weird Science was a great example. It was the 1980s and life was tough for the techies. The dot-com boom was still 15 years away so there was no notion of 'geek chic', and the nerdy-types were ostracised far more than they are today. As far as underdogs go, it doesn't get much worse than a high-school computer enthusiast with one friend.

So yes, it was funny and absurd and goofy, but Weird Science also had a pretty good message. As with most John Hughes films, the protagonists overcome alienation, frustration and a psycho biker gang from hell with little more than confidence and a self-esteem boost, all using a computer.