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Film & TV clips: videos Hacker News recommends
Movie and TV scenes: classic film clips, Movieclips, famous TV scenes, trailers, Star Trek, Coen brothers, sitcom moments, memorable dialogue, foreign film scenes. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (193 comedy videos, 101 videos, 7 music videos), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- Stand-up & sketch comedy 244
- Satire & parody 362
- Music performance & songs 239
- Music theory, synthesis & production 103
- Film analysis & criticism 39
- Documentaries & storytelling 202
- Literature & writing craft 43
- Visual arts, photography & architecture 42
- Sports & athletics 38
- Magic, puzzles & curiosities 34
- Arts & entertainment (other) 75
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2024H HD Retro Trailers · videoHN commenters use it to point people to Threads, which they call the most harrowing depiction of nuclear war and say should be mandatory viewing.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2018–2024HN cites the scene as a model of clear, decisive communication and of leaders acting fast to survive, and recommends the film as the best take on 2008.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2023HN shares it in bubble and crash threads as a memorable scene about market cycles and about information work versus physical labor.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2012–2025L LimeXd · comedy videoHN commenters bring it up whenever a poll or survey result looks suspect, as the classic illustration of biased question framing.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2012–2018C crysknife007 · music videoHN people use it as background noise for coding and focus, and share it as a personal favorite.
- 2 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2023Y Youtube Videos · videoHN points to it as the source and best distillation of 'fuck you money', in threads about FIRE, windfalls, layoffs and financial literacy.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026B barrettproduction · music videoHN commenters share it as a favorite audiovisual experience, with some calling the sync the best thing they have seen.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2010–2022T TomR35 · videoHN holds it up as one of the best pitches ever, an example of selling feeling and nostalgia rather than features.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023W Warner Bros. · documentaryHN points to it as a way to see WWI footage restored so the war feels modern and real.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2026C c102030 · videoHN commenters post it as a favorite scene about IBM's reputation and sales psychology.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022T The BigTime Group · videoHN points to it as a model for firing or laying off people clearly and respectfully.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2025G GW Remasters · videoRecommended as the best way to watch Lynch's Dune, closer to his original vision and judged by some the best adaptation of the book.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2009–2012D David Lukas · videoHN points to it as the one scene worth watching from the movie, a classic about sales and entrepreneurship.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025M Mosfilm · videoHN recommends it as a masterpiece of emotional, contemplative science fiction, and draws analogies between its alien ocean and AI.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–20246 66NOVA66 · comedy videoLinked in nearly every F-35 or procurement thread as the classic illustration of feature creep and design by stakeholder committee, including in software.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2026S SaltLakeUsersGroup · comedy videoHN links it in any thread on map projections and the Mercator distortion of country sizes, often calling it a favorite scene.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2021D Darkangel754 · videoCommenters call it one of the game's best dialogues and bring it up in discussions of mass surveillance.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023S SamCam2011 · music videoMentioned as an example of Sesame Street respecting children's intelligence and as an early gateway to modern classical music.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2025–2026T The New Yorker · videoHN brings it up in threads about captchas, bots and AI agents as an excellent short film about being a robot.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023G genuinelyfunnynazi · comedy videoRecommended as a savage, ahead-of-its-time parody of startup and tech culture.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2026S Stephen O'Regan · videoHN points to it as the best filmed version of the story whenever aliens or the nature of intelligence come up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2024K Kevin Galvayne · videoRecommended in Max Headroom threads as a surprisingly good, short original film.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2024U UsefulClips · comedy videoIt is the go-to link in any HN thread on map projections, usually posted as the obligatory West Wing reference.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2026C Charlie Chaplin · videoCommenters cite it as inspirational and relevant whenever power, technology and humanity are in tension.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2023E Ettore · videoHN shares it as encouragement in threads about habits, discipline, and social anxiety.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2021W wKw · comedy videoCited as an accessible depiction of how commodity trading and the trading pit work.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2025T Tooth · videoCommenters bring it up in nuclear-fear and WWIII threads as an unnervingly realistic piece of fictional news coverage.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2023P Premium Movies · videoIt is recommended in threads on the F-35 and defense procurement as a funny, mostly factual look at how requirements balloon, with some warnings about its accuracy.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2025HN points to it for the memorable hand-animated computer graphics, which still hold up, and as the TV rendition of a famous passage.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2021D demyjink · videoHN cites it, and the scent-sample scene in the film, in threads about surveillance and Stasi methods such as smell registers.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2021G Guntis · music videoHN mentions it as a favorite documentary scene and as a reference for the Pruitt-Igoe demolition.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2023O Omid Malekan · videoHN links it whenever the discussion turns to layoffs, saving, and having enough financial independence to say no.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025G Greg Granito · videoMostly used as a joking or nostalgic reference in threads about nuclear war, AI and security exploits.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2026T The IT Crowd · comedy videoIt is used as a recurring joke whenever threads touch on the internet as a physical thing, and sometimes praised as a favorite sitcom.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2023P PrimeClips · videoIt is recommended as a must-see scene in threads about unusual geometry and animation, such as Mandelbulb and 4D visuals.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2024C chrislaucn · videoHN cites it as a compact explanation of the housing crash and of institutions keeping their fingers on the scales.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2024N niznj · comedy videoMostly a joke reference in threads about layoffs, idleness and wealth, with one commenter sincerely recommending the clip for its contrast of work attitudes.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2026V VinnieFarsheds · comedy videoThe standard illustration of yak shaving, dependency hell and getting derailed, also likened to adult ADHD.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2025T trouchelle · comedy videoMostly posted as a joke in threads about Polish, Unicode or hard-to-pronounce names, and loved as a comedy scene.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2015W Will Ambrosini · comedy videoHN posts it as a classic scene whenever threads touch on ideas versus execution or who captures the profit from invention.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2010–2025Posted as a joke and a reference whenever threads discuss newspaper bias and media pandering to readers.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2023HN people link it as a joke about blindly trusting navigation or automated systems.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2025A Amazon MGM Studios · videoHN mostly cites it for humor, with one commenter arguing the visuals work as a representation of what goes on in a programmer's mind.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2017HN cites it as an early, quirky example of machine-generated screenplays and what LSTMs could do.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2022Cited as a film scene illustrating subprime lending, housing bubbles, and people bragging about bad behavior.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2024C CrassHeretic · videoHN uses the scene to argue for due process and for protecting the speech and rights of people you dislike.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2019HN finds Erik Singer's accent breakdowns informative and entertaining, and links them in discussions of accents and speech.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2025D dniete97 · videoQuoted whenever HN debates due process and legal protections, even for people one dislikes.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2024B Breaking Bad & Beyond · videoHN uses it as a quick, memorable illustration of how money laundering works in discussions of crypto seizures and mixers.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2017–2023D Dozenal Tauist · videoHN uses it in AI and consciousness debates as a memorable take on why general intelligence is hard to define.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2025P PegasusForklifts · comedy videoBrought up as a beloved classic whenever forklifts or workplace safety come up in a thread.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2014–2025J JBVids000 · comedy videoHN mostly quotes it as a joke about the nuclear missile Harrods would sell, and one commenter praises the show as political education.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2011–2022C Channel 4 Entertainment · comedy videoHN mostly invokes it as a joke in threads about emergency numbers and phone numbers.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2022L LaserUnicorns · comedy videoCited as a parody that crams in 80s movie tropes and as an example of the VHS aesthetic.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2019–2023P Person of Interest Highlights · videoReferenced as a fictional illustration of AI-assisted tools and non-visual interfaces.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2015–2024HN brings it up in threads about tone getting lost in text-based communication.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2018–2026T tpratt441 · videoPosted in threads on US costs and institutions as a famous fictional rebuttal to American exceptionalism.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2013–2022A arkmaii · comedy videoHN commenters link it as the origin of a LEGO quote and as a delightful monologue about how the toy has changed.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2025–2026B British Comedy · comedy videoHN uses it as shorthand for incremental aggression and escalation, in threads on geopolitics, trade and creeping encroachment.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2026Z zio anza · comedy videoHN brings it up as a funny parody of odd Eastern European cartoons and as a joke about automation or replaced entertainment.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023–2025M murphy slaw · comedy videoHN commenters cite it as the funny reference whenever someone gives an impenetrable technical presentation.
- cited 7× 0 months 2017–2024T t91 · comedy videoHN uses it as a joke reference when discussing coercion, implied threats and consent in power imbalances.
- cited 6× 0 months 2017–2024B badvertised · videoHN invokes it as a joke or reference whenever voice cloning or voice authentication comes up.
- cited 3× 0 months 2015–2025Posted as a joke or pop-culture reference whenever threads touch on backward or barbaric medicine.
- cited 6× 0 months 2016–2023M Moldy Warp · videoHN points to it as a rare Hollywood hacking scene that uses real tools and a plausible, era-appropriate exploit.
- cited 5× 0 months 2015–2025B Brettski889 · comedy videoUsed purely as a joke reference when gull-wing doors or tech-money excess come up.
- cited 7× 0 months 2020–2024A Amoox YT · comedy videoUsed as a joke reference whenever a company issues a hollow public apology.
- Star Trek TNG (Peak Performance) Picard Quote - It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose.cited 3× 0 months 2022–2025P Ponyboy · videoHN uses it as a quip or shorthand to illustrate that randomness and circumstance can decide outcomes regardless of skill.
- cited 4× 0 months 2021–2025S Seinfeld · comedy videoHN mostly references it for the origin of Festivus or as a seasonal joke.
- cited 3× 0 months 2022–2025P Phuck Yiu · comedy videoHN commenters link it as a joke in threads about tracing, IMSI catchers and surveillance, not as a serious recommendation.
- cited 3× 0 months 2013–2018M Mohamed Yasir · comedy videoHN commenters use it as a joke in threads about Soylent and meal replacements, comparing the slurry to the Matrix scene.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2023L liberalartist6 · comedy videoHN mostly uses it as a joke about secrecy or as an illustration of mutually assured destruction.
- cited 4× 0 months 2024–2026I IronFistDigitalMedia · comedy videoPosted as a joke or pop-culture reference in threads complaining about Microsoft software behavior.
- cited 4× 0 months 2021–2025P Pickle Rick · comedy videoUsed as a joke whenever a tech executive acts like Belson, surrounded by yes-men or making grandiose claims.
- cited 4× 0 months 2021–2024P Pedro Palatnik · videoHN posts it as an enduring, still-relevant artistic depiction of corporate power when discussing finance, tech lobbying and ethics.
- cited 3× 0 months 2022–2026E Empire Fan Productions · comedy videoQuoted as a joke when a company or government changes terms unilaterally.
- cited 5× 0 months 2017–2026M Movietwist · comedy videoInvoked as a joke whenever AI image reconstruction or enhancement is discussed.
- cited 7× 0 months 2017–2025F febuiles · comedy videoPosted as a joke reply in threads about unpaid work, ransom, and getting stiffed by clients or employers.
- cited 3× 0 months 2012–2020T tempura1234 · comedy videoHN uses it as shorthand for the unrealistic 'zoom and enhance' trope, in jokes about image restoration and software that claims to recover detail.
- cited 3× 0 months 2016–2022H homefree122 · comedy videoUsed as a joke reference in threads about confusing error messages and printers.
- cited 5× 0 months 2013–2020B barnseyoz · videoQuoted in threads about declining companies and shrinking markets as a blunt statement of the case for liquidation.
- cited 5× 0 months 2016–2026T TomsWhip · videoDropped into climate threads as a fictional but relevant fatalistic take, not as a recommendation.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2023K Kenny Teeology · comedy videoHN commenters quote it jokingly whenever someone lists the unacknowledged benefits of an entity people love to complain about.
- cited 9× 0 months 2016–2026D dscmailtest · videoHN uses it as the go-to reference whenever a story involves ad tracking, facial recognition or personalized billboards.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2022W Wayne Lee · comedy videoHN uses it as a joking reference in threads on estimation, technical debt and managing expectations.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2026Used as a reference or joke about authority figures who think they are above the law, and occasionally about sympathy for the military.
- cited 3× 0 months 2012–2015E elbertj1 · videoQuoted as a joke or reference about criticism and how new work needs supporters.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2025H HBO · comedy videoMostly a running joke or reference for image-classification projects and AI app demos.
- cited 8× 0 months 2012–2025T The IT Crowd · comedy videoCommenters drop it as an obligatory joke in threads about piracy, DRM and copyright enforcement.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2023Linked in threads about the demon core and criticality accidents as a dramatic recreation.
- cited 3× 0 months 2017–2025K KlingonSpider · videoHN invokes it as a joke whenever a machine or algorithm refuses to do what a person wants.
- cited 3× 0 months 2021–2025T tekknobabblr · videoReferenced as a model of a contemplative, mood-setting sequence that shows a city away from the main plot.
- cited 4× 0 months 2022–2023Posted as a joke in threads about dealer add-on fees and subscription car features.
- cited 13× 0 months 2020–2026B Brian J. Hall · comedy videoHN mostly cites it as a joke or parody whenever startups or tech companies claim lofty missions.
- cited 4× 0 months 2020–2026T ThingsICantFindOtherwise · comedy videoOnly posted as a joke reply about getting old or out of touch.
- cited 5× 0 months 2016–2026Used mostly as a punchline or example of cheesy, unrealistic Hollywood depictions of hacking and over-stylized tech UIs.
- cited 20× 0 months 2015–2026Y yate50 · comedy videoHN uses it as a running joke whenever unprofitable startups, funding or valuations come up.
- cited 9× 0 months 2015–2022L Lb · comedy videoQuoted as the go-to joke whenever a monopoly or big tech company ignores customers, from Verizon to Google to Apple.
- cited 3× 0 months 2018–2024L Luis Felipe Ovando · comedy videoHN posts it as a joke in threads about shifting nutrition and health science advice.
- cited 4× 0 months 2017–2025J Jonah Defez · comedy videoHN commenters bring it up as a joke or shorthand in threads about diversity hiring and women in tech.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 307. Use search to find the rest.
Questions
What is the most recommended film & tv clips video on Hacker News?
Threads (1984) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p] by HD Retro Trailers: HN commenters use it to point people to Threads, which they call the most harrowing depiction of nuclear war and say should be mandatory viewing.
How is this film & tv clips list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.