The Top 10: Films whose central plot device has been rendered incomprehensible by progress

Robert Hutton suggested this one, pointing out that Manhunter turns on film processing, and that Road Trip depends on someone posting a video cassette to his girlfriend. Many old films wouldn’t work with mobile phones and the internet, although I rejected Don Connigale’s nomination of Romeo and Juliet. The plot hinges on the Friar’s message not getting through to Romeo and, as he says, “a simple text message would have resulted in a happier outcome”. But Juliet’s phone could have been out of credit.

1. The Lord of the Rings. “Frodo travels to Mount Doom by Ryanair. Lands further away than at the start.” Tom Peck. (Not Air New Zealand, above.)

2. High Fidelity. “Couldn’t happen now that record stores are all Costa Coffees,” says Amalia Illgner.

3. Serendipity. “After their date John Cusack finds Kate Beckinsale on Facebook. The End.” Mark D.

4. The Ten Commandments. “Meeting with God is live broadcast with Periscope. Charlton Heston texts key bullet points.” Geraint Preston. Instead of running amok with the golden calf in the absence of Moses, the Israelites stay on the strait and narrow.

5. Some Like It Hot. “Curtis and Lemmon would just tell Sweet Sue they identified as women,” says Issy ‏Flamel.

6. Mary Poppins. “The Fidelity Fiduciary Bank is clearly too big to fail and would be supported by the taxpayer,” points out Andrew Graystone.

7. Casablanca. “Airport security means you couldn’t have that late exchange on the tarmac,” says Dan Gledhill.

8. ‏Psycho. “Probably turns out differently with a quick check on Tripadvisor,” says Adam Drummond.

9. Taxi Driver. “De Niro’s murderous plan derailed by series of one-star Uber ratings”: Tom Peck again.

10. My Beautiful Laundrette. “Their get-rich plan is launderettes,” says Jill Lawless. ‏

An honourable mention too for No Way Out, which Rob Ford and Mr Memory tell me depends on restoring an already exposed camera film and on very slow computers.

Next week: People whose first name begins their surname (such as Jo Johnson and Chris Christie)

Coming soon: Acronyms you may not have realised were acronyms, such as Pakistan and gulag

Your suggestions, and ideas for future Top 10s, in the comments please, or to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk