Freedom Downtime
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Freedom Downtime (22-Sep-2001)

Director: Emmanuel Goldstein

Keywords: Documentary, True Crime, Hacking, Prison

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for Emmanuel Goldstein Journalist 16-Dec-1959 2600: The Hacker Quarterly John Markoff Journalist 24-Oct-1949 New York Times computer guy Kevin Mitnick Hacker 6-Aug-1963 Ghost in the Wires Bruce Sterling Author 14-Apr-1954 Schismatrix

REVIEWS

Review by quagga@rotten.com (posted on 10-Feb-2005)

The battle between Kevin Mitnick and John Markoff may be familiar to internet geeks, but to those outside the loop, Freedom Downtime is a great introduction to the other side of "hacking".

Narrated by 2600's Emmanuel Goldstein, the movie tracks the government's draconian crackdown on minor computer hackers, delivering enormous amounts of jailtime and fines for crimes that are about as heinous as a parking ticket, crimes that warrant no more than a slap on the wrist.

In a style very reminicent of Michael Moore, Goldstein attempts to do intellectual battle with woefully ignorant New York Times reporter John Markoff, who has published numerous inaccurate articles on "celebrity" hacker Kevin Mitnick, describing him as a virtual second cousin to Ramzi Yousef. Goldstein also attempts to shut down production of "Takedown" a loose-with-the-facts film about Mitnick's exploits based on Markoff's work.

Goldstein offers a simple and clear narrative that even people who don't understand computers will be able to follow. The interviews with Mitnick's family, friends, and other hackers, although informative, do run on a bit long. This is puctuated by Goldstein's wry humor and hands-on approach to movie making which, while a bit amateurish, also conveys a genuine commitment to the movie's stated cause.

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