Pirates of Silicon Valley

The tech g33k cult classic has finally come home.

This flick is only a few years old, but it was only available on VHS… and now nerds can finally bring it home on DVD. For those of you who never heard of PoSV (Pirates of Silicon Vally) it’s the story of Microsoft’s and Apple’s rise to power. This is a great flick for any of you techies out there, it also sports some great performances from Anthony Michael Hall, Noah Wyle, Joey Slotnick, John Di Maggio.

Personally I’ve been waiting for this bad boy ever since it debuted on TBS back in 99. Now that I finally have it on DVD… it’s business time baby!

Movie

The revolution came when we weren’t looking. It happened in a garage. In a dorm room. In countless hours of effort, imagining and intrigue. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates were changing the way the world works, lives and communicates. The event-packed saga of the quirky visionaries who jump-started the future unfolds with exhilarating, cutting-edge style in Pirates of Silicon Valley. Noah Wyle (ER) portrays Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone) portrays Gates in this chronicle of the fierce and often humorous battle to rule the fledgling personal computer empire. “The story is almost Shakespearean… it’s a tale of lust, greed, ambition, love and hate,” writer/director Martyn Burke reflects. And it’s a success story unlike any other.

So that’s the official quote, but it’s not too far of the mark. This is one hell of a story that highlights the rise of 2 of the worlds most influential figures.

Steve Jobs wasn’t always the cool, calm and collected guy you see during all those Apple keynotes… oh no, he has a fairly dark past. It got so bad at one point that he was kicked out of the company he founded!

What about Bill? Bill Gates isn’t the quiet subdue nerd that he makes him self out to be. He’s a sly cunning and cut throat business man. He also has a bit of a wild side in him.

Anthony Michael Hall and Noah Wyle give such believable performances as Gates and Jobs.. Sometimes it feels like you’re actually watching the real people and not actors. Joey Slotnick and John Di Maggio are also great as their sidekicks Woz and Ballmer.
Rating: 8 out of 10

Transfer
This is a pretty average TV transfer, it’s presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio. All the colors look great and the levels are where they should be. Pretty much you would expect from a standard TV transfer.
Rating: 7 out of 10

Audio
This disc also has a fairly standard audio transfer for a TV movie. That means its all front loaded. The high point is all the source music they use in the flick to reflect the time periods. Overall no complaints here.
Rating: 6 out of 10

Extras
The only real extra here is a quick 3 min intro from Noah Wyle… yep that’s pretty much it. While the intro is from Wiley is interesting… It’s a shame the disc is so bare. Granted there are also some trailers, but those hardly constitute as “extras”.
Rating: 3 out of 10

Overall
For the nerds out there, this is a must buy even with the shoddy extras. For the average DVD / Movie it’s still definitely worth renting. Everyone out there should at least check it out, I’m sure everyone reading this is or has used one of Apple’s or Microsoft’s products.
Rating: 7 out of 10

Pirates of Silicon Valley
Movie: 8
Transfer: 7
Audio: 6
Extras: 3
Overall: 7
Director: Martyn Burke
Format: Fullscreen 1.33
Sound: Dolby Surround Stereo 2.0
Rated: PG
Genre: Drama
Studio: Warner Home Video
Buy The Pirates of Silicon Valley on DVD

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