What is a hacker, and should I honor or fear them? Those are the issues tackled by this fascinating documentary by Jennifer Read about what the mostly male population obsessed with taking things apart, be they mechanical or coded, has been up to the last thirty years. Both a history and exploration of present-day (1999) hacking, Owned (what they call a hacked website) provides a window into the sub-culture corporations and the government have been vilifying for years. Although it may be a turn-off for technophobes, Owned gives a human face to hacking, which may be the most subversive act of all.
-Reed Oliver
