Pirates of Silicon Valley

This is definitely a must-see for any IT person or anyone just wanting to see a great movie. The cast is incredible, the acting is incredible, the story is also incredible. I wish that this had been released on dvd, I would be first in line to purchase it. It is basically the story of how Apple Computers grew, and how Microsoft grew, they met up, and Microsoft took over. Im not sure how historically accurate this is, however I do know the basic jist is correct. The real life "Woz" validated on his website the correctness of this movie. He also said that the way people are portrayed is how they were. Noah Wyle is excellent as a heartless and cruel Steve Jobs. Anthony Michael Hall is equally great as a geeky Bill Gates. I hope TNT replays it at some point in time, in case it does, RECORD it. I believe its also available for rent. SEE THIS MOVIE.

Just as with the urban legend there are legends as to how Microsoft and Apple came to being. This story based on a book by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine is about the story of two parallel personalities; one wants to make a dent in the universe, the other wants to keep his enemies close.

Many realities and key players were glossed over, not to mention the CPM and MPM operating systems. However, if we delve into two may diverse parts of this story we would lose our focus and cohesion.

It is fun to watch the parallel growth of Apple's Steve Jobs (Noah Wyle) and Microsoft's Bill Gates (Anthony Michael Hall). Especially the ability to get into their heads and the many exacerbations or the other guy.

As a previous owner of an Altair, Commodore, TRS-80, and Apple among others, this movie had a special interest for me.

I recently saw a rough-cut of TNT Originals' Pirates of Silicon Valley. (It airs in June -- premiere's on Sunday June 20.) It's the story of Steve Jobs (Co-founder of Apple Computers) and Bill Gates (Co-founder of Microsoft) and their competitive rivalry to dominate the computer industry. Sounds boring, right? It's not! It's actually pretty cool! Here's why:

Casting Anthony Michael Hall as the world's biggest geek, Bill Gates, was genius. Hall has done such crap in the past few years that we all forgot what a great character actor he is. His best characters have always been misfits and geeks. In Pirates, he captures everything that's both creepy and sympathetic about Bill Gates. He's totally believable!

Noah Wyle's character as Steve Jobs is right on! Here I always thought Apple was the underdog. Turns out -- Apple had it all over Microsoft until the mid-eighties. Wyle plays Jobs as this power-hungry hippie gone awry. It's a nice change from his do-good doctor on ER. And Wyle makes the jump to full-length film effortlessly. Look for him on the big screen battling aliens any day now.

The story is somewhat standard but filled in with cool details that keep it interesting Jobs as a deadbeat Dad; Gates pitching his product to IBM (the IBM guy actually thinks all the money is in the hardware!), and the late-night screaming matches between Jobs and Gates.

Here's the thing that just boggles my mind -- these two are pretty average guys especially for their generation. Sure, they're two of the most powerful men in the world (Gates is the richest man in the world) but you could totally see either one showing up at your bar-b-que in Khakis and an ill-fitting shirt.

Pirates of Silicon Valley is quite entertaining it's weird, it's funny and quirky-- I say check it out!

An excellent movie ....

Those who refuse to learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them!! BIG corporate America incapable of a little (personal computer) vision. Put the two together and you've got ENTERPRISE.

HOW TO WIN AT BIG BUSINESS: Step #1 - Show them (the customer) that YOU have something that they really can't live without, Step #2 - CAPITALIZE on their weakness(es).

The movie is about how Steve [Steven Paul Jobs (2/24/55), Apple Computers; Cofounder, Steven Wozniak] and Bill [William Henry Gates III (10/28/55), Microsoft; Cofounder, Paul Allen] built their respective companies into their own view of what they wanted computers to be and then, in the end, who eventually gobbled-up whom.

The high point in the movie, for me at least, was when Bill Gates found himself in jail and the door to his cell was closing in on him (for a traffic violation).

In the last few scenes we hear Steve talking to Bill. "We're better than you are ... we have better stuff," Steven Jobs. "You don't get it, Steve, THAT doesn't matter!" Bill Gates.

The movie may have ended, but the STORY goes on ....

Rating: 10 out 10 stars

Even for TNT, this is a great movie. Could have been cut around the edges with scenes like the kid's birthday, Jobs' relationship with his daughter that never connected with his role as the founder of Apple, and Xerox's ignorance in the triumph of both Microsoft and Apple. The entire movie is filled with 'monsters' if you are the anti-businessman. Then again, most of the movie's audience is businessmen or computer freaks. Hall's performance is outstanding. HE makes Bill Gates love-able and hate-able at the same time.