Take Down (Tsutomu Shimomura, 1996)

Being a fan of Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie's pace and climax, Shimomura's account is smoothly read, which is pretty amazing, given the number of technical and banal details that Shimomura feels compelled to share, such as his athletic inclinations. Still, when you team up an experienced author (Markoff) with a brilliant subject matter expert (Shimomura), it shouldn't be a surprise that the result is something which demands attention and rapidly absorbs you into the Digital Con-Artistry world.
An interesting story that can help you develop a better understanding of Internet security and how we rely on 0s and 1s to live our daily routines. Both security experts and non-specialists could benefit from having a realistic view of the significance of Mitnick's interventions and other crackers' access to everyday data.

The definitive story of Kevin Mitnick has still not been told--for this intricate tale is hardly conclusive. Furthermore, given the author's attitude (and All-Knowing-Stance) some might find it difficult to accept everything in this book at face value. Certainly, Shimomura and Markoff had every incentive during their journey to work towards creating an exciting story, which was amazingly accomplished. A critical reader must we aware of the possibility that they manipulated events in order to increase tension and drama.

A greater understanding of what Mitnick represents is important in developing an ability to think in useful information security ways. He's become such a cultural icon--a criminal genious in the eyes of one side, and a victimized innocent on the other. Neither of these simplistic views is accurate. Depicting Mitnick as a genius, but not in technical terms. He's truly one America's great con-men, and his story teaches us a great deal about how gullible normal people can be, and how easy it is for a smooth-talker with selfish motivations to manipulate normal people and how he might handle information to reach a self-motivated goal.
A Mitnick story that has been believed much more balanced is Jonathan Littman's book, "The Fugitive Game: Online With Kevin Mitnick," which is unfortunately out of print.

Unfortunately, the narrative leaves certain informative gaps as if Mitnick was really the one who hacked into Shimomura's Sun box using a technique that was previously considered theoretical. But rather than being a News or Technical Report, the narrative takes us to the enlightened zone where Somebody did trespass privacy and confidentiality agreements, and Mitnick certainly was aware of it, although some don't believe that Mitnick is technically capable of writing such hack code himself, the book sure makes a stand on delivering the reader in that particular twighlit enthusiasm. The best description known of this sort of exploit is found in Stephen Northcutt's book, "Network Intrusion Detection."

For the time being, this is the most detailed book available, and as an autobiographical account of one the participants in Mitnick's takedown, the book will always have a certain historical and social significance.

As with everything you read, be an especially critical reader. Think through the motivations of the authors, and consider the possibility that Mitnick is a genius at social engineering, but only an average technician. If that's the case, then what really did happen? Read Shimomura's account, dwell in the vastness of cyberspace and everything doable in that realm, make up your own mind while being at the edge of your keyboard of one of the best Sleuth stories to hit Real Life (while learning a thing or two about Software and how it rules our lives)!

Inglourious Basterds

10 years in the planning, right after Jackie Brown, Quintin Tarantino moved to a tangent of his initial concept for the story behind his take on WWII, which he mentions could have become a 12 hour mini series, and finally delivers in 2009,ripe for the Cannes, a version of History and revenge as only he can with Inglourious Basterds.
The main theme of the film is revenge. Specifically, revenge against all Coldblooded Nazi! The film is set in an alternate history of the Second World War in which the entire top leadership of Nazi Germany, namely Hitler, Goering, Goebbels and Bormann attend a film premiere in Paris celebrating the exploits of the German regime on slaughter.

The film tracks a motley crew of Jewish American soldiers out for revenge against the Nazis in five intrincated Chapters. Each shot a masterpiece of photography and accelerated action, witty conversations and blood splattering plot. The Basterds have a modus operandi that only a Dream Team of Holocaust avenging soldiers could get away with, by the first sequence, one realizes that they are properly called Bastards in their own right. Every time there is a "cultural clash" The Basterds allow one German soldier to survive, so as to spread the word and plant the seed of the strenght of their attacks.

What can you add to yet another Quintin Tarantino Movie that depicts vengance on such a hated era using spectacular cinema skills and outstanding story telling visual style?! If you pay attention to the real top notch bastards, those are always projecting and kinda portraying the same wild genious wisdom and even the infamous look of Adolf Hitler himself, with the twinkle in the eye of an objective clear in mind, the flappy front hair that combs over the mayhem master's head and the tickly mustache that has now become one of the most recognizable icons of authority and Go-getness of our century.

One violent "historical" movie (with emphasis on MOVIE) that will make you want to see it again and again in case you miss a word. Pretty accurate too, for they speak the corresponding language to each situation depicted, making not just fun and entertaining, but educational as well!

Superman - The Death and Life of (Roger Stern, 1994)

Roger Stern, being a narrative veteran in the vast plethora of the Comics Realm, plunges us into the amazing situations around the cosmopolitan city of Metropolis, his super hero Superman, and the fast paced circumstances leading to his (apparently impossible) untimely death in 1992.
The story begins with a brief background of Superman (and other super-beings involved), including his arrival on Earth, his life, loves, and escalates to his death at the hands of the creature called Doomsday. The greater part of the book focuses on the time right after his death, where several impostors try to re-live his name by taking justice and the world's safety into their varied-visioned and twist-goaled hands. Where did these other self proclaimed Supermen come from? Did Superman really die? How did he come back to life and bring back order in that tumult of Super-men chaos? Topped with intense emotional conflicts amongst the people who love and miss (Superman's secret identity)Clark Kent, we immerse ourselves in a journey of discovering family, friendship and romantic values that only a great loss can unveil. These are all topics easily read and answered in the action-filled plot of heroism and suspense. While entertaining, the writing is mildly slow at times. Stern has done a great job in filling in the "narrative" blanks not relevant in comics and having us care (or not care and actually skimming through the parts) for characters that surely are not portrayed in the Action Comics, giving it the Novelesque flavor needed for a book. Although adapting comic dialogs to a narrative can prove tedious or cheesy, rendering them unrealistic, full of stereotypes, and very dated, not to mention the "cringe worthiness" of the many one-liners, the author sure managed compensating well with vivid descriptions and colorful action sequences. Although it keeps the reader at a "safe distance" from the whole plot to feel Real, taken into account that Super beings with Super powers exist in a Mega metropolis, it did it's job in translating the graphic novel into a narrative easily read prose.

Extinction: The G.M.O. Chronicles

Extinction: The G.M.O Chronicles from AO on Vimeo.

Althought one only sees a couple of high leaps and landings, seems to me there could have been more on the trailer if it Reeeaaally was a Parcouring movie. Begs the question, Where are the real Parcouring Zombie movies?! Nice premise!

Tropic Thunder (USA, 2008)

Not a total fan of Ben Stiller's Humoristic (artistic) role in Hollywood, this movie not only blew me away with the wise and satiric-like comments on over acting and Hollywood industry in general, but left me in Awe to the maturity of Stiller's work as a screen writer, actor and specially as Director.
During the filming of a Vietnam veteran memoir in Southeast Asia, the cast ensemble start behaving very much "actor like" in demanding unreasonable production details. They're already behind schedule, production's going poorly and waaay over budget. With the head on the chopping block, as in real life, the novice director struggles with the cast and crew as they are unable to be controlled and the Whip lashes down from production executives to get their act together ASAP! Determined to make the movie work, he drops the actors into the middle of the jungle, where he has installed many hidden cameras and special-effect explosions rigged so he can film "guerrilla-style". Apparently back on track, the actors manage to get attacked by a gang of local drug dealers, not realizing these aren't actors who are stalking them, with very real guns, very real explosions and in very real danger, fumbling into what they believe to be an elaborate hoax through the jungle.

Excellent cast call, with top notch acting performances by Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr., Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise, Danny McBride, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan, and Bill Hader (amongst others). The story drops you in the middle of a real Hollywood production scenario, with tons of details to attend to and people to please in a massive up-to-date Blockbuster production.
Endearing characters help you locate rather easily the one you can identify with, and understand the frustration on a good work gone ballistic due to one Non-Team-player.

Great locations (most exteriors filmed Hawaiian island of Kauai), excellent photography, cool music and hilarious situations since minute 1, make this movie a must for comedy, action and human behavior.
Reluctant to invest my money in any Ben Stiller productions, I proudly admit I take it back, convinced that Stiller's notion of cinematography has greatly evolved since “Reality Bites”, having all these Big Named actors make a fool of what they might represent in the movie making industry, and taking that stereotype to limits that only comedy would.

I was persuaded on watching this feature by a good Danish friend who simply said, “You know Robert Downey Jr. plays a black guy, right? Man, he is Black!”

And you know you can’t go wrong with the caliber of Robert’s work! Even so, that he was nominated at the 81st Academy Awards for best supporting actor for his role as Kirk Lazarus. Downey lost to Heath Ledger for his take on Joker in Christopher Nolan's Batman Dark Knight.