A feature in today's Film Threat gives some insight into the mysteries behind the still-unreleased movie based on the life of Kevin Mitnick.

There's not really a whole lot new here but it's interesting to see more questions being raised as to just what has happened to this production. "A supposed defamation of character suit filed by Kevin Mitnick" is listed as one of the reasons why the film has yet to see the light of day here in the States. However, there is no such lawsuit. Although Mitnick is very concerned about a recent DVD release in France that also contains pieces of an interview he did which was only supposed to be used while "Takedown" was in theaters. It was in no way meant to be an endorsement of the movie, which is exactly how it comes across when it shows up neatly packaged along with it. ("Takedown" is available on DVD from Amazon in France but you'll have trouble viewing it on an American DVD player because of the region coding. You can also find it on video but you'll need a deck that can handle the SECAM format.)

A far more likely reason for "Takedown's" delay or non-release in this country is the ongoing litigation between the producers and Jon Littman, author of "The Fugitive Game." He claims that the movie ripped off scenes from his book. It becomes clear that this project was just doomed from the start. And that's without even taking into consideration the protest outside Miramax that 2600 organized along with our many failed attempts to talk to the Miramax people - in their offices and on the set in North Carolina.

The article makes a typical blunder concerning the hacker world, making it appear as if the film was immediately pirated by angry hackers who distributed it throughout the hacker community before it even came out in France. In reality, "Takedown" was released overseas, played on cable television, and taped before becoming available in the pirated VCD market. It happens with every film that is made - if the studios don't make it available in certain places, it becomes available through other means. The fact that hackers happen to have an interest in the subject matter is no reason to assume they orchestrated the whole thing.

Film Threat