Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) (TV)

Director:

Martyn Burke

Writers (WGA):

Paul Freiberger (book) and
Michael Swaine (book) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 June 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Good artists create... Great artists steal.

Plot:

History of Apple and Microsoft.

Plot Keywords:

Apple | Apple Computer | College | Bill Gates | Computer

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Noah Wyle	...	Steve Jobs
Joey Slotnick	...	Steve Wozniak
J.G. Hertzler	...	Ridley Scott
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Bill Gates
Wayne Pére	...	Captain Crunch
Sheila Shaw	...	Mrs. Wozniak
Gema Zamprogna	...	Arlene
John Di Maggio	...	Steve Ballmer (as John DiMaggio)
Josh Hopkins	...	Paul Allen
Gailard Sartain	...	Ed Roberts
Allan Kolman	...	Therapist
Richard Waltzer	...	Homebrew Tech
Harris Mann	...	Longhair #1
Clay Wilcox	...	Longhair #2
Marcus Giamatti	...	Dan Kottke
Melissa Suzanne McBride	...	Elizabeth Holmes (as Melissa McBride)
Jeffrey Nordling	...	Mike Markkula
Marc Worden	...	Chris Larson
Kelly Mullis	...	Prostitute
Rene Rivera	...	Pimp
Rod Roeser	...	Albuquerque Executive
Lynne Marie Stewart	...	Bill's Secretary
Nikita Ager	...	Apple Receptionist
Brian Gattas	...	Adamson
Paul Popowich	...	Jones
Doug Cox	...	Job Applicant
Michael Francis Clarke	...	IBM Executive #1
Michael Bryan French	...	IBM Executive #2
Gerald McCullouch	...	Rod Brock
Tammy Brady Conrad	...	Young Skating Woman (as Brady Conrad)
Allan Royal	...	John Sculley
Bodhi Elfman	...	John Gilmore (as Bodhi Pine Elfman)
Holly Lewis	...	Xerox Project Manager
Robert Daniel Phelps	...	Xerox Executive
Brian Lester	...	Charles Simonyi
Michael Chieffo	...	Airline Clerk #1
Wanda Christine	...	Airline Clerk #2 (as Wandachristine)
Karl Wiedergott	...	Mac Designer
Brooke Radding	...	Little Lisa
Kitty Swink	...	Woman
Alexander Enberg	...	Photographer
Cardella Di Milo	...	Ella Fitzgerald (as Cardella Demillo)
Robert Pierce	...	Jazz Band Player #1
Sherman Ferguson	...	Jazz Band Player #2
Louie Spears	...	Jazz Band Player #3
Louis Taylor	...	Jazz Band Player #4
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Grady Hutt	...	(unconfirmed)
Michael Laren	...	IBM singer
Dean Chambers	...	Corporate Execuitive (uncredited)
Diane Robin	...	Irate Woman (uncredited)
Nicholas Wilde	...	Xerox Designer (uncredited)

Directed by
Martyn Burke

Writing credits (WGA)
Paul Freiberger		(book "Fire in the Valley") and
Michael Swaine		(book "Fire in the Valley")
Martyn Burke		(written by)

Produced by
Joseph Dougherty	....	co-executive producer
Steven Haft	....	executive producer
Nick Lombardo	....	executive producer
Leanne Moore	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Fitzpatrick

Cinematography by
Ousama Rawi

Film Editing by
Richard Halsey

Casting by
Lisa Freiberger

Production Design by
Jeff Ginn

Art Direction by
Brandt Gordon

Costume Design by
May Routh

Makeup Department
Selina Jayne	....	makeup department head
Timothy A. Miguel	....	makeup artist
Tracy Warbin	....	makeup artist: Mr. Wyle

Production Management
Bryan Gawron	....	post-production supervisor
Sue Jennings	....	production supervisor
Leanne Moore	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aaron Barsky	....	first assistant director
Christina Fong	....	second assistant director
Basil Grillo	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Ellis J. Barbacoff	....	assistant property master
Tony Bonaventura	....	property master
Joshua Foster	....	set dresser
David Pirinelli	....	lead man
Gaston Wurth	....	set dresser
Abigail Sheiner	....	art department coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stephen Halbert	....	sound
Vince Nicastro	....	foley artist
Phillip Seretti	....	sound re-recording mixer
Phillip Seretti	....	sound supervisor
Janja Vujovich	....	post-production sound coordinator

Visual Effects by
Sam Nicholson	....	visual effects supervisor
Dianna Oliva-Day	....	Visual Effects Producer: Stargate Digital
Victor Scalise	....	visual effects editor
Jaison Stritch	....	3D visual effects supervisor
Scott Dougherty	....	digital effects producer: Cinesite (uncredited)
Tiffany Smith	....	visual effects production coordinator: Cinesite (uncredited)

Stunts
Brian Avery	....	stunts
Rick Avery	....	stunts
Jacob Chambers	....	stunt double
Laura Lee Connery	....	stunts
Chris Howell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Julian de la Pena	....	electrician
Jack M. Guberman	....	best boy electric
Sergio Gutierrez	....	dolly grip (as Sergio 'Ponch' Gutierrez)
Jennifer Ann Henry	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Doug Hyun	....	still photographer
Ross Judd	....	camera operator
Jeff Levy	....	gaffer
Ernesto Pérez	....	best boy grip
Gary Tachell	....	first assistant camera
Randy Tambling	....	key grip
R. Gern Trowbridge	....	best boy electric
R. Gern Trowbridge	....	rigging chief lighting technician

Editorial Department
Debra Light	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ted Blaisdell	....	score mixer
Tanya Noel Hill	....	music editor
David Tobocman	....	music producer

Transportation Department
Tony Barattini	....	driver: set dress
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car
Geno Hart	....	transportation coordinator
Steve Larson	....	transportation dispatcher
Hardy Ophuls	....	picture car coordinator
John Pellegrino	....	driver

Other crew
Maxine Bergen	....	script supervisor
Mark Bronson	....	post-production accountant
John C. Bush	....	on-set playback
David A. Foster	....	location manager
Michael J. Fowler	....	computer playback operator
Paul Harrison	....	key assistant location manager
Anna E. Hayward	....	set production assistant
Randy McKenney	....	stand-in
Kyle Oliver	....	assistant location manager
Nadia Paine	....	assistant: Mr. Lombardo
Patti Small	....	production accountant
Mark Trapenberg	....	set production assistant
Jen Wall	....	production coordinator
Gordon Weiske	....	assistant to director
Lang Yee	....	assistant accountant
Stephen Bridgewater	....	drama coach (uncredited)
Jack E. Herman	....	extras set coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Haft Entertainment
• St. Nick Productions
• Turner Network Television (TNT)

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Turner Network Television (TNT)
• Warner Bros. (2006) (Argentina) (all media)

Other Companies

• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:6 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Royce Hall - 340 Royce Drive, UCLA, Westwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Haft Entertainment

Trivia:

At the 1999 Macworld conference, shortly after the premiere of this TV movie, the audience was stunned to learn that the introductory comments were made not by Steve Jobs, but by Noah Wyle, reprising his role in this movie. The real Jobs emerged and traded jokes with Wyle.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the Har Krishna dance scene, Jobs is wearing a flower lei in the closeups but not the long shots.

Quotes:

Steve Jobs: You are putting poison into your body.
Steve Wozniak: That's french fries, man. You know, all-American food?
Steve Jobs: That's what I'm talking about.
Steve Wozniak: Come on, I can't eat like you do. Eatin' fruit all the time? That's weird.
Steve Jobs: It's not weird. It's pure.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Soundtrack:

Question

Apple vs. Microsoft: A Geeks-Eye View!

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!