DEFCON: The Documentary

2013
1h 50m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

DEFCON is the world's largest hacking conference, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2012 it was held for the 20th time. The conference has strict no-filming policies, but for DEFCON 20, a docume... Read allDEFCON is the world's largest hacking conference, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2012 it was held for the 20th time. The conference has strict no-filming policies, but for DEFCON 20, a documentary crew was allowed full access to the event. The film follows the four days of the con... Read allDEFCON is the world's largest hacking conference, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2012 it was held for the 20th time. The conference has strict no-filming policies, but for DEFCON 20, a documentary crew was allowed full access to the event. The film follows the four days of the conference, the events and people (attendees and staff), and covers history and philosophy be... Read all

Director
- Jason Scott Sadofsky
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

515

YOUR RATING

Director
- Jason Scott Sadofsky
Stars

5User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos

User reviews5

5.8515

Featured reviews

8hunze

Great doc, great premise

Jason Scott was hired by the organizers of DEFCON to create a documentary about the hacker con and its 20th anniversary. I think he did an excellent job presenting the event. It's always a bit tricky to do hired work, but also stay true to your artistic perception. This one does it right. It's fabulous to see the different characters, motivations, hopes, dreams, shenanigans.

4Karl Self

10 out of 10 on the Smug-O-Meter

It's like hearing your mates talk about the greatest party they've been to. Everyone likes to brag about it, and -- let's be honest -- no-one gives a sheet. The big problem here is that the people who are prone to attend a hacker conference are also the least whose "greatest party story" you'd like to hear. So yeah, they've got great badges, you can go on a shooting range, and copious amounts of drugs are consumed. I get it. You have very funny hats.

GOOD FOR YOU. WE ARE FINISHED TALKING NOW. GOOD-BYE.

PS: This is not a documentary but a 1h50m commercial. I still have no clue what issues are dealt with at the conference, but the recreational program must be hella good.

rosebud017

At the core of hacker culture

I feel part of digital culture, but not necessarily part of the strange realms of hackdom. I wanted to learn about it, and it felt a good idea to start with a documentary about the oldest hacker festival on the planet. But "Defcon: The Documentary" is not only a film about a convention, but about a culture, a way of life, about challenges in the past, and possibilities for the future. (I was especially pleased to see the debate about misogyny in tech circles.) A very rich film, full of sadness, joy, pride, and never-ending debate. Highly recommended... and it really doesn't matter if you know anything about hacker culture at all. Doubleplusgood!

6utah_born

Soundtrack ...

Overall the content wasn't to bad from the standpoint of a hacker "outsider". My complaint: The background music is at times - too many times actually - TOO LOUD. Several of the interviewees-participants could barely be heard due to this soundtrack. VERY FRUSTRATING.

imdb-487-881561

Lost opportunity

This documentary is simply bad. It exclusively focuses on the "geek". Yes, these people are pleased to know each other. Yes, they are also thrilled to be allowed to drink beer. So, what? Time after time, we are told that DEFCON is what you make of it. Really? Here is a universal truth: so is life and everything else.

The true relevance of DEFCON (and hacking in general) is dismissed in favor of portraying the event as a wonky dentist conference. Here we have some of the smartest people in the world yet all we get to see is how they get Mohawks, buy T-shirts, and play catch in a pool. Who-gives-a-damn.

There are a zillion interesting stories to be told about hacking and those of us with an interest in the subject were looking forward to some of them. Sadly, this documentary tells none.

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Multiple shots are "crane" shots created by director Jason Scott driving through areas on a Segway while filming and then removing shaking in post-processing.

Goofs
CHS & Cancer Omega started the DEF CON Shoot, not Deviant Ollam. He's simply the current organizer.

Crazy credits
During the final credits for the film, there is a sequence of DEFCON attendees declaring they can't say anything on camera about an unnamed subject.