Skip to main content

TRUST MACHINE THE STORY OF BLOCKCHAIN review



2018
Directed By: Alex Winter

The decentralization of currency is confounding to the layman, confrontational to the establishment, and a source of consolation for millions of daring investors. Director Alex Winter has developed a knack for exploring misunderstood elements of technology in several of his documentary films. In DOWNLOADED he made sense of Bit Torrent, in DEEP WEB he explored the often maligned non-indexed corners of the internet and in his latest film TRUST MACHINE THE STORY OF BLOCKCHAIN, he makes takes on the technology that enables cryptocurrency like Bitcoin.

Is blockchain a scam? Or is it simply a way for nefarious individuals to purchase illegal goods and services on the internet? No and no. As Winter explains in his film blockchain is a brilliant way for digital information to be transferred but not copied. It is essentially an open source ledger that allows for two parties to conduct a transaction in a way that is verifiable and perminent. In other words, no one has administrative privileges over the data. That's why Wall Street and K Street are up in arms.

Central authority over financial transactions are an incredibly powerful tool a government can wield to control and monitor its citizens. As an American with a fairly myopic point of view its not always easy for me to see how technology like blockchain can empower people who live under tyrannical rule. Thankfully filmmakers like Winter have a far less narrow worldview and take the time to films like TRUST MACHINE.

UNICEF has embraced the technology as a way to assist refugee children and fight against world hunger. The applications for blockchain are virtually limitless. The next time a naysayer is explaining the dangers of cryptocurrency ask yourself, why? What do they have to gain? What do they have to lose? Or do they have an agenda that's not readily apparent?

Far more than just an explanation of complex technology, TRUST MACHINE is vital. An important film that should be seen by readers of both Wired and Entertainment Weekly. Winter has taken dense material, that even those of us who are technologically savvy, find confusing and made it approachable. He presents a human story through the lens of ones and zeroes. Watch this film.

Popular posts from this blog

POPULATION PURGE Trailer and Release Info

In a dystopian world where a radical government has unleashed a deadly poison to control population, only those with blood type AB positive remain unscathed. But instead of outright death, the rest of the population is left to suffer in a state of chronic illness, causing widespread chaos and panic. As the majority slowly succumbs to the effects of the poison, their only hope lies in receiving transfusions of AB positive blood from the few immune survivors, like Charlie and his granddaughter Maya. Living in the decrepit remains of an abandoned amusement park, Charlie is a renegade supplier of blood to the underground market. But their sanctuary is threatened by the iron-fisted rule of District 22's ruthless warden, Onslow, who will stop at nothing to save his own dying son. As Charlie and Maya fight to defend their haven and their own sanity, the eccentric duo must navigate through a world of danger and betrayal. POPULATION PURGE was written by Brian Johnson and Toby Osborne and di

A SACRIFICE Trailer and Release Info

Written and Directed by Jordan Scott Produced by Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo, Georgina Pope Starring Eric Bana, Sadie Sink, and Sylvia Hoeks A Sacrifice is an emotionally turbulent story that follows American social psychologist Ben Monroe (Eric Bana) who is investigating a local Berlin cult connected to disturbing events. While he immerses himself in his work, his rebellious teenage daughter, Mazzy (Sadie Sink), becomes embroiled with a mysterious local boy who introduces her to the city’s underground party scene. As their two worlds head toward a dangerous intersection, Ben will need to race against the clock in order to save his daughter. A SACRIFICE will be in theaters on June 28th, 2024

Blue Underground to Release Goodbye Uncle Tom on 4K/Blu-ray!

  In a bold move, Blue Underground has announced the upcoming release of "Goodbye Uncle Tom" on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray on April 23rd. This release will offer viewers a chance to witness one of the most notorious and graphic films ever made, showcasing a haunting portrayal of America's dark history of slavery. Originally released in 1971, "Goodbye Uncle Tom" is an Italian mondo-docudrama directed by Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi, the masterminds behind "Mondo Cane." Drawing from period documentation and historical accounts, the film vividly recreates the antebellum South and delves into the horrors of the slave trade. However, the film's unflinching depiction of slavery's atrocities sparked controversy from its inception. Distributors in the US insisted on radical edits to tone down the graphic content before its release. Despite these efforts, "Goodbye Uncle Tom" continued to stir strong reactions among critics a