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General Magic

Play trailer Poster for General Magic Released Jul 12, 2019 1h 28m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 22 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
General Magic is the story of the original creators of the smartphone, who after a great failure, changed the lives of billions. In 1990, at a secretive Silicon Valley start-up, a small and passionate group of innovators and engineers formed to build a magical device that would enable anyone to connect everyone to everywhere and everything -- a personal computer in your pocket. General Magic, though relatively unknown, is considered by many to be one of the most influential innovation startups in the history of technology. This pioneering team -- featuring visionaries like Tony Fadell (co-creator of the iPod and iPhone, founder of Nest, author of Build), Megan Smith (former White House CTO, founder of shift7), Marc Porat (original visionary of the smartphone), Andy Hertzfeld (software engineer, original Macintosh team), and Joanna Hoffman (marketing, original Macintosh team) -- created the first smartphone and laid the foundation for many of the 21st century's most transformative communication and digital technologies.‍ While the business of General Magic ultimately did not succeed, the groundbreaking technologies developed by this trailblazing startup and the subsequent ventures led by its team have profoundly impacted the lives of billions.
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General Magic

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Critics Consensus

General Magic offers up an affectionately detailed and remarkably inspiring meditation on success and failure in Silicon Valley.

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Critics Reviews

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Bilge Ebiri New York Times "General Magic" is engaging, but there's a tougher, tighter film in here struggling to get out. Jul 11, 2019 Full Review Adam Graham Detroit News "General Magic" shows how it may have never happened had the startup's timing not been a little bit off. Rated: B+ May 31, 2019 Full Review Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times "General Magic" is such an involving documentary for so many reasons it's hard to know where to begin. The title itself, as it turns out, might be best. May 9, 2019 Full Review Nathan Mattise Ars Technica The film does well to show that the talent assembled at General Magic seems truly staggering in retrospect. Jul 28, 2021 Full Review Doris Toumarkine FilmDINGHY.com Beyond its informational and narrative value, a vigorously-paced, magnificently-produced doc that integrates some gorgeous aerial cinematography and a rich, lulling original score... Feb 11, 2020 Full Review Mark R. Leeper Mark Leeper's Reviews GENERAL MAGIC is a look at the inside of the tech company by many of the people who were there. It is the story of the company as seen by insiders of General Magic Rated: 7/10 Jul 8, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Sarah Kerruish

Director

Matt Maude

Director

Sarah Kerruish

Screenwriter

Matt Maude

Screenwriter

Jonathan Key

Screenwriter

Michael Stern

Screenwriter
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Movie Info

Synopsis General Magic is the story of the original creators of the smartphone, who after a great failure, changed the lives of billions. In 1990, at a secretive Silicon Valley start-up, a small and passionate group of innovators and engineers formed to build a magical device that would enable anyone to connect everyone to everywhere and everything -- a personal computer in your pocket. General Magic, though relatively unknown, is considered by many to be one of the most influential innovation startups in the history of technology. This pioneering team -- featuring visionaries like Tony Fadell (co-creator of the iPod and iPhone, founder of Nest, author of Build), Megan Smith (former White House CTO, founder of shift7), Marc Porat (original visionary of the smartphone), Andy Hertzfeld (software engineer, original Macintosh team), and Joanna Hoffman (marketing, original Macintosh team) -- created the first smartphone and laid the foundation for many of the 21st century's most transformative communication and digital technologies.‍ While the business of General Magic ultimately did not succeed, the groundbreaking technologies developed by this trailblazing startup and the subsequent ventures led by its team have profoundly impacted the lives of billions.
Director
Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude
Producer
Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude
Screenwriter
Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude, Jonathan Key, Michael Stern, Ceri Tallett
Distributor
Gravitas Ventures
Production Co
Spellbound Productions
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 12, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 9, 2019
Runtime
1h 28m
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