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Micro Men

  • TV Movie
  • 20092009
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
863
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
28,314
304
Micro Men (2009)
BiographyDrama
In 1979 Clive Sinclair, British inventor of the pocket calculator, frustrated by the lack of home investment in his project,the electric car, also opposes former assistant Chris Curry's beli... Read allIn 1979 Clive Sinclair, British inventor of the pocket calculator, frustrated by the lack of home investment in his project,the electric car, also opposes former assistant Chris Curry's belief that he can successfully market a micro-chip for a home computer. A parting of the ways... Read allIn 1979 Clive Sinclair, British inventor of the pocket calculator, frustrated by the lack of home investment in his project,the electric car, also opposes former assistant Chris Curry's belief that he can successfully market a micro-chip for a home computer. A parting of the ways sees Curry, in partnership with the Austrian Hermann Hauser and using whizz kid Cambridge... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
863
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
28,314
304
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Saul Metzstein
    • Writer
      • Tony Saint
    • Stars
      • Alexander Armstrong
      • Martin Freeman
      • Edward Baker-Duly
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Saul Metzstein
    • Writer
      • Tony Saint
    • Stars
      • Alexander Armstrong
      • Martin Freeman
      • Edward Baker-Duly
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos12

    Micro Men (2009)
    Micro Men (2009)
    Micro Men (2009)
    Micro Men (2009)
    Micro Men (2009)
    Micro Men (2009)
    Micro Men (2009)
    Still from 'Micro Men'
    Cambridge Graduate, "Micro Men" BBC 2009
    Micro Men (2009)
    Micro Men (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Alexander Armstrong
    Alexander Armstrong
    • Clive Sinclair
    Martin Freeman
    Martin Freeman
    • Chris Curry
    Edward Baker-Duly
    Edward Baker-Duly
    • Hermann Hauser
    Sam Phillips
    Sam Phillips
    • Steve Furber
    Stefan Butler
    • Roger Wilson
    Colin Michael Carmichael
    Colin Michael Carmichael
    • Jim Westwood
    Derek Riddell
    Derek Riddell
    • Nigel Searle
    Rhona Croker
    • Valerie
    Amy Beth Hayes
    Amy Beth Hayes
    • Cynthia
    Nicola Harrison
    Nicola Harrison
    • Ann Sinclair
    Anthony Smee
    • Norman Hewett
    Michael Keating
    • Derek Holley
    Peter Davison
    Peter Davison
    • Bank Manager
    Jon Glover
    Jon Glover
    • John Radcliffe
    Theo Barklem-Biggs
    Theo Barklem-Biggs
    • Sinclair Journalist
    Renny Krupinski
    Renny Krupinski
    • Foreman
    James Garnon
    • Acorn Journalist
    James Fleet
    James Fleet
    • Kenneth Baker
    • Director
      • Saul Metzstein
    • Writer
      • Tony Saint
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sophie Wilson has a cameo role as the landlady of the pub.
    • Goofs
      After receiving the news in 1981 that Newbury had pulled out of the tender to build the BBC Micro, Chris Curry heads to the BBC in London and is seen making the journey in a Ford Fiesta XR2. The registration number of the car is A638MMJ which means the car was not registered until 1983 or 1984.
    • Quotes

      Clive Sinclair: Games! Games! Everywhere I go, games! This is what my lifetime of achievement has been reduced to! Clive Sinclair, the man who brought you Jet Set fucking Willy! Apparently there's even a game now about me trying to get a knighthood, for Christ's sake!

    • Connections
      Featured in Grierson 2010: The British Documentary Awards (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Pulstar
      Composed by Vangelis

    User reviews9

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    The computer programme
    Micro Men is an enjoyable docu-drama about the early days of the home computer revolution. I was there at the time reading computing magazines avidly and typing out the printed programmes which never worked because of typos. This was avid viewing.

    It is Sinclair versus Acorn. Although you would not realise from this film that Clive Sinclair was better known as Uncle Clive, the genial, nerdy 1970s whiz kid who built cheap home computers with dead flesh keyboards.

    The Acorn boys on the other hand built more stylish computers with proper keyboards and they even won the contract for the BBC computer.

    In this drama, Clive Sinclair (Alexander Armstrong) is seen as a bad tempered bully (he was never regarded as such a person at the time.) Although he was later revealed to be a bit of ladies man, loved a flutter at the Vegas casinos and voted Tory.

    Chris Curry (Martin Freeman) of Acorn Computers is the more lovable one. The nice, genial one with his more business headed Austrian partner.

    The early 1980s British companies led the world of home computing, although Microsoft had plans for a uniform operating system.

    Pitching Acorn v Sinclair is a great history lesson and drama. Unfortunately, both companies were also left picking up the pieces afterwards as Microsoft surpassed them a few years later.
    helpful•5
    0
    • Prismark10
    • Jan 24, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 8, 2009 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Syntax Era
    • Production company
      • Darlow Smithson Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 24 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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