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IMDbPro

General Magic

  • 20182018
  • TV-PGTV-PG
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
General Magic (2018)
A documentary about a business that Forbes described as the "greatest dead company in Silicon Valley." It is a tale of how great vision and epic failure changed the world as we know it.
Play trailer2:26
1 Video
11 Photos
Documentary
The ideas that dominate the tech industry and our day to day lives were born at a secretive Silicon Valley start-up named 'General Magic', which spun out of Apple in 1990 to create the first... Read allThe ideas that dominate the tech industry and our day to day lives were born at a secretive Silicon Valley start-up named 'General Magic', which spun out of Apple in 1990 to create the first handheld personal communicator (or "smartphone").The ideas that dominate the tech industry and our day to day lives were born at a secretive Silicon Valley start-up named 'General Magic', which spun out of Apple in 1990 to create the first handheld personal communicator (or "smartphone").
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
    • Sarah Kerruish
    • Matt Maude
  • Writers
    • Sarah Kerruish
    • Jonathan Key
    • Matt Maude
  • Stars
    • Tony Fadell
    • Andy Hertzfeld
    • Marc Porat
    • Sarah Kerruish
    • Matt Maude
  • Writers
    • Sarah Kerruish
    • Jonathan Key
    • Matt Maude
  • Stars
    • Tony Fadell
    • Andy Hertzfeld
    • Marc Porat
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 64User reviews
    • 43Critic reviews
    • 69Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:26
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos11

    Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude at an event for General Magic (2018)
    General Magic (2018)
    Sarah Kerruish and Michael Stern in General Magic (2018)
    Sarah Kerruish, Marc Porat, Matt Maude, Tony Fadell, Megan Smith, Jay Maude, Ceri Tallett, and Michael Stern in General Magic (2018)
    Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude, and Michael Stern in General Magic (2018)
    General Magic (2018)
    Sarah Kerruish, Matt Maude, and Michael Stern at an event for General Magic (2018)
    General Magic (2018)
    General Magic (2018)
    General Magic (2018)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tony Fadell
    Tony Fadell
    • Self
    Andy Hertzfeld
    Andy Hertzfeld
    • Self
    Marc Porat
    Marc Porat
    • Self
    John Sculley
    John Sculley
    • Self
    Megan Smith
    Megan Smith
    • Self
      • Sarah Kerruish
      • Matt Maude
    • Writers
      • Sarah Kerruish
      • Jonathan Key
      • Matt Maude
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Marc Porat: No questioning of "Could I be wrong ?". None. Because that's what you need to break out of Earth's gravity. You need and enormous amount of momentum. And that momentum comes from suppressing introspection about the possibility of failure.

    • Connections
      References The Kamla Show: Silicon Valley Pioneers: Bill Atkinson & Andy Hertzfeld on Apple, General Magic & Steve Jobs (2020)
    • Soundtracks
      Requiem
      Written by Christoffer Franzén

      Performed by Lights & Motion

    User reviews64

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    How can failure turn into success?
    This is a very interesting documentary about the development of technology as we know it today and how failure can turn into success. I learned a lot about the development of the smartphone.

    It tells the story of a technology company called General Magic and their struggle to make a smartphone, all while trying to keep it a secret from other companies that could steal their ideas.

    It is easy to understand. I like how they illustrate things. For example, they use ocean waves to describe the coming and going of companies. The story is told by former General Magic employees, who know best about what happened since they were a part of it.

    They frequently cut to show beautiful landscapes throughout the film. My favorite one is a beach, but they also show city skylines, forests and other interesting places. The music is very 80s and helps establish the time period. The message of the film is that sometimes, failure for one person can help another person to success.

    It has some very mild profanity and there is mention of somebody being naked, but it is never shown. I give this 4 out of 5 stars and recommend if for ages 12-18 as well as adults.

    Reviewed by Kayenta C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.
    helpful•5
    4
    • rannynm
    • Apr 20, 2019

    Details

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    • Release date
      • July 12, 2019 (United States)
      • United States
      • current website
      • SHOWTIME
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • USA
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 33 minutes
      • Color

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