How does one make an honest, compelling documentary about Apple and the Macintosh? You dance a fine line between soap opera and history, and hope that what comes out is accurate while still maintaining the passion that drives the Apple crowd. This film's been getting a reputation as being sort of definitive and loaded with tales of behind-the-scenes stories from people surrounding Apple and the creation of the Macintosh, but while there are interesting accounts of the Mac's history, the scope is rather limited.
Unfortunately, the biggest downfall in this documentary is the handful of individuals that could be reached for interview. Everyone that is interviewed is important, everyone has something to say, and they are people who usually don't have a voice in Apple's history; I'm talking about people like Ron Wayne and Jim Reekes who are big personalities with not a lot of recognition. Then we have Andy Hertzfeld and Guy Kawasaki who are big names, close to the company, and people who like to TALK.
Unfortunately, people like Burrell Smith, Bud Tribble, Bill Atkinson, Steve Capps, the 13-or- so CEOs that Apple's had, and of course, Woz and Steve Jobs, are all very noticeably missing from the film. When it comes to Jobs, I can see how the film could actually benefit from not having him. But to not be able to get more of the core Macintosh dev team, or many other people from the company at the time, that makes the film feel a little flimsy.
An appreciable task was completed here. The film's creators put together nine individuals who tell unique Apple stories from unique points of view, and trimmed it down in to a solid 87 minute outing. While the difficulty that the filmmakers must have faced in getting interviews is understandable, that doesn't change the fact that the overall authenticity and flow of the movie is hurt by the absence of characters. The authenticity suffers from a lack of concurring opinions, and the flow suffers from gaps in the story's time line.
There is a hugely compelling reason to buy this DVD, however, and that is in the special features. The filmmakers have VERY wisely chosen to include the complete interviews with each interviewee, adding up to almost three hours of stories and trivia that really seem more entertaining than the film itself. While the overall disc probably isn't terribly compelling to everyone, Apple history buffs will really enjoy the extended interview footage.
A solid 7 out of 10 for the movie with extra content, 5 or 6 out of 10 for the documentary on its own.
Unfortunately, the biggest downfall in this documentary is the handful of individuals that could be reached for interview. Everyone that is interviewed is important, everyone has something to say, and they are people who usually don't have a voice in Apple's history; I'm talking about people like Ron Wayne and Jim Reekes who are big personalities with not a lot of recognition. Then we have Andy Hertzfeld and Guy Kawasaki who are big names, close to the company, and people who like to TALK.
Unfortunately, people like Burrell Smith, Bud Tribble, Bill Atkinson, Steve Capps, the 13-or- so CEOs that Apple's had, and of course, Woz and Steve Jobs, are all very noticeably missing from the film. When it comes to Jobs, I can see how the film could actually benefit from not having him. But to not be able to get more of the core Macintosh dev team, or many other people from the company at the time, that makes the film feel a little flimsy.
An appreciable task was completed here. The film's creators put together nine individuals who tell unique Apple stories from unique points of view, and trimmed it down in to a solid 87 minute outing. While the difficulty that the filmmakers must have faced in getting interviews is understandable, that doesn't change the fact that the overall authenticity and flow of the movie is hurt by the absence of characters. The authenticity suffers from a lack of concurring opinions, and the flow suffers from gaps in the story's time line.
There is a hugely compelling reason to buy this DVD, however, and that is in the special features. The filmmakers have VERY wisely chosen to include the complete interviews with each interviewee, adding up to almost three hours of stories and trivia that really seem more entertaining than the film itself. While the overall disc probably isn't terribly compelling to everyone, Apple history buffs will really enjoy the extended interview footage.
A solid 7 out of 10 for the movie with extra content, 5 or 6 out of 10 for the documentary on its own.
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