Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
And the Razzie Goes to . . .
As much as we hate to give Razzies any sort of promotion, The Criterion Channel has a new series to show just how wrong the execrable organization has been over the past decades. Launching today, they are spotlighting comedic gems like Tom Green’s Freddy Got Fingered, Elaine May’s Ishtar, and Neil Labute’s The Wicker Man, alongside Cruising, Heaven’s Gate, Xanadu, Querelle, Under the Cherry Moon, Cocktail, Showgirls, Barb Wire, The Blair Witch Project, Swept Away and Gigli.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score.
And the Razzie Goes to . . .
As much as we hate to give Razzies any sort of promotion, The Criterion Channel has a new series to show just how wrong the execrable organization has been over the past decades. Launching today, they are spotlighting comedic gems like Tom Green’s Freddy Got Fingered, Elaine May’s Ishtar, and Neil Labute’s The Wicker Man, alongside Cruising, Heaven’s Gate, Xanadu, Querelle, Under the Cherry Moon, Cocktail, Showgirls, Barb Wire, The Blair Witch Project, Swept Away and Gigli.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score.
- 3/1/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The traditionally celebrity-heavy Toronto Film Festival has unveiled its list of Canada’s best indie films for 2023, which includes a host of first-time directors that have come to the fore as the Hollywood actors strike put local movies and talent front and center at TIFF last September.
Canadian filmmakers were able to grab the spotlight after SAG-AFTRA members barred from promoting studio or streamer projects allowed them to fill the vacuum on TIFF red carpets and at industry events.
New directors were also favorites of Toronto programmers as a shifting TIFF film market with few American celebrities in town also allowed the marquee festival to double down on finding new creative voices.
So here’s the top Canadian feature films of 2023, as decided by film pickers in Toronto.
1. BlackBerry
Matt Johnson’s drama about the meteoric rise of the world’s first smartphone, before its competitive collapse, bowed in Berlin.
Canadian filmmakers were able to grab the spotlight after SAG-AFTRA members barred from promoting studio or streamer projects allowed them to fill the vacuum on TIFF red carpets and at industry events.
New directors were also favorites of Toronto programmers as a shifting TIFF film market with few American celebrities in town also allowed the marquee festival to double down on finding new creative voices.
So here’s the top Canadian feature films of 2023, as decided by film pickers in Toronto.
1. BlackBerry
Matt Johnson’s drama about the meteoric rise of the world’s first smartphone, before its competitive collapse, bowed in Berlin.
- 12/20/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with BlackBerry, a biopic of sorts charting the rise and fall of the Og smartphone.
Glenn Howerton, who is up for a Gotham Award tonight, and Jay Baruchel star in the pic written by Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller sourced from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal.
Johnson directed BlackBerry, which scored strong reviews after its world premiere over the winter at the Berlin Film Festival. IFC Films released it in theaters in May.
The script centers on Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Howerton), who founded the Canadian company Research in Motion company to create and market the phone, among the first to have a keyboard and internet access. It became a power symbol in the hands of movers and shakers from Wall Street to Hollywood — until it wasn’t.
Johnson...
Glenn Howerton, who is up for a Gotham Award tonight, and Jay Baruchel star in the pic written by Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller sourced from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal.
Johnson directed BlackBerry, which scored strong reviews after its world premiere over the winter at the Berlin Film Festival. IFC Films released it in theaters in May.
The script centers on Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Howerton), who founded the Canadian company Research in Motion company to create and market the phone, among the first to have a keyboard and internet access. It became a power symbol in the hands of movers and shakers from Wall Street to Hollywood — until it wasn’t.
Johnson...
- 11/27/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Intellectual property — the books, films, characters and properties that get butts into seats — has long been a cornerstone of Hollywood moviemaking. But many of this year’s films have drawn from less likely, though perhaps inevitable, sources of inspiration: products and brands. Movies ranging from “Barbie” and “Air” to “BlackBerry” and Michael Mann’s upcoming “Ferrari” all to one extent or another leverage the namesake of the object, or the business associated with it in the name of attracting audiences to theaters.
This parade of product-driven titles seems to mark an inflection point in a crowded entertainment landscape where consumer recognizability has become one of the most important (or seemingly only) factor when deciding which movies to make.
At their best, these movies hit it out of the park with critics and moviegoers, as in the case with “Barbie,” the biggest movie of the year, or gain critical heat, as with “Air,...
This parade of product-driven titles seems to mark an inflection point in a crowded entertainment landscape where consumer recognizability has become one of the most important (or seemingly only) factor when deciding which movies to make.
At their best, these movies hit it out of the park with critics and moviegoers, as in the case with “Barbie,” the biggest movie of the year, or gain critical heat, as with “Air,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Glenn Howerton has never won an Emmy. He’s never been nominated for an Emmy. To anyone who invested in the awards race — or anyone who’s seen more than a few episodes of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” — these facts are both obvious and outrageous. Rob McElhenney’s landmark FX sitcom has been infamously snubbed by the Television Academy throughout its record-breaking run. In 16 seasons, the series has been recognized three times, and each time, it was in the same category: Stunt Coordination.
No disrespect to Marc Scizak’s worthy accomplishments (and credit to the Emmys for honoring stunt work in the first place), but “It’s Always Sunny” deserves so much more. Where’s the Best Comedy Series nod for TV’s longest-running live-action sitcom? Where are the writing nominations for scripts like these? And where’s Glenn Howerton’s G.D. trophy?!
Well, this might be his year.
No disrespect to Marc Scizak’s worthy accomplishments (and credit to the Emmys for honoring stunt work in the first place), but “It’s Always Sunny” deserves so much more. Where’s the Best Comedy Series nod for TV’s longest-running live-action sitcom? Where are the writing nominations for scripts like these? And where’s Glenn Howerton’s G.D. trophy?!
Well, this might be his year.
- 11/16/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
2023 has proven to be a pivotal year for moviemaking. The industry itself seems to be in a state of upheaval, and perhaps renewal, as two labor strikes that dominated the calendar between May and November culminated with the writers and actors guilds earning hard-won benefits for their work, as well as securities against the advent of A.I.
Onscreen, too, audience tastes seem to be changing as the biggest films of the year are pictures with strong authorial voices from Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan. The former used a beloved doll IP to make a comedy about growing and growing old in the shadow of the patriarchy; the latter did a character study on the man who invented the most genocidal weapon imaginable. Neither were a sequel or a conventional bet, and both far outperformed the movies that were. The industry is changing, but beyond the news and potential paradigm...
Onscreen, too, audience tastes seem to be changing as the biggest films of the year are pictures with strong authorial voices from Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan. The former used a beloved doll IP to make a comedy about growing and growing old in the shadow of the patriarchy; the latter did a character study on the man who invented the most genocidal weapon imaginable. Neither were a sequel or a conventional bet, and both far outperformed the movies that were. The industry is changing, but beyond the news and potential paradigm...
- 11/13/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
In the debut episode of “BlackBerry: The Limited Series,” viewers will be taken on a journey back to the early 2000s, a pivotal moment in the history of technology. The episode focuses on the visionary minds of Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin as they present a groundbreaking idea to Jim Balsillie.
Their concept? To combine the functionality of a computer with that of a cellphone, a vision that would eventually lead to the birth of the iconic BlackBerry. As they pitch their idea to Balsillie, the episode unfolds the intricate process of innovation and collaboration that led to this revolutionary device.
“BlackBerry: The Limited Series” offers a glimpse into the world of tech entrepreneurship and the challenges faced by innovators. The episode delves into the early stages of this game-changing invention, revealing the determination and ambition that paved the way for the BlackBerry’s success.
For tech enthusiasts and those...
Their concept? To combine the functionality of a computer with that of a cellphone, a vision that would eventually lead to the birth of the iconic BlackBerry. As they pitch their idea to Balsillie, the episode unfolds the intricate process of innovation and collaboration that led to this revolutionary device.
“BlackBerry: The Limited Series” offers a glimpse into the world of tech entrepreneurship and the challenges faced by innovators. The episode delves into the early stages of this game-changing invention, revealing the determination and ambition that paved the way for the BlackBerry’s success.
For tech enthusiasts and those...
- 11/6/2023
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Matt Johnson, Glenn Howerton, Kelly Van der Burg, Laura Cilevitz, Martin Donovan, Saul Rubinek, Stephanie Moran | Written by Matt Johnson, Matthew Miller | Directed by Matt Johnson
Loosely adapting Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, director/co-writer Matt Johnson and producer/co-writer Matthew Miller bring to screen the story of how Blackberry went from a dominating brand in mobile phones to losing all presence in the market.
The story begins in 1996, with Research In Motion co-founders Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) hoping to secure financial backing for their idea, then known as the PocketLink. The unsuccessful pitch fails to interest executive Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), who dismisses the presentation in favour of his own underhanded aspirations. When he is instead fired, Jim offers his services to market and...
Loosely adapting Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, director/co-writer Matt Johnson and producer/co-writer Matthew Miller bring to screen the story of how Blackberry went from a dominating brand in mobile phones to losing all presence in the market.
The story begins in 1996, with Research In Motion co-founders Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) hoping to secure financial backing for their idea, then known as the PocketLink. The unsuccessful pitch fails to interest executive Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), who dismisses the presentation in favour of his own underhanded aspirations. When he is instead fired, Jim offers his services to market and...
- 10/9/2023
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
In only a few months, the 2023/24 awards season will have more or less taken shape. While a couple of these performances may contend for Oscars (and we’re hedging our bets with one pick), the purpose of this list, which excludes festival titles that haven’t been released to the general public, is to spotlight incredible work we fear could go unrecognized. Sound off in the comments if we missed any of your favorites! Here are our Top 10 movie performances from the first half of 2023 we hope won’t be overlooked this upcoming awards cycle.
Honorable mentions: Dave Bautista (“Knock at the Cabin”), Ben Aldridge (“Knock at the Cabin”), Sally Hawkins (“The Lost King”), Julianne Moore (“Sharper”) and Michael B. Jordan (“Creed III”).
See 15 most anticipated movies for June include ‘Across the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,’ ‘Past Lives’ … [Photos]
10. Storm Reid, “Missing”
The dynamic follow-up to 2018’s...
Honorable mentions: Dave Bautista (“Knock at the Cabin”), Ben Aldridge (“Knock at the Cabin”), Sally Hawkins (“The Lost King”), Julianne Moore (“Sharper”) and Michael B. Jordan (“Creed III”).
See 15 most anticipated movies for June include ‘Across the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,’ ‘Past Lives’ … [Photos]
10. Storm Reid, “Missing”
The dynamic follow-up to 2018’s...
- 6/15/2023
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
The dramatic portrayal of the downfall of BlackBerry was truly heartbreaking. It depicted the journey of Mike Lazaridis, a brilliant, hardworking, and passionate engineer who played a pivotal role in its creation. Starting with the founding of Research in Motion in 1984, Lazaridis dedicated himself to building the empire of BlackBerry. The initial release of the smartphone with wireless Internet access in 2002 was a milestone, and people quickly embraced this groundbreaking technology. Unfortunately, despite Lazaridis’ commitment and hard work, fate dealt him a cruel blow. The trust he had placed in his partners and the empire he had built came crashing down. Witnessing the downfall of his creation undoubtedly took a toll on Lazaridis’ psyche. It must have been a devastating experience to see something he had poured his heart and soul into ruined before his eyes. The portrayal of Lazaridis in Blackberry offers an opportunity to delve into the depths...
- 6/7/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
BlackBerry was released on May 12, 2023, but it only showed the story of the infamous company till 2008. The movie delves into the nitty-gritty details of the start, rise, and fall of Rim (Research in Motion), founded by Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin. It was directed by Matt Johnson, who also co-wrote the movie. The film ends in the year 2008, and Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis find themselves facing investigations from the SEC due to equity errors. Simultaneously, Apple and Android started to get more attention as users transitioned from BlackBerry to iPhones. However, there is a lot...
- 6/6/2023
- by Safwan Azeem
- TVovermind.com
You know what makes for a beyond-worthwhile movie about the mostly-forgotten losing team? The trick lies in the change of scenery from the threadbare perspective of representing the losers in a drab, depressing light. I mean, for Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie to take the epoch-making creation of the world’s earliest smartphone to the level that they did, they had to have been cutthroat geniuses, right? And these two supremely intriguing individuals’ wildly problematic and grandstanding genius is what Matt Johnson’s biographical comedy-drama BlackBerry taps into. A film shot as though they’d hired The Office‘s documentary crew, playing out like Succession with a hint of The Social Network thrown in; there’s not an aspect that, unlike its subject matter, BlackBerry didn’t flourish in. What rides the coattails of the humor-clad narrative pulsating with the acute rush of success and the severe damage of the...
- 6/4/2023
- by Lopamudra Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score. Directed by Matt Johnson, it tells the true story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, software engineers who founded the company Rim in the mid-80s and later invented a cellphone that could handle email. The film begins on the day when they meet Jim Basillie (Glenn Howerton), a Rottweiler who, alongside Lazaridis’ genius, turned Rim’s invention (only later christened BlackBerry) into the world’s most ubiquitous mobile device––at least for a time. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Hole in the Fence (Joaquín del Paso...
BlackBerry (Matt Johnson)
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score. Directed by Matt Johnson, it tells the true story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, software engineers who founded the company Rim in the mid-80s and later invented a cellphone that could handle email. The film begins on the day when they meet Jim Basillie (Glenn Howerton), a Rottweiler who, alongside Lazaridis’ genius, turned Rim’s invention (only later christened BlackBerry) into the world’s most ubiquitous mobile device––at least for a time. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Hole in the Fence (Joaquín del Paso...
- 6/2/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry is deeply Canadian, despite starring distinctly American Glenn Howerton (in a possibly career-best role). The Juilliard-trained actor plays the corporate bully Jim Balsillie, who helped Mike Lazaridis (played by Jay Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Johnson) take their company, Research In Motion Ltd., to the next level with the BlackBerry personal device. This would be the first cellular phone capable of sending and receiving emails — a huge innovation that changed the way people use their phones. Howerton is a clear standout in BlackBerry. His performance as Jim is stunning, and totally unlike anything we’ve seen from him before. The man’s...
- 5/16/2023
- by SarahBeaMilner
- TVovermind.com
Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. A fact-based account of the Waterloo, Ontario tech giant’s rise and fall in the late nineties/ early 2000s, the film can easily go head-to-head with similar, bigger-budget fare like The Social Network, The Big Short and Steve Jobs, thanks to the intriguing storyline, Johnson’s direction, and, of course, the performances. Here at JoBlo, we were lucky enough to speak to star Jay Baruchel about the film recently, and I guess the interview went pretty well, as we were invited to chat with him again – this time paired with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Glenn Howerton, who co-stars.
Baruchel plays BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis, while Howerton plays the company’s co-ceo, Jim Basile. If you know anything about what went awry with the company, it would have been easy to paint Lazaridis as...
Baruchel plays BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis, while Howerton plays the company’s co-ceo, Jim Basile. If you know anything about what went awry with the company, it would have been easy to paint Lazaridis as...
- 5/15/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
To celebrate the release of BlackBerry, which opens in US cinemas this weekend, we had the pleasure of chatting with the film’s two leads about the true story behind one of the world’s most sought-after mobile phones.
‘BlackBerry’ tells the story of Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Howerton), the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone.
Speaking to Howerton and Baruchel, we talk about the crazy story behind the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, the lure of working with director Matt Johnson (who also stars) and his unique take on the story, why the film doesn’t hit the usual “true story” notes and feels fresh and unique, the art of wig and hair acting and, of course, Howerton’s chum Rob McElhenney’s mad time down at Wrexham.
You can watch the full...
‘BlackBerry’ tells the story of Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Howerton), the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone.
Speaking to Howerton and Baruchel, we talk about the crazy story behind the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, the lure of working with director Matt Johnson (who also stars) and his unique take on the story, why the film doesn’t hit the usual “true story” notes and feels fresh and unique, the art of wig and hair acting and, of course, Howerton’s chum Rob McElhenney’s mad time down at Wrexham.
You can watch the full...
- 5/15/2023
- by Scott Davis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Never, ever underestimate the power of a glowering, growling Glenn Howerton.
It’s not like the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator hasn’t previously played someone who acts horrifically yet still keeps you on his side. (See: Every single episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Howerton is in.) Nor is it off-brand for the writer-actor-producer to take on a role in which he radiates that he’s better than the idiots and saps and suckers surrounding him, as fans of the late, great sitcom A.P. Bio can attest.
It’s not like the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator hasn’t previously played someone who acts horrifically yet still keeps you on his side. (See: Every single episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Howerton is in.) Nor is it off-brand for the writer-actor-producer to take on a role in which he radiates that he’s better than the idiots and saps and suckers surrounding him, as fans of the late, great sitcom A.P. Bio can attest.
- 5/13/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on May 11th, reviewing “BlackBerry,” the story of the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone. In theaters on May 12th.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
In 1996, Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) are on the edge of creating the Blackberry, the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less successful at generating money for their ideas. Everything changes when hustler Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) blusters his way into securing funding and taking in partners. The rest is a historic rise to the top, and as deep a reverse dive to the bottom.
”BlackBerry” opens in theaters on May 12th. Featuring Matt Johnson, Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek and Michael Ironside. Screenplay adapted by Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller. directed by Matt Johnson.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
In 1996, Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) are on the edge of creating the Blackberry, the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less successful at generating money for their ideas. Everything changes when hustler Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) blusters his way into securing funding and taking in partners. The rest is a historic rise to the top, and as deep a reverse dive to the bottom.
”BlackBerry” opens in theaters on May 12th. Featuring Matt Johnson, Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek and Michael Ironside. Screenplay adapted by Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller. directed by Matt Johnson.
- 5/13/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The 2023 movie BlackBerry ends with the beginning of the smartphone’s downfall. Once a giant in the industry, the BlackBerry all but disappeared over the last decade; the company doesn’t even make cellular devices anymore. It’s a fitting conclusion to a story that is as much about the meteoric rise of the Canadian tech company as it is about the big personalities — and even bigger gambles — involved. The quiet, subdued dork Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) is both brilliant and clueless. His co-ceo Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) is the polar opposite: a vicious-tempered attack dog with a nose for...
- 5/12/2023
- by SarahBeaMilner
- TVovermind.com
A beloved ballplayer and an iconic consumer device join a Hollywood satire by Charlie Day, an Emanuele Crialese film with Penelope Cruz and debuts from Sundance and Venice in a potentially strong specialty weekend that will test the appetite for indie film with no new franchise wide releases.
Sony Pictures Classics opens Sean Mullin’s Yogi Berra documentary It Ain’t Over on 100 screens in NY and LA with a big regional push for the legendary Yankee, including complimentary plus-one tickets on Thursday and Sunday at Regal, AMC and City Cinemas in the New York Tri-State area. The intimate portrait of a baseball genius, master of aphorism, pitchman and endearing human being, Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, premiered at Tribeca last year (100% Certified Fresh). Berra’s granddaughter Lindsay Berra, with Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Bob Costas, Vin Scully, Billy Crystal and others are loving guides to Berra’s unparalleled accomplishments...
Sony Pictures Classics opens Sean Mullin’s Yogi Berra documentary It Ain’t Over on 100 screens in NY and LA with a big regional push for the legendary Yankee, including complimentary plus-one tickets on Thursday and Sunday at Regal, AMC and City Cinemas in the New York Tri-State area. The intimate portrait of a baseball genius, master of aphorism, pitchman and endearing human being, Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, premiered at Tribeca last year (100% Certified Fresh). Berra’s granddaughter Lindsay Berra, with Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Bob Costas, Vin Scully, Billy Crystal and others are loving guides to Berra’s unparalleled accomplishments...
- 5/12/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry, a chronicle of the titular device from invention to obsolescence, arrives in theaters at the nexus of two cinematic trends. On the one hand, miniseries like The Dropout and WeCrashed locate a kind of schadenfreude at watching corporations collapse due to criminality or corruption, respectively, and the capitalistic imperative of growth at all costs. On the other, there are films like Air and Tetris that leverage familiarity with consumer products to elevate brand-building into a newfangled IP adaptation.
BlackBerry is both and neither. Yes, it’s a tech origin story, albeit with far more modesty befitting the founders from Waterloo, Ontario who sought to resolve immediate inconveniences with the mobile product rather than revolutionize communication. The promise and pitfalls of this strategy come to vivid life in the film through the dichotomy of its two leads. Jay Baruchel’s Mike Lazaridis quiet, reserved founder behind Research In Motion...
BlackBerry is both and neither. Yes, it’s a tech origin story, albeit with far more modesty befitting the founders from Waterloo, Ontario who sought to resolve immediate inconveniences with the mobile product rather than revolutionize communication. The promise and pitfalls of this strategy come to vivid life in the film through the dichotomy of its two leads. Jay Baruchel’s Mike Lazaridis quiet, reserved founder behind Research In Motion...
- 5/12/2023
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slant Magazine
Editors note: This review was originally published February 17, 2023 after the film’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. It releases in theaters Friday.
Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? I am here to tell you today’s world premiere Berlin Film Festival competition entry BlackBerry is all that and more.
In the hands of co-writer (with Matthew Miller), director and co-star Matt Johnson (The Dirties), this long and winding tale of the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, the revolutionary device that first combined a computer with a phone all in one, is at once wonderfully funny, suspenseful and ultimately tragic. Here is a business story that has it all, and has much in common with other movies that focus on iconic tales of new-age businesses like The Social Network, Moneyball and The Big Short. Those movies had...
Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? I am here to tell you today’s world premiere Berlin Film Festival competition entry BlackBerry is all that and more.
In the hands of co-writer (with Matthew Miller), director and co-star Matt Johnson (The Dirties), this long and winding tale of the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, the revolutionary device that first combined a computer with a phone all in one, is at once wonderfully funny, suspenseful and ultimately tragic. Here is a business story that has it all, and has much in common with other movies that focus on iconic tales of new-age businesses like The Social Network, Moneyball and The Big Short. Those movies had...
- 5/12/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Hmmm, I wonder if this new release completes a “movie hat trick”? Now, that’s because it’s the third film this year to center around the creation of a popular product from the not-too-distant past. First out of the gate was the surprisingly effective Tetris, the tale of the popular computer/video game, from AppleTV+. It was soon topped by Amazon’s Air, the all-star story of Nike’s pursuit of rookie NBA phenom Michael Jordan and the best-selling shoe baring his name. Jump ahead to now (and 12 years in the movie timeline) and IFC brings us a “docu-dramedy” all about a communications device that became the hot “it” gizmo, but is now almost a blip in the “hand-held” history. And rather than being referred to by a litany of letters and numbers, this combo of soft and hardware went by the fruit-based moniker of Blackberry.
Its “origin” story design begins with its creator,...
Its “origin” story design begins with its creator,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In 2010, David Fincher set the template for modern tech biopic with “The Social Network,” delivering a rapid-fire seriocomic portrait of young entrepreneurship at the dawn of the 21st century. It cost $40 million. Last year, filmmaker Matt Johnson made “BlackBerry,” a biopic about the rise and fall of the eccentric characters behind the outdated mobile phone. It cost $5 million.
“The amount of money that gets spent on making a movie is completely mind-boggling to me,” Johnson told IndieWire over Zoom. “We were pretty clear from the beginning we would make something on the scale we prefer.”
That ethos was established 10 years ago, when the Canadian director made the buzzy found footage movie “The Dirties,” in which Johnson starred as an aspiring filmmaker who morphs into a high school shooter. The $10,000 movie manages a tricky balance between satirizing its character’s cinematic aspirations and the looming alienation that drives him to a horrific extreme.
“The amount of money that gets spent on making a movie is completely mind-boggling to me,” Johnson told IndieWire over Zoom. “We were pretty clear from the beginning we would make something on the scale we prefer.”
That ethos was established 10 years ago, when the Canadian director made the buzzy found footage movie “The Dirties,” in which Johnson starred as an aspiring filmmaker who morphs into a high school shooter. The $10,000 movie manages a tricky balance between satirizing its character’s cinematic aspirations and the looming alienation that drives him to a horrific extreme.
- 5/10/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
BlackBerryPhoto: IFC Films
Technology delivers all types of incredible societal advances. But the mad-dash nature of Western capitalism and the emotional fitfulness of the consumer marketplace also creates graveyards of arriviste empires—faddish companies with a product or service that intersects heavily with a particular moment in time, but ends...
Technology delivers all types of incredible societal advances. But the mad-dash nature of Western capitalism and the emotional fitfulness of the consumer marketplace also creates graveyards of arriviste empires—faddish companies with a product or service that intersects heavily with a particular moment in time, but ends...
- 5/9/2023
- by Brent Simon
- avclub.com
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry is one of the best English Canadian films in a long time. When I interviewed Jay Baruchel about the film a few weeks ago, I prefaced our conversation by telling him this and that I wasn’t sucking up to him. Baruchel got it, as the big problem with a lot of English Canadian films is that they present to be something they’re not. They’re often set in this pseudo-us style setting, as for some reason, Canadian producers seem terrified that a film will be recognized as what it is, Canadian. As he told me in our interview, this is something that has irked Baruchel for years, and in his own films, including the two Goon movies and the recent Random Acts of Violence, they never hid the fact that they were Canadian.
As Baruchel explains it in our interview,...
As Baruchel explains it in our interview,...
- 5/9/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Plot: The rise and fall of BlackBerry through the eyes of its founder and creator Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and co-ceo Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) as they go from being upstarts to dominating the smartphone market, and eventually, getting rendered obsolete by the rise of iPhone.
Review: Does anyone remember the term “crackberry?” That was a popular nickname for the BlackBerry when it first hit the market around 1999, as it was the first cell phone that allowed for effective emailing via your mobile device. It had its own dedicated server that meant people, for the first time, could send and receive emails from their phones – quickly. Soon they added web browsing, cameras and more, all of which seemed like science fiction when the company started pitching the product in the mid-nineties. For a long time, they were the great Canadian success story, with them based in Waterloo, Ontario, only for...
Review: Does anyone remember the term “crackberry?” That was a popular nickname for the BlackBerry when it first hit the market around 1999, as it was the first cell phone that allowed for effective emailing via your mobile device. It had its own dedicated server that meant people, for the first time, could send and receive emails from their phones – quickly. Soon they added web browsing, cameras and more, all of which seemed like science fiction when the company started pitching the product in the mid-nineties. For a long time, they were the great Canadian success story, with them based in Waterloo, Ontario, only for...
- 5/9/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Directed by Matt Johnson, starring Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton. This Canadian movie tells the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone.
Two mismatched entrepreneurs – egghead innovator Mike Lazaridis and cut-throat businessman Jim Balsillie – joined forces in an endeavour that was to become a worldwide hit in little more than a decade. The device that one of them invented and the other sold was the BlackBerry, an addictive mobile phone that changed the way the world worked, played and communicated. But just as BlackBerry was rising to new peaks, it also started losing its way through the fog of Smartphone wars, management indecision and outside distractions, eventually leading to the breakdown of one of the most successful ventures in the history of the tech and business worlds
Release Date
May 12
Where to watch Blackberry
In theaters
La entrada ‘BlackBerry’ (2023) Releases on May 12 se...
Two mismatched entrepreneurs – egghead innovator Mike Lazaridis and cut-throat businessman Jim Balsillie – joined forces in an endeavour that was to become a worldwide hit in little more than a decade. The device that one of them invented and the other sold was the BlackBerry, an addictive mobile phone that changed the way the world worked, played and communicated. But just as BlackBerry was rising to new peaks, it also started losing its way through the fog of Smartphone wars, management indecision and outside distractions, eventually leading to the breakdown of one of the most successful ventures in the history of the tech and business worlds
Release Date
May 12
Where to watch Blackberry
In theaters
La entrada ‘BlackBerry’ (2023) Releases on May 12 se...
- 5/9/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Chicago – As technology goes, it seems so long ago, but at its peak the first multi-use smartphone was nicknamed the “CrackBerry” because of user addiction. The product’s improbable rise and fall is told in the new film “BlackBerry,” co-written/directed and featuring Matt Johnson.
it’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin (Johnson) are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep afloat their Canadian company. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to fund the concept, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create a prototype of their invention.
Matt Johnson (inset) on Set in ‘BlackBerry’
Photo credit: IFC Films
“BlackBerry” is a Canadian produced film, and Matt Johnson was born in Toronto. After creating the...
it’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin (Johnson) are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep afloat their Canadian company. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to fund the concept, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create a prototype of their invention.
Matt Johnson (inset) on Set in ‘BlackBerry’
Photo credit: IFC Films
“BlackBerry” is a Canadian produced film, and Matt Johnson was born in Toronto. After creating the...
- 5/9/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – One of the best local film gatherings is back, as the 2023 Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) opens on Friday, May 5th, with “BlackBerry” at the Music Box Theatre. The Fest runs through May 11th, click Ccff for opening night ticket info.
It’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep their company, Research in Motion, afloat. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to join the company, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create and sell a prototype of their invention. Matt Johnson will make an appearance and participate in a Q&a at the May 5th screening.
10th Ccff
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
The 10th Chicago Critics...
It’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep their company, Research in Motion, afloat. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to join the company, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create and sell a prototype of their invention. Matt Johnson will make an appearance and participate in a Q&a at the May 5th screening.
10th Ccff
Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com
The 10th Chicago Critics...
- 5/4/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Clockwise from top left: They Cloned Tyrone (Photo: Netflix); Master Gardener (Photo: Magnolia Pictures); War Pony (Photo: Momentum Pictures); Theater Camp (Photo: Searchlight Pictures), Past Lives (Photo: A24)Graphic: Karl Gustafson
By this point in the year, we already know what summer blockbusters to expect in 2023. Sure, there are a few superhero flicks,...
By this point in the year, we already know what summer blockbusters to expect in 2023. Sure, there are a few superhero flicks,...
- 4/28/2023
- by Jen Lennon, Mark Keizer, and Cindy White
- avclub.com
The summer season is upon us and, per each year, we’ve dug beyond studio offerings (though a few potential highlights remain) to present an in-depth look at what should be on your radar. From festival winners of the past year to selections coming straight from Cannes to genre delights to, yes, a few blockbuster spectacles, there’s more than enough to anticipate.
Check out our picks below and return for monthly updates as more is sure to be added to the calendar.
Riceboy Sleeps (Anthony Shim; May 2)
So-Young (Choi Seung-yoon) didn’t want to leave South Korea. She had no choice. The father of her newborn son committed suicide and, as an orphan who was never adopted, she had no other family. So, with nowhere to turn and a boy who couldn’t legally become a citizen due to being born out of wedlock, she immigrated to Canada to start anew.
Check out our picks below and return for monthly updates as more is sure to be added to the calendar.
Riceboy Sleeps (Anthony Shim; May 2)
So-Young (Choi Seung-yoon) didn’t want to leave South Korea. She had no choice. The father of her newborn son committed suicide and, as an orphan who was never adopted, she had no other family. So, with nowhere to turn and a boy who couldn’t legally become a citizen due to being born out of wedlock, she immigrated to Canada to start anew.
- 4/25/2023
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Can a festival have swagger? Because it felt like SXSW was swaggering in 2023. This should not be a total surprise for a weeklong conference that’s an intersection between film, television, music, gaming, technology, and arguably innovation itself. As per one industry insider, SXSW has long been perceived as “the cool kids festival.” Nonetheless, one year and a day after Everything Everywhere All at Once premiered on SXSW’s opening night, that film went on to win a staggering seven Oscars on the same weekend as the 2023 festival.
And after last Sunday, excitement and a sense of vindication floated in the air around every movie theater in Austin. Somehow this fest was coming even more into its own with its first Best Picture win, and that truth appears reflected in the eclectic mix of films and television series that showed up the year Everything Everywhere came to town. From oddball...
And after last Sunday, excitement and a sense of vindication floated in the air around every movie theater in Austin. Somehow this fest was coming even more into its own with its first Best Picture win, and that truth appears reflected in the eclectic mix of films and television series that showed up the year Everything Everywhere came to town. From oddball...
- 3/19/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Blackberry Official Trailer Opening in theaters May 12th, The true story of the meteoric rise & catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone, Blackberry is a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds. Starring: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson Director: Matt Johnson Every era has its visionaries, and ‘BlackBerry,’ co-written by Director Matt Johnson and Producer Matthew Miller, investigates the brilliance of the individuals that invented the world’s first smartphone. Recounting the Canadian company’s humble yet chaotic rise to market dominance, ‘BlackBerry’ is a darkly comedic telling of the tragic tale of a Canadian company that revolutionized the way we communicate, before swiftly plummeting into obsolescence. It’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech,...
- 3/18/2023
- by Thomas Miller
- Seat42F
"BlackBerry" is an entertaining, often hilarious look at the rise and fall of the first smartphone, a fascinating exploration of the price of innovation in the ruthless business world and how well intentions and a passion for bringing fantasy and fiction to reality don't always merge well with the need to know how to make money. Make no mistake, this is not the Canadian version of "The Social Network," it is the real-life version of Mike Judge's "Silicon Valley."
Back in the '90s, communications were going through a revolution — the rise of personal computers, of the cellphone. It is a time when technology threatens to completely change — if not outright kill — the way we do work and business traditionally. The world is ready to have an entire office in the palm of your hands, it just needs a couple of geniuses to make it happen.
This movie is not about those geniuses,...
Back in the '90s, communications were going through a revolution — the rise of personal computers, of the cellphone. It is a time when technology threatens to completely change — if not outright kill — the way we do work and business traditionally. The world is ready to have an entire office in the palm of your hands, it just needs a couple of geniuses to make it happen.
This movie is not about those geniuses,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
IFC Films has debuted the official trailer for the biographical drama ‘BlackBerry.’
The film tells the true story of the meteoric rise in the early 2000s followed by the catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone and is dubbed “a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds”.
The story covers the business relationship between co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie as their Canadian company Research in Motion released the once-ubiquitous device. It subsequently floundered in legal disputes and lost its market advantage to competitors such as Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy range.
Matt Johnson directs the film which stars Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Saul Rubinek, Cary Elwes, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer, SungWon Cho and Michelle Giroux.
Also in trailers – “Meet the resistence…” Trailer drops for Damon Lindelof’s Mrs. Davis
The movie is set to have for a U.S. release on May 12th.
The film tells the true story of the meteoric rise in the early 2000s followed by the catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone and is dubbed “a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds”.
The story covers the business relationship between co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie as their Canadian company Research in Motion released the once-ubiquitous device. It subsequently floundered in legal disputes and lost its market advantage to competitors such as Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy range.
Matt Johnson directs the film which stars Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Saul Rubinek, Cary Elwes, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer, SungWon Cho and Michelle Giroux.
Also in trailers – “Meet the resistence…” Trailer drops for Damon Lindelof’s Mrs. Davis
The movie is set to have for a U.S. release on May 12th.
- 3/16/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The so-called “crackberry” is back.
IFC Films has released the first official trailer for the upcoming comedy-drama film, “BlackBerry,” which provides a peek into exactly how the handheld device revolutionized the cell phone industry.
Director Matt Johnson, along with co-screenwriter Matthew Miller, adapted Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the big screen.
Johnson plays BlackBerry co-founder Douglas Fregin in the film, alongside Glenn Howerton as chair and co-ceo Jim Balsillie, Jay Baruchel as co-founder Mike Lazaridis and Cary Elwes as Palm CEO Carl Yankowski. The cast also includes Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer, Michelle Giroux, Mark Critch and SungWon Cho.
The trailer gives a first look at Johnson and Baruchel as Doug and Mike, who discover an untapped wireless signal in North America which leads them to developing the first-ever mobile device...
IFC Films has released the first official trailer for the upcoming comedy-drama film, “BlackBerry,” which provides a peek into exactly how the handheld device revolutionized the cell phone industry.
Director Matt Johnson, along with co-screenwriter Matthew Miller, adapted Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book “Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry” for the big screen.
Johnson plays BlackBerry co-founder Douglas Fregin in the film, alongside Glenn Howerton as chair and co-ceo Jim Balsillie, Jay Baruchel as co-founder Mike Lazaridis and Cary Elwes as Palm CEO Carl Yankowski. The cast also includes Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer, Michelle Giroux, Mark Critch and SungWon Cho.
The trailer gives a first look at Johnson and Baruchel as Doug and Mike, who discover an untapped wireless signal in North America which leads them to developing the first-ever mobile device...
- 3/15/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
An epic rise and fall for a once-ubiquitous mobile device is chronicled in the first trailer for IFC Films’ BlackBerry.
The fact-based feature from director Matt Johnson stars Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, and Glenn Howerton as the company’s former co-ceo Jim Balsillie. The trailer shows immediate tension between the pair, with Lazaridis being warned before agreeing to work with Balsillie that he is a shark.
The footage includes Howerton telling Baruchel, “I know how to market it, and I know who we can sell it to, but I want 50 percent of the company, and I’ve got to be CEO.” Surprisingly, Baruchel’s character is good with this arrangement.
Later, Howerton’s Balsillie says, “We are in a race to get this thing to market, and we are a year behind — I need a prototype.”
Another pivotal scene shows Lazaridis, played by Baruchel,...
The fact-based feature from director Matt Johnson stars Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, and Glenn Howerton as the company’s former co-ceo Jim Balsillie. The trailer shows immediate tension between the pair, with Lazaridis being warned before agreeing to work with Balsillie that he is a shark.
The footage includes Howerton telling Baruchel, “I know how to market it, and I know who we can sell it to, but I want 50 percent of the company, and I’ve got to be CEO.” Surprisingly, Baruchel’s character is good with this arrangement.
Later, Howerton’s Balsillie says, “We are in a race to get this thing to market, and we are a year behind — I need a prototype.”
Another pivotal scene shows Lazaridis, played by Baruchel,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Once upon a time, BlackBerry was king, but it came crashing down just as quickly as it rose. IFC Films have released the first trailer for BlackBerry, a comedy drama starring Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton as the two men responsible for the launch of the smartphone.
BlackBerry was directed by Matt Johnson (Operation Avalanche), who also penned the screenplay with Matthew Miller (Nirvana The Band The Show). The film is based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s best-selling nonfiction book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry. The film tells “The true story of the meteoric rise & catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone, BlackBerry is a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds.“
Related BlackBerry: Glenn Howerton loses his glorious locks to play CEO Jim Balsillie
My first smartphone was a BlackBerry and I loved that thing,...
BlackBerry was directed by Matt Johnson (Operation Avalanche), who also penned the screenplay with Matthew Miller (Nirvana The Band The Show). The film is based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s best-selling nonfiction book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry. The film tells “The true story of the meteoric rise & catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone, BlackBerry is a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds.“
Related BlackBerry: Glenn Howerton loses his glorious locks to play CEO Jim Balsillie
My first smartphone was a BlackBerry and I loved that thing,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Imagine if sociopathic maniac Dennis from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” was the CEO of a tech company, and also was bald. That’s a piece of the (excellent) premise of “BlackBerry,” a comedy about the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone. The film got its first trailer today.
“BlackBerry” is a stranger-than-fiction tech industry schadenfreude comedy in the vein of “The Dropout” and “Super Pumped.” It stars Jay Baruchel in a gray wig as Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of Research in Motion, the company that developed BlackBerry’s technology, and the aforementioned bald Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, Lazaridis’ co-ceo who oversaw the business side of things. The cast also Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer (who in the trailer delivers the line “They call them CrackBerries” in the exact way his “Mad Men” character Harry Crane would say it if he was in business...
“BlackBerry” is a stranger-than-fiction tech industry schadenfreude comedy in the vein of “The Dropout” and “Super Pumped.” It stars Jay Baruchel in a gray wig as Mike Lazaridis, co-founder of Research in Motion, the company that developed BlackBerry’s technology, and the aforementioned bald Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, Lazaridis’ co-ceo who oversaw the business side of things. The cast also Cary Elwes, Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside, Rich Sommer (who in the trailer delivers the line “They call them CrackBerries” in the exact way his “Mad Men” character Harry Crane would say it if he was in business...
- 3/15/2023
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Once upon a time, in ye olde 1996, people didn't really take their phones everywhere with them. In fact, if you had a cellular phone, it was a massive brick without a screen, more like a glorified walkie-talkie than a real phone. There was a cellular network in place, but technology for the phones just wasn't totally there yet. Then along came Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, who developed the first smartphone, the BlackBerry, and forever changed how we communicate. The story behind the BlackBerry is just as interesting and full of colorful characters as "The Social Network" and that film's take on Facebook and creator Mark Zuckerberg, and now audiences will finally get a chance to know that tale.
"BlackBerry," starring Jay Baruchel as the tech-oriented and more sheepish Lazaridis and Glenn Howerton as cutthroat businessman Balsillie, will tell the story with comedic flair, based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff...
"BlackBerry," starring Jay Baruchel as the tech-oriented and more sheepish Lazaridis and Glenn Howerton as cutthroat businessman Balsillie, will tell the story with comedic flair, based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff...
- 3/15/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
‘BlackBerry’ tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. Matt Johnson's BlackBerry is coming exclusively to theaters on May 12th from IFC Films. A standout hit at Berlin recently IFC is wasting no time getting this unbelievebly true story about the Canadian tech company Research in Motion's rise and fall from grace. A new trailer was released this morning, check it out down below. Directed By Matt Johnson Written By Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller Starring Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Michael Ironside, Saul Rubinek (True Romance,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 3/15/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Following his 2016 feature Operation Avalanche and re-launching Nirvana the Band the Show in 2016, director Matt Johnson returns with BlackBerry. The film, co-written by Johnson and longtime producing partner Matthew Miller, was adapted from the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff. The film’s short synopsis reads: BlackBerry tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton star as Lazaridis and […]
The post Trailer Watch: Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 3/15/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Following his 2016 feature Operation Avalanche and re-launching Nirvana the Band the Show in 2016, director Matt Johnson returns with BlackBerry. The film, co-written by Johnson and longtime producing partner Matthew Miller, was adapted from the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff. The film’s short synopsis reads: BlackBerry tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton star as Lazaridis and […]
The post Trailer Watch: Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 3/15/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
"You want to be great, you need to sacrifice. The more painful the sacrifice, the greater you'll be." IFC has revealed the trailer for the Canadian film BlackBerry, telling the remarkable success and downfall story of the Canadian company Research in Motion (known as Rim) - creators of the BlackBerry handheld device. This recently premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival, where it received mostly positive reviews. IFC set it to open in theaters starting May in the US. BlackBerry tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. BlackBerry is "a whirlwind ride through a ruthlessly competitive Silicon Valley at breakneck speeds." Starring Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis, Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, Matt Johnson as Doug Fregin, plus Michael Ironside, Saul Rubinek, Cary Elwes, Rich Sommer, SungWon Cho, and Michelle Giroux.
- 3/15/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The new trailer for “BlackBerry” tells the tale of the nostalgic phone invented in Waterloo, Ontario, that revolutionized the world and the story of the two men who brought its tech domination to fruition before its eventual demise.
Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) are the two young inventors who scramble to make the once-beloved phone a staple in the tech industry.
“Okay, picture a cellphone and an email machine all in one thing,” Balsillie excitedly proposes to businessman Carl Yankowski (Cary Elwes). “There is a free, wireless Internet signal all across North America, and nobody has figured out how to use it.”
“It’s like the force,” he further excites Yankowski. “Sorry, have you seen ‘Star Wars’?” Yankowski responds with: “No.”
Read More: ‘The Bear’ Season 2 Teaser Trailer Is Bringing Some Big Changes
“BlackBerry” was directed by Toronto’s Matt Johnson (of “Nirvanna the Band the Show...
Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) are the two young inventors who scramble to make the once-beloved phone a staple in the tech industry.
“Okay, picture a cellphone and an email machine all in one thing,” Balsillie excitedly proposes to businessman Carl Yankowski (Cary Elwes). “There is a free, wireless Internet signal all across North America, and nobody has figured out how to use it.”
“It’s like the force,” he further excites Yankowski. “Sorry, have you seen ‘Star Wars’?” Yankowski responds with: “No.”
Read More: ‘The Bear’ Season 2 Teaser Trailer Is Bringing Some Big Changes
“BlackBerry” was directed by Toronto’s Matt Johnson (of “Nirvanna the Band the Show...
- 3/15/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
BlackBerry Photo: courtesy of Glasgow Film Festival
Matt Johnson loves talking to critics, he tells me. It’s a chance to spend time with people who love movies as much as he does. In bringing a fictionalised take on the story of the first smartphones to the screen with BlackBerry, he also plays a character – Doug Fregin – who is passionate about film, and horrified when he discovers that prospective business partner Jim Balsillie (played by Glenn Howerton) hasn’t even seen Star Wars. Jim takes business very seriously and points out that unless the product reaches the shelves, nobody can make a living from it. Doug’s initial business founder, Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) says that if there isn’t time to make the product meet his standards, he doesn’t care. I ask Mike if that debate over quality put extra pressure on him when it came to making the film itself.
Matt Johnson loves talking to critics, he tells me. It’s a chance to spend time with people who love movies as much as he does. In bringing a fictionalised take on the story of the first smartphones to the screen with BlackBerry, he also plays a character – Doug Fregin – who is passionate about film, and horrified when he discovers that prospective business partner Jim Balsillie (played by Glenn Howerton) hasn’t even seen Star Wars. Jim takes business very seriously and points out that unless the product reaches the shelves, nobody can make a living from it. Doug’s initial business founder, Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) says that if there isn’t time to make the product meet his standards, he doesn’t care. I ask Mike if that debate over quality put extra pressure on him when it came to making the film itself.
- 3/1/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
In BlackBerry, the rise of a blue-chip tech company sets the stage for the dissolution of a longstanding friendship. Sound familiar? Just wait ‘til you hear the score. Directed by Matt Johnson, it tells the true story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin, software engineers who founded the company Rim in the mid-80s and later invented a cellphone that could handle email. The film begins on the day when they meet Jim Basillie (Glenn Howerton), a Rottweiler who, alongside Lazaridis’ genius, turned Rim’s invention (only later christened BlackBerry) into the world’s most ubiquitous mobile device––at least for a time.
Johnson, who also stars as the amiable Fregin opposite Jay Baruchel’s introverted Lazaridis, is the Canadian director behind Operation Avalanche––a film that seamlessly blended documentary aesthetics with newsreel footage to tell the story of how the CIA (and not quite Stanley Kubrick) maybe faked the moon landing.
Johnson, who also stars as the amiable Fregin opposite Jay Baruchel’s introverted Lazaridis, is the Canadian director behind Operation Avalanche––a film that seamlessly blended documentary aesthetics with newsreel footage to tell the story of how the CIA (and not quite Stanley Kubrick) maybe faked the moon landing.
- 2/18/2023
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
Tech giants sure crash and burn a lot on Wall Street, and Canada’s Research in Motion (Rim), maker of the Blackberry, the world’s first smartphone, eventually fell like a fiery anvil from the sky after achieving surprise global telecom dominance.
But director Matt Johnson, whose Canadian biopic BlackBerry will have a world premiere in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, opted against portraying Rim’s dramatic descent into obsolescence. His film has few of the usual business drama tropes like blood-and-guts confrontations between colorful executives scheming behind the scenes and putting the sword to rivals as the mother ship goes down.
Instead, BlackBerry, which stars Jay Baruchel as Rim co-founder Mike Lazaridis and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton as co-ceo Jim Balsillie, focuses on the origins of Rim to explore how the iconoclastic Blackberry phone, with its physical keyboards, became a status symbol of the...
But director Matt Johnson, whose Canadian biopic BlackBerry will have a world premiere in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, opted against portraying Rim’s dramatic descent into obsolescence. His film has few of the usual business drama tropes like blood-and-guts confrontations between colorful executives scheming behind the scenes and putting the sword to rivals as the mother ship goes down.
Instead, BlackBerry, which stars Jay Baruchel as Rim co-founder Mike Lazaridis and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Glenn Howerton as co-ceo Jim Balsillie, focuses on the origins of Rim to explore how the iconoclastic Blackberry phone, with its physical keyboards, became a status symbol of the...
- 2/18/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For a hot minute, it looked like BlackBerry might control the smartphone market. They got there first, figuring out how to use the existing data network to put email in users’ hands. Sure, it all came packaged in a device as thick and unwieldy as a slice of French toast — too big for most people’s pockets, not at all comfortable to hold up to one’s ear. Still, Canada-based electronics company Research in Motion revolutionized how mobile phones worked and what they could do, making billionaires of its co-founders. So what happened?
Frantic, irreverent and endearingly scrappy, “BlackBerry” spins comedy from the seat-of-their-pants launch and subsequent flame-out of “that phone that people had before they bought an iPhone,” as one character puts it. Directed by Matt Johnson — the renegade mock-doc helmer responsible for 2013 Slamdance winner “The Dirties” and moon-landing hoax “Project Avalanche” — from a script he co-wrote with longtime collaborator Matthew Miller,...
Frantic, irreverent and endearingly scrappy, “BlackBerry” spins comedy from the seat-of-their-pants launch and subsequent flame-out of “that phone that people had before they bought an iPhone,” as one character puts it. Directed by Matt Johnson — the renegade mock-doc helmer responsible for 2013 Slamdance winner “The Dirties” and moon-landing hoax “Project Avalanche” — from a script he co-wrote with longtime collaborator Matthew Miller,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
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