(According to a presskit…)
“MacHEADS: The Movie is a feature-length documentary about fanaticism and unconditional devotion to the corporate brand Apple inc. Through a series of interviews with the Mac’s most dedicated followers and fanboys, it takes an in-depth look at the cult of Mac and the people who charted the machine’s rise to popularity, posing the ultimate question, is Apple losing faith as a community and becoming just a brand.”
There are two DVDs: one the movie, and the other a “Special Features” DVD that is supposed to have over two hours of extras (I haven’t had time to watch it)…
The movie is over 54 minutes long.
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When I inserted the DVD, a song began to play:
“Once you get a mac…
there’s never going back…
it’s all you ever want to own…
puts your mind in the zone…”
(The lyrics can be found at http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=81536#)
Well…I guess I’ve been told. I wondered if this might be one of those in-yer-face, nyah-nyah presentations where they are all right and good…and everyone else is evil and going to hell. (See a conversation in our forum “TechtalkRadio User Group » General Category » General Discussion » Why are hardcore Mac users so bitter?“…)
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One of the first people I recognized was Violet Blue…who said she never knowingly slept with a Windows user. I expected this to set the tone for the rest of the DVD, so (as a user of Windows) I began to dress into my emotional armor…
The first day of shooting for the movie began with Macworld conference in January 2007, and it’s what the movie opens with.
I’ve noticed that the production in this film has managed to get me excited for what’s ahead in the movie. I’m very much looking forward to all of the (general) nerdiness and geekiness to come.
Galen Brandt is profiled, a hippie-looking chick who’s husband (Bruce Damer) is the curator of the Digibarn Computer Museum.
I think it’s a very good documentary. And I don’t want to call it a documentary…more like an evangelic promotional piece. It’s showing how very emotional those being shown are. And, I find myself sensitive to their feelings…
Half-way through the movie, the tough times for Apple in the 1990s are covered. Followed by the expressions by some of what the return of Steve Jobs meant to them, the company, and the legacy of Apple.
There is an examination, and some opinions, as to where feelings may currently stand regarding passion for:
the platform…
the products…
enthusiasm for the Mac brand by the company…
and relationships between Apple with the faithful (user groups and such).
Changing demographics, and their changing relationships, are examined. As has been experienced in other areas of technology, youth is not personally networking and building relationships around computing via user groups. (Studies show that wireless telephones are mostly what is used by today’s teens.) A young guy that I imagine is about 20 years old expressed what others said: there’s no reason for a (Mac) community to exist.
Towards the end of the movie, it segues into…as it should…the introduction of the iPhone. There’s a gospel chorus song underneath (Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Choir – “I Need You To Survive”)…which made it a little creepy, but I get the point the movie is making.
Fears are expressed that Apple won’t be as interested in the Mac (as the MacHEADS are…which brought into focus for the the title of the movie). To quote one passionate of the camaraderie: “…don’t love Apple, love the community…”
As the movie ends, there are people in line for the iPhone. Some have never owned a Mac…some own an iPod. Which highlights how products and marketing has changed, and may continue to, for Apple (and others).
And a reminder that eating an apple caused humans to be removed from the garden of Eden.
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Regardless of your preference of operating systems, buy this movie. If you are a fan of technology and/or computing, add this DVD to your collection.
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