Review: Kobi Shely’s MacHeads is just like every other made for TV documentary: it’s interesting, engaging, very cheesy and extremely short on substance. It’s a shame so little effort is given to extending the run time because it is, in fact, an interesting storyline. With the rise of Apple products from near collapse to Microsoft-esqe popularity while somehow always maintaining a high level of self-importance, hearing about the obsession for an electronic device could easily transcend mere entertainment value. So while it is still an enjoyable film, it’s unfortunate there wasn’t more to offer. What MacHeads does well is entertain. Any viewers expecting to see a boring nerd-fest are quickly shocked to hear a sex columnist claim she has never “knowingly” slept with a PC user. Sure, the rest of the film is full of nerds discussing the merits of their obsession, but by placing her line in the opening credits, Shely starts his movie off with a bang (pun intended) and keeps audiences hooked till the very end. There are also a vast amount of interviews in this film. Sure, most of them are from your everyday run of the mill Apple geeks, but it’s hard not to enjoy seeing the eclectic collection of Steve Jobs lovers wax poetically about their iMacs, iPods and iPhones. There is naturally a surprising lack of comments from PC loyalists, but if you tuned into MacHeads, you could probably care less about this exclusion. More importantly, Shely has very few interviews from the ‘higher powers’ (Apple execs, etc). No Steve Jobs or other major players in the Apple kingdom are heard from, and the mid level people are given such little introduction it’s hard to determine how important they actually are to the company. Oddly enough too, despite a well paced and structured story, there seems to be a distinct lack of focus in MacHeads. There are touches of if being centered around the history of Apple enthusiasts, a touch of it being devoted to the everyday Apple user, a touch of it being a discussion of the merits of brand loyalty and even of the ongoing “old Mac users vs new Mac users” feud. Admittedly, each of these topics could easily flow together in one film and while Shely does a solid job of holding them all together, one can’t help but feel the confusion and disorder hidden beneath the rigid structure. Is this an examination of a subculture? Is praise being given? Or is this a cautionary tale? You’re never quite sure. There are plenty of made for TV documentaries that don’t have to deal with this issue and while it may be unfair to criticize it for these deficiencies one has to remember this isn’t just an “anniversary special” it is a self-proclaimed exploration. Is Macheads a bad film? Certainly not. It’s a great way to pass an hour and will certainly boost any Apple users ego. But this is a shallow analysis at best; posing questions it never intends to answer. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 2- it poses some great questions, but fails to deliver any meaningful analysis Entertainment: 4- it’s hard not to find yourself laughing the whole way through this lighthearted romp Technical: 3- too many topics in too little time, luckily what is included in the film is edited together fairly nicely Overall: 3- enjoy it for what it is: a nice reminder of why you bought that Apple computer a few months back
 
Format: Hulu Year: 2009 Running Time: 54 Min Distributor: Chimp 65 Productions Producer: Kobi Shely and Ron Shely Director: Kobi Shely Date Reviewed: 01-15-2010 Story: Filmmaker brothers Kobi and Ron Shely explore the quirky world of Mac fandom in this user-driven documentary that both celebrates and questions the genius of Apple computers and the company's direction under founder Steve Jobs. Highlights include classic footage of the earliest Apples, a trip to several Macintosh museums and interviews with Mac die-hards like sex columnist Violet Blue, who declares she's never knowingly slept with a Windows user (NetFlix).