Genius on Hold

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Genius on Hold

PG

2013

1h 32m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

The story of Walter L. Shaw tells how Bell Co.'s refusal to pay for his revolutionary inventions led to his associations with organized crime.

Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

Marquette, aided by Frank Langella's precise narration, has crafted an engrossing and disturbing tribute.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 28, 2013

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Nicolas Rapold

New York Times

This promisingly tragic tale is sunk by cartloads of context and an overbearing, slanted narration.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 28, 2013

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Ernest Hardy

Village Voice

A far-reaching narrative of government venality and big-business greed that's all mapped succinctly but substantively.

Feb 26, 2013

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Brent Simon

Shockya.com

A movie that underscores that the winners and losers of some battles of capitalism aren't always confined to a single generation; its shadows are long ones.

Rated: B-

Mar 25, 2013

Full Review

Doris Toumarkine

Film Journal International

A provocative side trip into Americana, as fascinating as it is tendentious.

Mar 1, 2013

Full Review

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Audience Member

Not every story has a hero.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesting story, but then it gets polemical on its soapbox.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

A gifted man who raged against the machine. The original hacker. Rest in peace.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

If there is a heaven, I hope Walter is inventing something to help his boss have a better connection with all of us down here.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Terrible. Heavy-handed. It tried to land a ridiculous broadside against capitalism using a monopolistic Ma Bell and a dysfunctional family as its contenders. There was no corroboration; only talking heads. The Kennedys, AT&T, technology, the Mob, blacklisting, deregulation, thievery, penology...I think the filmmakers set a record in the number of incoherent stories told in 90 minutes. How on earth this 12th grade history class project got 80% is beyond me.Frank Langella should file suit against the filmmakers for negatively affecting his future income as a voiceover.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

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Gregory Marquette

Director

Frank Langella

Narrator

Gregory Marquette

Screenwriter

Walter T. Shaw

Producer

Mitchell Schultz

Executive Producer

Jon Schultz

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

The story of Walter L. Shaw tells how Bell Co.'s refusal to pay for his revolutionary inventions led to his associations with organized crime.

Director: Gregory Marquette
Producer: Walter T. Shaw
Screenwriter: Gregory Marquette
Distributor: Freestyle Releasing
Production Co: Top Cat Productions
Rating: PG (Brief Language|Thematic Elements|Some Smoking Images)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 1, 2013, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 2013
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 3, 2014
Runtime: 1h 32m

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