Genius on Hold

PG

Released Mar 1, 2013

1h 32m

Documentary

List

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

50%

Audience Score

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.

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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

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Audience Member

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

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

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

jack c

Interesting subjects, shitty execution. How this gets release at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema for a minute let alone a week is beyond me. Youtube would be more sufficient.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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