BlackBerry

Co-CEOs Mike and Jim

The dramatised behind-the-scenes story of the rise and demise of the company that had the world where its customers had its little black phone – in the palm of its hand – BlackBerry is so well designed, tooled and assembled that it could be used as a case study for how to make a film about something potentially as uninspiring as developer code. Things kick off in the mid 1990s with two dudes – tech dweeb Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and tech schlub Doug Fregin (Matt Johnson) – getting absolutely nowhere pitching what they see as the future of portable communication. Their tiny startup has worked out a way to piggyback off bits … Read more

How to Train Your Dragon

Hiccup rides Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon

A movie for every day of the year – a good one 8 March Raymonde de Laroche is first woman with a pilot’s licence, 1910 On this day in 1910, Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman in the world to receive a pilot’s licence. The Wright brothers had only invented the heavier than air machine seven years earlier, and Louis Blériot had flown the 21 miles across the English Channel, thus proving that long-distance flight was possible, only the year before. De Laroche had learnt to fly after visiting the factory of the Voisin brothers, who manufactured planes in their factory in Chalons, France, in October 1909, where by force of character … Read more