BlackBerry Review

Phoney bologna

BY ALEX DE VORE alex@sfreporter.com

Uh-oh, friends and cinephiles, it seems we have unwittingly wandered into the timeline wherein filmmakers pump out business-glory prattle like the one about the Nike shoe guys and the other one about the janitor guy who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos (whom, the Los Angeles Times reports, did not actually invent said Cheetos). One could easily argue such films fan the flames of today’s sick brand worship. And though BlackBerry from writer/director Matt Johnson seemingly straddles the style, another take ultimately emerges: Progress ain’t pretty and people are jerks.

BlackBerry recounts the rise of Canada’s Research in Motion, the company founded by nerds who created the first-ever smartphones in the 1990s. Of course, by today’s standards, BlackBerrys would be woefully out of date, but there once was a time when an email and instant messaging machine that could also phone was the height of amazing in the business and private sectors. Most of our phone habits were born of BlackBerry and, according to the movie, RIM controlled nearly half of the entire cellphone market at one point. Johnson’s film looks at how the company got there, how its founders were ill-suited to compete in a rapidly evolving marketplace and how the iPhone singularly crushed practically all competitors shortly after its 2007 first-gen launch.

8 + INSPIRING AND NOSTALGIC - OVERUSE OF DRAMATIC B-ROLL

It’s tempting to describe the arc of Michael J. Fox’s advocacy for Parkinson’s research in a direct course from the actor’s diagnosis at age 29 with an early onset of the disease. Yet, the new documentary Still candidly explains how Fox hid his illness for seven years before he publicly acknowledged what he thought at first must be the “cosmic price” he had to pay for skyrocketing Hollywood success.

The script distills some of Fox’s wordsmithing from his four books into a story that vacillates between the late-night circuit and the red carpet, and his daily reality of medication and physical therapy to adjust to diminishing functions. There’s a good measure of nostalgia as many viewers already know the story: His breaks came first with TV sitcoms, then stardom followed when Back to the Future and Teen Wolf hit No. 1 and No. 2 on the Blockbuster chart the same week in August of 1985.

Director Davis Guggenheim makes great use of Fox’s myriad roles, using clips from The Secret of My Success and Family Ties, for example, as story devices in Fox’s own timeline. In Still’s interview segments, Fox discusses

Here the inimitable and underrated Jay Baruchel (Man Seeking Woman—maybe the funniest show ever) tackles Mike Lazaridis, the soft spoken co-CEO and co-founder of RIM who totally gets the tech but not the people. His foil, as it were, is Jim Balsillie (Always Sunny’s Glenn Howerton), a brash and success-obsessed capital-B businessman type who drops F-words while trampling anyone who doesn’t show him the respect he believes he deserves. Baruchel has an undeniable vulnerability throughout the film, even when the chips are way down. Howerton, however—who has proven he’s got chops on shows like AP Bio—takes the cartoonish route. Some of this comes down to the writing, but in contrast to the legendary Michael Ironside as a bullish exec meant to keep the phone nerds in line...well, let’s just say quiet, threatening rage feels scarier than nonstop shouting any day. If the goal was to prove how real-life Balsillie was all bite and no substance, then mission accomplished. Still, Howerton delivers an irksome and dimensionless performance

There are enjoyable yet briefer turns from vets like Cary Elwes as the PalmPilot sonofabitch who the irony that for the early years of his television and movie career, he never stopped moving. Then, as the tremors, rigid muscles and spasms that characterize the disease descended on him, stillness eluded him in a new, involuntary way.

The Marty McFly sparkle lingers in his blue eyes, but looking into Fox’s 61-year-old face as he struggles to form words can take one’s breath away. He explains a thrust into work, depression and alcoholism that comprised his initial response to the illness; he only went public after it became too difficult to hide.

Pity him not, Fox admonishes: “If you pity me, it’s never going to get to me. I’m not pitiful. I’ve got shit going on. I am a tough son of a bitch. I am a cockroach.”

True that: Fox famously fought back by establishing a philanthropic foundation for Parkinson’s research and advocating to Congress. To date, he’s raised more than $2 billion and he’s still at it. (Julie Ann Grimm) AppleTV+, R, 95 min.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3

7 + ROCKET! STUNNING TO BEHOLD - HARDER AND HARDER TO WANNA KEEP UP WITH MARVEL

Roughly six years to the day after the emergence of the second Guardians of the Galaxy thwarts Balsillie whenever possible, or Saul Rubinek (Frasier) as the Verizon guy who helped BlackBerry conquer the world. Johnson himself takes on a role as Lazaridis’ partner and friend, Doug Fregin, though his constant reminders that nerds enjoy Ninja Turtles and Spielberg movies and Doom feel less like sly nods and more like Balsillie’s nuclear tirades—awkward. And so it goes up until the mid-aughts, when the SEC took a look at the company; and the disastrous BlackBerry Storm release. That phone was meant to be the iPhone killer, but did you have one? Did anyone? The film posits that something like 93% were returned or forgotten. And though there’s no question that RIM and BlackBerry changed how we live, do business and interact with our phones and tech—not to mention how data is packaged and sold—Johnson and company don’t quite broach the question we should really be asking: Was it actually for the better?

BLACKBERRY movie, director James Gunn closes out his popular trilogy based on the Marvel Comics heroes’ squad in space. Gunn, you might recall, was fired by Marvel’s Disney overlords some years back after a number of unsavory and aged tweets surfaced. But after helming HBO’s Peacemaker (a DC property, no less; Gunn ultimately took over that company’s entire filmic operations, too), he came back into the fold and now gets to do it his way (play Sinatra song in your head here).

Directed by Johnson With Baruchel, Howerton and Johnson Violet Crown, R, 120 min.

Vol. 3 comes across as a bit of an outlier when it comes to Marvel’s stable. It’s a little less Marvel-y than the behemoth’s other properties. Guardians is supposed to cool, too, bro. You’re gonna hear Beastie Boys and Florence and the Machine songs play while Starlord (Chris Pratt, or Crisp Rat if you’re nasty), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Groot (Vin Diesel), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) phase between badassery and kicky little jokes.

It is *air quotes* radical. Still, despite the very real Marvel fatigue so many are feeling after years of multiple yearly movies and television shows, comics, streaming one-offs, etc., Gunn actually manages to eke out an enjoyable, if wildly predictable, sci-fi romp with some notably beautiful special effects and a whole lot of chosen family thematics at play.

All in all, though, this is a film about Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), that little humanoid raccoon whom we all love because why is a raccoon talking and flying spaceships and shooting lasers? Anyway, he’s straight up unconscious this time out, following an attack by series newcomer Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) who has come for mysterious but probably also nefarious reasons. He works for the High Evolutionary (an honestly excellent Chukwudi Iwuji from Peacemaker), whom, we learn through a series of flashbacks, plays a prominent role in Rocket’s very existence and is out there doing genocide on a planetary scale. Rocket’s flashbacks are easily the most enjoyable parts of the film, and rather emotional to boot. Gunn’s writing evolution really shows in these scenes, even if they are heavy-handed—compare that to the samey fast-talking yuks found elsewhere throughout.

Of course, if you’ve been following along this whole time, you’ll certainly get a sense of satisfaction when the credits roll. And though the story belongs to Rocket, no question, the ultimate fates of his fellow Guardians are satisfying and bittersweet. The endings of their disparate stories feel more grown up than expected and show that Gunn has matured as a filmmaker. Also a bunch of shit blows up.

(Alex De Vore)

Violet

Crown, Regal, PG-13, 150 min.

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

“Sandwiched Between”—some deep cuts here.

by Matt Jones

19 Get carried away at a concert? 24 Moonshine, by another name 25 “Big Yellow Taxi” singer Mitchell 27 Social wisdom

Overactors 29 “Mayday” Parker’s alter ego

“Bonne fete ___” (“Happy Birthday” line, in Canada)

Polliwog’s place 32 Site of the Kon-Tiki Museum

Bridge length

“OK” 35 Up in the air, briefly

Psychics

Mind Body Spirit

Rob Brezsny Week of May 17th

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries dramatist Samuel Beckett, winner of the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature, wrote 22 plays. The shortest was Breath. It has no dialogue or actors and lasts less than a minute. It begins and ends with a recording of the cry of a newborn baby. In between there are the sounds of someone breathing and variations in the lighting. I recommend you draw inspiration from Breath in the coming weeks, Aries. Be succinct and pithy. Call on the powers of graceful efficiency and no-nonsense effectiveness. Relish the joys of shrewd simplicity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the coming weeks, you Bulls must brook no bullies or bullying. Likewise, you should tolerate no bullshit from people trying to manipulate or fool you. Be a bulwark of integrity as you refuse to lower your standards. Bulk up the selfprotective part of your psyche so you will be invincibly immune to careless and insensitive spoilers. Your word of power is BUILD. You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms as you work to create situations that will keep you strong and stable during the next 12 months.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): How much do you believe in your power to become the person you want to be? Ninety percent? Fifty-five? Twenty? Whatever it is, you can increase it in the coming weeks. Life will conspire with you to raise your confidence as you seek new ways to fulfill your soul’s purpose. Surges of grace will come your way as you strive with intense focus to live your most meaningful destiny. To take maximum advantage of this opportunity, I suggest you enjoy extra amounts of quiet, meditative time. Request help from the deepest core of your intelligence.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Early in the 19th century, cultural researchers Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm gathered an array of old folk stories and published a collection of what we now call fairy tales. Because the two brothers wanted to earn money, they edited out some graphic elements of the original narratives. For example, in the Grimms’ revised version, we don’t get the juicy details of the princess fornicating with the frog prince once he has reverted to his handsome human form. In the earlier but not published stories of Rumpelstiltskin, the imp gets so frustrated when he’s tricked by the queen that he rips himself apart. I hope you will do the opposite of the Brothers Grimm in the coming weeks, Cancerian. It’s crucial that you reveal and expose and celebrate raw, unvarnished truths.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is there a job you would love to have as your primary passion, but it’s different from the job you’re doing? Is there a calling you would delight in embracing, but you’re too consumed by the daily routine? Do you have a hobby you’d like to turn into a professional pursuit? If you said even a partial yes to my questions, Leo, here’s good news: In the coming months, you will have an enhanced ability to make these things happen. And now is an excellent time to get underway.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo-born Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) was a versatile virtuoso. He excelled as an essayist, biographer, playwright, editor, poet, and lexicographer. How did he get so much done? Here’s one clue. He took his own advice, summed up in the following quote: “It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Present opportunities are neglected and attainable good is slighted by minds busied in extensive ranges and intent upon future advantages.” Johnson’s counsel is perfect for you right now, Virgo. Forget about the future and be focused on the present. Dive into the interesting work and play that’s right in front of you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I would love you to go searching for treasure, and I hope you launch your quest soon. As you gather clues, I will be cheering you on. Before you embark, though, I want to make sure you are clear about the nature of the treasure you will be looking for. Please envision it in glorious detail. Write down a description of it and keep it with you for the next seven weeks. I also suggest you carry out a fun ritual to formally mark your entry into the treasure-hunting chapter of your life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the coming weeks, you’ll be guided by your deep intelligence as you explore and converse with the darkness. You will derive key revelations and helpful signs as you wander around inside the mysteries. Be poised and lucid, dear Scorpio. Trust your ability to sense what’s important and what’s not. Be confident that you can thrive amidst uncertainty as you remain loyal to your core truths. No matter how murky this challenge may seem, it will ultimately be a blessing. You will emerge both smarter and wiser.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you take the Bible’s teachings seriously, you give generously to the poor and you welcome immigrants. You regard the suffering of others as being worthy of your compassionate attention, and you express love not just for people who agree with you and share your cultural traditions, but for everyone. Numerous Biblical verses, including many attributed to Jesus Christ, make it clear that living according to these principles is essential to being a good human. Even if you are not Jewish or Christian, Sagittarius, I recommend this approach to you. Now is an excellent time to hone your generosity of spirit and expand your urge to care for others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1982, Capricorn actor Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for his role in the film Gandhi. Then his career declined. In an animated movie in 1992, he voiced the role of an immortal frog named F.R.O.7. who worked as a James Bond-like secret agent. It was a critical and financial disaster. But Kingsley’s fortunes rebounded, and he was nominated for Academy Awards in 2002 and 2003. Then his trajectory dipped again. He was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for four separate films between 2005 and 2008. Now, at age 79, he’s rich and famous and mostly remembered for the great things he has done. I suggest we make him your role model for the coming months. May he inspire you to emphasize your hits and downplay your misses.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’m devoted to cultivating the art of relaxation. But I live in a world dominated by stress addicts and frenzied overachievers. Here’s another problem: I aspire to be curious, innocent, and openminded, but the civilization I’m embedded in highly values know-it-all experts who are very sure they are in command of life’s secrets. One further snag: I’m an ultrasensitive creator who is nourished by original thinking and original feeling. And yet I constantly encounter formulaic literalists who thrive on clichés. Now here’s the good news: I am a successful person! I do what I love and enjoy an interesting life. Here’s even more good news, Aquarius: In the next 12 months, you will have a knack for creating rhythms that bring you closer than ever to doing what you love and enjoying an interesting life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Most of us suffer from at least one absurd, irrational fear. I have a daft fear of heights, even when I’m perfectly safe, and a manic fear of mosquitoes dive-bombing me as I sleep, an event that has only happened four times in my life. My anxiety about running out of money is more rational, though, as is my dread of getting sick. Those worries help motivate me to work hard to earn a living and take superb care of my health. What about you, Pisces? Do you know which of your fears are preposterous and which make at least some sense? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to get a good handle on this question. Ask yourself: “Which of my fears are misdirected or exaggerated, and which are realistic and worthy of my attention?”

Homework: Make a pledge to the person you’ll be two years from now: a beautiful promise.

Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes . The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700. © COPYRIGHT 2023 ROB BREZSNY

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STATE OF NEW MEXICO COUNTY OF SANTA FE FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF NORMA EVANS, DECEASED. Case No. D-101-PB-2023-00088

NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION. UNKNOWN HEIRS OF NORMA EVANS DECEASED, AND ALL UNKNOWN PERSONS WHO HAVE OR CLAIM ANY INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF NORMA EVANS, DECEASED, OR IN THE MATTER BEING LITIGATED IN THE HEREINAFTER MENTIONED HEARING. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN OF THE FOLLOWING:

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

COUNTY OF SANTA FE

FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT

COURT CASE NO: D-101-CV-2023-00947

IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF ERIN TERESE MONTOYA.

NOTICE OF CHANGE OF NAME.

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Course starts June 3: (Please note: if you can’t start on the 3rd, you can start the following Saturday 6-10 or the very last start time will be 6-17) This weekly course will be taught outside at the Galisteo Rose Park. Saturday mornings: 9:00 - 10:15am It takes about 8 - 9 sessions to learn the 20 postures. OK to miss a class. Cost: $10 / session, pay as you go. Benefits: Stress reduction, Balance and Coordination, Brain gym: Neurogenesis & Resiliency

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1. NORMA EVANS, Deceased, Died on Feb 17, 2023

2. ROBERT E. EVANS filed a Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy, Determination of Heirship, and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative in the above-styled and numbered matter on March 28th, 2023, and a hearing on the above-referenced Petition has been set for Jun 14, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. at the First Judicial Courthouse before the Honorable Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood via Remote Access which are conducted by Google Meets. The Court prefers counsel and parties to participate by video at: https://meet.google.com/wof-cof -tuq. If it is not possible to participate by video, you may call 1 (563) 503-5060 and enter PIN: #818 230 380#

STATE OF NEW MEXICO COUNTY OF SANTA FE FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT CASE NO: D-101-CV-2023-00912

TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with the Provisions of Sec. 40-8-1 through Sec. 40-8-3 NMSA 1978, et seq. The Petitioner, Erin T. Montoya, will apply to the Honorable Maria Sanchez Gague, District Court Judge of the First Judicial District at the Santa Fe Judicial Complex, 225 Montezuma Ave., in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 10:55a.m. on the 10th day of July, 2023. For an ORDER FOR CHANGE OF NAME from Erin Terese Montoya to Erin Terese Sanchez

KATHLEEN VIGIL, District Court Clerk

By: Bernadette Hernandez Deputy Court Clerk

STATE OF NEW MEXICO COUNTY OF SANTA FE

FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT CASE NO: D-101-PB-2023-00109

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF Elke Ottilie Bannwart, also known as Shanti E. Bannwart, and Shanti Elke Bannwart-Roesnner, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE

MayaSantaFe@cybermesa.com

108 Galisteo St.

IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF BETTY JEAN VIGIL. NOTICE OF CHANGE OF NAME. TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with the Provisions of Sec. 40-8-1 through Sec. 40-8-3 NMSA 1978, et seq. The Petitioner, Betty Jean Vigil, will apply to the Honorable Matthew J. Wilson, District Court Judge of the First Judicial District at the Santa Fe Judicial Complex, 225 Montezuma Ave., in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 2:00p.m. on the 20th day of June, 2023.

For an ORDER FOR CHANGE OF NAME from BETTY JEAN VIGIL to ELIZABETH SAIZ-PIKE

KATHLEEN VIGIL, District Court Clerk

By: Edith Suarez-Munoz Deputy Court Clerk

IS HEREBY GIVEN that Claude R. Phipps, Jr., whose address is The Wirth Law Firm, P.C., 708 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, has been appointed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Elke Ottilie Bannwart, also known as Shanti E. Bannwart, and Shanti Elke Bannwart-Roesnner, Deceased. Creditors of the estate must present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of this notice or within sixty (60) days after mailing or other delivery, whichever is later, or the claims will be forever banned. Claims must be presented to the Personal Representative, Claude R. Phipps, Jr., in care of The Wirth Law Firm, P.C., 708 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501, or filed with the First Judicial District Court of Santa Fe County, New Mexico.

Dated May 11, 2023 Respectfully submitted, The Wirth Law Firm, P.C. Attorneys for the Estate of Elke Ottilie Bannwart, also known as Shanti E. Bannwart, and Shanti Elke Bannwart-Roesnner, Deceased.

708 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505) 988-1668 ext. 103

By: Peter Wirth KATHLEEN VIGIL, District Court Clerk

By: Bernadette Hernandez Deputy Court Clerk