The Pop-Culture E-Zine
Nintendo’s Power Glove – it’s so bad, that it’s so damn good! The Power Glove may not have worked as promised, but it’s legacy in pop culture is undeniable. Three film-makers (Adam Ward, Andrew Austin and Paula Kosowski ) have embarked on creating a documentary that chronicles Nintendo’s notorious game controller.
Check out the official trailer below of ‘The Power Of Glove‘ documentary.
We are not alone when we say, we cannot wait for this to be released!
Film: The Space Invaders: In Search Of Lost Time
Director: Jeff Von Ward
Studio: Wooden Horse Productions
Released: 2013
Distributor: Amazon Instant Video – $3.99 (7-day rental) or $14.99 (buy movie)
Synopsis: The Space Invaders: In Search of Lost Time will take you inside America’s hidden game rooms and into the hearts and minds of those who have made it their mission to enthusiastically preserve these important cultural touchstones.
Let’s get straight to it – as an arcade junkie, this film well and truly fed my need for retro gaming nostalgia. Jeff Von Ward has created a masterful film in which he tracks down and interviews some serious arcade collectors, like Jon Jamshid, who has amassed an impressive 180 machines!
The collectors share their passion for preserving these historic machines and the connection you feel with them is instantaneous – from scoring their first machine, their real estate woes, to the lengths they go to seek their next arcade hit.
You will be amazed by the number of machines that are stored in basements and garages (as well as the stories behind them all!). You will be blown away by the dedication of these collectors and their respective arcade setup, especially Peter Hirschberg’s Luna City Arcade – an amusement heaven.
Interspersed throughout the film is some amazing archival footage, including Damon Claussen’s appearance (with his mom!) on the Starcade TV game show. The flow of this film, from start to finish, feels natural and just right.
From the moment I sat down to watch ‘The Space Invaders: In Search of Lost Time’, I did not move nor blink (that may be a slight exaggeration) until the last credit was shown. Whether you are familiar with the arcade machines or not, this film is for anyone that has a nostalgic bone in their body, or would just like to find out what makes serious collectors tick.
Verdict: ‘The Space Invaders: In Search Of Lost Time’ is a wonderful film that should not be missed. Mr Jeff Von Ward, you deserve an Oscar!
Breaking News from the Director: Jeff reports that the film has just been picked up by New York City based digital entertainment curator, FilmBuff. FilmBuff has successfully distributed niche documentaries such as ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ (the doc or anti-doc on Banksy) and ‘Super Size Me’.
Image and video source: thespaceinvaders.org
Seldom do video gamers get any mass produced video games related programs. But the few that have been made and released, should be added to any self respecting video gamers library. The three video games based documentaries that are a must watch are:
Tetris: From Russia with Love
Synopsis: Fortunes were made and lawsuits fought as Tetris swept the world in the 1980s and killed a million conversations. But 20 years after the creation of this technological phenomenon, its inventor Alexey Pajitnov is only just beginning to make any money.
Released: 2004
iMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409371/
website: BBC Four
Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade
Synopsis: In 1982, at the dawn of the video-game age, the world’s giants of gaming gathered together in a now-legendary meeting at Iowa’s Twin Galaxies arcade. This documentary from director Lincoln Ruchti looks at the players then and now, offering an insightful and nostalgic look at the history of gaming fanaticism.
Released: 2007
iMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479879/
website: http://www.chasingghoststhemovie.com/
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Synopsis: The King of Kong follows the exploits of the two best Donkey Kong players in America, the cocky and current world record holder, Billy Mitchell, and the challanger, the ever gracious, Steve Wiebe.
Released: 2007
iMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0923752/
website: http://www.newline.com/properties/kingofkongtheafistfulofquarters.html