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Remember The Wizard?
trotski writes "I remember when I saw The Wizard as a kid, I thought it was the perfect movie. X-entertainment has released a review through the eyes of geek of this classic. Few movies have ever dwelled in pits of infamy quite so deep as The Wizard, Nintendo's 100-minute video game commercial that vaguely masqueraded as a real movie. The Wizard should've been able to keep kids well into their late teens interested, but the entire thing goes down the tubes once you hear the villainous cool kid's pickup line: "I love the Power Glove. It's so bad." The site includes video clips of this and other great moments in the movie."
There's also a
just-the-facts plot review of this timeless classic, at the Onion.
The best geek movie from when I was a kid was Time Bandits. Does anyone else remember this? I just bought it on DVD the other day and watched it for the first time in years. It was awesome!
Why is it that most... ok, ALL, video game- based movies are bad?
Take Joysticks, for example. As anyone that has seen this movie can tell you, it's one of the WORST movies EVER made. But as a "period piece" (it came out in 1983), it's pretty cool. The arcade scenes pretty much make up for the horrible acting and lame plot (local rich guy wants to shut down the local arcade... yawn). Plus, there's a bit of T&A in it and it stars Joe Don Baker. w00t!
More info about this atrocity here.
"You're getting brutal, Sark. Brutal and needlessly sadistic."
"Thank you, Master Control"
-Sark and the MCP
"Compare it to videos that exist in their own right, rather than just to sell toys. Examples include Power Rangers, Transformers, Pokemon... "
Commercialization? Sure. Bad? Not necessarily. The Transformers universe in particular was rather rich with creative ideas. Have a peek at the Transformers FAQ. You'll be surprised at how the mythos of that series developed.
No doubt that the original purpose of this cartoon was to sell toys. That doesn't mean it can't be appreciated on some levels.
"Derp de derp."
Why is it that most... ok, ALL, video game- based movies are bad?
See, there're rules for these things:
* Movies based on video games will suck.
* Movies based on Saturday Night Live characters or skits will suck.
* Remakes of classic movies will suck, but lots of people will go to see them anyway because they don't remember the originals.
* Sequels to movies where a majority of the original characters do not return will suck.
* If these characters are not played by the original actors, the movie will suck.
It's not the filmmakers' fault, those are just the rules. They look up the type of movie thay want to make. If it's there, the suck flag gets set.
On Topic:
If you want a serious answer, I think it's because unless you use animation, you can't reproduce the action of the game, so you have to rely on making it a conventional action movie. Since it's going to be nothing like the game, and since the plot of the game will be much less interesting by itself, it will, by necessity, suck.
Java: the bastard demon spawn of C++ and Ada
....Mike Jittlov, the Wizard of Speed and Time.
If we're going to spend some time contemplating the deep philisophical meaning of the Fred Savage Nintendo Movie, then maybe we can set aside a few minutes to consider this fantastic film.
Over time, I've consistently held The Wizard of Speed and Time to be my number one film, trumping all others by a long shot. Certainly if your primary source of entertainment is a little box with a keyboard, then you can appreciate more than anyone the amount of work and care that this film shows in scene after scene. Jittlov is, basically, a master animator, and this story of a man trying to tell his dreams through filmmaking is both inspiring and entertaining.
For most people, the response to my mentioning this film is "Well, of course." but if you haven't heard of this film before, trust me, you're in for a treat. Mike Jittlov is a great guy personally, and a fantastic filmmaker professionally, and the more people who know about this incredible piece of work and bring it into their lives, the better.
Due to the usual vagaries of the film production business, Mike sees little or no financial reward from the versions of the film currently out there, so don't pay too much thinking it'll get back to him. But see this film. I risk breaking its back with the accolades I and others heap on it.
She was also involved in a rescent project with Ben Gifford of Death Cab for Cutie, called The Postal Service. I personally like all these bands mentioned, but to each his own if you dont. Another interesting thing of note is that Pinsky from Salute Your Shorts is in Rilo Kiley as well, his name is Blake Soper http://us.imdb.com/Name?Soper,%20Blake