"Tilt! The Battle To Save Pinball" Documentary Coming On DVD
I have been playing pinball almost as long, if not longer, than video games. I am a huge fan and I especially love all the artwork and table design that goes along with them. There are some machines I'm content just to watch being played, mesmerized by the flashing lights and the ringing of the bumpers. (Yes, I know, simple pleasures...)
Tilt! The Battle to Save Pinball, is an in depth documentary about the pinball industry by director Greg Maletic and has already played at a few film festivals to excellent reviews. It tells the story of the Williams company, the world's largest producer of pinball machines back in the day, and how their pinball business came to an end as the result of a new technology that should have saved the medium, but ended up killing it instead.
Pinball 2000 was created as a way for pinball machines to start competing with home console systems and arcade video games. The traditional pinball play was "enhanced" by the addition of video technology that allowed separate mini games to be played on the video screen when certain goals were made in addition to keeping score and providing little animations. Unfortunately, despite it's innovation, it never really caught on, leading to the closing of Willams' Pinball division.
While the downfall of Pinball 2000 provides the main story of the film, it also features interviews with the legendary designers of some of the most sought after games out there including The Addams Family and The Twilight Zone.
The Tilt website is up and running and you can pre-order a copy of the DVD in two different editions: The Complete Version ($29.95) or The Basic Version ($20.95). If you pre-order, shipping is free. Also available on the site are a couple clips from the movie and a bit more information on how and why the film was made.
If you are a pinball fan I would highly encourage you to check this out. It's a great encapsulation of an era that is sadly slipping away from us.
Tilt! The Battle To Save Pinball Official Site [Tilt!]
[via Kotaku]
Fruit Brute
Posted to Hot Stuff, Movies-DVDs on 24 January 2007
Other stuff like this: documentary, pinball, tilt, williams
