В 1969 году культовая британская группа The Who выпустила первую в своем роде рок-оперу «Томми». Лидер группы, гитарист и поэт Пит Тауншенд придумал сюжет о слепоглухонемом мальчике, которому суждено стать новым мессией, ибо люди, наделенные всеми традиционными чувствами, слишком заняты собой, чтобы постичь истинного Бога.
Инициированное «Битлз» увлечение индийским мистицизмом дало о себе знать. Спустя шесть лет Кен Рассел подкорректировал слишком извилистый сюжет, перевел его в визуальные формы и получил на выходе один из самых интересных мюзиклов. Отделенный от мира непроницаемой стеной, Томми только и умеет, что играть в пинбол, шарики от которого напоминают ему о подшипниках, что собирала когда-то на заводе его мать.
В один прекрасный день несчастному ребенку является волшебник пинбола в исполнении Элтона Джона и благословляет его. Томми неуклонно идет вперед и становится рок-звездой международного масштаба.
Основанный на реальных событиях фильм рассказывает о журналисте Роджере Шарпе, большом любителе пинбола. Когда в 1970-х годах игра была запрещена в штате, а полиция уничтожила все пинбол-машины, Шарп объединился с Ассоциацией музыки и развлечений, чтобы добиться отмены запрета. На этом пути он знакомится с художницей Эллен, в которую влюбляется.
Майкл, молодой, но ощущающий себя несчастным, художник живет со своей придурочной мамашей и сразу двумя отчимами. Когда такая сволочная жизнь становится совершенно непереносимой, он сбегает из дома, но сталкивается с еще более страшными проблемами.
Ему открывается скрытый от обычных людских глаз, неизвестный мир улиц дикого, запретного Нью-Йорка. Бездомные бродяги, проститутки, вооруженные гангстеры, продажные менты – этот мир оказался совсем не таким романтичным, как его иногда представляют в кино…
A married couple working together at a pinball museum explore the state of pinball and what it means to them.
Tilt is the story of a precocious young girl who is a pinball wizard. Because she does not get on with her parents, Tilt is contemplating running away from home. Skipping school one day, she decides to go to to Mickey's Bar. Mickey, who is Tilt's good friend, helps her set up a gambler for a pinball game. Because the gambler is unaware of Tilt's pinball wizardry, he is easily hustled out of his money. While watching the confrontation, a young man named Neil Gallagher, who is an aspiring musician, is impressed with Tilt's ability, congratulating her after the win. Neil invites Tilt to watch him sing at a rock concert, and after his performance she believes he can become a great singer. Because Neil needs money for a demo tape of his songs, he has an idea of taking Tilt with him and having her hustle would-be gamblers.
Rick Lemming (Rijk de Goyer) lives in the heart of Amsterdam, where he holds a dovecote and a saloon with slot machines. His best friend Ed Svaan, the champion of karate in the Netherlands, is deeply in love with singer Lily (Sylvia Christelle). With the help of Ed, Lilly concludes a contract with a television director who assures everyone that he will make a high-profile film. Rijk wants to check where his boyfriend and girlfriend are being drawn in and secretly watches the shootings. In fact, a pornographic film is being shot.
It's a summer of fun for two teenaged boys who spend their time chasing two sisters, annoying a biker gang, and basically getting into typical sophomoric hijinks whenever they can.
Discover the untold story of Pinball and Arcade in Australia in this heart-warming, and at times heart-breaking, nostalgic journey through the golden era of gaming.
What made more money than the entire American movie industry through the 50s and 60s? Pinball. Special When Lit rediscovers the lure of a lost pop icon. A product of the mechanical and electrical age, the American invention swept the world and defined cool. Now it is relegated to a nostalgic footnote deserving a better fate. Joining the fans, collectors, designers and champion players from across the globe who share a world many of us didn't know still existed.
The art and science to better pinball play.
Mastering classic pinball arcade games requires focus, agility and dedication. Robert Gagno has all these traits. It might explain why he surged from a complete unknown to one of the world's best players in five years. The achievement is even more impressive considering he was diagnosed with autism at age three. His success on the pinball circuit made him part of a community that provided acceptance and encouragement. With his parents' support and determination, Robert has exceeded every expectation placed upon him. As he approaches adulthood, his next challenge is to become more self-sufficient and gain his independence. From high-stakes tournaments across the continent to his day-to-day search for employment, we follow Robert's persistent progression to overcome obstacles and manage the highs of success and lows of falling short. In Wizard Mode, flashing lights and triple combos highlight an outstanding individual who continues to beat the odds and set records.
A devoted family man in rural Wisconsin gives up the security of a successful 20-year career to pursue his dream in the boom-or-bust world of pinball manufacturing. While trying to break into a tough competitive market and build a thriving business, he must navigate the bumpy roads that new startups inevitably face, without plunging his family into financial ruin. THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: THE SPOOKY PINBALL STORY chronicles the journey of The Emery Family – Charlie, Kayte, Morgan (“Squirrel”), and Corwin (“Bug”) – as they meet the challenges of building their family-run business in the small community of Benton, Wisconsin. With no backup plan, Charlie and his Spooky Pinball team are all-in and committed to doing whatever it takes to succeed.
THE SITUATION facing the pinball designers at Williams Electronic Games in 1998: come up with something new, or see the world's largest pinball manufacturer be shut down forever. And Williams' designers did come up with something amazing: a brand new kind of pinball machine—"Pinball 2000"—that fused video with classic pinball gameplay, preserving what was great about pinball yet opening up all-ne
What's the use in owning a pinball machine if you don't know anyone who can fix it?
Vibrant, bursting with color (shot in the late, and much lamented Kodachrome) and ringing with bells and whistles, Wayne Sourbeer’s ode to the joys of the lowly pinball machine is a visual feast; Colored balls whiz, clink, and crash across the laminated landscapes. Dim bulbs illuminate the gaudy caricatures that stare back at the player. Neon lights flash in streaks of hot pink, red, and blue.
A night in the life of a pinball wizard.
Steve Fudge wins a local pinball championship in his hometown, Saint Joh, New Brunswick, Canada, which earns him a seat in the North American Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Follow him on his journey to raise money for flights and hotel by doing stand up comedy, a kickstarter campaign, and raffles all while tracking down pinball games in several cities to prepare for the big tournament.
A short documentary about women that play organized pinball in the San Francisco Bay Area.
A pinball story told by pinball people.
A documentary about pinball. “Let’s enter the magic world of pinball. From its early beginnings, through the golden years in post-war decades. Until its unfortunate decline in the nineties, and beyond… Let’s visit the manufacturers, let’s meet the designers, let’s take a closer look at the techniques, let’s meet the players, the collectors and the experts.”