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Enjoy the full version online at http://www.gamegirladvance.com/archives/2003/02/26/bang_the_machine.html
February 26, 2003
bang the machine
at the upcoming 21st Annual San Francisco International Film Festival, one of the films is "bang the machine" a documentary by tamara katepoo that takes the viewer "into the fascinating social world of video gamers in the bleached-out suburbs of America..." i havent seen a good video game movie since "the last starfighter." ... Profiling the lifestyles of some of the Street Fighter II tournament scene’s top competitors (with monikers like Choi Boy, Cali Power, Spider Dan and Apocalypse). The documentary follows them from Sunnyvale to Las Vegas as they duke it out for the right to secure a spot on Team USA. The prize-a trip to Japan, home of the world’s most advanced video gaming culture, and the chance to take on the best in a championship match between the two national teams. While capturing the testosterone and near-obsessive intensity of the slick-fingered youths, director Tamara Katepoo also brings a sociological eye to the hierarchical politics rife in the East Coast / West Coast cliques, exposing a conflict that resurfaces in a volatile Tokyo showdown that threatens to tear apart Team USA. BANG THE MACHINE presents a refreshingly entertaining, insightful portrait of a youth culture tapped by a flourishing gaming industry larger than Hollywood. Intriguingly, it is a culture where the racial power structures of society at large are inverted (Asian Americans command the most respect, while the most feared and admired are the Japanese) and where American identity emerges precisely when they are confronted by a foe more foreign than any amongst them." Posted by pepito at February 26, 2003 12:26 AMComments
has there ever been a 2nd good video game movie (beside some simpsons stories and some seconds in that terminator movie)? (anyway: does "wargames" count?) Posted by: supatyp on February 26, 2003 12:34 AMwhat about Existenz by David Cronenberg? Posted by: Chris on February 26, 2003 01:24 AM1. tron there is an excellent retrospective movie review of half a dozen movies related to video games in the 1st issue of "1-up zine: adventures in video game culture" which i highly recommend. http://www.1up-zine.com/ and of course "wargames" counts! Damn, that sounds awesome! I hope it comes out on DVD somewhere so I can catch it. Posted by: Bowler on February 26, 2003 01:17 PMI always wish I could take time off work and attend San Francisco film festivals, watching movies every day. But Bang the Machine sounds like a must-see movie. I've reserved my tickets too. Posted by: randomlife on February 26, 2003 03:25 PMBoo. I'm following through the RSS feed and only saw the part up to one of the films is "bang the machine" a documentary... - I was hoping it would turn out to be about pinball. "Bang the machine" would be a much better name for a documentary about pinball. Oh well. Never mind. Posted by: Chris M. Dickson on February 26, 2003 03:55 PMwow, i thought i'd never hear reference to the movie Existenz ever in my life. ah, but "The Last Starfighter." it's all about the all-or-nothing "death rose" maneuver! as a kid i think i wove that particular scene in to too many conversations. i hope that hollywood will take a renewed interest in video game movies (what with the pillaging of the comic book industry well under way). this may not be a good thing but it's step. i had such high hopes for Squaresoft. why didn’t they make a final fantasy movie based on any of the rpg's? *sigh* Random trivia: the director of The Last Starfighter was a communist (or became one). And you always suspected a leftwing bent in sci-fi. :-P Posted by: jerry on February 28, 2003 12:27 AMAh... Technically in "The Last Starfighter" the killer finishing move was called "death blossom". :P :P :P That movie was one of a trio of movies that was on my "always watch while doing homework" video tape. The others were: Buckaroo Banzai and Big Trouble in Little China. That was before I found Hong Kong Action cinema and DVD's :) Posted by: mnickel on March 5, 2003 06:46 AMmnickel-oh, yeah. it was the "death blossom". (@_@ ) no wonder i couldn't get it right everytime i tried it at home. Posted by: scf on March 7, 2003 08:47 PMI just saw "Bang the Machine" a couple of days ago and it was thoroughly entertaining. Check it out if you get a chance. It was funny but also had a lot of drama. I wish they had shown more game screen shots from the competitions, however. Although, I suspect much of that was left out because the documentary was more about the people than the Street Fighter tournaments. One of my favorite lines from the movie was from the father of one of the avid Street Fighter players. He was trying to encourage his son to think positively before a tournament. He said, "There's a thin line between cockiness and arrogance." I'm not sure which of those words he considers to be positive. Posted by: randomlife on March 14, 2003 12:56 PMif you guys know where i can get the video.. email me.. Posted by: Charlie on October 9, 2003 05:13 PMSo whats the deal? Is this movie available? Out to rent, buy, steal? I must have it! Posted by: N30Ghost on January 5, 2004 09:13 AMSo whats the deal? Is this movie available? Out to rent, buy, steal? I must have it! Posted by: N30Ghost on January 5, 2004 09:15 AMSo whats the deal? Is this movie available? Out to rent, buy, steal? I must have it! Posted by: N30Ghost on January 5, 2004 09:15 AMwill someone please e-mail me and tell me how I can get a copy of bang the machine Posted by: jennifer on February 4, 2004 08:38 AMApparently there are signs of a DVD circulating around, though it hasn't shown up on Amazon nor Ebay unless it's carefully worded, but I'm sure it will surface within the next few months, since it's getting a huge following. There's also of course a couple of other docuDVDs on CounterStrike ppl and on the worlds of MMORPGs, like EverCrack, Ultima and much more. Posted by: HumanCHAOS on March 24, 2004 02:14 PM
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