Indie film to take on mythical, 'evil' arcade game
by Kyle Orland 
{ Mar 20th 2008 at 11:45AM }
Would you watch a film about a teenager who becomes obsessed with an arcade game? No? How about if the game is "actually an evil game that posses [his] friend ... and takes over his life."If that sounds more appealing, you may want to pay attention to "Altar of the Unmanned," an indie film that begins shooting this week at New Hampshire's iconic Funspot arcade. If the movie's premise sounds familiar, it might be because it's reminiscent of Polybius, the rumored (and debunked) Tempest clone that's said to cause intense nightmares and interest from government agents. The film is the second feature for director Mike May, who says he was inspired to shoot at Funspot after seeing The King of Kong.
If you're in the Weirs Beach, NH area, the film crew is looking for extras to play arcade patrons starting on Saturday, March 29. Extras won't get paid, but they will get a film credit for basically standing around and playing arcade games all day. Not a bad gig if you ask us.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Organic_Shadow @ Mar 20th 2008 12:02PM
DIABEETUS.
Can't help but think of that when I see the photo and name.
Geist @ Mar 20th 2008 7:17PM
PolyBEEEEEus.
Marty @ Mar 20th 2008 12:10PM
"Would you watch a film about a teenager who becomes obsessed with an arcade game?"
Half of my friends have been obsessed with WoW since the game was released years ago... maybe they should be the ones to watch this?
RudyHuxtable @ Mar 20th 2008 12:13PM
What's an arcade?
JonFitt @ Mar 20th 2008 2:15PM
LOL. I would expect someone who said that to also say "who's Rudy Huxtable?"
You've let your age show there :)
RudyHuxtable @ Mar 20th 2008 5:21PM
There's nothing I love more than a little sarcastic irony ;)
riggs @ Mar 20th 2008 12:15PM
giant enemy crab wouldve been much better
Abscissa @ Mar 20th 2008 12:25PM
Nah, not unless it's a historically-accurate giant enemy crab.
Abscissa @ Mar 20th 2008 12:25PM
Sounds like a thinly veiled social commentary (ie, Like an after-school-special that warnings about the "addictive evils" of videogames). Yea, I think I'll pass.
Plus it sounds similar to another total crapfest of a videogame-related movie I once made the mistake of sitting through: How To Make A Monster. Holy fuck, what an absolute steaming turd that one was, ugh. Wish I could have that hour or so back.
Kujel @ Mar 20th 2008 2:42PM
Abscissa I agree with you totally. This will most likely be a "social commentary" and an inaccurate one at that. We as gamers should boycott this shit, non-gamers wont watch it either so we should be safe from the non-gamer propaganda for a couple of years.
Ryuukuro @ Mar 20th 2008 8:05PM
If this is social commentary then it's the latest social comment I've ever seen. You guys read too many video game blogs. Go read a newspaper. Learn about the world.
Batzarro @ Mar 20th 2008 12:53PM
It better be based on the 80's the last addictive arcade game I know is DDR. DDR addict movie= win
Dauragon88 @ Mar 20th 2008 1:05PM
Beware
I LIVE!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUU!!!
grapejoos @ Mar 20th 2008 1:52PM
Brainscan, anyone?
nobody @ Mar 20th 2008 2:24PM
"Extras won't get paid, but they will get a film credit for basically standing around and playing arcade games all day. Not a bad gig if you ask us."
That doesn't beat the time I was an extra in a student film where I drank beer for 8 hours.
JonFitt @ Mar 20th 2008 2:16PM
Last Starfighter FTW!
chispito @ Mar 20th 2008 2:34PM
If it's freeplay, I'm in.
...is what I'd say if I lived in the area and not in California.
Shortt Sirket @ Mar 21st 2008 12:49PM
It sounds like it is based on this book I read back in the day. I think it was called Arcade (but I can't find it by that name). It was about an arcade machine that like brainwashes the kids in the town. And then they try to open the arcade cabinet, but they can't cut open the computer chip because its some alien technology or something. It was a very surreal book.
Does ANYBODY have any clue what I am talking about? Come on, someone?
Cluckyx @ Mar 20th 2008 3:35PM
lol, as Urban Legends go, Polybius is pretty awesome.
I'll be following this film for sure
WhatIsThatThing @ Mar 20th 2008 5:22PM
Sounds like Kid Chameleon. I'm surprised no one's mentioned that yet.
Ryuukuro @ Mar 20th 2008 8:09PM
The Funspot arcade sounds like Heaven on microchips. And the movie sounds like fun too (albeit hokey fun which makes it even more fun.) I hope they do some festival runs in the midwest. I'd drive a ways to see it.
hvnlysoldr @ Apr 12th 2008 4:25PM
They should make a game out of this movie to make it meta.