Joysticks [1983]

EMM# : 34577
Added: 2021-07-03

Joysticks (1983)
More fun than games.

Rating: 4.5

Movie Details:

Genre: Comedy ()

Length: 1 h 27 min - 87 min

Video: 1920x1072 (23.976 Fps - 2 250 Kbps)

Studio:

Location:

MOVIE TRAILER WEBLINK

Actors:

Joe Don Baker

Leif Green

Jim Greenleaf

Scott McGinnis

Director:
Greydon Clark

Complete Cast:
Joe Don Baker (Joseph Rutter)
Leif Green (Eugene Groebe)
Jim Greenleaf (Jonathan Andrew McDorfus)
Scott McGinnis (Jefferson Bailey)
Jon Gries (King Vidiot)
Corinne Bohrer (Patsy Rutter)
John Diehl (Arnie)
John Voldstad (Max)
Reid Cruickshanks (Coach Straight)
Morgan Lofting (Mrs. Rutter)
Kym Malin (Lola)
Kim G. Michel (Alva)

Plot
Comments
Trivia
Goofs
Keywords
AKAs

When a top local businessman and his two bumbling nephews try to shut down the town's only video arcade, arcade employees and patrons fight back.
Plot Synopsis:
------------------- There's trouble in town and it's video games. High school students spend so much time with the electronic monsters that there's no time for schoolwork. Shucks.
Written byWritten by: Steve Derby

When Greydon Clark approached game company Midway about using the image of Pac-Man in the film, he also requested that they allow him to feature a yet-to-be-released game in order to increase the film's appeal. The game Midway chose to feature was Satan's Hollow, which is played in the face-off between King Vidiot and McDorfus.
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Director Greydon Clark has stated that he developed the idea for the film after seeing teenagers waiting in line to enter an arcade. He decided that an arcade-themed film could tap into that market.
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Exterior of the arcade is the actual exterior of the warehouse in which the arcade set was built.
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The opening scene with Eugene was shot without permits in less than an hour.
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This film was made under the title "Video Madness."
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Shot in three weeks.
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All the video games were rented from a local wholesaler.
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The house used as Joseph Rutter's home had once belonged to Nat 'King' Cole, at a time when Cole was the only African-American in the neighborhood.
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Jon Gries came up with the idea to sit on top of a chair instead of in said chair during the town council trial sequence.
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The town council trial sequence was filmed in a rented VFW facility.
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When the two main characters are playing Pac-Man (with the cool, giant floor-mounted joysticks) they are repeatedly shown mashing buttons. There's no buttons in Pac-Man, as the only thing you are doing is controlling movement. The same is true later when they are playing Super Pac-Man. Super-Pac-Man has one button ("Super Speed") which must be held down continuously. It would do them no good to keep mashing the button.
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