(Topic ID: 65524)

Why is pinball quality inversely proportional to related movie quality?

By usandthem

10 years ago


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  • 20 posts
  • 12 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 10 years ago by bub2010
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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#1 10 years ago

It seems like the crummier the movie, the better the pinball. Some examples of this are Congo, Stargate, The Shadow, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Addams Family (I actually enjoyed the movie, but I don't think that it's remembered as one of the greats.) I happen to think that the Back to the Future trilogy is the best trilogy ever put on film, but the pin stinks. (I'd love to see WOZ-type treatment on Back to the future.) T2 was great as a movie, pinball is so-so. None of the Star Wars pins really hold up compared to the movies.

Obviously, the tide has turned in recent years with some of the Sterns and their related movies (ie Spiderman) and pins like IJ are an obvious exception to the rule, but it sure seems like my original statement on the subject holds true way more often than not.

So, I ask, what is the best movie/pinball tandem of all time??

#2 10 years ago

the shadow has to be the winner in the worst movie/best pin category.

I mean, did you see the movie?!??.... 'nuff said

#3 10 years ago
Quoted from cosmokramer:

The Shadow has to be the winner in the worst movie/best pin category.
I mean, did you see the movie?!??.... 'nuff said

I was thinking of watching the movie since I now own a Shadow, it is not worth the time? Seems wrong if I don't even see the movie since I have the pin.

POTC movies did REALLY well and the pin is pretty good. Not a top of the heap game, but difficult to reach the wizard mode and has a good number of toys

#4 10 years ago

LOTR has to be the best movie/pin combo IMO

Not a lot of people like Tron Legacy the movie (I like it), but the pin is awesome...love more than lamp!

#5 10 years ago
Quoted from usandthem:

So, I ask, what is the best movie/pinball tandem of all time??

I vote LOTR

#6 10 years ago

Honorable mention, Ironman

#7 10 years ago

Is this like a mathematical question? Inverse square root pi crap?

If so, I'm out!

#8 10 years ago
Quoted from RobT:

Is this like a mathematical question? Inverse square root pi crap?
If so, I'm out!

C'mon Rob!!--haha. Crappy movie typically means great pin. What's your best example of this? Or what's your best example of great movie/pin combo?

#9 10 years ago

Godzilla is a decent pin horrible movie

MSF and SST BSD are all decent pins to decent movies.

On a tangent some of the TV shows made good pins.
Sopranos
TFTC
Doctor WHO

#10 10 years ago
Quoted from usandthem:

...pins like IJ are an obvious exception to the rule.

You don't like the IJ movies? (Just kidding, sorta...)

I totally hear you. I can think of only a few examples where I like the movie and the pin, but most I'm indifferent about one or the other. The movies I love the most seem to be guaranteed to be crappy machines.

Iron Man and Jurassic Park are the two examples of machines I really like both the movies and the machines.

#11 10 years ago
Quoted from goatdan:

You don't like the IJ movies? (Just kidding, sorta...)
I totally hear you. I can think of only a few examples where I like the movie and the pin, but most I'm indifferent about one or the other. The movies I love the most seem to be guaranteed to be crappy machines.
Iron Man and Jurassic Park are the two examples of machines I really like both the movies and the machines.

No, no. I'm saying that IJ is an exception because both the pin and the movies are good. Great actually!

#12 10 years ago

Id think for movie success you have to go by box office $ as just from my skulking around various threads, we all have vastly diff views on how good each movie was.

I thought TRON was a decent enough movie and the pin is awesome.

LOTR movie trilogy was an epic journey i can watch over and over again and the pin is awesome.

Spiderman, solid trilogy/great pin

Avengers was a good movie/ excellent pin. Just hated by people that played it on route.

edit- I think xmen is excluded as its comic based

#13 10 years ago
Quoted from usandthem:

C'mon Rob!!--haha. Crappy movie typically means great pin. What's your best example of this? Or what's your best example of great movie/pin combo?

I agree with Shadow being up there. For me, Demo Man is way up there as well. That movie sucked, but the theme itself isn't that bad and the sounds on DM are cool.

JM is another candidate.

Best movie/pin combo for me is probably LOTR.

#14 10 years ago

Funny observation. If you're right, Stern should make Ghostrider because that movie was TERRIBLE.

#15 10 years ago

Here's an illustration of the concept within the same franchise: Original Tim Burton Batman- Good, pin- ugh! Batman Forever movie- blah!, Batman Forever pin- not too bad.

#16 10 years ago

Johnny Mnemonic. Best movie ever!!! This clip says it all.

#17 10 years ago
Quoted from Captive_Ball:

I was thinking of watching the movie since I now own a Shadow, it is not worth the time? Seems wrong if I don't even see the movie since I have the pin.
POTC movies did REALLY well and the pin is pretty good. Not a top of the heap game, but difficult to reach the wizard mode and has a good number of toys

I only watched the movie because I got the pin...it made the game make more sense but was tough to sit through, and I usually love really crappy movies

#18 10 years ago
Quoted from Cybergoonie:

Johnny Mnemonic. Best movie ever!!! This clip says it all.
» YouTube video

I cant believe he got snubbed at Oscar time that year...

#19 10 years ago

Looks like the "usandthem" law is alive and well with the newest Star Trek from Stern.
Movie was the worst trek film of all time... ok; I concede it was better than Star Trek V
According to the reports; Star trek is hella fun... so the law holds.

#20 10 years ago

Johnny Mnemonic -- Ok Movie -- Good Pin
Avatar -- Great Movie -- Great Pin
Ironman -- Great Movie -- Great Pin
Transformers -- Good Popcorn movie -- Great Pin

I owned JM and re-watched the movie after 15 or so years and it helped make sense of the pin callouts and such. Great bang for the buck pinball.

Avatar I own... loved the movie and the pin makes excellent use of the theme and soundtrack, sounds, and callouts are excellent.

Ironman I haven't had tons of time with, but from what I have played I really like the pin quit alot.

I've also had limited time with Transformers, but from the 20 or so games I have played on one I liked it probably equal to or better than Ironman IMO.

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