Review of Pleasure Machines: The History of Pinball (May 24, 2001)

When I was just a little kid, I belonged to the Cub Scouts. Our Cub Scouts pack went on an outing to a nearby bowling alley. While we were eating lunch at the pizzeria there, I noticed a man fixing a "Strikes and Spares" pinball machine, adjacent to where I was sitting. I walked over to him, and he invited me to play for free, since I was "in uniform". I had the time of my life! Soon others from the Cub Scouts gathered around to watch me play. I didn't have any idea of what I was doing, but I had the general idea of hitting the ball with the flippers and not letting them go by me. Many years later, I started a collection of some of our favorite pinball machines. It was a dream come true!

The documentary movie, "Pleasure Machines: The History of Pinball" chronicles the long history of this game. The film indicates that pinball began in the 1700's with the British 9 holes game. The objective was to roll small wooden balls along the ground, in a bowling fashion, and get them into holes. From there, the movie shows similarities in other games from other countries, such as Pachinko machines in Asia, and early prototypes of the pinball machine called "Push-em-up" machines, the Bagatelle tables of the 1800's all the way to more modern type of pinball machines. It shows how the game evolved to gain targets, plunger, flippers, bumpers, lights, buzzers, coin mechanisms, and colorful backglass art.

The movie was written and directed by Mark Helms and Narrated by pinball machine guru and historian Richard Bueschel. Bueschel skillfully provides commentary on the wonderful evolution of the game, and how it became a very profitable industry during its heyday. Several pinball enthusiasts appear in the film, including Slash from the rock group Guns N Roses, and Joe Perry of the rock group Aerosmith. Mention is made of the assimilation of rock and roll into the pinball games. Also appearing as a guest commentary is former Chicago White Sox baseball player Frank Thomas who is an avid pinball player.

The movie highlights several modern machines and shows off their bells and whistles, along with their lights, knocks, buzzes, and peculiar gadgetry that sets them apart from each other. It is truly a pinball enthusiasts eye candy! In 70 minutes, it covers design features, machine styles, and it tries to explain the attraction of the game.

I would highly recommend this video to anyone who loves the game. It will really get you excited! It might show you things you did not know about the game, and educate you on the history of this colorful game. For those who love history, this might also be meaningful to you. For those who would never step foot in an arcade under any circumstances, this film is unfortunately not for you - go watch the news instead.

As I am crazy about arcade games, and an avid collector of games, I thought this was a super project and I hope to see more films just like it. Pinball plays a vital part of America's history. It is a fun way to pass time. It is unfortunate that many of the major pinball machine manufacturers are no longer in business, or are not making profits due to the high level of maintenance required to upkeep the machines. For those of you who have never played, please visit an arcade while on vacation - you may have a great time! Have a wonderful summer and thanks for reading my review!

Mike




Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older