Double Dip Demands is a column in which I propose films that deserve a re-release on DVD/Blu-Ray with more special features, better transfers and other nerdy bits. Some of the films have no DVDs out there for Region 1 viewers, and some of them have a really crappy version that's bare bones or poorly put together. Who speaks for these films? I do.
The Film: The Wizard (1989)
Cast & Crew: Todd Holland (dir.), David Chisholm (writer); Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, Jenny Lewis
Plot Synopsis (via IMDB): A boy and his two friends run away from home and hitch cross country to compete in the ultimate video game championship.
Is It Currently Out? It is currently out on a bare-bones disc.
Why Does it Deserve Special Features? The Wizard is not a good movie. In fact, Ebert said that it was one of the worst films of 1989 (amongst other problems he had with it). The Wizard exists almost solely as a marketing tool for Nintendo and Universal - there's very little approaching artistic merit within its frames. So why should time and money be spent on this disc? The Wizard actually has a few things going for it. For starters - the movie has a high nostalgia factor for people who were kids at the time. It taps in to the excitement we felt as we read the latest Nintendo Power or hotly anticipated the next gimmicky piece of gaming equipment. Furthermore, The Wizard is one of the few times in movies when video game culture has taken the spotlight (however accurately) and it is one of the earliest films to grant some measure of credibility to this "passing fad" of video games. The crass commercialism, historical precedence, hokey plot and nostalgic sheen collide to form a wholly idiosyncratic film that is worth mockery and re-examination.
What Should Be on The Disc?
- Commentaries
- Director Todd Holland and Writer David Chisholm
- Actors Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, Jenny Lewis, Christian Slater
- G4 personalities/nerds Chris Hardwicke, Morgan Webb, Adam Sessler
- Musical Commentary - Jonathan Coulton, The Protomen, Man Factory and others perform scene specific songs. Each act is tangentially related to video gaming or nerd culture. Other nerdy acts (or nerdcore artists) would contribute songs to this staple of 80s/90s culture.
- Pop Up Facts Track - Similar to the following video, pop up screens with information about what's going on in the scenes. Information about the locations, video games being played, etc.
- The Wizard's Arcade - Look back at the games featured in The Wizard. Talking heads discuss the games: the interesting parts of the games, their origins, etc. Talking heads could include the G4 commentators; gaming insiders; Billy Mitchell, Steve Weibe and others from The King of Kong; and other people who are nerdily inclined.
- Retrospective - A look back at the film and the experience of making it with the cast and crew, along with remembrances of fans/viewers.
- Cabazon Dinosaurs - A look at the dinosaur themed park where Jimmy wants to go...and how it is now a Creationist museum. Seriously.
- Power Glove - It's sooooo bad. No really, it's quite bad. A look at the origins of this device and how it...ultimately, it sucked.
- Autism & Video Games - Can video games be used effectively with developmentally/emotionally challenged children? A look at evidence for/against.
- 80s Arcade Culture - A look back at the arcade and gaming culture of the 80s and 90s. What gaming was like in arcades and on consoles, and how small cliques formed around video games before the advent of Internet/forums.
Trailer...