Through their stories, lives and musings we learn about the history, philosophy and psychology behind a national fad that fizzled as quickly as it began. Within this gang of eccentrics we get to see the human side beyond just being gaming fantacs. Through thier funny, tragic and heartwarming experiences we meet gamers who escaped into games as a way of dealing with the death of a parent, to get over a lost love, to survive the hardships of everyday life, and we meet others who are obsessed with being the absolute best, and found it in classic arcade games. Through these stories we learn of their love and hate relationships with one another and what keeps them eternally connected no matter where their lives lead.
To beak things up from being a series of talking heads the stories and interviews are interspersed with rare historical videos of the events, photographs and 3D computer animated graphics portraying the classic games being discussed. We also follow Walter Day and Billy Mitchell as they gather information for the Guinness Book of World Records Gamers Edition, a book that Walter has been contracted to put together and will serve as his swan song as he plans to retire from the high score recording game upon its completion.
Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade has been touring all over the country at numerous film festivals including being an Official Selection at both the Sundance, Los Angeles and Austin Film Festivals. Although it has not yet received a DVD release, in December of 2008 the film made its national and broadcast premiere on the Showtime cable network.
Final Thoughts
For anyone who is a fan of classic video arcades and the retro culture surrounding it, Chasing Ghosts should be at the top of your list. The documentary takes a warm, funny and engaging look at history and lives of sixteen classic arcade kings and those who still run Twin Galaxies, the 'Official Electronic Scoreboard'. The film is both fun and informative as the gamers tell stories, share strategies and reminisce on the days of glory.
For those who aren’t enthusiasts the film might drag a bit. Often there is no one clear line to follow and the film rarely stays consistent on a line of thought, instead jumping around in both timeline and topics. Those who already have an interest and previous understanding of classic games and their culture won't have a problem with this and focus on all the new and juicy tidbits in the film.
