You Dropped Your Quarter – Short Film
You Dropped Your Quarter is a silent journey through the wide open spaces of a young boy’s imagination. When he finds a quarter next to a pinball machine, the noises and motions of the game trigger memories both real and imagined: fantastic images of humor and fear, a mysterious journey into the unknown, and the innocence of young love.
Directed by Bryce James McGuire.
Cinematography by Colton Davie
Production Design by Elisabeth Cochrane
Original Score by Daniel Paul Lawson
Winner: Best of Show, 2009 JamFest Independent Film Festival
Winner: Best Short Narrative, 2009 Broad Street Film Festival
Winner: Best Original Score, 2009 Broad Street Film Festival
Nominated: Best Cinematography, 2009 Broad Street Film Festival
Nominated: Best Editing, 2009 Broad Street Film Festival
Accepted: 2009 Brigand Shorts Film Festival
Pinball still not quite legal in Toronto
The progression went like this. A young innocent, almost always a male, fell in love with the flashing lights, bumpers, and rolling silver spheres of a pinball machine. He skipped a class or two, figuring his time was better spent mastering flippers than French. He developed an unsavoury group of new friends. As his academic marks declined, he learned vital skills, like extorting lunch money from other students to fund his pinball habit. Soon enough, he was a full-blown juvenile delinquent, leading a life of crime, drugs, and violence.
This scenario, straight out of an ancient scare-mongering classroom film, was among the main motivations behind the creation of a City by-law regulating the number of pinball machines a single business is able to operate—a by-law whose bite was felt just last week, when Parkdale’s Pinball Cafe closed down.
Full Story Here:
http://torontoist.com/2012/12/prudish-about-pinball/
and Here:
En Francais: West Club
West Club is a truly unique game: a sleek, glamorous snap shot of retro French pop art and pinball culture from 1967. Chances are, you haven’t played one that looks or feels like this one before. This is a real pinball treasure as you’ll soon see.
I first ran into West Club at the 2012 Pacific Pinball Exposition and the artwork and odd cabinet design immediately drew me to it.
West Club was made by a French Pinball Manufacturer called Rally that existed until 1969. Some of you technical pinball wizards out there might be thinking I got my dates wrong, because yes, those are not score reels. Those are “digit displays”!
The playfield continues with the flowing art, minimalist design and molded, color-tinted plastics. There’s no apron. The flippers are unique in size: somewhere between the standard long and short flipper in length of mid-70s US Pins. The flippers have plenty of snap and are very responsive. The stand-up targets are thick and beefy.
The pop bumpers and “sling” bumbers on West Club are unique. My first thought when describing them is “analog”, because unlike all other pops and slings, the harder the ball hits them, the harder they push back. It makes for odd but immediately intuitive play.
West Club also has extremely primitive electronic audio. Again, this was back when bells and chimes were the norm, and would be for nearly ten more years on mainstream US games!
West Club was donated to the Pinball Museum by Jim Deitrich and restored by Dan Kramer. It’s really a fun player and surprisingly easy for this era of game. Check it out!
The Gay Falcon – 1941
Billboard – Oct. 31, 1942
Los Wrayajos – Pinball
The King of San Francisco – Results!
On Thursday, 44 players competed in the first San Francisco City Pinball Championship, hosted by Free Gold Watch. The turnout was awesome with lots of first-time tournament players as well as representation from all three bay area pinball leagues. Everyone was super cool and excited to put their flipper skills to the test.
Andreas (left), Jacquelyn May (center), Brittany (right). Jacquelyn was the top female finisher, tied for 10th. She sent most of the boys home early.
Andrei (ANM) kills dinosaurs on Jurassic Park.
Molly (left), me, and Shawnte
2011 PAPA World Champion, Andrei Massenkoff is also the 2012 San Francisco City Champ!
Andrei received a special, one of a kind hoody from Free Gold Watch
Thanksgiving Leftovers – Results!
24 players braved nasty morning weather out to Pinball Pirate (formerly T-Minus 1) in Benecia. The tournament was played on variety of EMs, Solid State and ’90s Williams games. Some of my favorites I played for the first time were Wild Fyre, Elektra and Medusa.
Pinball Pirate is helmed by Chris Kuntz who’s considered to be one of the best amusement techs out there. Chris sells and repairs pinball, video and other arcade games so check him out if you’ve ever thought about owning your own game.
A legend of the pinball world, Neil Shatz (NES), in the final match against Josh Lehan on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Damien Charlety took 1st in the Expressway high score side tournament.
Jim Vierra finished 3rd in the main tournament losing to Josh Lehan on Flash Gordon.
Josh Lehan took 2nd.
Josh and Neil faced off in the final match at my first tournament so it was great to see them in a rematch. In the Battle at the Beach, Josh edged out Neil, but this time around, Neil prevailed to earn the top spot. Congrats to Neil!!
What it takes to be a World Pinball Champion…
You have to work, sleep, and most of all, EAT pinball.
That’s why 2011 PAPA World Champion Andrei Massenkoff has a pinball game in his kitchen!
Reminder: Tournament at Free Gold Watch
Don’t forget that tonight there will be a tourney at Free Gold Watch. The address is 1767 Waller Street, San Francisco.
Show up as early as 5. Play starts promptly at 6:30.
This tournament will award World Pinball Player Ranking Points and crown the city champ of San Francisco for 2012.
Entry is just $5. I have about $100 worth of goodies and raffle prizes to hand out. Format will be three or two strikes, depending on attendance.
See you there!
Mini-doc “Lost Ark”
Skitb Predator Pinball
Happy weekend pinball fans!
As I’ve mentioned to a few of you I’m currently on the pre-order list for boutique pinball maker Skit-b‘s Predator Pinball. Here’s a preview video they recently posted on their site of the prototype whitewood in action.
pinballbayarea.com 