This takes me back…
There have been an influx of video game documentaries this year. From Netflix taking a stab at them to bringing to life books from the past, the medium is finally getting its history told through cinema. The latest one comes from the mindset of the arcade days. This one strikes a more personal cord with me as I grew up frequenting these dark social spaces with friends. Laying quarters on machines to call ‘next’ was a familiar practice. The fact that this documentary also chronicles one of my favorite eras and familiar games is just a bonus. Insert Coin is a trip down memory lane that is well worth taking.
Insert Coin tells the story of several companies that begin in the golden age of pinball tables up through the controversial mature-themed arcade days of Midway. It begins with the history of one of the most prolific developers of all-time in Eugene Jarvis, who created such games as Defender and Robotron. The documentary explores how the companies Bally and Midway alongside Williams worked against each other in the early years to merging eventually. The introduction of digitizing actors and working with licensed products all the way through the madness that was Mortal Kombat.
The documentary brings several very prolific developers and executives to the forefront. How deals with people like James Cameron and Aerosmith created classic arcade games. The stories behind obscure titles such as War Gods and The Grid are extremely interesting. If there is one piece missing it is the inclusion of large names such as the co-creator of Mortal Kombat Ed Boon, but the people here truly show a passion for what they were creating. I loved hearing their stories of how things came to be, such as the smoke on the basketballs in NBA Jam. The documentary is long, but never felt like it was dragging thanks to interesting interviews and excellent editing.
The entire piece is directed by Joshua Tsui, who worked for Midway himself and he does an excellent job of conveying how Midway pioneered so many unique arcade experiences. The best part is seeing the process behind each game, which by today’s standards would be unheard of. The idea that games were created out of bad executive decisions or cutthroat business practices pinpoints the way games like these were developed in their infancy. No one had created things like this, so it was all new. Which is what makes it truly interesting to watch how it unfolded.
What really sets this documentary apart from others though is how well it is told. This is the kind of piece that would be interesting to anyone. Not just fans of the industry or the games themselves can find interesting interviews or pieces of history within. The interviews are well done to the point that the people involved make it easy to follow for anyone. I could have shown this to my wife, who knows very little about the arcade scene, and it would have resonated and remained interesting. Tsui does a great job of pacing the interviews and the timeline to make it all flow so well.
For anyone that has any interest on how games are made, how the arcade scene was operated, or even how blockbuster deals and movies are spawned from these deals, this documentary is a must watch. If there is one knock on it, it is its availability. Currently it is only purchasable from one site. We have been told it is coming to more broad streaming services down the line, which is good. I definitely think this is a labor of love and recommend everyone check it out. I simply stayed glued to my TV as I watched it. There are so many interesting pieces contained within.
Review copy of screener provided by publisher.
