TITLE
‘The Wizard’ Is the First Film to Bring the Glory of Video Games to the Big Screen
AUTHOR
Adam Grinwald
PUBLICATION
Collider
YEAR
2023
ARTICLE TYPE
Article
FROM THE ARTICLE
There’s no shortage of iconic video game moments in film and television. Tony Soprano kicks his son’s ass at a late-night game of Mario Kart 64. Tupac’s character has his game of Street Fighter perpetually interrupted throughout Juice. In an episode of Seinfeld, George purchases a Frogger arcade machine to preserve his high score from his teenage years. Meanwhile, flicks like Tron and WarGames, which center their plots around fictional games, made video games a thing of horror by escalating the consequences of gaming to matters of life and death. The 1989’s cult sensation The Wizard, though, is the first to bring the glory of gaming to the big screen. Tying an iconic roster of retro games into a narrative about the all-pervading power of gaming, The Wizard is a wholesome bit of old-school fun.
GAMES MENTIONED
Power Glove
Super Mario Bros. 3
PLATFORMS MENTIONED
Nintendo Entertainment System [NES]
TOPICS MENTIONED
Playing Games in Film and TV