The Lost Arcade

Greetings again from the darkness. Webster's definition of "arcade" is how director Kurt Vincent chooses to start his documentary. While video arcade is the most widely used version, it was the alternative description of the word "passageway" that caught my eye.

In the 1970's and 1980's, video arcades were seemingly everywhere … peaking in 1981 with 24,000 locations throughout the United States, with the largest venues being in Times Square. Rather than take on the collapse/transformation of an industry, Mr. Vincent instead focuses on one particular NYC arcade – Chinatown Fair. The video footage shot inside the arcade prior to its closure offers up an intimate look at the atmosphere; a racially diverse group of youngsters bonding and socializing within an ecosystem that the outside world didn't understand (or care much about).

Placing your "next" quarter in line on the cabinet may have guaranteed you an upcoming time at the controls, but this can be viewed as the Land of Misfits with the gamers flocking to groups of their kind. These were the folks who didn't fit in with the more physically active groups at rec centers and on playgrounds, but instead thrived on the late night gatherings amidst the electronics beeps and flashing lights.

We meet Sam Palmer, the immigrant from Pakistan, who owned Chinatown Fair for decades. This father figure often hired his most loyal players to help run the place, and we hear the personal stories from a couple of these – one (Akuma Hokura) who was rescued from a life on the streets, and another (Henry Cen) who later opened his own competitive arcade in Brooklyn. It's perfectly accurate to describe this as a social community, and maybe not a stretch to call it a society unto itself.

Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Frogger and Street Fighter are just some of the most popular arcade games that finally gave way to home gaming – beginning with the 1986 introduction of Nintendo home systems. This development made gaming much more convenient for the masses, but also destroyed the social community of the local arcades.

We meet the guy who tried to re-open Chinatown Fair as a knock-off of Dave & Busters with an emphasis on family entertainment. However, as someone in the film states, "nostalgia is not really all that profitable". Mr. Vincent's film is a time capsule look at what made arcades work, and it's very interesting to learn that Chinatown Fair played a role in a DeNiro/Streep film, an Old Dirty Bastard music video, and even an episode of David Letterman's show. Going back to the opening definition, it's easy to see how a generation used the local arcade as a passageway to finding a social life and interacting with others … something that had previously been more challenging for them.

I just wanted to leave a quick review to express how brilliant this film is. It's certainly underrated on IMDb at the time of this review. Anyone who has interest in the rise and fall of social scenes in urban areas, especially under the wrath of capitalism, will enjoy this film. The director has a sociological eye in the way the film is put together, and there is so much subtext underneath so much of what is said.

From what I gathered, class certainly plays a role here too, as both of the successors of the original Chinatown Fair seem to require a bit more money for entry and participation. Although I was happy to see new generations of teens in the new Chinatown fair, I couldn't help but notice their designer brand clothes in contrast to the patrons of the original arcade. I wish the film could have unearthed that shift a bit more clearly.

The arcades of New York City hold a special memory for those who remember that era. Before the rise of online gaming, the arcades were the place where gamers tested their skills against each other. Although online gaming has its positives in terms of keeping score of total statistics and building a community of players, it is not quite the same as the arcades of the era preceding it. Before the home consoles outpaced the arcade hardware, that was the place to be seen doing the nicest combo strings, and drawing exclamations of "ooohhh!!!" from the crowd after a particularly tough win. The Lost Arcade is a reminder of that, and more.

The Lost Arcade tells the story of the last old school arcade in New York City, Chinatown Fair. This, in contrast to the family entertainment centers that seemed to spring up everywhere in the 2000's. This film by Kurt Vincent and Irene Chin tells the story of this legendary arcade in Manhattan, where people came from all around the city to play. Entire gaming communities sprung up around this place, as was true of any dedicated arcade in those days. In the film, they interview many of the key people, including the owner of the arcade. They also interview the people that frequented CTF, who added to the scene.

Alamo Drafthouse As a gamer, this film was a trip down memory lane. I have been to Chinatown Fair.. a few times(to be modest), and recall what that place was like. This documentary did a good job on capturing the feeling of those days. We are talking about an arcade that closed in 2011, that did end up reopening a year after under new management. However, as is the case with many things, it just was not the same. The impact of this reality was brought home in the documentary, and we see just how different things are. While it is understandable that the arcade purists feel a certain way about their era, what has been apparent is that the old business model of the arcades just is not viable economically. Those are the realities of gaming in an online console connected and mobile gaming era.

I also want to mention that I was fortunate enough to catch this particular documentary at the Alamo Drafthouse in Downtown Brooklyn. Considering the focus of this venue, it was the ideal place to show such a film. It's a really nice, new theater, and I liked the retro movie theme that was apparent. Irene Chin was at the theater, taking questions about The Lost Arcade and what motivated its creation. Although the era is gone, and not likely to return, it is worth noting. For teenagers and young adults, there was nothing like putting your quarters up and calling out "I Got Next!" to the line of people in front of you. A place where many sorts of outcasts gathered, it was a place where you could just be. In this writer's opinion, you have to love video games to really get The Lost Arcade. From the footage of matches shown, to the soundtrack, it was all done quite well. If you want to remember what it was like in those arcade hopping days before Evo was even a thing, then The Lost Arcade is for you.

Oh, this was pure nostalgia. Every Sunday morning as a kid I would head down to the local video game arcade to waste away a couple hours dropping coins down the slot. Immersed in the atmosphere, culture and community of crammed video arcades with kids/teenagers socialising in the noise and bustle of glaring screens, flashing lights, pounding buttons, electronic beeps and booming music, while waiting for their turn. Time would fly by!

This documentary is not about the games, but a candid look at the people, especially the gamers, who pretty much live and breathe this arcade lifestyle. It has become far more than just a pastime... it's reality. We get a fascinating, if a little too lax chronicle of the beginnings to the eventual fade out of the last remaining video game arcade in Manhatten, smack right in the middle of Chinatown. We follow around a small niche - from the owners, staff and regular customers discussing how the Chinatown Fair arcade had personally affected them and the connections they made through it. In this day and age of consoles and online streaming, the popularity of video game arcades and their aesthetics are becoming a dwindling relic, as sadly, nostalgia alone doesn't pay the bills. Therefore moving with the times is a must and catering for a new enthusiastic crowd is the only way to survive, which happens when a new owner takes over the space with an updated, family friendly approach. Will it be successful in the long run, who knows? Might be bittersweet, but The Lost Aracde finishes on a fitting final statement;

"I'll always be playing. As long as there's another opponent, who wants to play. I'll play with them. That's all that matters."

Kurt and his crew did an amazing job with this film. It makes you miss the days of the dark arcades. With the flashing lights & surrounding sounds of those towering Arcade Machines as a child. The friendships you make and rivals you fought over the years. I miss those days and this film brought me back. I never got the chance to visit The China Town arcade, but I was in so many others in my area. Each arcade always had the same feel that I miss and enjoyed as a kid. Made so many great memories there. If you love the arcade era then this film is definitely worth the play. I hope I see more of films from Kurt and his team. Keep up the awesome work!