Once Upon Atari

Once Upon Atari

120 mins | Documentary | Aug. 10, 2003

In the late 70s and early 80s, ET phoned home on Atari 2600 and became the video game that New Media magazine later described as having toppled a billion dollar industry. We know the industry rose again as a pale, commercial version of its old self, but… did you ever wonder what it was like back in the wild days when the titans of gaming clashed, not on Wall Street, but inside the minds of designers? Want to learn first hand how the barren valley south of The Bay gave birth to cult celebrity that died as quickly as it was born? Take the ride with the folks who made it happen. Walk on walls, smoke the evil weed, and plunge head first into the uncharted (undocumented) world that was game production back in the bad old days.

Once Upon Atari

120 mins | Documentary | Aug. 10, 2003

Once Upon Atari
In the late 70s and early 80s, ET phoned home on Atari 2600 and became the video game that New Media magazine later described as having toppled a billion dollar industry. We know the industry rose again as a pale, commercial version of its old self, but… did you ever wonder what it was like back in the wild days when the titans of gaming clashed, not on Wall Street, but inside the minds of designers? Want to learn first hand how the barren valley south of The Bay gave birth to cult celebrity that died as quickly as it was born? Take the ride with the folks who made it happen. Walk on walls, smoke the evil weed, and plunge head first into the uncharted (undocumented) world that was game production back in the bad old days.
IMDb rating 6.8
Producers
Original title Once Upon Atari
Directors Howard Scott Warshaw
Writers

Cast

Larry Anderson Jr.

as Interviewee

Marlin Bates, IV

as Interviewee

Nolan Bushnell

as Interviewee

Jerome Domurat

as Interviewee

Clint Dyer

as Interviewee

Tod Frye

as Interviewee

Rob Fulop

as Interviewee

Jim Huether

as Interviewee

Larry Kaplan

as Interviewee

George Kiss

as Interviewee

Suki Lee

as Interviewee

Eric Manghise

as Interviewee

Carla Meninsky

as Interviewee

Alan Murphy

as Interviewee

Bob Polaro

as Interviewee

Bob Poniatowski

as Interviewee

Adrian Roberts

as Interviewee

Bob Smith

as Interviewee

Dave Staugas

as Interviewee

Brad Stewart

as Interviewee

Howard Scott Warshaw

as Interviewee

Rob Zdybel

as Interviewee