Special When Lit: A Pinball Documentary

Special When Lit rediscovers the lure of a lost pop icon - pinball. The American invention made more money than Hollywood through the 50's and 60's. Its success swept the world making it the epitome of ‘cool’. But now pinball is all but forgotten. This is the definitive story of the rise and fall of pinball as told by the fans, collectors, designers and champion players from across the globe. Its history is charted with a series of uniquely stark and entertaining interviews with some of pinball’s greatest names. A game, a sport, a lifestyle – pinball takes this eclectic bunch back to their youth. It seems at times like an emotional and sensitive area, with the fans describing the game like a relationship, their faces lighting up as if they were recounting their first kiss. Pinball was everywhere. But now pinball is virtually nowhere. Kids don’t even know what a pinball machine is. Their world is online, not at the arcade or corner store. The fate of pinball seems decided yet there exists a passionate sub culture keeping the dream alive. But pinball is a game with a score. And where there are scores there are competitions. ‘The Storm’, a stockbroker from New York City, confesses that you have to ‘build up your pinball muscles’ in order to compete at the highest level. From the European championships in Amsterdam and Sweden, to the World Pinball Championships in Pittsburgh, and a smattering of amateur backyard tournaments in between, Special When Lit shares the tension, dreams and disappointments of pinball’s tournament players. It will leave you searching for an arcade to line up your coins and master the silver ball.