YEAR: 1980
DIRECTOR: Buzz Kulik
PINBALL MODEL(S): 1st pic: Strange World (Gottlieb, 1978), 2nd pic:Toledo (Williams, 1975) & Royal Flush (Gottlieb, 1976)
GAME LOCATION: Tavern/bar
NOTES: It's no secret that pinball machines are often the denizens of marginally reputable locales; especially when the game is represented in cinema. The inclusion of a pin in a film can immediately attune our sense of the scene with the tonal intentions of the filmmaker. In other words, including pinball as an element of mise-en-scene is an efficient visual strategy by which certain locations are characterized as shady, or downright dangerous.
Despite the fact that this scene is set in a tavern—thus aligning pinball with gambling and somewhat offsetting the levity of the sequence—the ability of Tommy (always a significant pinball name!) to confidently troubleshoot the machine's enigmatic inner-workings characterizes him as likable and intelligent. This characterization serves to further resist the notion of pinball as a solely illegitimate activity.
