Once Upon Atari (2003)
• August 10th, 2003 • 2h 0min
Documentary
Overview
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.
Make sure to check your pop-up blocker!!
Trailer
Similar Movies
From Dreams - Making "The Last of Us: Left Behind"
Released on: 2014-02-28
Documentary
Go behind-the-scenes to explore the themes of love and loss and how The Last of Us: Left Behind sing...
Around the Statue of Liberty - A Walk Through the USA
Released on: 1941-01-01
Documentary
Nazi propaganda film “exposes” the United States and its plans against Germany and the German people...
Sorcières : chronique d'un massacre
Released on: 2025-10-11
Documentary, History, Drama, Crime
In 1609, Henry IV sent Inquisition judge Pierre de Lancre to the French Basque Country to investigat...
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Released on: 2007-03-25
Documentary
In this hilarious arcade showdown, a humble novice goes head-to-head against the reigning Donkey Kon...
Atari: Game Over
Released on: 2014-11-19
Documentary
The Xbox Originals documentary that chronicles the fall of the Atari Corporation through the lens of...
Gameplay: The Story of the Videogame Revolution
Released on: 2015-01-06
Documentary
A feature documentary on the history of video games. From 'Pong', 'Pac Man' and 'Mario' to 'Call of ...
The Art of Playing
Released on: 2014-03-20
Documentary
Indie video game developers push games to new frontiers in storytelling, music, animation and design...
Aghet
Released on: 2010-04-09
Documentary, History
2010 documentary film on the Armenian Genocide by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire du...
What Killed the Roman Empire?
Released on: 2022-11-19
Documentary, History, TV Movie
Why did the Roman Empire, which dominated Europe and the Mediterranean for five centuries, inexorabl...
Paris 1900
Released on: 2019-10-07
Documentary, History
In 1900, the eyes of the whole world are on Paris. The World's Fair welcomed 50 million amazed visit...
Nintendo Quest
Released on: 2015-06-26
Documentary
Homer's Odyssey meets King of Kong as two über geeks try to collect all 678 officially licensed Nint...
I'm Not Black, I'm Coloured: Identity Crisis at the Cape of Good Hope
Released on: 2009-02-09
Documentary, History
In the wake of one of the worst social experiments in the history of mankind, 'I'm not Black, I'm Co...
Play Money
Released on: 2017-01-31
Documentary
A documentary exploring the underworld of online gaming.
Shellmound
Released on: 2004-09-19
Documentary, History
“Shellmound” is the story of how one location was transformed from a sacred center of pre-historic c...
Sonic: The Birth of an Icon
Released on: 2011-11-04
Documentary
This documentary is an exclusive collection of interviews and footage charting Sonic's life from inc...
Personal Che
Released on: 2007-09-01
Documentary
A documentary that explores the myth behind the truth. Different people around the globe reinterpret...
Video Games: The Movie
Released on: 2014-07-18
Documentary
From executive producer Zach Braff and director Jeremy Snead, "Video Games: The Movie" is an epic fe...
League of Legends: Origins
Released on: 2019-10-16
Documentary
Fans, experts and creators of “League of Legends” detail the game’s rise from free demo to global es...
Searching for Skylab, America's Forgotten Triumph
Released on: 2019-02-08
Documentary, History, Family
The first American space station Skylab is found in pieces scattered in Western Australia. Putting t...