The Lost Arcade is a 2015 American documentary film about the influence of the Chinatown Fair arcade on the fighting game community and New York City as a whole. The film was directed by Kurt Vincent and produced by Irene Chin, with executive producers Evan Krauss, Kyle Martin, Jason Orans, Alex Scilla, and Joshua Y. Tsui. The documentary features multiple interviews with professional players, in addition to players connected with Chinatown Fair and the new arcade Next Level. [1] [2] [3]
The film was initially produced via Kickstarter, with funds being raised in response to the news that the Chinatown Fair would be closing and the filmmakers wishing to capture its closing and tell the story of its history. It was originally titled ARCADE: The Last Night At Chinatown Fair. [4] As depicted in the film, the project evolved when Chinatown Fair re-opened in a new form.
The film had its world premiere at the 2015 DOC NYC film festival and European premiere at the 2016 International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film was released in New York City on August 12, 2016, at the Metrograph. [5]
The film began streaming on Amazon Prime Video in January 2019. In October 2019, Factory 25, Brooklyn based distributor of narratives and documentaries, added the film to its catalog.
Reception to the film has been mildly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 67% approval rating among critics, based on 21 reviews. [6] It has a score of 66 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 8 reviews. [7]
The New York Times called it "wholly enjoyable" and "a love letter to a vanished piece of New York, and a little wish for the future." [8] The New Yorker called the film "raw and intimate." [9] The Guardian referred to it as a "lyrical homage" and "a small gem of a film." [10]
After being released on Amazon Prime Video, the documentary received a renewed level of interest, including a New York Times article in January 2019 that referred to the film as "a 2016 documentary about the arcade’s enduring legacy in the city." [11]
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a 2007 American documentary film about competitive arcade gaming directed by Seth Gordon. It follows Steve Wiebe in his attempts to take the high score record for the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong from Billy Mitchell. The film premiered at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival and was released in U.S. theaters in August 2007. It received positive reviews.
The Girlfriend Experience is a 2009 American slice of life drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring ex-pornographic actress Sasha Grey. It was shot in New York City, and a rough cut was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009. The film was also made available on Amazon Video on Demand as a pre-theatrical rental.
Restrepo is a 2010 American documentary film about the Afghanistan war, directed by American journalist Sebastian Junger and British photojournalist Tim Hetherington.
Bridegroom is a 2013 American documentary film about the relationship between two young gay men, produced and directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Bridegroom premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 23, 2013, and attracted further press coverage because its premiere screening at the festival was introduced by former President Bill Clinton.
Revenge of the Green Dragons is a 2014 crime drama film directed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, written by Michael Di Jiacomo and Andrew Loo, with Martin Scorsese as an executive producer. The film stars Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr., Eugenia Yuan, Geoff Pierson and Ray Liotta. The film is based on Frederic Dannen's New Yorker article that chronicled the true story of Chinese-American gang life in 1980s and 1990s New York City. The central villain Snake Head Mama is based on gangster Sister Ping.
Video Games: The Movie is a documentary film by Jeremy Snead about video games. After Indiegogo and Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns in 2012 and 2013 respectively, the film was released in 2014.
Finding Vivian Maier is a 2013 American documentary film about the photographer Vivian Maier, written, directed, and produced by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel, and executive produced by Jeff Garlin.
Welcome to Leith is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker about white supremacist Craig Cobb's attempt to take over the North Dakota city Leith. The film premiered on January 26, 2015 at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and, after a limited theatrical release on September 9, was broadcast on PBS' series Independent Lens on April 4, 2016.
A Ballerina's Tale is a 2015 documentary film revolving around the career of Misty Copeland, who serves as the narrator of the film as well as its subject. The film premiered on April 19, 2015 at the Tribeca Film Festival. It was released through video on demand on October 13, 2015, prior to opening in a limited release on October 14, 2015, by Sundance Selects. A version of it, which is available on the PBS website, was also aired by PBS stations beginning in February 2016. The film received mostly positive reviews.
Chinatown Fair Family Fun Center is a video arcade center located on Mott Street in Chinatown, Manhattan. Historically, the arcade catered toward competitive fighting games. The original arcade opened in 1944 and closed in February 2011, but reopened in May 2012 under different management. Chinatown Fair has been widely regarded as New York City's "last great arcade".
Next Level is a video arcade center located in Brooklyn, New York. The arcade is considered a successor to Chinatown Fair and the new "premier hub" of the United States competitive fighting game scene. Weekly tournaments at the arcade are live streamed.
The King of Arcades is a 2014 American documentary film starring Walter Day, Billy Mitchell, Richie Knucklez, Eugene Jarvis. The film follows the rise and fall of the King of Arcades as one man pursues his dream against all odds.
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Steve James. The film centers on the Abacus Federal Savings Bank, a family-owned community bank situated in Manhattan's Chinatown in New York City which, because it was deemed "small enough to jail" rather than "too big to fail", became the only financial institution to actually face criminal charges following the subprime mortgage crisis.
Iris is a 2014 American documentary film directed by Albert Maysles about the life of fashion icon Iris Apfel. It was one of Maysles' last films before his death in 2015.
Modern Love is an American romantic comedy anthology streaming television series developed by John Carney, based on the weekly column of the same name published by The New York Times, that premiered on Amazon Prime Video on October 18, 2019. Its episodes run from 29 to 35 minutes. In October 2019, the series was renewed for a second season, which was released on August 13, 2021.
The Booksellers is a 2019 American documentary film that was directed, edited, and produced by D.W. Young. It was executive produced by Parker Posey, who also provides narration in the film. The film explores the world of antiquarian and rare book dealers and their bookstores. It focuses primarily on booksellers in New York City, including Adina Cohen, Naomi Hample and Judith Lowry, the three sisters of the Argosy Book Store; Stephen Massey, founder of Christie’s NY Book Department; and Nancy Bass Wyden, owner of the Strand Bookstore. Other prominent people featured in the film include Fran Lebowitz, Gay Talese, Justin Croft, Zack Hample, Susan Orlean, William S. Reese, A. S. W. Rosenbach, Jay S. Walker, and Kevin Young.
All In: The Fight for Democracy is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés. The film revolves around voter suppression. Stacey Abrams worked with Garbus and Cortés on the film. It was released in a limited theatrical release on September 9, 2020, followed by digital streaming on Amazon Prime Video on September 18, 2020, by Amazon Studios. Originally Abrams, a Georgia state representative, did not intend to be part of the film; eventually she agreed to include her gubernatorial race as part of the story.
Pretend It's a City is a 2021 American documentary series directed by Martin Scorsese featuring interviews and conversations between Scorsese and Fran Lebowitz. The series was released on January 8, 2021, on Netflix.
Mary J. Blige's My Life is a 2021 American documentary film about the musical career of American recording artist Mary J. Blige directed by Vanessa Roth. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of her 1994 studio album My Life, the film was released on June 25, 2021, on Amazon Prime Video.