About Tetris and Shit Loads
Post 1340:
I decided to fire up the Apple Plus TV Streaming Thing (I think that’s what it’s called) and watch Tetris. I could’ve played the game, but why do that when you can see a movie about its creation and distribution?
Pretty sure this is a sign that I’m officially old. That, or my age.
So, turns out the people that recommended it to me were not horrible liars. It’s very well made. Well acted. The story is interesting. Creative. And now I would not be a horrible liar to recommend it to you.
I won’t go too much into the story. You can see a trailer and you’ll get the gist. I’ll make a few observations though, if you’ll indulge me.
It can get a little confusing, but basically the whole deal revolves around the distribution rights to sell the game. It was the end of 80s and they needed fresh titles. Tetris was recognized as the next big thing, attractive to old and young. One problem. The guy who invented it was in Russia. Before the fall of Communism. A place where property and economics don’t work the way we think of today.
See, if there’s Communism, there is no private property. You can’t invent something, because if you invent something, it’s actually invented by the State. The nice fella in Soviet Russia working on a crappy computer didn’t create Tetris—the government did.
No. This makes absolutely no sense to anyone above the age of four. But it did to guys named Marx and Engels in the 1800s. And to guys named Lenin and Stalin in the 1900s. It made so much sense, they decided you couldn’t even own a video game you invented. Or any other damn thing. Good stuff.
So, there’s the reason for this movie.
A surprising number of these movies are entertaining. Starting-a-business movies, I mean. The Social Network, Tucker, The Founder, etc.
Why? When I hear that there’s a film about the distribution and sales of an old video game, it doesn’t exactly set my hair on fire. But then I think for a few minutes and it comes to me.
Success in business is interesting. Most of us don’t have the first idea how products get to us until they’re already here, ready for consumption. Also, success in business is hard. There are about a thousand hurdles and strokes of luck an enterprising person has to overcome. Lots of conflict. Lots of conflict makes for good stories.
This business was even more interesting. Because of that crumbling Soviet Empire. It’s really a miracle that any of us ever heard of Tetris. The game, not the movie. Well, both. Both now, I mean.
I’m getting confused.
There was one thing that wasn’t the best. It seemed odd how they decided who were the Russian bad guys. Several factions are bouncing our main character around, and it seems weird who they decide are greedy. The “good” communist is “good” because he’s not “greedy.” The “greedy” communist is “bad” because he wants to get paid for brokering the sale of the game.
This is fine. Almost. Except for the fact that we are supposed to be rooting for the man who is trying to make money and start a business by obtaining this IP. By the film’s definition, one could argue that the film doesn’t want us to like character they’re telling us to like.
This makes as much sense as Communism.
Perhaps I read too much into a few interactions and characterizations. I only saw it once and it moves pretty fast. More tragic, I’m not that great at video games.
Anyway, I like the film. It reminds me how much work it takes to make something people enjoy. Answer: A shit load.
Cheers and see you after.
