Since I'm on vacation in Las Vegas until the end of the month I won't be posting much, but I just couldn't resist making this list. Strolling through many casinos I saw many slot machines that were based on popular movies and TV shows so I decided to document my favorites. I decided to avoid those patterned after game shows (Wheel Of Fortune, The Price Is Right, etc.) because these were concepts that were game formatted to begin with and there are so damn many of them. So here goes:
1. Star Trek:
Nice to see the old school graphics especially because we're about to be inundated with images from the new-fangled prequel/reboot extremely soon.
2. The Sopranos:
One of my all-time favorite TV shows makes for a pretty impressive slot machine spectacle. But watch out - your wallet might get whacked...
3. STAR WARS:
The original trilogy gets the treatment.
4. INDIANA JONES:
I saw a few different Indy themed machines but this overwhelming display definitely has the gambling goods.
5. TOP GUN:
6. ALIEN:
7. The Munsters: This one was pretty surprising. The ancient sitcom is not readily slot machine machine material but I was highly amused to find that, much like the show itself, it was developed because of the popularity of The Adams Family slot machine. Also, I learned funnily enough that some of the members of the cast sued IGT (International Gaming Technology) over the use of their likenesses.
8. THE WIZARD OF OZ:
9. Happy Days: Another Nick At Nite favorite becomes a jukebox styled money maker (and taker).
10. That Girl: Really? That Girl? That's a slot machine? Okay! Just never thought Marlo Thomas's smiling mug would make the casino cut but there it is. Though maybe because, as the theme song goes, "She's tinsel on a tree, she's everything every girl should be", it makes some kind of sense.
Like I said above I won't be posting much for the time being (unless I make it to a Vegas movie theater while I'm here), but I did just participate in an ongoing series of posts about the best films of the aughts that the great blog Film for the Soul is chronicling called "Counting Down The Zeroes." I contributed an essay about my favorite film of the year 2000: WONDER BOYS which you can read here.
Now back to my vacation.
More later...