Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Brightlyme i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

zkonedog When it comes to documentaries about old-time video gaming, "King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" is still the standard against which all others are measured. However, "Chasing Ghosts" serves as a nice little companion piece to "Kong" by explaining more of the history behind how the "Twin Galaxies" arcade helped video games "go national".For a basic plot summary, "Chasing Ghosts" gives some background information on Twin Galaxies arcade by primarily focusing on the participants in the big video game championship in Iowa in 1982. Billy Mitchell (the "villain" from "King of Kong") is (of course) in on the action again, but this time surrounded by many other formidable arcade-style gaming champions who were truly the first of their kind back in the early 1980s.For anyone who has ever experienced the thrill of playing a video game, this documentary gives some history as to how the industry became the billion-dollar mega-giant it has morphed into today. The arcades were a HUGE part of that success, with Twin Galaxies being the first arcade to recognize national champions, and "Chasing Ghosts" tells that story.Be warned, however, that if you aren't "into" gaming at all then this is one you should probably stay away from, as without an appreciation of the industry all these guys will seem like complete losers, idiots, selfish jerks, or worse. Some of them may very well fit those descriptions, but only gamers can appreciate their extreme skill in such a specific area.Overall, then, "Chasing Ghosts" should be watched right after "King of Kong" for some more background information on the "Arcade Wars" of the early 1980s. It doesn't have the gripping drama of "Kong", but it is at times informative, funny, and interesting.

Ken Gage My wife and I recently enjoyed watching this documentary. We love video game-related documentaries and collectibles, including King of Kong and Star Worlds Arcade: A Pocket Full of Tokens and I'm Heading to the Arcade. Chasing Ghosts was well presented and edited. Sure, there's no MTV-styled "reality TV" conflict set up, but this documentary is better for exactly that reason. The characters are real -- they are unique and lively individuals telling their gaming tales in their own ways. A reviewer suggested that this film is depressing because, in his judgment, the characters aren't living up to his ideals of the well-lived life. Who in fact does?Plenty of video gaming footage. You'll enjoy riding a wave of 80s nostalgia with this one. And the icing on the cake here is the excellent music score! Break out star: Walter Day and his guitar. A fun and recommended film!

Mr-Fusion Setting its sights on a group of the nation's greatest arcade game players, "Chasing Ghosts" endeavors to shed light on the raging video game culture of the early 1980's. An '82 Life Magazine photo shoot brought together 16 prodigies, some of whom would go on to live in video game infamy. This film sets out to profile these men. "Chasing Ghosts" was released at around the same time as the similarly- themed "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" [2007]; though this film doesn't have a good-vs-bad story arc, nor did it receive the exposure of the other documentary. The soft-spoken "other video game" documentary, if you will. The film is comprised primarily of recollections of those involved in that fateful Life shoot, and where they are 25 years later. Some have achieved great success, others not so much. And some have simply leveled off into a comfortable middle-age lifestyles. The people interviewed wax nostalgic about their youth and flirtations with stardom, taking us on a nostalgic trip to the early '80s when the arcade ruled the neighborhood as a social hub. It's easy to disparage some of these men as nerds, but they were also achievers. They had the marked mental acumen and force of will to spend hours in front of a machine (usually on just one quarter) and succeed against an intimidating electronic opponent. "Chasing Ghosts" works as a fascinating look back to an exciting period in American history. It's tailor-made for those who hung out at arcades in their youth, and still accessible to those that didn't. And it really helps to see this after having seen "The King of Kong", because it simply goes into more detail. You get to see archival footage of Walter Day, including a short clip of the man hosting Twin Galaxies (which aired on local TV). Not only that, but there's more interview footage of Billy Mitchell - and dare I say, he actually comes off here as a pretty decent guy (especially compared to the other documentary). There's even more time spent on Roy Shildt, who's an unbelievably bigger douche than Billy Mitchell's reputation would suggest. Staggeringly.So while "Chasing Ghosts" may lack the good vs. evil drama of "Kong", it scores solid points for its in-depth approach.8/10

John Seal Did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger made his fortune by selling drugs and working as a prostitute? That's perhaps the most surprising revelation of this extremely enjoyable documentary about the glory days of the video arcade. Focusing on half a dozen or so men who became temporary celebrities thanks to their prowess at such games as Frogger, Burgertime, Pac Man, and the most manly of them all, Missile Command, Chasing Ghosts features tons of archival footage and plenty of amusing interview segments. Most of these guys would happily be described as nerds, a few of them are totally over the edge, but their passion is undeniable, and who am I to criticize? After all, I spend all MY spare time watching movies--and there's even less reward for that than racking up a record score on Ms. Pac Man.