Posted In: Saw It For You

Link to trailer

Pixels (2015)

Synopsis. When aliens mistake pre-1983 video games as proclamations of war, it’s up to Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and probably the rest of the cast of Grown-Ups to save the world.

Tagline. Grab your joysticks, it’s video and computer game time… for Planet Earth!

Running time. 55 mins

Trivia

Director Chris Columbus on the origin of Pixels: “Sandler came to me with an idea. He said, ‘what if I made a movie that showed my grandkids I’ve heard of very old video games?'”

Other than projectionists, no one knows whether or not this movie was actually made.

Focus groups had difficulty screening Pixels to test audiences, as most viewers were certain they had already seen it. Although the movie did not exist prior to 2014, many audience members were even able to recall jokes verbatim.

The special effects to create the real-world video game enemies are from the iPhone app “GamifyMe” ($2.99, released 2011).

To cut costs, Ms. Pac-Man’s role was played by Pac-Man wearing a bow.

Early-release posters, instead of the current tagline, featured the words “Real Movie!” in a sunburst.

Before each set piece, a character was required to exclaim the name of the game attacking, for the benefit of audience members under 45 years of age.

Due to his experiences on set, Donkey Kong refused to do press for the film.

Production was frequently delayed due to Adam Sandler’s career repeatedly ending.

Mistakes

Mistaken identities. Twenty minutes into the movie, the cast stops referring to one another by their character names and just uses their actual ones.

Twenty minutes into the movie, the cast stops referring to one another by their character names and just uses their actual ones. Adam Sandler’s triumphant line “We did it! We stopped the Arcadriax!” did not contain a seven-second yawn in the script; Sandler ad-libbed it.

Incorrectly regarded as goof. In the theatrical edit, a scene was cut from early in the film explaining why the characters are so very old and tired and just going through the motions.

In the theatrical edit, a scene was cut from early in the film explaining why the characters are so very old and tired and just going through the motions. The government cover-up of the presence of invading pixelated beings is repeatedly referred to as “Gamergate.”

Continuity. In many scenes Kevin James inexplicably has a mustache, likely due to the concurrent filming of Paul Blart: Video Game Cop.

In many scenes Kevin James inexplicably has a mustache, likely due to the concurrent filming of Paul Blart: Video Game Cop. After the first encounter with the Centipede, the woman character has a line of dialogue that is not exposition.

Kevin James’ character is President of the United States, but he would be ineligible for office after admitting he was “born on an ice floe.”

Josh Gad’s role was edited to better fit the story after director Columbus realized he had in fact been hired to be one of the four main characters. Originally Columbus thought he was “a very uncooperative extra.”

Adam Sandler’s dentures fall out on multiple occasions, which could have been easily corrected with the use of Super Poligrip®.

Super Poligrip® paid $3 million for product placement in the film, but the Super Poligrip® Mobile Gaming Command Hangout only appears briefly before sinking into the Southern Ocean.

Dogs cannot see color and would not be able to solo the final round of the 1980 arcade classic Is This Red or Green.

During the confrontation on the roof of the arcade, the zipper on Kevin James’ back is clearly visible.

Instead of “The End,” the end title reads “Movie Not Finished.”

Memorable Quotes