Customer Reviews

Pick-Up Summer

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I purchased this movie because its original title was "Pinball Summer". In 1980 before the movie's release, the studios decided to rename the film because pinball was beginning to see its demise due to the rise of the video game. The theme to the film still has off-pitch vocalists singing "Pinball Summer!"

As a pinball enthusiast, my hopes were high for a lot of really nice pinball action sequences. Pin geeks like me enjoy spotting familiar machines in movies and attempting to name them. I was not disappointed! There are some really wonderful pinball playfield action sequences. Bonus points if you can name the real-life games that were repainted and turned into fictitious titles created for the film itself ("Arthur", "Pinball Summer").

As you might expect, the movie is short on talent and story, but it's a nice brainless summertime teen sexploitation comedy. The film is obviously Canadian in origin, but that didn't detract from its appeal, even for a Texan like me.

For those who appreciate gratuitous nudity, this film also sports some topless pinball at a backyard party by a nicely stacked airhead. What's not to love?

I'd probably be disappointed had I paid $10 to see this in a theater, but for the dirt-cheap price of a used DVD, this little film is well worth it - particularly if you're a pinball fan.

This is a great and fun flick. Just a bunch of kids having fun, the plot being over a stolen pinball trophy from a local arcade. There are some good scenes, showing some actual pinball arcade classic machines in backgrounds. The one they played was a Gottlieb playfield, but the backglass was painted over and had a silly clown face that talked. There is a great scene where a snooty wife of the mayor, is standing in front of the arcade with a friend that just made fun of a obviously gay hairdresser that was walking by. A vehicle goes by and splashs them both with dirty oily looking stuff that was in the gutter, it was hysterical. Mrs. Mayor storms into the Mayors office, soaked from head to toe and yells at her husband "you have to do something about that Arcade" she was actually quite good. Another one was the arcade had a bunch of cheerleaders in front, doing a yell for the arcade. They were fun to watch, just a bunch of aspiring actresses having a great time. A man dressed in a overcoat stands in front of them, and opens his overcoat, showing him wearing nothing but womens underwear. The girls scream and flee. Mr. Overcoat also appears in another hysterical scene that almost made be bust a gut from laughing (see the film to find out) Great translation to DVD, they even have a trivia game included (of the movie of course) many of the actors in this film, also starred in My Bloody Valentine. The music in the film is catchy "Pinball Summer, I'll take you on, a Pinball Summer won't you come along" sung by a not so sounding band with off centered harmonies. LOL Well worth the price. Enjoy!

Even 30 years later this is still one of my favorite B-movies. It doesn't
pretend to be anything other than what it is. It's a reminder of summers past
when your biggest worry was where to have a good time. Hanging out at arcades,
drive-ins and the beach. The soundtrack has just been re-issued by original
composers Jay Boivin and Germain Gauthier at[...] which also
has a blog for fans to connect.