Filmmakers Launch Kickstarter Page For Polybius Documentary Project
Three major film makers have banded together to create a documentary based on the urban legend of arcade machines, titled The Polybius Conspiracy.
Jon Frechette, one of the three film makers, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowd-source the funds to complete the film after losing a major financial backer. The Polybius Conspiracy has some very talented people involved, including Jon Frechette - an independent film maker and producer, Todd Luoto from Fox Digital Studios, and Dylan Reiff who is producing the film (he is also a writer and performer). The project is something the trio have been working on for the past 12 months:
"Loaded with a couple of cameras and a few dollars, over the past year we've been interviewing arcade owners, game designers, journalists, enthusiasts, and tour guides to name just a few. They've not only helped us explore whether or not Polybius was real, but also shined a light on the numerous truths, gray areas, false memories, tales, and hoaxes from the golden era of arcade games."
But what is Polybius? There are numerous stories and conspiracy theories surrounding this mysterious game, but the run down on the Kickstarter page covers the range fairly well:
"Polybius was an arcade game that was said to have briefly appeared in several arcades around the Portland, Oregon area during the early 1980s. People who claim to have played the game--or, in most cases, know someone who knows someone who did--say that the machine caused a number of side effects ranging from anxiety and depression to night terrors, suicide, and even sudden death. Some believe Polybius was a product of the CIA's controversial MK-Ultra program, an experiment in mind control targeting youth. Others believe it may have had extraterrestrial origins. And though the game's mysteries are vast--theories range from men in black to imported Nazi science, to a recalled Tempest prototype--no one has ever been able to confirm the cabinet's existence. Many agree it was nothing more than a hoax, perpetrated on internet forums...but even these claims lead to strange and sinister findings."
Money from the crowd-funding effort will go towards crew expenses, equipment, insurance, travel, post-production, and licensing for clips and photos; and there are some pretty awesome rewards for backers of the project.
You can watch a short trailer for the documentary on the Kickstarter page. You can also watch a video below a remake of the Polybius game play (WARNING - video may act as trigger for those who suffer from photosensitive seizures or epilepsy):
