Wizard Mode (2016)

Director
Nathan Drillot; Jeff Petry

Main cast
Robert Gagno

Genres
Documentary

Description
Mastering classic pinball arcade games requires focus, agility and dedication. Robert Gagno has all these traits. It might explain why he surged from a complete unknown to one of the world's best players in five years. The achievement is even more impressive considering he was diagnosed with autism at age three. His success on the pinball circuit made him part of a community that provided acceptance and encouragement. With his parents' support and determination, Robert has exceeded every expectation placed upon him. As he approaches adulthood, his next challenge is to become more self-sufficient and gain his independence. From high-stakes tournaments across the continent to his day-to-day search for employment, we follow Robert's persistent progression to overcome obstacles and manage the highs of success and lows of falling short. In Wizard Mode, flashing lights and triple combos highlight an outstanding individual who continues to beat the odds and set records.


Similar movies

Follows five autistic children as they work together to create and perform a live musical production.
Louis travels to one of the most innovative autism schools of its kind – the DLC Warren in New Jersey – opened in 2007 at a cost of $54 million. There he finds out how specialised intervention can help both the children and the families that care for them.
Filmmaker Michel Orion Scott captures a magical journey into a little-known world, in a documentary which chronicles Rupert Isaacson and Kristin Neff's personal odyssey to make sense of their child's autism, and find healing for him and themselves in the unlikeliest of places.
THE SITUATION facing the pinball designers at Williams Electronic Games in 1998: come up with something new, or see the world's largest pinball manufacturer be shut down forever. And Williams' designers did come up with something amazing: a brand new kind of pinball machine—"Pinball 2000"—that fused video with classic pinball gameplay, preserving what was great about pinball yet opening up all-ne
Documentary about autism.
How is it we know so little about something so widespread? None of us are more than a family member or neighbor away from autism. The disorder has been growing so fast it has been described as a tsunami - one of which our state and federal government and social agencies are woefully unprepared. The challenges don’t happen in a vacuum, and children with adults grow into adults with autism. Sounding the Alarm follows autism families as they negotiate tangled rules and regulations, and steadfastly fight to find and afford the right care and treatment for their loved ones throughout their lives. As the film reveals, even a rock star, a wounded warrior and the president of one of the world’s most powerful media and entertainment companies can struggle to get the help they need.
In 'Wretches & Jabberers and Stories from the Road', two men with autism embark on a global quest to change prevailing attitudes about disability and intelligence. With limited speech, Tracy Thresher, 42, and Larry Bissonnette, 52, both faced lives of mute isolation in mental institutions or adult disability centers. When they learned as adults to communicate by typing, their lives changed dramatically. Their world tour message is that the same possibility exists for others like themselves. At each stop, they dissect public attitudes about autism and issue a hopeful challenge to reconsider competency and the future. Along the way, they reunite with old friends from the USA, expand the isolated world of a talented young painter and make new allies in their cause.
The Who’s epic 50th Anniversary Tour finale show, recorded at Hyde Park. Experience all the greatest hits including ‘Who Are You’, ‘My Generation’, ‘I Can See For Miles’, ‘Pinball Wizard’, ‘See Me Feel Me’, ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’. Plus Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Iggy Pop, Robert Plant, Johnny Marr and others share their stories of the band’s history and influence as legendary pioneers of British Rock.
Documentary about 3 adult video performers, searching for their identities.
Daniel Tammet has autism. He is also a savant. He can perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations at breakneck speeds. But unlike other savants, who can perform similar feats, Tammet can describe how he does it. He speaks seven languages and is even devising his own language. Now scientists are asking whether his exceptional abilities are the key to unlock the secrets of autism. This documentary follows Daniel as he travels to America to meet the scientists who are convinced he may hold the key to unlocking similar abilities in everyone. He is challenged to learn Icelandic, one of the world’s hardest languages, in just one week. Will Daniel do it? And what can we learn from this prodigious talent?
A revealing look at the outspoken, flamboyant founder of the Playboy empire. With humor and insight, the film captures Hefner's fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists. Rare footage and compelling interviews with a remarkable who's who of 20th Century American pop culture, present a brilliant and entertaining snapshot of the life of an extraordinary man and the controversies that surrounded him.
A significant number of American children and teenagers - from all social backgrounds - suffer from mental disorders, schizophrenia, autism and emotional problems, leading them to isolation from society while treating their issues in mental health facilities. But there's no end in sight for those young individuals when they face obstacles and mistreatment in inadequate places under the supervision of careless and inexperienced professionals. The documentary follows some of those public mental institutions and another private center dealing with troubled kids and reveals what's wrong with their procedures, and the irreparable harm they cause in those patients.
At three years old, a chatty, energetic little boy named Owen Suskind ceased to speak, disappearing into autism with apparently no way out. Almost four years passed and the only stimuli that engaged Owen were Disney films. Then one day, his father donned a puppet—Iago, the wisecracking parrot from Aladdin—and asked “what’s it like to be you?” And poof! Owen replied, with dialogue from the movie. Life, Animated tells the remarkable story of how Owen found in Disney animation a pathway to language and a framework for making sense of the world.
A biography of the Portuguese-Brazilian singer Carmen Miranda, whose most distinctive feature was her tutti frutti hat. She came to the US as the "Brazilian Bombshell" and was a Broadway and Hollywood star in the 1940s.
This unauthorized documentary flashes back to the incarnation of Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids and chronicles their controversial trials and tribulations. Included are shocking, first-hand testimonials and outrageous home video from those who were closest to Brian Warner (a.k.a. Marilyn Manson) in his local band-based town of Ft. Lauderdale. This title carries a parental advisory.
Imagine a world where video games reign supreme. Five story buildings filled with arcade cabinets, old and new, inundate the streets. Welcome to downtown Tokyo, Japan. A place where the arcades of the 80s and 90s not only still exist, but thrive and have evolved into an elaborate, unmatchable gaming experience. 100 Yen is a historical documentary about the evolution of arcades and the culture surrounding it - from the birth of arcades to the game centers that still thrive today. With a predominant focus on the three major arcade genres, Shooting games, Fighting games and Rhythm games, 100 Yen explores the culture and evolution of arcades through the past and present. Featuring interviews with industry professionals, game programmers and designers, casual gamers and gaming icons from Japan, Canada, and the USA.
A sensitive portrait of Sabine Bonnaire, the autistic sister of the french actress Sandrine Bonnaire.
A biography of the American rock band The Beach Boys, with interviews, concert footage and clips from movies and television shows they appeared in.
Documentary written and presented by scientist Richard Dawkins, in which he seeks to expose "those areas of belief that exist without scientific proof, yet manage to hold the nation under their spell", including mediumship, psychokinesis, acupuncture, and other forms of alternative medicine.
The cameras of Jacques Perrin fly with migratory birds: geese, storks, cranes. The film begins with spring in North America and the migration to the Arctic; the flight is a community event for each species. Once in the Arctic, it's family time: courtship, nests, eggs, fledglings, and first flight. Chicks must soon fly south. Bad weather, hunters, and pollution take their toll. Then, the cameras go
The Real Bruce Lee is a martial arts documentary. It begins with a brief biography of Bruce Lee, and shows scenes from four of his childhood films, Bad Boy, Orphan Sam, Kid Cheung, and The Carnival, each sepia-toned and dubbed to English. Next, there is a three-minute highlight reel of Lee imitator Bruce Li. Finally, there is a feature-length film starring Lee imitator Dragon Lee, which is obviously modeled after Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury.
Thom Andersen's remarkable and sadly neglected hour-long documentary adroitly combines biography, history, film theory, and philosophical reflection. Muybridge's photographic studies of animal locomotion in the 1870s were a major forerunner of movies; even more interesting are his subsequent studies of diverse people, photographed against neutral backgrounds.
Jerry Lewis biography
Balkan Baroque is a real and imaginary biography of the Yugoslavian performance artist Marina Abramovic. Rather than a mechanical reproduction of the artist's work, the film tries to create a new reality by translating the performances into cinematographic images that intensify the fictional context of the film. Abramovic plays herself, but ,appearing in multiple forms, blurs her own identity. Memories and fantasies intermingle with day to day rituals. The chronological narrative often breaks to reflect the interior voyage of the protagonist from the present to the past and back to the present. The result is a visually impressive film. Balkan Baroque had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, 1999.
Spin doctors spread misinformation and confusion among American citizens to delay progress on such important issues as global climate change.
A biography of the Three Stooges, in which their careers and rise to fame is shown throughout the eyes of their leader, Moe.
"What if someone wrote your biography? Would there be horns and halos involved?"
Singer, songwriter, business man, family man, civil rights activist: Sam Cooke transcends all barriers of race, faith and talent. This first-ever biography of the definitive soul singer looks at his extraordinary career and personal life - from his gospel-singing roots through his R&B and pop music career.
Returning for a second Netflix comedy special, Jim Jefferies unleashes his famously ferocious black humor to a packed house in Nashville, Tennessee.
In what would cause a fantastic media frenzy, Clifford Irving (Gere) sells his bogus biography of Howard Hughes to a premiere publishing house in the early 1970s.
Tilt is the story of a precocious young girl who is a pinball wizard. Because she does not get on with her parents, Tilt is contemplating running away from home. Skipping school one day, she decides to go to to Mickey's Bar. Mickey, who is Tilt's good friend, helps her set up a gambler for a pinball game. Because the gambler is unaware of Tilt's pinball wizardry, he is easily hustled out of his money. While watching the confrontation, a young man named Neil Gallagher, who is an aspiring musician, is impressed with Tilt's ability, congratulating her after the win. Neil invites Tilt to watch him sing at a rock concert, and after his performance she believes he can become a great singer. Because Neil needs money for a demo tape of his songs, he has an idea of taking Tilt with him and having her hustle would-be gamblers.
The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
A biography of Woody Guthrie, one of America's greatest folk singers. He left his dust-devastated Texas home in the 1930s to find work, discovering the suffering and strength of America's working class.
A psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind boy becomes a master pinball player and the object of a religious cult.
Harassed by bullies because of his mild autism, teen Ben (Greg Timmermans) finds refuge in an online computer game, which leads him to his virtual dream girl, Scarlite (Laura Verlinden). Together, the odd couple seeks revenge against Ben's tormentors. Director Nic Balthazar's beguiling mix of kitchen-sink drama and full-blown fantasy was Belgium's Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film.
Everyweek Newsmagazine editor Richard Kurt pursues psuedo-portait artist Marion Forsythe on her arrival from Europe after painting (and possibly being involved with) notables all over the continent. He convinces her to write her biography as a feature for his magazine. An old "beau" of hers also looks her up in New York; he is running for U.S. Senator from their home state, and is engaged to an influential publisher's daughter.
An "underground" cartoonist contends with life in the inner city, where various unsavory characters serve as inspiration for his artwork.
20-years-old Cho-Won (Cho Seung-Woo) is young man with autism. He lives with his highly protective mother Kyung-Sook (Kim Mi-Sook) and younger brother (Baek Sung-Hyun), who sometimes resents the attention his older brother receives from his mother. Through special schooling and taking part in physical activities, Cho-Won has adjusted relatively well into society. Cho-Won also seems to have a knack for running. After placing third in a race, his mother decides to hire a proper coach to train her son. Cho-Won then decides to take part in a marathon. Cho-Won hopes to break the marathon's fastest record of three hours.
In this fictionalized biography, young Pancho Villa takes to the hills after killing an overseer in revenge for his father's death.
When Ruth Matthews's husband is killed in a fall at an archaeological dig, her daughter Sally handles her father's death in a very odd manner. As Sally's condition worsens, Ruth takes her to see Jake, an expert in childhood autism. Jake attempts to bring Sally out of her mental disarray through traditional therapy methods, but Ruth takes a different route. She risks her own sanity by attempting to enter her daughter's mind and make sense of the seemingly bizarre things that Sally does, including building a wondrous house of cards
Niles and Carol Niles are married doctors who save one of ganglord Gurney's men. Gurney exploits them, then kills Niles leaving Carol to take the fall. He next kidnaps writer Bill Forrest to write his biography. Knowing Bill will be killed when the biography is finished, Carol takes matters into her own hands.
It's a summer of fun for two teenaged boys who spend their time chasing two sisters, annoying a biker gang, and basically getting into typical sophomoric hijinks whenever they can.
Al Stump is a famous sports-writer chosen by Ty Cobb to co-write his official, authorized 'autobiography' before his death. Cobb, widely feared and despised, feels misunderstood and wants to set the record straight about 'the greatest ball-player ever,' in his words.
An autistic boy witnesses his parents' double murder. Richard Dreyfuss as a controversial therapist, seeks to probe the child's mind in order to solve the case.
Biopic about 1970s British marijuana trafficker Howard Marks, whose inventive smuggling schemes made him a huge success in the drug trade, as well as leading to dealings with both the IRA and British Intelligence. Based on Marks' biography with the same title.
Bingo, the runaway circus dog, is off the leash and saving Chuckie's life! Bingo and the boy become the best of friends in this canine comedy featuring doggy disguises and skateboarding, pinball and prison. Chuckie and his parents (Cindy Williams and David Rasche) are moving house, a thousand miles away, but Bingo won't be allowed to join them. Chuckie and Bingo's determination to be reunited is t
The story of a father's tireless love for his autistic son. A terminally ill father's attempt to teach his autistic son the necessary life skills to survive on his own before he passes away. It is also a poignant tribute to the infinite love that parents have for their children and their unending desire to take care and look after them to their best abilities, no matter the struggle, no matter the effort.
28-year-old Kansas University doctoral student Omar Razaghi wins a grant to write a biography of Latin American writer Jules Gund. Omar must get through to three people who were close to Gund--his brother, widow, and younger mistress--so he can get authorization to write the biography. Written by Marisa_Gabriella, edited by Krystal Frauendienst
Determined to have a normal family life once his mother gets out of prison, a Scottish teenager from a tough background sets out to raise the money for a home.
Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.
When the government puts all its rotten criminal eggs in one airborne basket, it's asking for trouble. Before you can say, "Pass the barf bag," the crooks control the plane, led by creepy Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom. Watching his every move is the just-released Cameron Poe, who'd rather reunite with his family. The action climaxes with an incredible crash sequence in Las Vegas.
A drama focused on the friendship between a high-functioning autistic woman and a man who is traumatized after a fatal car accident.
After his business goes bankrupt, 30 something Kyeong-Min kills his wife impulsively. Hiding his anger, he seeks out his former middle school classmate Jong-Seok. Jong-Seok now works as a ghostwriter for an autobiography, but he dreams of writing his own novel. For the first time in 15 years they meet. Kyeong-Min and Jong-Seok both hide their own current situations and begin to talk about their middle school days.
When a boy wishes to be big at a magic wish machine, he wakes up the next morning and finds himself in an adult body literally overnight.
Fictionalized biography of George Gershwin and his fight to bring serious music to Broadway.
Lionel's life turns around after a one-night stand on top of a pinball table... he becomes the world's first pregnant man!
Simon is a nine-year-old autistic boy who has cracked the government's new "unbreakable" code. This skill renders the new billion-dollar secret code vulnerable, especially if enemies of the United States should learn of Simon's abilities and capture him. Program chief Nick Kudrow orders the "security threat" eliminated, but Kudrow hasn't counted on renegade FBI agent Art Jeffries (Bruce Willis).
The Jolson Story is a 1946 musical biography which purports to tell the life story of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as "Julie Benson" (approximating Jolson's wife, Ruby Keeler), William Demarest as his manager, Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne as his parents, and Scotty Beckett as the young Jolson.
A love story between two savants with Asperger's syndrome, a kind of autism, whose conditions sabotage their budding relationship.
20th Century Fox's highly fabricated film biography of circus showman P. T. Barnum stars Wallace Beery (as Barnum), Virginia Bruce (as Jenny Lind), Janet Beecher and Adolphe Menjou. Released in 1934.

© Valossa 2015–2024