The Daily Think

With the release of the Air movie (about Air Jordan’s iconic shoes) and the Tetris movie (about the securing of the Tetris gaming rights) at exactly the same time this year, it begs the question of what is going on with all these origin stories behind iconic products. Clearly the 80’s have something to it, a charm a special memory a nostalgic level of love and commitment from those who were born in it, went through it, or admire it from afar.

Maybe it was the music, the MTV, or the great musicians who defined a decade with their fashion sense image likeness and pompadours. Or perhaps it was the unique products that spawned generations of additional products, think of the Atari and Nintendo and their effects on gaming, or the Air Jordans and their effects on future generations of shoes. Whatever the cause for all the love and nostalgia, there is certainly room for more product origin movies.

PRODUCT ORIGIN MOVIES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS

Thinking of the film Tucker: a Man and his Dream starring Jeff Bridges and his invention of his car, I would say invention origin movies really started to take shape in well the 1980’s. Following that, a pretty good 90’s TNT television movie about the race between Microsoft and Apple in the Pirates of Silicon Valley. That would be the first of several Steve Jobs origin movies by the way. But as we moved into the 21st century, we became more and more riddled with the origin movie of inventors greatness or their flash of genius (another origin product movie starring Greg Kinnear.)

PRODUCT ORIGIN MOVIE OSCAR AWARDS

Starting early in the 2000’s we began to see Hollywood really award these origin product movies. The Aviator, the film about Howard Hughes and the H-1 Racer won 5 Oscars. The Social Network took the invention of Facebook to the award show with 3 Academy awards. Other notable invention movies, Ford vs. Ferrari (2 Oscars) and the Imitation Game (1.) So naturally, Hollywood smells the blood in the water as they created dozens of new product/inventor movies. Elizabeth Holmes got 2 different Hollywood projects. Steve Jobs has already had 3 different projects tied to his origin and creation of Apple. Clearly the pattern is set as we will see more and more product movies come to light, and even 10 episode seasons of We Work and the Uber story.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE 80’s PRODUCTS

I say we propose some additional 80’s products, in no particular order:

1. Rubik’s Cube: The Rubik’s Cube was a global sensation in the 1980s, and a movie could explore the creation and success of this puzzle toy. The movie could focus on the Hungarian inventor Ernő Rubik and his journey to create the cube, as well as the impact it had on popular culture around the world.
2. Nintendo Entertainment System: The NES was one of the most popular gaming consoles of the 1980s, and a movie could delve into its creation and success. The film could explore the role of Nintendo’s Japanese executives and the American designers who helped bring the NES to life, as well as the impact it had on the video game industry.
3. Swatch: The Swiss-made Swatch watch was a fashion icon of the 1980s, and a movie could focus on its creation and rise to popularity. The film could follow the journey of Swiss businessman Nicolas Hayek, who was instrumental in creating the Swatch brand and revolutionizing the watch industry.
4. Sony Walkman: The Sony Walkman was a game-changer in portable music listening, and a movie could explore its creation and impact on society. The film could focus on the team of engineers and designers who created the Walkman, as well as the cultural shift it represented in the way people listened to music.
5. Pac-Man: The Pac-Man arcade game was a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s, and a movie could explore its creation and success. The film could follow the journey of Japanese game designer Toru Iwatani, who created the game, as well as the impact it had on popular culture and gaming.

Picking apart the list, Pac-Man might be on the backburner until the Tetris movie has its run. But a Rubik’s cube movie could have some legs with montages of the 1980’s, the Final Countdown song playing, and a bunch of 80’s celebrities playing with one.