In the world of Hollywood films or indeed world cinema it’s rare to encounter characters who like to game. This is despite there being many a film that borrowed its entire premise from a computer game, with the likes of Tomb Raider and Resident Evil immediately coming to mind. However, there have over the course of recent history been some directors and producers brave enough to feature an avid gamer and we’ve found six of the best just for you.
James Bond – License to Kill a Few Hours
When it comes to games this secret agent’s style is distinctly old school, usually taking place in the confines of plush casinos, owned by his many evil foes. Over the course of his time on the big screen many of the different incarnations of 007 have played multiple games and one of the series was even named Casino Royale. IT’s generally accepted that the dapper Englishman’s preferred table game is Baccarat, although he has also been known to dabble in Poker and Craps, as well as a classic version of one of the world’s most popular card games, Blackjack, which Timothy Dalton’s Bond plays in License to Kill.
Shaun & Ed – Shaun of the Dead, But Not Short of a Game or Two
Two men you’d want on your team in the midst of crisis are the characters played by Simon Pegg & Nick Frost in cult zombie classic Shaun of the Dead. Far from being perturbed by the zombie apocalypse for the majority of the film, Ed loves nothing more than lounging on Shaun’s sofa, tucking into the odd scotch egg whilst madly fingering a controller. Indeed, (spoiler alert!) the film ends with Shaun playing a two-player game of some kind with a zombified Ed in his garden shed, the big man chained up to prevent him taking a bite out of his friend mid-game.
Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson – Indecent Proposal at Another Man’s Table
Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson’s characters get a whole lot more than they gambled for when they visit the roulette table in Indecent Proposal, with a filthy rich man, played Robert Redford offering them $1 million for just one night with Moore’s character. They of course accept, but thankfully love wins out in the end, with Demi pining for Woody after her flirtation with the high life. Red or Black has never been so seductive!
Evan – Superbad Black Monday
Superbad spawned a geek chic craze that swept the globe, convincing women everywhere that it was okay to date men who were scared of physical exercise and who adored computer games. In one iconic scene our hero, played by Michael Cera, chats to his friend in his bedroom abut the finer points of dating, all the while intently battling bad guys on The Getaway: Black Monday.
Galaga Guy – Playing Galaga in The Avengers
Partway through Marvel’s The Avengers Tony Stark is busy briefing his team in the command control room, when he spots a distracted comrade frantically trying to best his Galaga high score. Needless to say, the character is shunned throughout the rest of the film, no doubt in retribution for his rudeness. But let’s be honest, how many times have you been busted by your boss for blazing away at an online game while at work? It would almost be weird if you hadn’t.
Marty McFly – Back to the Future
Wild Gunman was a much-loved game that first launched on the NES and was then shot to movie stardom when one of the most famous film characters in history, Marty McFly, played it during a Back to the Future scene; mid-conversation with non-other than The Doc. Of course, the film itself spawned a multitude of computer games and many various strains of games in between, as the brand became a global icon in its own right.
