"What's the wierdest movie that inspired you?" Topic

I came downstairs last night and my wife had left the television going while she was in the dining room. Whatever she had been watching had gone away, and was replaced by Inspector Gadget. I watched for a minute or two, and idly wondered if this would make a good game. No, too weird!

Still, it raises the question: What is the most unusual movie (or television show or play or radio show, if you wish) that ever inspired you to collect figures to game it? Or even to give gaming it serious thought?

Grelber

I have based some gaming scenarios on songs.
I once did "Roddy McCorley" using Gloire rules and with far too many figures on the table.

Although properly speaking, the song is set during the 1798 rebellion, I had no suitable figures, so I used 1704 Marlburian figures. Hollywood would have approved.

Did a game of "Them!",though I've been informed it wasn't really a "wargame"…

Always wanted to try "Earth vs the Flying Saucers"--a favorite,have a clip as ringtone.

Anyone ever try "Plan Nine"? No shortage of Lobo figures.

Most unusual has to be "Buckaroo Banzai"

The most fun---"Kolchak The Night Stalker"---great minis on the market---and just recently updated past work to the Pulp Alley rule set

The Sound of Music.

The first line of that song always struck me as a sci-fi plot:

The hills are alive…

A friend in the club has done Escape from New York.

Did a game of "Them!",though I've been informed it wasn't really a "wargame"…

If I recall correctly it had US soldiers in it. Raspberries to joyless button counters to whom that's not a wargame.

Escape from New York

Awesome. I hope he played that synthesiser score in the background.

For me, I suppose the weirdest movies that ended in gaming were the Santo luchador films. Coming up with double entendre names for the wrestlers was good fun.

Zardoz, the gun is good and the ***** is evil. A bunch of guys gunslinging in underwear attacking hooded cultists, what could go wrong?

Actually Someone at "the Weekend" this year in June IS doing a game on "The Queen of Outer Space." That's the one with ZaZa Gabor as the half naked hottie. I think he's using Barbie Dolls as figures.

I'm doing an updated "Bug Eyed Monsters from Outers Space:They want our women!" Which is a miniaturization of a game which is itself a game of those horrible B movies of the 50's. Be advised though, there are certain plot twists that the unwary are designed to fall into.

My whole WWII set up started originally as a game based on "The Battle of the Bulge." The movie was so terrible, and I got a great deal from a hobby store owner of exactly the tanks used as the German Tiger Tanks from the movie.

Dear Tberry743

We always considered that song something for the Napoleonic period in 1812

"The hills are alive with the sound of Moujik…" or conversely "The hills are alive with the smell of Moujik…"

Wargamers are a twisted lot. Just check out Military Science Theater 2000 at the Weekend. These guys could make a comedy out of Schindler's list.

I'm sure one of the very, very early issues of Miniature Wargames featured a "Them" inspired game…sounds wargamey enough for me.

How could "Them" not be a wargame. Lots of giant ants against post WW II US infantry in a giant underground storm water control system in LA. What is not to like. Its Space Hulk only more cool.

"Them! " is a game: MYRMIDONS

TMP link

Them … yep that sound familiar… Giant Ants Green Army men. Lots of fun. Hey Vince welcome to the web.

Tberry,yeah,well, see "discussion" on Historical Media board.

I had no idea that "Them" games had such a distinguished history. Gotta get me soma "them" kits.

Und,who ist dis "Wince",Major B?

Shouldn't you be taking down Christmas lights?

Forbidden Zone
imdb.com/title/tt0080752

Repo Man, from about 1983 or so

I'm working on a Con scenario for the climactic battle in the 1971 movie "Red Sun":
a horde of Comanches attack the 4 main characters in an abandoned SW Texas mission in 1870; they are Ursula Andress as a "Soiled Dove", Charles Bronson as a (somewhat) noble bandit, Alain Delon as a homicidal left-handed French gunfighter & Toshiro Mifune as the samurai body guard of the Japanese ambassador to Washington.

Repo Man! I'd like to see that game! Do you mean you've done a game on this? Who makes a Harry Dean Stanton figure?

If you haven't yet,be careful,this movie has a strange effect on some people. Back in the 80s my brother and his wife were living in a duplex house in Vermont.I kept telling him to see the film. Later,when the family was together for Christmas,he told me they'd had to move,and it was my fault. Seems he rented the film and invited the couple upstairs to watch it with them. A few days later,he came home from work to find about forty people living upstairs. His neighbors had joined some sort of cult that practiced communal living. When he asked what had inspired this rather unusual decision,he told it was "that movie".

So,be judicious in your choice of game-players.

Not sure if it counts as wierd but – Gunga Din (1939) – Saw it as a kid on the BBC 1's Sunday afternoon film slot. Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen and I think Doug Fairbanks? Got me into skirmishing gaming with 54mm figures hiding behind piled up books, shopping bags and other home stuff. Kept a special place in my affections ever since.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird was a good one. Several episodes of Invader Zim have made it to the table, a good replay favourite being a take off of The Foodening. Nobody can resist a Powerpuff Girls free for all. I couldn't begin to list the Yakuza films that I have used for scenarios, but Why Don't You Play in Hell is a great recent one.

Moon Zero Two

The Mouse That Roared. An army of about a dozen inept medieval soldiers invade the USA.