Entries in The Empire Strikes Back (1)
Way Gone Wednesdays: Caine's Arcade
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 8:45AM I grew up poor. In my younger days we had six people in a small, two bedroom house in Indiana heated by a wood burning stove. I remember days of food stamps and government cheese. Things got better as I got older but we certainly had some humble begininngs. When I was 7 years old, I remember The Empire Strikes Back coming out. It was huge. The most anticipated event in movie history at that point. Of course Kenner was releasing the action figures and spaceships at lightening speed. I had some hand-me down action figures thanks to my older cousins but my family couldn't afford the Snowspeeder that I wanted so badly. So I fashioned one myself using an old saltine box, cling wrap and a few sticks. I took it to school and ran it proudly around the playground. The other kids laughed. I didn't care. I had a Snowspeeder and this one I had made with my own tiny little hands.
Filmmaker Nirvan Mullick found a kid in East L.A. who has a similar attitude. Watch his short film on Caine's Arcade and be prepared to sob uncontrollably. This kid is way gone in the best possible sense.
Caine's Arcade from Nirvan Mullick on Vimeo.
