FlynnLives55 writes in to say:
I’ve really been enjoying your Comic-Con coverage. But why
no pix of the thing that TRON
fans most want to see, the inside of Flynn’s
Arcade?
Ask and ye shall receive.
Photo by Nancy Stadler
Even though I had been clued in that something special would
be happening away from the convention center on Thursday night, I was just too
wiped then to be on hand when Flynn’s Arcade was officially unveiled.
But – that said -- I did manage to get over to Sixth & J
on Saturday night (which was the last night that this off-site “TRON: Legacy”
promotion was in operation). And upon on entering the building (Which – FYI –
was the exact same building that housed Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” touring
exhibit. The key difference here being that “TRON” fans entered this structure
on Sixth Street, while “Alice in Wonderland” fans entered over on 7th),
I found a neat little recreation of that arcade space that you briefly visit in
the original “TRON” film.
Photo by Shelly Smith
As you might expect, there were “Space Paranoids” games here
that you could actually play …
Photo by Shelly Smith
… as well as a “TRON” machine or two.
Photo by Shelly Smith
But even if you weren’t a gamer, there was lots of stuff
within this highly themed space to look at and enjoy. Like recreations of the
original signage that you can see in that 1982 Walt Disney Productions release.
Photo by Shelly Smith
Or the colorful neon signs & graffiti that decorated the
walls.
Photo by Shelly Smith
After giving Comic-Con attendees about 10 minutes to
experience this space (as well as play some vintage video games while rocking
out to Journey), the lights inside of Flynn’s Arcade suddenly began to flicker. Then a secret door in the
back wall of the hall opened, revealing …
Photo by Shelly Smith
… a dark corridor that was filled with chemical smoke. The
walls of this narrow space were lined with flat panel screens that displayed
concept drawings for the new Light Cycles which will be used in “TRON: Legacy.”
Photo by Shelly Smith
The further you walked down this corridor, the more finished
& polished these Light Cycle concept drawings got.
Photo by Shelly Smith
Until you finally rounded a corner and there – on a
dramatically lit, slowly rotating turntable – was a full-sized recreation of
the next generation Light Cycles that will appear in this upcoming Walt Disney
Pictures release.
Photo by Shelly Smith
As this point, everyone whipped out their digital cameras
& cell phones and began grabbing images of the display. The only thing that
eventually moved “TRON” fans out of this area was that table loaded with free
t-shirts down by the building’s exit. Where Comic-Con attendees could chose
between a shirt that featured a “Flynn’s Arcade” logo and one that proclaimed that
“Flynn Lives.”
Photo by Nancy Stadler
Now add to this the “Flynn’s Arcade” game token that you
were handed as you waited in line outside of this building … And I’d say that
the Mouse put together a pretty effective promotion for this Summer 2010 Disney
Digital 3D release.
Your thoughts?
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