adventures in videoland

Critics with attitude

ARC Raiders Movie Marathon

The guys and I have been playing a ton of ARC Raiders, and it got us thinking about the movies that feel like they could’ve inspired the game. So we turned it into a little marathon: Oblivion, Turbo Kid, Prospect, and Terminator Salvation.

We had a blast watching them, so now the real question is: which one nails the ARC Raiders vibe the best? Let’s talk about it.

BRAD’S GOLDEN IDOLS

  1. Best Location: Oblivion Abandoned library, football stadium, shack by the lake, etc.

  2. Best Character: Prospect Ezra

  3. Best Kill/Death/Defeat: Turbo Kid Any of the power glove kills

  4. Best Score or Soundtrack: TIE Turbo Kid & Prospect Synth and original songs

  5. Best Screenplay: Prospect Zeek Earl & Chris Caldwell

  6. Best Special Achievement: Oblivion ARC Raiders: The Movie

  7. Best Scene: Turbo Kid Opening Wasteland

  8. Defining Moment/Attribute/MVP: Oblivion There are many awesome ARC Raider moments

  9. Best Director: Prospect Zeek Earl & Chris Caldwell

  10. Wildcard: TIE Turbo Kid & Oblivion Raider Costume Award

  11. WTF: Terminator Salvation Christian Bale is not my John Connor

  12. Worst Picture: Terminator Salvation

  13. Best Picture: Prospect

Total after deductions:

  • Oblivion: 4

  • Prospect: 5

  • Turbo Kid: 4

  • Terminator Salvation: Minus One

MARSHALL’S GOLDEN IDOLS

  1. Best Location: Turbo Kid Turbo Kid’s Raider Den

  2. Best Character: Prospect Cee

  3. Best Kill/Death/Defeat: Turbo Kid Turbo Kid killing the main masked henchman with an umbrella. Stabbing it into his abdomen, then opening it up and destroying him while he and Apple use the umbrella to shield themselves from the rain of blood

  4. Best Score or Soundtrack: TIE Turbo Kid & Oblivion Synth and original score

  5. Best Screenplay: Oblivion Karl Gajdusek, Michael Arndt, and Joseph Kosinsk

  6. Best Special Achievement: Oblivion Beautiful cinematography by Claudio Miranda

  7. Best Scene: Prospect The western style Mexican standoff

  8. Defining Moment/Attribute/MVP: Prospect “ARC Raider Attribute”. Specific to the theme of this marathon, Prospect had more of the ethos of ARC Raiders than any of the other films

  9. Best Director: TIE Turbo Kid & Prospect François Simard/Anouk Whissell/Yoann-Karl Whissell & Zeek Earl/Chris Caldwell

  10. Wildcard: Salvation Best Quote Award “Machines are the enemy”

  11. WTF: Terminator Salvation All my WTF’s belong to Terminator Salvation

  12. Worst Picture: Terminator Salvation

  13. Best Picture: Turbo Kid

Total after deductions:

  • Oblivion: 3

  • Prospect: 4

  • Turbo Kid: 5

  • Terminator Salvation: 0

NATHAN’S GOLDEN IDOLS

  1. Best Location: Oblivion NY public library

  2. Best Character: Turbo Kid Skeleton

  3. Best Kill/Death/Defeat: Turbo Kid Turbo Kid killing the main masked henchman with an umbrella. Stabbing it into his abdomen, then opening it up and destroying him while he and Apple use the umbrella to shield themselves from the rain of blood. Bicycle dismemberment.

  4. Best Score or Soundtrack: Turbo Kid Jean Phillippe Bernie and Jean-Nicolas Leupi

  5. Best Screenplay: Prospect Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell

  6. Best Special Achievement: Prospect winner of South by Southwest Film Festival

  7. Best Scene: Turbo Kid Returning from the top scene

  8. Defining Moment/Attribute/MVP: Oblivion Tom Cruise

  9. Best Director: Prospect Zeek Earl/Chris Caldwell

  10. Wildcard: TIE Oblivion and Turbo Kid Most Arc Raider content

  11. WTF: Terminator Salvation

  12. Worst Picture: Terminator Salvation

  13. Best Picture: TIE Turbo Kid and Prospect

Total after deductions:

  • Oblivion: 3

  • Prospect: 4

  • Turbo Kid: 6

  • Terminator Salvation: -1

KYLE’S GOLDEN IDOLS

  1. Best Location: Turbo Kid Wasteland

  2. Best Character: Prospect Ezra

  3. Best Kill/Death/Defeat: Turbo Kid Turbo Kid killing the main masked henchman with an umbrella. Stabbing it into his abdomen, then opening it up and destroying him while he and Apple use the umbrella to shield themselves from the rain of blood. Bicycle dismemberment.

  4. Best Score or Soundtrack: Prospect Various Artists

  5. Best Screenplay: Oblivion Karl Gajdusek

  6. Best Special Achievement: Turbo Kid practical effects

  7. Best Scene: Turbo Kid Fight in the pool

  8. Defining Moment/Attribute/MVP: Turbo Kid Michael Ironside

  9. Best Director: Prospect Zeek Earl/Chris Caldwell

  10. Wildcard: Terminator Salvation Most Arc Raider content

  11. WTF: Terminator Salvation

  12. Worst Picture: Terminator Salvation

  13. Best Picture: Turbo Kid

Total after deductions:

  • Oblivion: 2

  • Prospect: 3

  • Turbo Kid: 7

  • Terminator Salvation: 0