Benjamin Solovey calls his presentation at the Orphan Film Symposium “Battle Sharks and Wild Gunmen: The Challenges of Film-Based Arcade Games (1974-78).” His modest bio only hints at the multimedia archaeology he does.
Benjamin Solovey works for Film Preservation Society, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, which is carrying out the 4K restoration of paper print titles from the Biograph Company [1908-1913]. He received his Dual Master’s degree in Preservation and Preservation of the Moving Image from the University of Amsterdam and has enjoyed over a decade of experience in film post-production and media preservation.
Wild Gunman: Showdowns on 16mmm
by Sarah Pitz (NYU Cinema Studies)
In the realm of gaming history, Ben Solovey is a dedicated film preservationist turned game explorer, uncovering forgotten gems from the world of arcades. Solovey has unearthed reels of 16mm film from Nintendo’s iconic Wild Gunman arcade cabinet of 1974. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the early days of arcade gaming. His preservation and presentation of these elements reveal the original footage used Wild Gunman. Solovey’s findings not only provide valuable insights into the operation of this classic title but also contribute to ongoing preservation efforts in which traditional film preservation intersects with games, otherwise tied to video and digital forms.
Solovey’s dedication to uncovering and preserving original gaming artifacts serves as a beacon for preserving cultural heritage in the digital age and highlights the significance of archival efforts in safeguarding gaming’s rich history.
His contributions extend beyond the realm of gaming nostalgia. Before his advanced training in preservation, as a young cinematographer he embarked on a mission to restore a cinematic relic: the notoriously “bad” Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966). He found original 16mm elements among an eBay cache. Through a meticulous high-definition restoration process fueled by a crowdfunding campaign and months of labor, Solovey breathed new life into this cult classic. The fruits of his labor debuted at the 2012 Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, offering audiences a chance to experience the film in all its restored glory. (See “Ben Solovey on Restoring ‘Manos: The Hands Of Fate,‘ The Worst Movie Ever,” Inverse magazine, Nov. 4, 2015.)
He shares before-and-after samples of his work.
Through his discoveries and restoration projects, Solovey allows us to experience past eras of media. His contributions to preserving game history, cinematic heritage, and more inspire further exploration.
— Sarah Pitz
Filmography (proposed for the Orphan Film Symposium)
- Wild Gunman, Film D [Main] (1974) 16mm print, sound, 2 min. (Private Collection)
- Wild Gunman, Film D [Sub] (1974) 16mm print, sound, 1 min. (Private Collection)
- Wild Gunman, Film B [Main] (1974) MOV, Sound, 2 min. (Academy Film Archive)
- Wild Gunman, Film B [Sub] (1974) MOV, Sound, 1 min. (Academy Film Archive)
- Sky Hawk, Film A (1976) MOV, sound, 2 min. (Private Collection)
- Kasco’s The Driver (EU version) (1978) MOV, Sound, 4 min. (Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision / Beeld en Geluid)