Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie
An interactive movie requiring audience votes via joystick.
Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie is a 1995 American short film that blends science fiction, adventure, and comedy. It was written and directed by Bob Gale. The story follows an android, played by Billy Warlock, who humiliates or attacks people who have committed crimes or misdeeds, with multiple possible storylines. The film was promoted as "the world's first interactive movie," though this claim is inaccurate; it was preceded by *I'm Your Man* (1992) and *Kinoautomat* (1967).
The film contains approximately 30 minutes of total filmed material, with each viewing showing only about 20 minutes. Audiences voted on story directions using a joystick attached to their seat armrests. A special LaserDisc-based machine in the projection booth made instantaneous edits, and the footage was stored on four CAV LaserDiscs. Christopher Lloyd, who worked with Gale on the *Back to the Future* trilogy, also appears in the film. The music was composed by Michael Tavera, who scored the animated *Back to the Future* series.
In the plot, Mr. Payback, a vigilante android, confronts various criminals and nuisances. For each encounter, the audience votes on three ways to punish or humiliate the offender. Options include slowly disassembling a selfish "Car Jerk's" car for taking a handicapped parking space, setting a bike thief's clothes on fire for stealing bike parts, or eating a gang member's knife after a threat. One sequence lets the audience choose to subject Mr. Payback himself to their decisions. The film ends with a game show segment called *Payback Time*, where three previous antagonists return for audience-selected humiliations. At the start of this segment, the audience chooses between a special appearance by Paul Anka or Ice-T. Depending on earlier choices, an epilogue shows Mr. Payback and his assistant Gwen celebrating by going to the movies, where they take revenge on talking teenagers.
The cast includes Billy Warlock as Payton Bach (Mr. Payback), Holly Fields as Gwen, Bruce McGill as James Konklin, Christopher Lloyd as Ed Jarvis, Leslie Easterbrook as Diane Wyatt, David Correia as Raoul Alvarez, Victor Love as Lloyd Braxton, Carol-Ann Plante as Cara Cook, Michael Talbott as Car Jerk, Brendan Ford as Park Vandal, Gilbert Rosales as Bike Thief, Eddie Deezen as Phil the Guard, Robby Sutton as Moe, Sasha Jenson as Larry, Joseph D.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Bob Gale
- Producer
- Mark Franco / Jeremiah Samuels / Holly Keenan
- Starring
- Billy Warlock / Leslie Easterbrook / Christopher Lloyd / Bruce McGill / Holly Fields
- Music
- Michael Tavera
- Distributor
- Interfilm Technologies / Sony New Technologies
- Released
- 17 February 1995
- Runtime
- approximately 20 to 30 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $1.6 million
- Gross
- $241,000
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mr. Payback is a vigilante android who takes action against multiple criminals, troublemakers, and general nuisances. Whenever Mr. Payback encounters a criminal, the film's audience votes on three different ways that he can humiliate or punish them. Some of these ways include upsetting a selfish 'Car Jerk' by slowly disassembling his car, setting a bike thief's clothes on fire, and eating a gang member's knife. There is one sequence where the audience can choose to subject Mr. Payback himself to their choices. The film culminates in a game show sequence called Payback Time, where three previous antagonists are brought back and humiliated in various challenges selected by the audience. At the beginning of that segment, the audience chooses whether Paul Anka or Ice-T makes a special guest appearance.
Reader's Guide
Mr. Payback is significant as an early attempt at interactive cinema, though it was not the first. Designed to run for 20 to 30 minutes, it was repeated three times per screening to match the runtime of a typical feature film. The film required a special LaserDisc-based machine in the projection booth to make instantaneous edits, and it took up four CAV LaserDiscs. Despite its modest budget of $1.6 million, the movie proved to be a financial failure, grossing only $241,000 due to an extremely limited release in 25 theaters across America, each requiring over $50,000 in equipment upgrades. The film received negative reviews from critics, including Roger Ebert who gave it a half-star, and Ty Burr who gave it an 'F' grade. The film has never been released outside its original screenings and is now considered lost, with only the original trailer and clips from contemporary TV coverage known to survive.
Did You Know?
- The film took up four CAV LaserDiscs.
- Audiences were encouraged to talk and shout during the film.
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