American Obsessions

Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos, two best friends who, as young kids, decided to make their own Raiders of the Lost Ark adaptation, reenacting each scene of the film shot by shot. Now older, the two have finally raised the money to shoot the final missing scene (the plane scene). Follow Eric and Chris' intimate relationship, and watch the voice actors as they rehearse the missing scene and attend the premiere of the completed, life long project.

In the series premiere of VICE's American Obsessions, we take a look at the beloved game of pinball, its controversial history and days of corruption, and dive into the story of the family rooted deep in the nostalgic game's past and future.

Cabbage Patch Kids were one of the most popular toys of the 80s. Over the course of the decade, the dolls reportedly generated about $2 billion in sales.

Wizards, demons and goblins collide in the world’s first trading card game Magic: The Gathering, affectionately dubbed “cardboard crack” by its 10+ million diehard obsessives. From dank, wood-paneled basements to international big money pro tournaments, Magic continues to flourish since its phenomenal debut in 1993.

90s Japanese cartoon Sailor Moon broke new ground with its sympathetic portrayal of GLBTQ characters. VICE follows the stories of queer Moonies who were closeted in the 90s but found inspiration from the series to embrace their identities and create communities based on their love of Sailor Moon, and examines the significance of the series' re-release in English.

In January 2017, a new video store opened in Los Angeles that only stocks 14,000 copies of Jerry Maguire on VHS — none of which are available for rent or purchase.

In this episode of American Obsessions, we’ll take a look at our cultural infatuation with Mortal Kombat and fighting games through the eyes of young champions and dark horses alike, the most competitive players among us, to create a visceral, present day and nail-biting celebration of the game we all know and love. Sponsored by WB Games.