Saturday, November 24, 2012

"The Wizard" And Potential Use of a California Collection Agency

By Rob Sutter


If there's one movie that I consider a cult classic that was actually very good, I'd have to note "The Wizard." Released in 1989, this film was, in essence, a giant commercial for the Nintendo Entertainment System which was quite popular during that time. With such names as Christian Slater and Fred Savage taking part in the movie, zany adventures ensued. Considering the events of the film, though, I could imagine a California collection agency getting involved.

The overall plot of the movie goes like this: a little boy named Jimmy, who suffers from an unknown mental disease, has this burning desire to go to California. That's when his older brother, Corey, decides to take it upon himself to go to California with Jimmy, hiking all the way there with the help of new friend Haley. During the movie, there are many instances where old NES games are played, from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" the previously unreleased "Super Mario Bros. 3." With so many video game tie-ins, one can see how this movie was mistaken as a gigantic NES commercial.

You may wonder how a California collection agency fits into the scheme of things. Yes, a good portion of the movie takes place within California but the many facilities are used. Jimmy, Corey and Haley travel through Universal Studios Hollywood and are pursued throughout the attractions the locale possesses. Wouldn't the parents be worried? Corey's father and older brother constantly make attempts to travel to California, even though most of said attempts come off as bumbling. Debt agencies like R-R-S endorse skip trace tools as a means to find missing persons, which could be used in this scenario.

What if a collector targeted Corey's father in a silly sitcom-like fashion that would fit this movie well? No one would be truly considered the bad guy in a situation, aside from the villains who were pursuing the kids throughout the park. I can picture the collector outlining the destruction that his kids were in the middle of and how Universal Studios was demanding a hump sum in order to cover the damages. I couldn't imagine this situation being done in a harsh tone, though, considering that this is a kid's movie at its core.

"The Wizard," to put it simply, had only one intention in mind and that was to raise awareness and interest for Universal Studios and Nintendo products. I can't say for sure if it was ever created with the intention of being Oscar-worthy. Even so, it was a cute little film for what it was and I can see why little kids at the time watched it with fulfillment. Even if a collection agency hadn't been put in place in the film, I don't think "The Wizard" could have been any less hectic.




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