Ben Heck completes the Bill Paxton Pinball machine, reasserts supremacy
Just in case you thought Ben Heck was being caught up by his acolytes, our favorite superhero modder has come back today with the completed Bill Paxton Pinball machine. You might remember the rough version of this glorious homage to one of the world's most mediocre actors from that time we visited Ben at his home / lair. It has now been fully fleshed out, painted, spit-shined, tested, and slapped with a badge of completion. You want to see it in action? We've got video of that. You want to see how it was built? We've got video of that too. You'll find the moving pictures after the break, but don't neglect the source as it also contains photo galleries and a walkthrough of the design process.























Pinball? Wah wah what?
@zebrainez
It looks fun and then I realized I was watching two grown men play pinball in their parent's basement.
@Saad the other one Yeah...Bill Paxton Pinball...
@Saad the other one Uhhh, thats actually Ben's home.
@zebrainez
"I need your clothes, your boots, your motorcycle and your pinball machine."
OMFG!!
@pickleJar I really hope he does Charles Nelson Reilly next.
@Ryan Trevisol -
I just don't know what else to say about that... I had to double check the date to make sure it was not April 1st.
"one of the world's most mediocre actors"??
How do you call Ben Affleck & Keanu Reeves then?
Not to talk about Chuck Norris & Steven Seagal! Come on guys! When you can put "I was Hudson in Aliens" in your resume, you can't be called a mediocre actor, i'm sorry :)
@risbac Calling Keanu mediocre would be an unmerited compliment.
@risbac
you didn't even mention Sandra Bullock
@glenskey, I can't mention them all ;) Just wanted to give some credits to Bill Paxton, he worked several times with James Cameron and survived, he deserves it :)
@risbac
GAME OVER MAN
@Monstermunch
Is it at least using this quote when you loose a game on this flipper? :)
@Vlad Savov Would really love to know what credentials you base your ability to critique acting ability on. Doesn't seem to me you have much high-ground to base your opinion on given the mediocrity of your writing... or perhaps you feel some kindred-spirits?
@joev
Dude, simmer down. Paxton's no Brando or Olivier, but (see my other post below) he's decent, and his popularity's based more on the wacked-out roles he chooses.
@Vlad
You gotta admit that he made Hudson very believable in "Aliens:" smug smart-@$$ when things are good, complete basketcase when sh17 hits the fan.
@Monstermunch - "YOU'RE STEWED BUTT-WAD!"
@Monstermunch Beat me to it.
@risbac
Mediocre means middle of the road. That's what he is. Keanu and Afleck are far below mediocre. I particularly liked him in Near Dark.
@chispito Afleck was the bomb in phantoms!
For some reason, I WANT this.
Does he ship to Australia?
game over man!
Some off those sounds were familiar especially that game over part, but I can't for the life of me remember what this Bill Paxton was in.
I guess when it comes down to it, for me at least,actors are their for my amusement and after the movie or tv show is over I don't really care what their names are.
@zero1221 He's currently starring in Big Love, which in my opinion should be able to make everyone forget about the more mediocre other movies he did.
@Alco *facepalms self* I can't believe I didn't remember his face from Big Love. I watched every season of that show.
@zero1221
Don't feel too bad about it. I don't think that Bill Paxton is a mediocre actor, but he is a little unusual, in that he has a familiar yet unremarkable face, which makes it easy to confuse him with other actors and to not be able to place him. For a long time, I couldn't distinguish him from that guy who played the President in Independence Day (Jeff Daniels?). That's why Paxton is a good subject for this pinball game -- he's been in a ton of movies, and no one can remember probably more than a few of them at a time. Except Ben Heck.
Paxton's performances also typically depend entirely on the screenplay; he projects whatever character is in the screenplay, and he's been in movies of all kinds. For instance, in Titanic, he played the captain of the ship who was trying to find the big ass diamond -- that is one of the most memorable awful characters played by Bill Paxton. The screenplay was cheesy, his role was cheesy, and his lines were cheesy -- the end result was that he projected a lot of cheese.
@cobaltage
LOL. Bill Pullman. I'm surprised that you didn't remember that considering it's a running joke that Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton are constantly mixed up by everyone. I always thought it was because their first names were both Bill and last name started with a 'P', but I suppose they vaguely resemble each other... they're both Caucasian with sandy blond hair and a lack of striking features. And a lot of less-than-memorable parts.
Then again, one might argue that a true actor's job is to melt into a role so we forget about the actor, we only remember the character. And generally most people only recall scene-stealing characters, so actors who play smaller parts in supporting roles kind of get screwed. I'm happy to see former character actors who are able to make the switch to 'leading man' roles, like William H. Macy and Philip Seymour Hoffman did.
/thinks a Bill Pullman pinball machine is chockfull of WIN
@Krantzstone
I meant Bill Paxton. *see, I just did it too*
/argh
Nice one, Ben. Now get to work on the Sam Worthington shooting gallery.
@psycros
Sam Worthington?
No way. A Kurt Russell gallery is required.
@psycros
Sam Who? Seriously, I liked him in Terminator Salvation, and I'm sure you're a big fan, but he's hardly worthy of Ben Heck's time.
@psycros
Not before Gary Busey.
Some one tell them to shut the hell up so i can hear to the sounds(voices) in the pin ball mashine.
@KGB He has some more videos here where he doesn't talk as much:
http://www.youtube.com/user/benheckdotcom
Would a spy pee himself huh?!?!
I've got a couple dozen pinball machines in my basement, but they're mostly older models from the 60s and 70s. I find this quite interesting.
I've got a couple dozen odd growths on my back, but they're not itchy. I find this quite interesting.
;D
"mediocre actor" ? ? ? ?
Bill Paxton's acting ABILITY is quite irrelevant. It's his choice of roles that makes him AWESOME.
Cases in point:
http://www.hwdyk.com/q/quizimage/pullmanpaxton.jpg
http://www.filmjunk.com/images/weblog/top10douche_4.jpg
Forgot one:
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/WeirdScience01.jpg
This is Awesome.
Now do Kevin Bacon...
@Tes
And also Tony Shalhoub!
@Tes
Kevin Bacon would need at least a three part series.
to my knowledge, Bill Paxton is the only actor to be killed by an Alien (Aliens), a Predator (Predator 2) , and the Terminator (Terminator).
The picture on the side is from True Lies and its glorious.
@dinnerwithtomedison
Bill Paxton's performance in Commando as the navy radio operator was top notch. amazing that he didnt win any awards for that part.
@dinnerwithtomedison: Lance Henrikson is there too...
Detective shot in The Terminator.
Android torn in half in Aliens (though he still functioned, it was 'game over' by the time Alien 3 rolled around)
Speared by a Predator in the first AvP (though I hated that movie).
So MAYBE Bill Paxton gets the solo title, but Henrikson deserves an honourable mention at least. :)
After seeing Paxton in Weird Science and Aliens I always had a hard time seeing him as a nice guy.
He does jackass real well.
If it's being brought to MGC I can't wait to see it.
@Timerider Oh it's going to be there. Ben has already said this multiple times on his forum.
Big Love FTW!!
Any body remember that He played one of the Main Characters in Twister?