"The Complete History of Paintball" is a documentary created by John Amodea that covers, as the title suggests, the history of paintball in all its forms from the first game played in the woods of New Hampshire up to the modern day. The film consists of interviews with legends of the game, photos, videos, and written narration. It's available in streaming, DVD, and Blu-Ray formats.
The version I purchased and the one I am reviewing here is the three disc Blu-Ray director's cut. The DVD version is the same as the Blu-Ray version, just not in HD. The standard streaming version can be found on Vimeo.
Overall, this documentary is a trip down memory lane for anyone who has been in the game for as long as the typical MCB member. Watching old gameplay videos from the early days makes you realize just how far this game has come, but also how much it has remained the same in some ways. You can tell that John really put his heart and soul into this documentary in order to make it as comprehensive as possible.
The film states that everything has been checked and double checked to confirm historical accuracy. That said, I'd say it's a fair bet that a few guys took shots at each other with some Nelspots long before the first official game ever took place. So, let's say that historical accuracy is the best that can be expected with the information we have available today. The content that would most likely interest players like us takes place in the beginning of the film before it inevitably transitions into the history and evolution of the tournament paintball scene. After a lengthy accounting of how tournament paintball moved from the woods to the NXL, the movie does eventually move on to the resurgence of mechanical and pump play as well as cover a brief overview of magfed play. I don't think it's a video I'll watch over and over, but it serves as a good historical piece that helps preserve the past and educates players who may have missed out on the early days of the game.
The version I purchased and the one I am reviewing here is the three disc Blu-Ray director's cut. The DVD version is the same as the Blu-Ray version, just not in HD. The standard streaming version can be found on Vimeo.
Overall, this documentary is a trip down memory lane for anyone who has been in the game for as long as the typical MCB member. Watching old gameplay videos from the early days makes you realize just how far this game has come, but also how much it has remained the same in some ways. You can tell that John really put his heart and soul into this documentary in order to make it as comprehensive as possible.
The film states that everything has been checked and double checked to confirm historical accuracy. That said, I'd say it's a fair bet that a few guys took shots at each other with some Nelspots long before the first official game ever took place. So, let's say that historical accuracy is the best that can be expected with the information we have available today. The content that would most likely interest players like us takes place in the beginning of the film before it inevitably transitions into the history and evolution of the tournament paintball scene. After a lengthy accounting of how tournament paintball moved from the woods to the NXL, the movie does eventually move on to the resurgence of mechanical and pump play as well as cover a brief overview of magfed play. I don't think it's a video I'll watch over and over, but it serves as a good historical piece that helps preserve the past and educates players who may have missed out on the early days of the game.