These are our earliest videos from the mid '90s, so there will be a few mistakes, but also some nifty stunts. Let's revisit the past starting with this domino course...
Most of the action takes place on a homemade ping pong table. Dominoes snake around random items as well as over and under plexiglass. The Mad Lab set has issues. The title is a bit of a misnomer because a basketball is used to knock over the pins/cans instead of a bowling ball.
We also attempted to add a musical soundtrack by playing Moby's "Run On" in the background. YouTube has bitten me once before over copyrighted music, so I played it safe and AudioSwapped it with something jauntier. :)
#2: Ultimate Mini-Golf
This domino layout actually worked flawlessly. So, obviously, one day the VCR just had to eat this very specific section of tape. :(
Anyway, my mid-pubescent voice introduces a few areas of interest. As indicated by the title, the main attraction is the crazy mini-golf hole. Be sure to watch until the very end. YOU MUST OBEY.
#3: The Dixie Chicks
You're in for a real treat, because this video features three very special celebrity guests! Country music superstars The Dixie Chicks attended the toppling of this domino course! When they heard about our awesome setups, they personally requested a front row seat. What can I say, domino topplers get all the ladies...
Okay, so they're actually a cardboard cutout left over from Steve's days working at Circuit City. We wouldn't hobnob with flesh and blood celebrities until many years later when we somehow got to work for Penn & Teller.
Oh, and we accidentally recorded over the end of the domino course. We hope you find our replacement video acceptable.
#4: Nintendo Power
I'm gonna take you back to the past, to topple N.E.S. games real fast...
Did anyone else sell their old video games at a yard sale, then wish they still had them later in life? It's nice that Nintendo will sell them back to you if you own a Wii, but I don't have one. Plus, you can't blow dust out of an emulator.
#5: Fun With Friends
We had a bunch of our friends on hand for this one, which creates a different kind of atmosphere. The mood is more relaxed, making our voices louder and goofier. :D
From our cold, dark basement we had no idea how many people would show up to watch a domino course topple. Our trips to the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center were quite a surprise!
This video also reminds me that although we get the occasional disparaging comments like "losers" and "get a life/job/girlfriend", there are many more people that like to watch and even build domino courses. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive! :)
#6: Super Mario
We finally use our pool for its intended purpose and send some billiard balls into the pockets. But, one pocket is left out. We'll have to fix that next time...
Everything is going fine until the end, where a comedy of errors ensues. I learn a lesson that Bowser has been taught many times: Don't mess with Mario.
#7: Trick Shot
We managed to improve upon the last video's trick shot by using all six pockets. It's a bit less impressive if take the Hot Wheels tracks into account which make it practically impossible to miss.
About the "I didn't touch it" comment: The domino track really did tip over just before I tried to push it. I wouldn't lie to you about our mistakes, which I will prove unequivocally with our final Domino Rally Classic.
#8: Murphy's Law
You know the expression "save the best for last"? Well, we've done the exact opposite. If you're not familiar with Murphy's Law, it basically states: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
There are a couple of bright spots, though. The billiard ball demolishes a wall of poker chips, and a pulley system knocks down dominoes that are five feet away. Everything else, bleh.
But every domino toppler has had a bad day, and we all have to find out what works and what doesn't through trial and error. I hope this series of videos encourages you to keep getting better and experiment with new ideas.
We would have never expected to have an opportunity to meet Penn & Teller way back then, or have over 200 people come to see a domino course we set up. If we could do it, so can you! :)
