Artist Miles Buckle has carved out a niche on Instagram by creating short, surreal clips that transplant beloved cinematic moments into the visual languages of classic video games. His feed presents a parallel universe where filmmakers like David Lynch, Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini, and Stanley Kubrick are reimagined through the distinct aesthetics of titles such as The Sims 2, SimCity 2000, and early PlayStation-era graphics. Scenes like "here's Johnny" from The Shining are rendered with the stilted, comedic style of The Sims 2, while the opening of Twin Peaks is re-envisioned using the landscapes of SimCity 2000.
Buckle's journey into 3D art began in his youth, inspired by Minecraft animations and a desire for unlimited creative expression, distinguishing it from more constrained mediums like Lego. He was particularly drawn to the freedom offered by tools like Blender. A pivotal moment was encountering a Twin Peaks fangame demo, which, despite its eventual copyright removal, spurred his interest in adapting non-game properties. This fascination with reinterpreting existing media through a game-centric lens continued into his university studies.
For his final project at Central St. Martin's, Buckle presented "Nights Bridge," an interactive narrative housed within a vintage 1990s desktop computer. This project, which he retrofitted with modern hardware, explored memory and graphic fidelity. Buckle explained that as the perceived fidelity of a memory decreases, its visual representation also degrades. "Nights Bridge" depicted this by transitioning from hyper-realistic graphics in the present to PS1-era visuals for recent memories, and further back to 8-bit styles for older ones. Unfortunately, the project is not publicly playable due to its use of copyrighted elements and export difficulties.
Buckle's interest in the evolution of film—from black-and-white to CGI—led him to consider stylistic choices in visual media. He notes that while black-and-white filmmaking is now understood as a deliberate artistic choice, older video game aesthetics like 8-bit or PS1 graphics are often still associated with indie development and limited resources. Buckle aims to bridge this perception, creating works where retro graphics are intentionally employed for narrative or conceptual reasons, rather than perceived necessity.
His creations are lauded for their blend of homage and technical understanding, infusing the spirit of original films with the limitations and styles of specific gaming eras. A reimagining of Fellini's "Amarcord" as a late 90s/early 2000s isometric game, for instance, captures the film's surreal quality while integrating the slice-of-life comedy characteristic of adventure games from that period. Buckle expressed a desire to create games based on films that would likely never be adapted, lamenting the rights issues that prevent such projects.
While Buckle is drawn to the idea of adapting films by directors like Hitchcock or Fellini, his current focus is on projects inspired by the 2005 Mattel toy Pixel Chix. This toy, featuring a digital character within a physical dollhouse, merges screen-based interaction with tangible elements. Buckle is exploring mechanics that blend these real and digital aspects, referencing Billy Wilder's "The Apartment" in early tests.
He believes that certain game genres and art styles, particularly those using older technology, deserve further exploration. Buckle suggests that the rapid pace of technological advancement often leaves the full potential of these styles unrealized. His work on Instagram serves as a powerful catalyst for imagination, prompting viewers to consider what these unmade games might be like, preserving the magic of these imaginary experiences.