COMING TO VOD! Tad Sallee and Jason Sikorsky’s documentary, Going Postal: The Legacy Foretold, traces the controversial origins and the societal menace created by the notorious Postal video game series.
It all began with Vince Desiderio, also known as Vince Desi, who grew up in Brooklyn and launched his first adult business venture in the 1980s, hosting disco parties. He eventually found work as a headhunter in the Management Information Systems industry. His career took a pivotal turn when he landed a role staffing Atari’s New York office, leading to a fruitful partnership with Adam Bellin. Together, they created early licensed games, such as Spy vs. Spy and the first WWF wrestling title, amassing a sizable library of intellectual property for the growing gaming industry.
Influenced by the rising controversy, Vince and his team formed Running With Scissors in 1997 and released Postal, a top-down shooter inspired by the phrase “going postal.” The gameplay was intentionally provocative, with missions that included attacking civilians, leading to bans in 14 countries. The team leaned into the chaos, trying to trademark the term “Postal,” and doubled down on the violence for Postal 2, which they developed independently after losing their publisher. As the video game industry evolved through the 1990s, games became increasingly violent and graphic, prompting backlash from politicians like Senator Joe Lieberman, who led many Congressional hearings on the subject of violence and video games.
Building on the success of the original Postal, Running With Scissors felt the pressure to outdo itself. The sequel pushed boundaries even further, featuring appearances from celebrities like Gary Coleman, and added dark comedy to the already extreme content. Postal 2 would be the franchise’s most popular game.
Vince Desi (left), founder of Running With Scissors, and a team member captured in the Arizona desert during the filming of Going Postal: The Legacy Foretold.
“…released Postal, a top-down shooter inspired by the phrase ‘going postal.’”
As school shootings and violent incidents dominated news cycles, the game became a focal point in debates about the influence of video games on real-world violence. Bipartisan opposition arose, with the media and lawmakers questioning the mental health implications and social responsibility of such titles. Nevertheless, the developers defended their work as satire.
Eventually, Postal was adapted into a film by the great worst German director Uwe Boll, whose interpretation took a drastically different tone. Efforts to produce Postal 3 faced financial setbacks. Funding was eventually secured through a Russian publisher, Akella. However, the 2008 market crash devastated those plans. The final release was poorly received, and with developers unpaid and the franchise’s reputation further marred, Running With Scissors was forced to disavow any involvement in Postal 3. Through it all, Postal endured as a lightning rod in the conversation about free speech, artistic expression, and the moral responsibilities—albeit downplayed—of game developers.
I’ve got to say that with Going Postal: The Legacy Foretold‘s two-hour runtime, the story of Postal is riveting. It balances the sheer insanity of the Running With Scissors crew to create an ultra-violent game against the ever-present controversy that violent video games are the cause of mass shootings. Watch the film, and you might be hard pressed to come to a firm conclusion on the matter.
Deep down, the documentary is a story of a bunch of guys who wanted to have fun, push boundaries, and make a lot of money. Two out of three ain’t bad. Although I’ve never played the game before, I admire anyone who puts it all on the line to buck cultural norms.
At the same time, Vince Desi and crew can never seem to catch a break. The story of Postal 3 is heartbreaking, and considering it began development in 2008, the story is even sadder. Either way, the film is strewn with one hilarious and unbelievable story after another.
Final Verdict: Going Postal: The Legacy Foretold is 30 minutes too long. It’s sure-fire fun and engaging viewing for the hardcore gamer and is sure to piss off both sides of the aisle at the same time.
"…One hilarious and unbelievable story after another."
