The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
by Seth Gordon
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Billy Mitchell, Steve WiebeDirector: Seth Gordon
Brand: NEW Line Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Dolby, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 79 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-01-29
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product features:
- In this hilarious, critically acclaimed arcade showdown, a humble novice goes head-to-head against the reigning Donkey Kong champ in a confrontation that rocks the gaming world to its processors! For over 20 years, Billy Mitchell has owned the throne of the Donkey Kong world. No one could beat his top score until now. Newcomer Steve Wiebe claims to have beaten the unbeatable, but Mitchell isn't re
Movie Reviews of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Movie Review: It isn't just a game in this epic battle of good vs evil
Summary: 5 Stars
Man, I am all worked up after watching this fascinating film. The King of Kong is about so much more than a video game record - this really is good vs. evil, the all-American underdog vs. the privileged elite, the little guy vs. city hall, etc. It doesn't matter if you've never played a video game in your life. If you have a competitive bone in your body or if you value truth and justice above deviousness and chicanery, you will find yourself drawn into this story. For those of us who grew up playing Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Galaga, and the like, it's an especially meaningful story - and the taint of unsportsmanlike conduct hits us even harder because of the nexus we can't help but draw with our own childhoods. Donkey Kong may be "just a silly video game," but this story about one man's attempt to break the world record becomes a metaphor for life and how to live it in the hands of these talented filmmakers. Lest you think all nerds are the same, prepare to meet some true characters in this gaming drama. You couldn't invent the likes of Billy Mitchell, the prima donna of gaming, or Walter Day, the folk-singing, self-appointed commissioner of classic arcade competitive gaming.
Steve Wiebe is the quintessential good guy, an all-American kid who grew up to become a devoted husband, father, and teacher. For whatever reason along the way, he just couldn't get a break each time he put himself in a position to realize his dreams. After he was laid off from work, he set himself the goal of breaking the world record score for the original arcade version of Donkey Kong. And break it he does, capturing the entire game on video - with one of his small children hollering at him in the background about a certain hygiene emergency at one point. All he has to do is send the tape in to the official scorekeepers and reap the glory of his feat - or so you would think. Unfortunately, Wiebe's moment in the sun comes to an abrupt end when the self-proclaimed lord of classic arcade game records, Walter Day of Twin Galaxies, proves himself to be little more than a puppet for longtime champion Billy Mitchell and comes up with an excuse to disqualify Wiebe's score when he learns that the circuit board for Wiebe's machine was supplied by Roy Shildt, one of Mitchell's bitter gaming enemies. Oh, but Wiebe is more than welcome to come to Funspot Arcade in New Hampshire and prove himself on an officially sanctioned machine. Wiebe does just that and proceeds to break the record right there in front of the gaming elite, including Billy Mitchell spies reporting every one of his moves to the mullet-headed king. Ah, but Mitchell is prepared for that - with a tape of his own showing him breaking Wiebe's new record. Strangely enough, there's a distortion in the tape right when the score maxes out and resets itself to zero - but Walter Day quickly declares it official and restores the crown to Billy Mitchell.
Wiebe returns home and seemingly gives up his fight - until he hears that the next edition of Guinness World Records is going to include the names of Twin Galaxies record holders. This mild-mannered everyman calls Billy Mitchell out and makes the journey to Mitchell's very home town, setting the stage for the long-awaited head-to-head challenge between the two. Will it actually happen? Will the champion who goes on and on about how the only scores that matter are the ones from live competitions yet depends on questionable videos of his own making to retain the crown finally face his biggest challenger face to face? Will justice finally be served? Believe me - you're going to want to find out what happens, even if you've never played a video game in your life. While this may not really be a battle of good vs evil, it certainly does feel like it. If there is anyone who actually supports the cowardly Billy Mitchell, I wouldn't want to be in the same room with him during or after watching this fascinating and adrenaline-pumping documentary. The most amazing - and darn near frightening - thing of all is that the filmmakers have said that Mitchell is an even darker character than they made him out to be in the film.
Summary of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
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