DVD Review: "The King Of Kong - A Fistful Of Quarters"
I like documentary films. They show reality, and whether it's films like Born Into Brothels (a film about giving cameras to the children of prostitutes in Calcutta, and thereby giving them hope), Dig! (which showcased the meltdown of The Brian Jonestown Massacre at the same time that their friends the Dandy Warhols gain some success), or the sarcastic but poignant films that Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock make, they are often more compelling then even the best fiction.
But a film about a man going for the international high score on Donkey Kong? Isn't that just for video game fans?
About as much as Rocky was for fans of boxing and the Karate Kid was for fans of karate.
Why do I mention Rocky and the Karate Kid? Because King Of Kong is a story of the underdog v. the champ, like those films.
Here, Steve Wiebe, is a really nice family man who lost his job and was looking for something to achieve in his life. He decides to try to beat the Donkey Kong high score.
At the same time, the film also shows the reigning champ who has held the record for 25 years, Billy Mitchell, telling both stories, and playing out similar to Rocky v. Apollo Creed or Daniel-son v. Johnny (Karate Kid) (why all the Karate Kid references? well there is an obscure music reference to the film that had me laughing hysterically).
The film is really heartwarming and you really are rooting for Wiebe to beat Mitchell's score (as Mitchell is kind of a dick, but you have to see it for yourself to believe how much so).
One of my favorite things about this movie is that director Seth Gordon just lets the footage stand for itself and avoids trying to use music to elicit emotion (other than on the aforementioned Karate Kid moment and that was more for humor than anything else).
It doesn't matter whether you know what a "kill screen" is (although video game fans will), if you're a fan of Donkey Kong (for the record, I have always sucked at the game and therefore hate it, but have respect for those that can play it), or even a fan of video games. This film is just a nice documentary about a guy who wants to be the best at something. Isn't that something we can all relate to?
The DVD also includes lots of extras, most of which I have not yet had a chance to check out.
I like documentary films. They show reality, and whether it's films like Born Into Brothels (a film about giving cameras to the children of prostitutes in Calcutta, and thereby giving them hope), Dig! (which showcased the meltdown of The Brian Jonestown Massacre at the same time that their friends the Dandy Warhols gain some success), or the sarcastic but poignant films that Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock make, they are often more compelling then even the best fiction.
But a film about a man going for the international high score on Donkey Kong? Isn't that just for video game fans?
About as much as Rocky was for fans of boxing and the Karate Kid was for fans of karate.
Why do I mention Rocky and the Karate Kid? Because King Of Kong is a story of the underdog v. the champ, like those films.
Here, Steve Wiebe, is a really nice family man who lost his job and was looking for something to achieve in his life. He decides to try to beat the Donkey Kong high score.
At the same time, the film also shows the reigning champ who has held the record for 25 years, Billy Mitchell, telling both stories, and playing out similar to Rocky v. Apollo Creed or Daniel-son v. Johnny (Karate Kid) (why all the Karate Kid references? well there is an obscure music reference to the film that had me laughing hysterically).
The film is really heartwarming and you really are rooting for Wiebe to beat Mitchell's score (as Mitchell is kind of a dick, but you have to see it for yourself to believe how much so).
One of my favorite things about this movie is that director Seth Gordon just lets the footage stand for itself and avoids trying to use music to elicit emotion (other than on the aforementioned Karate Kid moment and that was more for humor than anything else).
It doesn't matter whether you know what a "kill screen" is (although video game fans will), if you're a fan of Donkey Kong (for the record, I have always sucked at the game and therefore hate it, but have respect for those that can play it), or even a fan of video games. This film is just a nice documentary about a guy who wants to be the best at something. Isn't that something we can all relate to?
The DVD also includes lots of extras, most of which I have not yet had a chance to check out.