kingofkong posts (Subscribe to this feed)

King of Kong underdog to cameo in upcoming film

by Scott Jon Siegel { Feb 4th 2008 at 4:00AM }

When King of Kong director Seth Gordon was approached to direct a new Vince Vaughn comedy for Newline Cinemas, he couldn't help but include a small appearance by everybody's favorite underdog Donkey Kong legend. That's right, school teacher turned DK record-breaker Steve Wiebe will have a small walk-on role in Gordon's upcoming film Four Christmases.

The role is uncredited by IMDB, but a representative from Newline reports that Wiebe will have a cameo appearance as Jim, Reese Witherspoon's character's brother, and brother-in-law to Vince Vaughn's character. No word yet if Wiebe's character will allude to Donkey Kong, record-breaking, or his unexplainable disdain for hot sauce.

[Thanks, Edog]

King of Kong opens in eight more cities today

by Kyle Orland { Aug 24th 2007 at 1:55PM }

We know we probably sound like a broken record with our repeated praise-singing for the fabulous King of Kong, but with good game-based movies being rarer than a perfect game of Pac-Man, we feel this effort needs all the support it can get. The movie opens in eight more cities today, including major metro areas like Chicago, San Francisco, Boston and Washington, DC.

King of Kong's limited five-screen opening last weekend brought in a respectable $10,000 per screen, just slightly less than box office leader Superbad. Sure, Superbad was on roughly 590 times as many screens, but still, it's tailing Superbad!

The movie is currently holding at an incredible 98 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a respectable 83 out of 100 on MetaCritic. What more do you need? Get some tickets already!

King of Kong director eyeing Christmas flick next

by Justin McElroy { Aug 21st 2007 at 9:35AM }

With a feature remake of King of Kong still in the works, director Seth Gordon appears to be close to picking his next project: A Christmas comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon called Four Christmases. You've probably already guessed this, but it's about a couple both with divorced parents who are trying to go to ... four Christmases. ... Stop it. You're splitting our sides.

We don't think we're alone when we count this as the most disappointing film choice since Carrot Top went from not being in movies to Chairman of the Board. That being said, if this leads to Vince Vaughn playing Billy Mitchell in the Kong film, it's more than worth it.

[Via Ain't It Cool]

Today in Joystiq: August 17, 2007

by Ross Miller { Aug 17th 2007 at 11:59PM }

King of Kong hit theaters -- a handful, at least -- today, so if you're in one of the few selected cities we recommend you sacrifice your other Friday not plans and check it out. Even BioShock can wait, for those few lucky enough to grab an early copy. (Image credit) Check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
Joystiq hands-on: MySims
Reminder: Win BioShock, play it tomorrow morning!
Reminder: Win a BioShock Xbox 360 faceplate & T-shirt
Today's most first-person-waggle video: Metroid Prime 3

News
BioShock PC demo gets unconfirmed
PlayStation Network store gets a DiRTy update
Sega bringing Shinobi III, Landstalker to Virtual Console
Cruelty-free web gaming with PETA's Super Chick Sisters
Meet Ellen and Keats in new Folklore trailer
Game Crazy owner facing massive financial problems
King of Kong opens in four cities today
Wii production expansion delayed
EA gives no mea culpa on Wiki controversy
Recent 360 and Live buyers get two free XBLA games
GRAW developer: PS3 not harder to code for than 360
Soul Calibur IV keeps laying on the sexuality
God of War composer creates Jericho soundtrack
Hoor-EA! Mac games hit Apple store today
BioShock soundtrack CD features Moby, Oscar the Punk and 'eerie aesthetic'
In2Games to unveil Wii-like PS2 peripherals

Culture & Community
G4 makes Red Ring of Death metal music video

King of Kong opens in four cities today

by Kyle Orland { Aug 17th 2007 at 12:13PM }

Supporters of game-based movies have had to suffer through a lot in recent months. Dead or Alive, Postal and the DVD release of Game Box 1.0 have all assaulted our senses and our sensibilities since the start of the year. Now, finally, a good game-based movie has come along and, unfortunately, it's only viewable in five theaters nationwide.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters opens today in New York (two theaters), LA, Seattle and Austin, Texas. The movie's limited release extends to seven more cities next week and four more the week after on its way to eventual release in 25 total cities.

Reviews of the film continue to be overwhelmingly positive, with only one bad review among the 25 currently listed on Rotten Tomatoes (not quite 100% fresh anymore, but still close). If you want to encourage quality, non-fiction video game film-making and you're lucky enough to live in one of the above cities, vote with your wallets and buy tickets for the opening weekend. You'll be glad you did.

King of Kong gets 16 thumbs up

by Kyle Orland { Aug 15th 2007 at 12:53PM }

If you read Joystiq regularly, you knew months ago that The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters was going to be an awesome movie. What's that? You want to hear someone else's opinion. Oh ... OK. We understand. You don't trust us. No, it's fine. We've just got something in our eyes. *sniff*

Ahem. Anyway, the early mainstream reviews are pouring in for the movie, which opens Friday, and so far they're overwhelmingly positive. The movie currently has a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which lists 16 positive reviews from outlets ranging from Rolling Stone and Variety to Cinematical and the Minneapolis City Pages.

Critics are comparing the movie to "the greatest sports docs" and saying it's as "compelling and original as the original Rocky." The film is more than just entertaining, though -- other critics call it "a metaphor for life itself" and "a metaphor for the decline of Western civilization." Can it really be all that, or is this just standard film critic hyperbole?The rest of us will find out this Friday.

[Via GameStooge]

King of Kong director loves Saved By The Bell

by Kevin Kelly { Aug 9th 2007 at 11:02AM }

While we might not be impressed with his love for Screech, we can certainly agree with his love for The Last Starfighter. Who hasn't dreamed, at least once, that the game they're playing is secretly an alien training device? Maybe that's just us.

Karina Longworth at Spout scored an interview with King of Kong director Seth Gordon, and he gives her some interesting facts ... namely what he'd take on a desert island with him. A fairly decent list except for the aforementioned Saved by the Bell. Did he think she said torturous desert island?

Anyhow, check out the article and see how Gordon responds to Roger Ebert's now famous statement about video games as art. One choice quote, "I think it's a faulty distinction to divide games into sport vs. art. There's a huge spectrum of gaming and playing styles that ranges from the 'single narrative, single outcome' type of game to the 'every game is different' type of game and in that sense games are part sport, part art, and part puzzle."

Amen.

Billy vs Steve in the new King of Kong trailer

by Jared Rea { Jun 19th 2007 at 11:15PM }

Oh, Billy Mitchell. Even when you're made out to be the villain in a documentary about a Donkey Kong record, or comparing yourself to the abortion issue, you still manage to win us over with your fanciful charm. The latest trailer has hit the tubes and has come complete with a new title. King of Kong shall henceforth be referred to as King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters. It's not the greatest naming decision in the world, but we've most certainly heard worse.

Whatever they're calling it these days, King of Kong is an incredible film and opens in select theatres on August 17th. Check the official site for details on cities near you.

Billy Mitchell ain't no 'son of a gun,' ex-champ speaks on King of Kong

by James Ransom-Wiley { May 31st 2007 at 7:57PM }

Billy "Video Game Player of the Century" Mitchell has broken his silence, speaking out against the documentary The King of Kong, which casts the former Donkey Kong high score holder as the film's villain. "I guess they paint me as a son of a gun," reflects Mitchell, who hasn't seen the movie. He guesses right.

Mitchell and cohorts recently spoke to MTV about Seth Gordon's reality-based film. Gordon and crew whittled away more than 300 hours of footage to forge a playful drama detailing Donkey Konger Steve Wiebe's journey to the top of the record books -- all, of course, at the expense of Mitchell's image. And, according to former Twin Galaxies referee Robert Mruczek, The King of Kong is also "full of holes." For example, Mitchell and Wiebe had rubbed shoulders back in 2004 (before the documentary was filmed), during the Classic Gaming Expo -- they even played Donkey Kong! Whereas, the film implies that Mitchell has avoided almost all public interaction with Wiebe and has shied away from playing Donkey Kong in his rival's presence. More surprising is that Billy Mitchell wasn't even the Donkey King high score holder at the time shooting for the movie began. That honor had belonged to no-name Tim Sczerby, who is conspicuously absent from Gordon's film.

It's easy to confuse documentary filmmaking with fact-based accounts. But don't be fooled, these cost-effective movies can be just as contrived as VH1's next B-list reality gimmick. Unfortunately, the "actors" can end up being the victims. But maybe Mitchell should heed a friend's advice and cash in on his new reputation. America loves its villains ( ...and loves to pay to see 'em villainate).

Continued →

Joystiq review: The King of Kong (film)

by James Ransom-Wiley { May 2nd 2007 at 12:28PM }

Truth is stranger than fiction. And while it needs to be threaded by a capable hand, even Donkey Kong can be woven into a compelling canvas that examines the comically-profound idiosyncrasies that drive human competition. The King of Kong, director Seth Gordon's first feature, is a remarkable film that documents the little-seen niche of competitive gaming, as waged on '80s-era, coin-op arcade machines.

"That ape is very, very cunning, and he will do what he needs to, to stop you," warns a Funspot regular, squeezed into a t-shirt emblazoned with a geeky kung fu joke. The same could be said of Billy Mitchell, the film's antagonist, a blown-dry Machismo americanus and heir to the Rickey's World Famous [Hot] Sauce empire. Mitchell (above), whose 3-letter high score handle (typically one's initials) is U-S-A (notice the Liberty tie?), is stiff and threatening, at least to the mild-mannered circle he maintains a firm grip on. He regards his "Video Game Player of the [20th] Century" title as a symbol of patriotic heroism. Speaking of symbols, Mitchell's wife's cleavage is paraded on screen like a tangible manifestation of his ballooned ego, which is predictably deflated by Gordon's touching narrative of the first true challenger of the Donkey Kong high score; a score set by Mitchell more than two decades ago.

Continued →