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King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarter

Written by Nobuhiro Hosoki

 

Q&A with Director Seth gordon and Player Steve Wiebe and Producer Ed Cunningham

When I was growing up, before hitting my puberty stage, "Donkey Kong" was the  most well-known game in Japanese households; it seems as if most of my classmates--whether geeks or athletes-- either owned the game or had played it once before. The phenomenon was unprecedented! It even spawned into merchandising, with toys and goods that were seen everywhere.  But who would've thought that some of the players are still enjoying that game now?

The story starts from, literally, a galaxy far, far, away, back in 1982 when a former actor was President, and a scruffy sharp- eyed kid named Billy Mitchell was featured in "Life" magazine for having set a world record of 874,300 points--a score that has never yet been broken in 20-some years. Over those years, an arrogant-demeanored Billy established himself as a successful entrepreneur who runs a Florida-based restaurant and hot sauce, boasting to himself that so many balls have bounced his way that there must be one unlucky guy out there paying the price.

On the other side of the continent, in Redmond, Washington, there is a soft-spoken unemployed family man,  Steve Wiebe. Never a No.1 kind of the guy, he uses his stretch of jobless time to challenge the reigning champion, Mitchell. After Steve submits his record-breaking tapes, he encounters a bumpy road toward the Fun Spot, a New Hampshire mecca of arcade gaming. The Fun Spot holds a competition that is governed by the unconventional Walter Day, president of Twin Galaxies, an organization formed to verify the validity of game scores.

Among the participants are a few colorful characters, some of whom are of a totally different breed, like the sneaky Brian Kuh, who is Mitchell's protege. Roy "Mr.Awesome" Shildt, has a noisy and bitter feud with Mitchell, and the role of ultimate geek goes to the volunteer staffer Todd Rogers who spends 48 hours watching videotapes to determine if the score is legitimate.

Throughout the film, you never think that you'd be able to watch these Trekkie-type of guys for more than an hour, but director Seth Gordon (who had edited the film "New York Doll," crafts the footage of this round-the-clock obsession with a great showdown, keeping us entertained until the very last frames. In the end, it all comes down to this one intense rivalry that dominates the film. The finger skills seen here are forces to be reckoned with--may the force be with them!!

Directed and edited by Seth Gordon
Director of photography: Seth Gordon
Music by Craig Richey
Produced by Ed Cunningham
Released by Picturehouse.
Running time: 79 minutes.