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King of Kong director eyeing Christmas flick next
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]
Joystiq review: The King of Kong (film)
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.
