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King of Kong remake has a new script, penned as a mockumentary
Director Seth Gordon launched his first major film back in 2007, King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, and has since gone on to a successful career in directing several feature films and major television shows. He's even pinned to the forthcoming remake of '80s hacking classic, WarGames. His next move, however, could be a return to the documentary that launched his career, with Gordon telling The Playlist that he's still hard at work on a New Line Cinema-backed remake. Bizarrely, said remake may actually take on a mockumentary feel. Gordon credits his recent television work as inspiration: "There's a few different avenues. I've done some work on 'Modern Family' and 'The Office' and have worked in this doc style, and so that inspired me to say, instead of doing a traditional narrative feature script, what if we did the remake in the doc style?" Black List contestant Melissa Stack penned the most recent draft of the script, which Gordon takes as confirmation that the project is still "quite real." We can't imagine Billy Mitchell being too responsive to direction in Gordon's remake, but then again that tumultuous interaction could turn out to be a hilarious documentary unto itself.
Billy Mitchell opens 'King of Kong' arcade at Orlando airport
Apparently, Billy Mitchell isn't too concerned with his portrayal as a professional bastard in the acclaimed gaming documentary, The King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters. The film's star-spangled villain has opened up a "King of Kong Arcade" in the Orlando International Airport, which possesses the aesthetic charm of the film -- yet, puzzlingly, there's not a Donkey Kong arcade machine to be found within the joint. We can't fathom why the machine is absent -- but, if we were to guess, we'd assume that Billy doesn't want his establishment to sire any more potential usurpers of the high score throne. Check out the video after the jump for a brief tour of Billy Mitchell's decidedly modern airport arcade.
Hank Chien reclaims King of Kong title
This is one of those stories we scarcely need to report, as we're sure you felt it somewhere deep in your bones, but there's a new (old) King of Kong. As the unmistakable feeling of the tectonic plates shifting below your feet will attest, the honor was taken by plastic surgeon Hank Chien with a Donkey Kong score of 1,068,000 in two hours and 45 minutes. Chien takes the title from Steve Wiebe (1,064,500) who took it from Billy Mitchell in September (1,062,800) who took it from Chien (1,061,700) who won the title in March of 2010, besting Mitchell's 1,050,200, which had stood for three years. In related news, Joystiq has recently broken its own record for "Most Stories About the Donkey Kong High Score in One Year" and you don't see anybody writing a frigging blog post about that.
Billy Mitchell's tie makes cameo in Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns developer Retro Studios doesn't just have a knack for successfully rebooting beloved Nintendo franchises, it's also got a wicked eye for bold fashion statements. For instance, the star-spangled signature necktie of Donkey Kong high-score contender Billy Mitchell (pictured right; from The King of Kong film) must have ensnared the attention of somebody at Retro, as the familiar pattern managed to sneak its way into DKC Returns, hidden in the backdrop of World 3-2 (pictured left). Now, if only the developer could have found a way to sneak in Mitchell's undying admiration of hot sauce, or, you know, his overall winning personality.
Steve Wiebe is the King of Kong again
Billy Mitchell must be pissed. The certified "Video Game Player of the [20th] Century" has lost the Donkey Kong world record -- again -- to longtime rival Steve Wiebe. Wiebe nudged Billy's July 31 record of 1,062,800 points with a masterful 1,064,500-point effort, achieved on August 20 and confirmed today by score authority Twin Galaxies. The two rivals memorably starred in the 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Hank Chien, who ever so briefly enjoyed the limelight, falls to third on the all-time leaderboard. [Pictured: Billy Mitchell; photo credit: Joshuah Bearman]
Meet the new King of Kong
If your internet hasn't been abuzz with rumors about Hank Chien, the new King of Kong, then maybe you've been frequenting the wrong chat rooms. "He literally appeared out of nowhere," people are saying. "He was locked in a basement with the game and a 6-month supply of canned foods," some have claimed. Since setting the Donkey Kong high score, Chien has been "pelvis-deep in cocaine and highly-desirable sexual partners," one reporter wrote. If you want the real scoop, look no further than this Details interview with Chien, whose record-breaking score of 1,061,700 on a Donkey Kong arcade machine has propelled him into internet notoriety alongside celebrated characters like Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell. The young champion, however, knows how quickly fame can come and go. "My score is very beatable."
There is a new King of Kong
Sorry, it's not a sequel to King of Kong, the documentary that showed the battle between ruthless Billy Mitchell and nice guy Steve Wiebe to become the world's best Donkey Kong player. This is a new guy on the scene, 35-year-old plastic surgeon Hank Chien, who's just taken the world record in the game according to Twin Galaxies with 1,061,700 points after a two-and-a-half-hour session. Chien says he expects that the honor will keep him "pelvis-deep in cocaine and highly-desirable sexual partners for all of my days." Or at least we bet he was thinking that.
Steve Wiebe reclaims Donkey Kong Jr. world record
Steve Wiebe's done it again. After claiming the Donkey Kong Jr. record back in April, he was usurped from the throne by Oklahoma-based gamer Mark Kiehl the following fall. But, as of yesterday, Twin Galaxies reports Wiebe's back on top with an epic score of 1,190,400 points. What makes the story even more interesting is when Wiebe managed to set the record: Valentine's Day. As any of you who've seen The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (all of you reading this post, we hope) can attest, the man is married, so to spend any amount of time on The Lover's Holiday playing Donkey Kong Jr. is total dedication. As if we couldn't respect Wiebe any more than we already do! [Via National Post]
The King of Kong DVD signed and delivered, the cheap and easy way [update]
Update: Sorry, gang. Looks like they ran out of supplies. The offer's no longer available. How would you like to own a copy of the critically-acclaimed documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters signed by the film's underdog protagonist Steve Wiebe? Well, you can have it -- in fact, the act of acquiring such a rare gem is actually pretty easy. All you have to do is pay $9.95 (that includes shipping!) andorderstevewiebe'schristianmusicalbum. What? Yes, fine -- if you buy Steve Wiebe's Christian music album, cleverly titled "The King of Song," you get a signed copy of the similarly-titled film. We can't speak for the quality of any music that's not hardcore funk, but in terms of raw value, a signed copy of a great film and any CD for just $9.95 is a pretty spectacular deal. The offer's only available until January 1, so you'll need to act quickly, should you decide to act at all.
Stride Gum ponying up 40,004 quarters for a Wiebe win
We've known for a good while now that Billy Mitchell's arch enemy, Steve Wiebe (our hero!), would be competing for another Donkey Kong world record at E3. What we didn't know was that Stride Gum would be investing $10,001 in quarters -- and a year's supply of "the world's longest lasting gum" -- if the star of King of Kong can accomplish the task.The official statement from Stride says, "Reward will be paid provided Wiebe successfully beats Billy Mitchell's current record of 1,050,200 during a single game of Donkey Kong at E3 2009." We'll be there, cheering him on and giving Walter Day high fives in the background. If we see a kill screen, we'll be sure to tell everyone that we possibly can within the immediate vicinity. Would you expect any less?
Steve Wiebe sets Donkey Kong Jr. world record
Steve Wiebe, the lovable protagonist from the documentary The King of Kong, recently became too impatient to wait until E3 to crush a classic gaming high score. Twin Galaxies, the unofficial scorekeepers of global gaming records recently announced that Wiebe had set a new high score of 1,139,800 for Donkey Kong Jr., surpassing the previous record of 1,033,000 set by Ike Hall. Meanwhile, our high score on Donkey Kong Jr. Math goes untouched, as it has remained for nearly two decades. Bring it on, teacher man.
Steve Wiebe to go for Donkey Kong hi-score at E3
Amidst the lights, glitz and elbows to the face at this year's E3 will be Steve Wiebe, who will use the spectacle as the backdrop for his latest attempt to reclaim his Donkey Kong arcade scoring title. Wiebe will take joystick in hand June 2nd at the show, marking his fourth attempt to break the record since he was outscored by fellow quarter jockey Billy Mitchell at the end of manufactured biopic, King of Kong. The undertaking will be nationally televised by G4 as audiences crowd in front of their sets, pining for a chance to catch a glimpse of Wiebe's sweaty palms and maybe, just maybe, the classic's infamous 'kill screen.'
Arcade documentary Chasing Ghosts now showing on Showtime
We wrote about the fantabulous arcade documentary Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade when it premiered at Sundance in 2007, and we featured interviews with director Lincoln Ruchti and producer Mark Verrachia. It's been a long road for the film -- which was playing in Park City against The King of Kong at Slamdance -- but now you can finally see it.Chasing Ghosts is on Showtime this month -- in HD, no less -- and has three more showings through the end of December. Set your DVRs for "capture" and have yourself a little screening party. It's well worth seeing and features everyone's favorite/most hated gamer, Billy Mitchell. With any luck, we'll see this on Netflix or DVD soon, because playing this on your Xbox 360 or PS3 will surely make the space-time continuum fold in on itself.
King of Kong underdog to cameo in upcoming film
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]
Reminder: Win King of Kong on DVD
Just a friendly reminder to drop a comment in our King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters DVD giveaway post before the deal's up this Friday. You have been entering every day, right? Here's the link you're looking for so go enter, okay?
Joyswag - The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
You know we loved it, you know the critics loved it, but unfortunately we're not in control of every movie theater in the US (... yet) so we imagine the vast majority of you didn't have a chance to catch King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Thankfully, the democratizing influence of the DVD format will be felt when the film comes out next Tuesday and, as great as that is, it still wasn't enough to appease the persnickety staff here at Joystiq. No, we'll only be happy after we mail out five copies of the DVD to readers of the site which (lucky for us and our group therapy bill) is exactly what we're doing! Well, not just like that, of course there are rules: To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this post letting us know if you approve or disapprove of Billy Mitchell's righteous mullet. (We totally approve.) You must be a US resident, 18 years or older. (We don't make the laws, folks, and we feel just as indignant as you do ... we think.) Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day. If you enter this giveaway more than once a day you'll be automatically disqualified, etc.! This entry period ends a week from today at 1:59pm ET next Friday 2/1/08. For complete rules you can crochet on a throw pillow, click here (and if you do, be sure to share your needlework with us)
King of Kong opens in four cities today
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 director loves Saved By The Bell
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 Mitchell ain't no 'son of a gun,' ex-champ speaks on King of Kong
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).
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.
