Reviews / 13 March 2007
The King of Kong
USA / 2007
In Pac-Man you’re set in a maze without an exit, and from the start face an onslaught of enemies that drift toward you from multiple directions. A level will be completed, and another, positing identical endurances, will begin. It is a game of simplicity, repetition, and oppression. Addictive and without formal conclusion, it is an epitome of classic gaming.
To be renowned for mastery of this and other classic arcade games one must demonstrate exemplary eye-hand coordination and extraordinary patience. Billy Mitchell was the first to record a so-called perfect game of Pac-Man, deemed by completing all 256 of the game’s levels (after which a bug automatically defaults the session), and acquiring every bonus (this includes the digestion of every blue-rendered ghost, which, if you’re unfamiliar, verges on the impossible). Mitchell’s achievement required six hours in front of an arcade cabinet.
The first perfect game in Pac-Man is among a handful of near-insurmountable records that Mitchell holds in arcade gaming. He speaks of his accomplishments with total conceit, and his demeanor is at least partially earned, having enamored him with an immense, if peculiar, celebrity in a circle obsessed with keeping score.
The King of Kong introduces many involved in this culture, most of whom are affiliated with Twin Galaxies, a organization in Iowa that officiates a database of world records for videogames. We meet one of the referees, his living room an impromptu warehouse of gaming sessions captured on videotape, submittals of potential records, some, if not most of which are several hours long. One comes from a Steve Wiebe, a father and middle-school teacher from Washington state and Donkey Kong addict. The entire taping is more or less over Wiebe’s right shoulder, his face reflected — and static — in the arcade screen, and it is uncommonly more dramatic than most of the other videotapes sent to Twin Galaxies. For over two hours, Weibe plows through Donkey Kong, entertaining the cries of his children in another room, and by the end surpassing one of Billy Mitchell’s records, one nearly twenty years old.
It is a general consensus that Donkey Kong is the most difficult within a modest canon of old arcade games. Later levels incorporate fireballs, barrels, and pistons that hop unpredictably down the screen. Weibe’s strategy is well studied; zooms of Donkey Kong fill the composition, his Mario so precise his movements are measured by the pixel. He even explains the game’s patterns, drawing diagrams on the screen with chalk. Up until this point the film is fairly exploitative; the practice or the culture elicits laughter, at Mitchell’s collection of novelty ties or how Weibe’s dedication to his game almost exceeds his parental responsibilities. But this aspect of exploitation is lost once Weibe has his record questionably rejected by Twin Galaxies.
The King of Kong is only ostensibly about the particulars of these games and the men (all of them suburban white males no younger than their mid-30s). Mitchell and Weibe become exemplars of competition in spite of the film’s tendency towards exploitation; they remain caricatures until you realize how important this is to them. (His record rejected, Weibe is seen in tears at one point.) Theirs may be a curious sort of renown, but by the end you are enraptured in their struggle to declare and maintain it.
Rumsey Taylor / © 2007 notcoming.com
Comments / 24 total / Submit Comment
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Billy Mitchell just reclaimed this record a few days ago, and offered a $10k booty to challengers. Makes the docu’s release a little untimely and inaccurate if you ask me. The article is here: http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=19&id=1465
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I think this may only drum up publicity for the film. And if you ask me, it also reiterates how much of a total fucking asshole Billy Mitchell is.
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This link is interesting, considering your previous comment.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1565744/20070727/index.jhtml
He was at a charity venue, playing for the Make-A-Wish foundation when he broke his record. Using his playing skills to help sick kids. You’re right…total fucking asshole.
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I’ll let Mitchell fend for himself here:
No matter what what I say, it draws controversy. It’s sort of like the abortion issue.
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The film (KoK) was manipulative, but you can’t just accidentally say so many “asshole-ish” things in public without something being true.
I know you shouldn’t judge by looks, but I think most of us could take a look at Jim and Tammy Faye and see something “wrong.” Looking at Billy and his wife… you don’t just happen to have a “bad day” and look like a friggin’ street walker and greasy Jesus-stand-in – you’ve got to put some effort into it.
The constant self-congratulatory crap from both the Twin Galaxies people and Billy Mitchell is just astounding. This is truly a group of people who deserve each other. It apparently (according to them) requires great mental ability to play a game. One of best game players I know is also one of the dumbest people I know. (Sweet guy, but dumb as a rock).
As for the idea that donating to a charity is SOMEHOW a sign of being a “non-asshole”, I think we should put in a public records request for most members of our (the US) government and see how many have charity contributions. Contributing to charity for many people is pure PR. What contributions did he make that were simply contributions without any public “show” ? I’m betting on “none.” If he can offer $100k for someone to win some split-screen pacman screen, he can donate $100k to charity.
Anyway, having just watched the movie, it made me almost ill to see someone behave like that. I have a classic game collection of over 20 restored machines in my house, and have made trips to the Fun Spot, just for the awe of the size of the collection. Watching this, however, made me feel embarrassed to have ever been interested in classic games.
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billy mitchell is a sneaky bastard.
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Fuck you Billy Mitchell
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BM seems like a weirdo, kinda of a strange dude, more than an asshole.
Weibe seems cool, at least he can communicate.
Walter is a FREAK. He needs to lay of the LSD.
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Billy Mitchell is a complete douche. His only accomplishment in life is getting a highscore and, small man that he is, he’s terrified that anyone will take it away from him. I took one look at him and could never shake the image that he is a typical 80’s teen movie villain (Karate Kid anyone?) that chants hollow power quotes like “Never settle for what you have, never give up’ to himself in the mirror. So to sum him up: Inferiority complex: Check. Small man (Napoleon) complex: Check. Narcicistic: Check. Complete and utter A-hole: CHECK. Dweebus Maximus Dorkus of both the 20th and 21st centuries: Double check.
Steve Wiebe: HERO
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actually i think billy has a pretty sucessfull business although I still think he is a douchebag and would never buy his hot sauce or visit his resturant after seeing how much of an ass he is on king of kong.
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just watched KoK, LMFAO. The best part is at the end for me. Just watch Steve Sanders and Billy Mitchell at the end. Sanders has something nice to say about Wiebe. And just look at the hate in the eyes of BM as he looks at his friend who he must feel has betrayed him. You can’t pay an actor or actress to duplicate that look. It just can’t be done. Steve Wiebe is a class act, you can’t watch this film and not like him. If you don’t end up rooting for him, you are a total douchebag, then again look in the mirror, you just might be Billy Mitchell.
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Billy Mitchell and his crew came off as some of the wierdest people I have ever seen. And everyone friends with Billy Mitchell are more like his little bitches that camp out when up in his ass 24/7. That video he sent in the second Wiebe completed the first end screen of Donkey Kong at Twin Galaxies was utter crap and BS that they accepted that even though they denied Weibe’s video. Secondly. Wiebe is a guy who is very easy going, has a very normal and happy looking family, and is the kind of guy I could hang with and have a decent conversation. Mitchell on the other hand is borderline autistic and absolutely freaking wierd. He has this dumbo bimbo trophy wife that he carts around. His face is practically emotionless and he has the worst style ever. The dude aint even a nerd, this guy is just a straight up dork. And if it weren’t for that lame ass group of wierdo followers with no lives following him around, the first time Weibe broke his record would have stood, and Mitchel probably would have jumped off a roof.
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Just saw the movie, entertaining for sure, BM is a complete tool, Steve is a class act… Not sure what disturbs me more, the fact that BM thinks so highly of himself without realizing what a moronic egotistical dweeb he is or that he actually has mindless cronies that admire and look up to him.
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Wiebe is a man of integrity. That’s more important than any game score. Mitchell is a hyprocrite and a liar.
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I found this page by entering “Billy Mitchell is an Asshole” into Google.
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My wife and I have zero interest in video games. Zero. I only started watching “King of Kong” because I couldn’t sleep at 3 a.m.
I recorded it and watched it a second time with my wife. At the end- when Steve Wiebe beat both of Billy’s records- we were on our feet cheering. Mostly because Billy Mitchell is that big a jag-off. A completely delusional dork who lives in a fantasy world because the real world would take his lunch money and give him a swirly.
“Even Venus DeMilo didn’t have that much attention.” – Billy Mitchell (hahahahahahahahahaha!)
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I found this page the same way as you Alfred!! It was just such a strong lingering thought after watching the movie.
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Those of you who are “Billy Mitchell is an Asshole” searchers just outnumber those looking for “‘Keith Richards’ bukakke”.
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Just saw the movie. It’ s rare to see somebody so jerk as billy mitchell. And please, please, cut your hair stupid.
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ditto on asshole google search. and may i add what a COMPLETE ASSHOLE billy mitchell is. imagine what a sad sack of shit you would have to be to lionize that guy as some sexy, charismatic superstar character. wow – livin’ the dream.
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fuck this ahole billy mitchell, he was afraid and sent in some doctored tape…what an asshole fuck this guy he needs to get his ass kicked and the donkey kong machine thrown on his fucking ugly head..man i want to kick this dickheads ass so bad, you asshole die billy mitchell you prick.
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hahahaha i just saw the movie and typed in “billy mitchell asshole” as well, great movie, fuck billy mitchell!
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Yup I heard the so called ‘editing’, well let’s face: is the story of the tape fake? I have heard no one claim this , only that some portions of the film were ‘edited’ to make Billy look bad. Without all the editing of the very stupid, arrogant and selfish things Billy says, just the pattern of the story reeks of him being a douchebag. I don’t need to hear him talk, if I just allready hear the way he acts: sending soldiers to harras Jim at home, denying a video, whining for records in public performance, then sending his own video at a special night for VIP and giving no neutral person the chance to check on the video except loyal henchmans.
And all the things he says, they only could have edited to make Jim not look like a cheat too, but Billy comes over a douchebag by his own mastery.
A guy that proudly wears an USA tie and uses USA as initials so ‘That USA could be on top, ‘cause thats where it is supposed to be’, fuck that, fuck that lame nationalism/racism. If one thing should be on top its humanity. That same mindless simplicity is the reason why USA has gone from world-power to 3rd-world status. “I’m a winner, I have a plan, Come trophy-wifeI don’t like to stand near some people, caus they are unworthy of me…’ No one as ugly has a normal altruistic personality, when you’re born that ugly, you either become a insecure douchebag or a pedo. It doesn’t make him the king of the world cause he’s the only one of his click not to look like a pedo or cannibal. Fuckin freaks, I’ll take the regular engineer autist geek over those freaks anytime.
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Best movie i’ve seen all year. Steve Weibe (Wee Bee) is a legend. And FFS Billy Mitchell have a look in the mirror you fucking loser, hot sauce salesman (lmaooo). YOU ARE A FUCKING LOSER, FAILL FAILLLL FAILLLLL. Steve kicked your ass you fucking COWARD.
Credits
Directed by
Seth Gordon
Source
35mm print
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Features: The 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival
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13 March 2007
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