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Directed by Seth Gordon
Source 35mm print
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Posted on 13 March 2007
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Reviews
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
Mork / 28 July 2007 / 8:33 PM / URL
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
rumsey / 29 July 2007 / 9:04 AM / URL
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.
Mork / 31 July 2007 / 8:54 AM / URL
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.
Rumsey / 31 July 2007 / 9:50 AM / URL
I’ll let Mitchell fend for himself here:
BLite / 13 September 2007 / 9:09 PM / URL
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.
hang / 18 January 2008 / 4:39 PM
billy mitchell is a sneaky bastard.
utrupric / 5 February 2008 / 6:58 PM
Fuck you Billy Mitchell
The Real Napster / 25 February 2008 / 5:41 PM
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.
Win with the ace high / 14 March 2008 / 11:38 AM
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
bryce / 16 March 2008 / 7:17 PM
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.
C / 25 May 2008 / 5:43 PM
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.
rep / 26 June 2008 / 3:53 PM
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.