Enjoy the game in 'King of Kong'
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, January 27, 2008
Talk about junk.
This week's DVD shelves will be filled with some of the worst films of the last year.
"The Comebacks" -- horrible football spoof.
"Daddy Day Camp" -- bad sequel of bad movie.
"Lake Placid 2" -- please. The first film wasn't good.
So what does that leave? Several good television series ("Curb Your Enthusiasm," season six), a fun anniversary release ("Groundhog Day, 15th Anniversary") and one kid pleaser ("Hannah Montana: One in a Million").
Then, there's "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters," one of the most enjoyable documentaries of the year. Instead of chronicling a politician's misdeeds or a nation's ills, it focuses on the men who live to play arcade games. In this case, it's Donkey Kong, that old school thrilla that, apparently, gave birth to cutthroat competitions.
Directed by Seth Gordon, the film tracks two men -- Billy Mitchell, the record holder, and Steve Wiebe, the heir to the throne, as they battle to hold the game's highest score. Like a shootout in an old western, the film sets up Mitchell as the villain -- an aloof winner who won't even acknowledge his opponent's presence. Wiebe, meanwhile, is the guy in the white hat, a family man who has lost his job and just wants to leave a mark.
Best of all, proponents of both circle around them like satellites. There are furious cellphone calls and a showdown of sorts that lets each have his day.
Because this is much ado about nothing, "King of Kong" offers plenty of laughs. It has great historical perspective and a sense of drama that fiction films can't beat. For anyone who lived during Kong's heyday, it's a great trip back in time -- a chance to reminisce about video games that didn't feature lifelike graphics and "Easter eggs" for champions.
Gordon knows the turf well. He has the ear of both men and isn't afraid to play sycophant if it will help hiim tell a better story. "King of Kong" has a heartbreaking moment or two, as well, and when one of the contestants breaks down, you can't help but feel for him. This "Kong" is as big as another one and twice as enjoyable. See it and you just might become a fan of documentaries.
Coming: 'The Brave One'
Jodie Foster has taken on all kinds of thugs -- on land ("Panic Room") and in the air ("Flightplan").
Now, in "The Brave One," she's facing them on the mean streets of New York.
While in the park, walking their dog, she and her fiance (Naveen Andrews) square off with a particularly nasty gang. He's killed; she's left with a nagging sense of retribution. On impulse, she buys a gun and, unsuspectingly, finds herself using it. Instantly, she's in the world of "Death Wish."
Like Charles Bronson, Foster tries to right wrongs that aren't even against her. She kills a pimp, offs a big-mouth and becomes friends with a detective (Terrence Howard) who thinks he's on the trail of a serial killer. A male serial killer.
Little does he know the person he seeks is the woman next to him.
While director Neil Jordan tries to make this an interesting study in revenge (not unlike Kevin Bacon's tacky "Death Sentence"), he can't quite let Foster stew. She doesn't think before she acts, she acts. Similarly, she's not someone without a platform. As a radio deejay (who records street sounds, then philosophizes about them on air), she's hardly anonymous. Still, Jordan gives her a kind of isolation that's phony and unnecessary. Similarly, the talk show hardly seems like something anyone would listen to, much less jaded New Yorkers.
What does register is Howard. He has an easy style that makes the high drama go down smoothly. When he's talking with Foster (for an interview that apparently doesn't air), he willingly offers opinions on issues that could prove professionally harmful. The guise seems natural -- and proves disarming when he finally does connect the dots.
Also this week:
TV: "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," volume 5; "Curb Your Enthusiasm," season six; "Damages," season one; "Emergency," season four; "Hannah Montana: One in a Million"; "JAG," season five; "SpongeBob: To Love a Patty"
Film: "Bordertown"; "Canvas"; "Charm School"; "The Comebacks"; "Daddy Day Camp"; "Drumline"; "Feel the Noise"; "Groundhog Day"; "The Invasion"; "King of California"; "Ladron Que Roba a Ladron"; "Lake Placid 2"; "Monty Python's Life of Brian"; "Mr. Untouchable"; "The Nines" "Rocket Science"; "Trade"
This week's DVD shelves will be filled with some of the worst films of the last year.
"The Comebacks" -- horrible football spoof.
"Daddy Day Camp" -- bad sequel of bad movie.
"Lake Placid 2" -- please. The first film wasn't good.
So what does that leave? Several good television series ("Curb Your Enthusiasm," season six), a fun anniversary release ("Groundhog Day, 15th Anniversary") and one kid pleaser ("Hannah Montana: One in a Million").
Then, there's "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters," one of the most enjoyable documentaries of the year. Instead of chronicling a politician's misdeeds or a nation's ills, it focuses on the men who live to play arcade games. In this case, it's Donkey Kong, that old school thrilla that, apparently, gave birth to cutthroat competitions.
Directed by Seth Gordon, the film tracks two men -- Billy Mitchell, the record holder, and Steve Wiebe, the heir to the throne, as they battle to hold the game's highest score. Like a shootout in an old western, the film sets up Mitchell as the villain -- an aloof winner who won't even acknowledge his opponent's presence. Wiebe, meanwhile, is the guy in the white hat, a family man who has lost his job and just wants to leave a mark.
Best of all, proponents of both circle around them like satellites. There are furious cellphone calls and a showdown of sorts that lets each have his day.
Because this is much ado about nothing, "King of Kong" offers plenty of laughs. It has great historical perspective and a sense of drama that fiction films can't beat. For anyone who lived during Kong's heyday, it's a great trip back in time -- a chance to reminisce about video games that didn't feature lifelike graphics and "Easter eggs" for champions.
Gordon knows the turf well. He has the ear of both men and isn't afraid to play sycophant if it will help hiim tell a better story. "King of Kong" has a heartbreaking moment or two, as well, and when one of the contestants breaks down, you can't help but feel for him. This "Kong" is as big as another one and twice as enjoyable. See it and you just might become a fan of documentaries.
Coming: 'The Brave One'
Jodie Foster has taken on all kinds of thugs -- on land ("Panic Room") and in the air ("Flightplan").
Now, in "The Brave One," she's facing them on the mean streets of New York.
While in the park, walking their dog, she and her fiance (Naveen Andrews) square off with a particularly nasty gang. He's killed; she's left with a nagging sense of retribution. On impulse, she buys a gun and, unsuspectingly, finds herself using it. Instantly, she's in the world of "Death Wish."
Like Charles Bronson, Foster tries to right wrongs that aren't even against her. She kills a pimp, offs a big-mouth and becomes friends with a detective (Terrence Howard) who thinks he's on the trail of a serial killer. A male serial killer.
Little does he know the person he seeks is the woman next to him.
While director Neil Jordan tries to make this an interesting study in revenge (not unlike Kevin Bacon's tacky "Death Sentence"), he can't quite let Foster stew. She doesn't think before she acts, she acts. Similarly, she's not someone without a platform. As a radio deejay (who records street sounds, then philosophizes about them on air), she's hardly anonymous. Still, Jordan gives her a kind of isolation that's phony and unnecessary. Similarly, the talk show hardly seems like something anyone would listen to, much less jaded New Yorkers.
What does register is Howard. He has an easy style that makes the high drama go down smoothly. When he's talking with Foster (for an interview that apparently doesn't air), he willingly offers opinions on issues that could prove professionally harmful. The guise seems natural -- and proves disarming when he finally does connect the dots.
Also this week:
TV: "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," volume 5; "Curb Your Enthusiasm," season six; "Damages," season one; "Emergency," season four; "Hannah Montana: One in a Million"; "JAG," season five; "SpongeBob: To Love a Patty"
Film: "Bordertown"; "Canvas"; "Charm School"; "The Comebacks"; "Daddy Day Camp"; "Drumline"; "Feel the Noise"; "Groundhog Day"; "The Invasion"; "King of California"; "Ladron Que Roba a Ladron"; "Lake Placid 2"; "Monty Python's Life of Brian"; "Mr. Untouchable"; "The Nines" "Rocket Science"; "Trade"
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James Heller wrote on Jan 28, 2008 8:41 PM:
Looks like a pretty cool game they have over at www.lakeplacid2dvd.com/game "