King of Kong
by MARTYN PEDLER
  • WATCH THE TRAILER

    HERE

  • WHAT

    KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS

  • WIN

    ONE OF 100 DOUBLE PASSES TO TWOTHOUSAND'S EXCLUSIVE KING OF KONG PREVIEW ON TUES FEB 12, 6.30PM AT DENDY NEWTOWN. JUST EMAIL WIN@TWOTHOUSAND.COM.AU WITH THE SUBJECT 'MAKE MY HANDS ITCH!'

  • WHERE

    DENDY CINEMAS, NEWTOWN AND OPERA QUAYS

published on 29th January, 2008

November 1982: LIFE magazine gathers together the best arcade game players for a tournament and a delightfully enthusiastic picture, cheerleaders and all. One of the teens was 17-year-old Billy Mitchell, considered the best gamer alive.

Present day: Billy Mitchell, now obviously a Chuck Norris fashion disciple, still desperately clings to his surviving DONKEY KONG score and his reputation as a game Jedi. Down-on-his-luck family man Steve Wiebe plays the same game in his garage – and we’re shown his skill level through a clever montage drawing together the physics of games, music, baseball, and more. Has he beaten Billy Mitchell’s last remaining world-record score?
**With accusations of rigged electrics, glitch-scoring, and restraining orders, KING OF KONG is a sporting drama for everyone who couldn’t catch. It gets some ironic mileage out of the disjunction between middle-aged white guys and ‘80s power ballads, but it doesn’t go for cheap laughs or lazy retro appeal. If you’re of a certain age and a certain geeky persuasion, this film won’t just pluck at your heartstrings – it’ll make your hands itch.

(Want to prime yourself for the screening? Here’s a free download of Steven Poole’s excellent book TRIGGER HAPPY: THE INNER LIFE OF VIDEOGAMES. Enjoy.)

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