Posted October 13, 2006



Click here to bookmark this page!
king of kong not understood by Reviewer Ann Hornaday Movie Critic From the Washington Post

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters Directed by Seth Gordon Produced by Ed Cunningham The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters follows a middle school science teacher as he battles a hot sauce mogul for the Guinness World Record on the arcade classic Donkey Kong. Link Nollan Bushnell started it all in the beginning of the Video Game Age with Atari and Chuck E. Cheese the Coin-Operated Animated Pizza Arcade. Hot Sauce Billy Mitchell's Restaurant Franchise and Rickey`s World Famous Sauces has some competition (shown above) in the Real World but in the World of the Surreal it is all about Donkey Kong and who is the best in the world. This is the story of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters with Steve Wiebe as the Protagonist. Some General Coin-Operated Video Game History and Present Times Steve Wiebe became the King of Kong and got his name into the 2008 Guinness Book of world records for the highest score on Donkey Kong and he also got alot of fame from the recent movie The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. It all starter in the beginning with the founders of video games such as Nolan Bushnell of Atari who pushed Pong to its lofty heights in which all other games followed. For the price of one token, in the 1980's you could be a God with your high score initials on the top of the screen. Games like Tempest, Donkey Kong, Joust, Pole Position, Centipede and Pac-Man were played religiously in the golden era. Then after the bankruptcy of most coin-operated arcades, an era ended and the large chains retooled like Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Franchise and Arcade retooled to stay in business. The new era bought in prizes for kids through redemption, skee ball, air hockey and basketball. The ticket counter was now full after much business restructuring. Now their are large businesses such as the Discovery zone featuring featuring games and elaborate indoor mazes designed for young children, jungle gyms, birthday, parties and other forms of entertainment. The Donkey Kong craze is a huge franchise with the latest technology now stepping in with the Mario Factory from Japan offering touch screens and interactive entertainment. The Mario factory aims to increase appeal among women; The handheld Wii is getting a new color to attract the opposite sex to the Mario Franchise and beyond. Gaming is a large industry and people are now revisiting the classics, however Ann Hornaday from the Washington Post does not believe this subject needs to be revisited and especially not in movie form. The below is her complaint about the King of Kong, the documentary about Donkey Kong Competition to land ones name into the Guinness Book of World Records.
One reviewer, Ann Hornaday writes that she cannot understand why a movie should be done about video game players
Ann Hornaday feels that the stakes are low, with competition not being very compelling, in this case to get printed in the Guinness Book of World Records and the non-sense of playing video games in a great degree during adulthood.
Below is the Editorial Review by Ann Hornaday (AH) and Rebuttal by Paul Dean (PD): Editorial Review: By Ann Hornaday, Washington Post Link "Is there anything more tiresome than watching people play video games? Seth Gordon's documentary "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" answers that question with a decisive yes: watching a movie about people playing video games. Following the all-too-familiar formula of the charming 2002 documentary "Spellbound," Gordon's film chronicles the efforts of die-hard players of the classic video game Donkey Kong as they vie for the world record score. True to the structure that has become increasingly hackneyed with the glut of competition docs ("Mad Hot Ballroom," "Wordplay"), "The King of Kong" features the cocky champion who's defending his title, the genial but fatally flawed underdog and the ambitious upstart. There's also a loathsome eminence guise who calls himself "Mr. Awesome" and introduces a whiff of sleaze and corruption into the hermetic culture of grown men who spend nearly every waking hour behind a joystick. (If Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell aren't engaged in a bidding war over the life rights of reigning champ Billy Mitchell, they should be.) Low-fi production values and endless talking heads don't help make an already un-engaging world any more compelling. It's a depressing little kingdom, even when Gordon tries desperately to goose the drama with the requisite "Eye of the Tiger" riffs and some junior high-level palace intrigue. "The King of Kong" suggests that the old saw about academia stands true for the insular world of video games: The competition is so vicious because the stakes are so low." The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters Rebuttal of the Editorial Review by Ann Hornaday by Paul Dean: Ann Horaday quotes to (AH) Abbreviation in below rebuttal. Paul Dean rebuttal (PD) Abbreviation in below rebuttal. "Is there anything more tiresome than watching people play video games" (AH) "I don't see the King of Kong as being about watching people play video games but rather of competitors trying to achieve the ultimate goal of being the best that they at something and being recognized for it. The medium just happens to be video games but it could be anything in which you feel you are the best at and would like to get the recognition for your abilities of being the best." (PD) "To be a winner means something to some people and the King of Kong is about that struggle to win at something even if it seems insignificant to others there is nothing wrong with competing with yourself or setting goals and pursuing them, following your dreams and your heart's desires in order to achieve something, even if it is not as big as saving the planet." (PD) "What makes the King of Kong interesting is that there are so many facets and hurdles to be overcome both personally and socially in order to get to the top, which is similar to that of climbing the ladder in the real world." (PD) "True to the structure that has become increasingly hackneyed with the glut of competition docs" (AH) Hackneyed: To cause to become banal and trite through overuse. "It may be true that competition documentaries are many, however, if you have turned the TV on for any amount of time you will find that the TV stations are riddled with Sports shows, Sports events and Sports Commentary. The public never tires of these things. Go Figure. However the King of Kong Documentary has many more twists than the normal sports show with characters that almost seem not real in some instances which makes this movie compelling." (PD) "whiff of sleaze and corruption into the hermetic culture of grown men who spend nearly every waking hour behind a joystick" (AH) Hermetic: Commonly symbolism that is exceedingly obscure, convoluted, or esoteric brotherhood. "The term hermetic, yes this group is quite obscure as many have gone on into playing modern consoles and have left classic gaming behind, however in later text (AH) alludes to the idea that these players spend every waking moment behind a "joystick" is not quite what has gone on. Some people play Chess, Ping Pong or other recreational activities in their free time all while raising a family and having a successful business life. One should not categorize others by a given hobby which they do well in two to three hours a day while maintaining successful business and social relationships as well as occupying there time on many other endeavors as many of these players are very successful entrepreneurs, computer programmers and engineers with a penchant to be the very best at what ever their endeavor might be." (PD) "Low-fi production values and endless talking heads don't help make an already un-engaging world any more compelling." (AH) "King of Kong is a story about good pitted against evil which is the basic Shakespearian experience which has been intriguing to most who can feel for the protagonist who happens to be against all odds of succeeding. Why this is considered 'un-engaging' would be to say that Shakespeare's Tragedies have no merit. There is something about the struggle which is compelling." (PD) "It's a depressing little kingdom, even when Gordon tries desperately to goose the drama with the requisite "Eye of the Tiger" riffs" (AH) "Seth Gordan, the Director didn't need any music at all in order for one to see the despair on trying to obtain something and always having it snatched away from you, in this case it happens to be the reward of being in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some would say this isn't important yet others are willing to risk life and limb in order to get into this book." "'The depressing little kingdom' exists at all levels of power as power absolutely corrupts on some level. It is unmistakable and recognized in this documentary as it would be in any political arena which holds the keys to success and fame. Your either on the inside or on the outside wanting to get in with the 'in' group and recognized as one of the best which at times seems to be impossible dream." (PD) "Some junior high-level palace intrigue." (AH) "I'd bet that the so called 'junior high-level' non-sense is applied to all small groups at it's highest level of membership as it is about personalities and of everyone getting along and trusting the new score and the new dynamic which is brought into the organization. The membership I refer to is basically the unwritten membership of being printed in the Guinness Book of World Records and being established as a player to be recognized among ones peers in this highly competitive video game world where scores do matter." (PD) "world of video games: The competition is so vicious because the stakes are so low." (AH) "No matter what your sport or hobby the top notch player is revered and the stakes are that of being recognized by your community of players as well as the Guinness Book of World Records and of being famous with interviews from all over the world as well as making money selling life writes for movies, consumables etc., of your name. So I'd say these stakes are more than just a few pebbles in the pocket." (PD) Overall a movie is usually great when character development is strong and believable and there are alot of twists laughs and agony along the way and in the right places. I believe the King of Kong had a lot of that going for itself. (PD) It is interesting that Ann Hornaday finds no short comings in the low brow movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America, in which every person and everything in America is berated, but when reviewing Kong she can find nothing at all redeaming. See: Paul Dean, PD Amusements - Coin Vending Video Gaming Operator Web Page link





Back to: Walter Day Conversations


Click here to bookmark this page!




Thank you,
Paul Dean, www.spyhunter007.com, Spy Hunter Champion, June 28, 1985

--------------------------------- Click here to bookmark this page! ---------------------------------




[Coin-Op World Records]


Click At Desired Graphic Text For Each Introduction


Biography Commentary Questions





Click On Below Graphic Text For Spy Hunter Introduction





Tournament and Guinness Book Results From 1983-2004

Click On Below Graphic Text For All Video High Scores thru 2004









The Golden Era

Click On Below Graphic Text For Material On The Golden Years Of Video Games 1980's












Click the Below Graphic Text to read my Conversations With Walter Day







June 9, 2004 Walter Day states, "No Replay Necessary" for Paul Dean





Find A Video Game Auction Near You



Home Page




Thank you,
Paul Dean, www.spyhunter007.com, Spy Hunter Champion, June 28, 1985

--------------------------------- Click here to bookmark this page! --------------------------------- Florida DWI Lawyer
Florida DWI Lawyer Counter Dodge City Video Game Showdown March 25, 2006 - 2006 Classic Classic Video Game Showdown: A big Classic Competition with all the legendary players, was at the Apollo Amusements Center at 820 Andrews Street, Pompano Beach, Florida on April 6-9, 2006. Link