The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

Die-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.

Director:

Seth Gordon

Writer:

Seth Gordon

Stars:

Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell, Mark Alpiger

9 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Wiebe	...	Self - Donkey Kong Challenger
Mark Alpiger	...	Self
Adam Wood	...	Self
Walter Day	...	Self - World's Video Game Referee
Steve Sanders	...	Self - Author: Master's Guide to Donkey Kong
Steven Krogman	...	Self
Robert Mruczek	...	Self - Head Referee, Twin Galaxies
Doris Self	...	Self - Q*bert Contender
Todd Rogers	...	Self
Brian Kuh	...	Self - Donkey Kong Expert
Zack Hample	...	Self
Billy Mitchell	...	Self
Barbara Mitchell	...	Self
Jon Farley	...	Self
Nicole Wiebe	...	Self - Steve's Wife

Storyline

In the early 1980s, legendary Billy Mitchell set a Donkey Kong record that stood for almost 25 years. This documentary follows the assault on the record by Steve Wiebe, an earnest teacher from Washington who took up the game while unemployed. The top scores are monitored by a cadre of players and fans associated with Walter Day, an Iowan who runs Funspot, an annual tournament. Wiebe breaks Mitchell's record in public at Funspot, and Mitchell promptly mails a controversial video tape of himself setting a new record. So Wiebe travels to Florida hoping Mitchell will face him for the 2007 Guinness World Records. Will the mind-game-playing Mitchell engage; who will end up holding the record?

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Plot Keywords:

world record | donkey kong | arcade | piano | playing a video game | 

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Taglines:

In the cutthroat world of Donkey Kong, only one can rule.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a brief sexual reference

Did You Know?

Trivia

On March 5, 2010, Hank Chien became the new Donkey Kong world record holder, scoring 1,061,700 points.

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Goofs

In the scene in which Steve's son Derek is crying and shouting, the "Donkey Kong" sounds heard don't match the action shown on-screen.

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Quotes

Walter Day: I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to be the center of attention. I wanted the glory, I wanted the fame. I wanted the pretty girls to come up and say, "Hi, I see that you're good at Centipede."

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Connections

References Carnival (1980)

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Soundtracks

You're the Best
From the Motion Picture The Karate Kid (1984)
Written by Bill Conti & Allee Willis
Published by EMI Golden Torch Music Corp and EMI April Music Inc. (ASCAP)
Performed by Joe Esposito
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Island Def Jam Music Group

User Reviews

Turns into a startlingly fascinating character study.

This movie proves two things: 1), a documentary really can be about anything, and 2), movies aren't always what they're about, but how they are about, as Ebert puts it. This movie begins by retracing the early video game craze of the early 80's, and it focuses on the 20 year plus record-holder of the highest score ever for 'Donkey Kong'. His name is Billy Mitchell, and he's the Michael Jackson or the Wayne Gretzky of the video gaming world. We learn of other players who helped to define the era, one who no longer plays but gives much of his time away by refereeing video game competitions. Perhaps all that would've made for an interesting doc in it's own right, but in walks Steve Wiebe, a pretty normal guy with a wife and two kids, and we learn how he got into video gaming after a handful of setbacks in his life. As it becomes clear to us that Wiebe is an amazing player in his own right, politics enter the picture and we end up with a fascinating study about the nature of people that gets beyond simple competitiveness and digs a little deeper into the psyches of how we perceive our own selves. I'm so happy to have run into this title. You don't have to be interested or know anything about video games to really care about this movie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 2008 (Australia)

Also Known As:

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$51,493, 19 August 2007

Gross USA:

$677,914

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$790,128

Company Credits

Production Co:

LargeLab

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1