King of Kong movie

[RTM]

Mark/all:

     What is Picturehouse doing (if anything) now that the ending of the movie has changed since Bill took back the world mark ? Are they at least acknowledging this or ignoring it ?

Robert

[pauldean]

Well, they are ignoring it for now. They have the ending they wanted
and I don't think they will be changing it. David vs Goliath and David
wins.

[RTM]

Hi Paul:

     I agree...if I were them, no reason to alter the ending from their PoV, but it is highly unusual for a documentary to come out and the ending conclusion/point/coup de grace is effectively changed so quickly thereafter.

     At the very least I hope they start to acknowledge that there are some major discrepancies intentionally left in the film, such as when they state that Bill and Steve "never met" but later, in the MTV interview, Steve suddenly remembers that they did meet. QUITE a significant happening to forget, and definitely shows a lack of accuracy to say the very least.

Robert

[pauldean]

Donkey Kong' Flick Finally Barrels Into Theaters — Will Johnny Depp Play Along?
Stephen Totilo Aug 17 2007 4:37 PM EDT

"Cunningham and Gordon spent the summer polishing the documentary.
 They weren't able to include the latest high-score twist — that will be
 addressed in the DVD release."
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1567389/20070817/story.jhtml

'Donkey Kong' King (Billy Mitchell) Reclaims Top Score — And He's Got
Witnesses To Prove It:
By Stephen Totilo

"former "DK" arcade champ Billy Mitchell contacted MTV News to announce
 that he had reclaimed the top score with a record 1,050,200 points"

Billy Mitchell's new high score on July 13, 2007: 1,050,200 points was done
at the '80s-themed annual meeting of the Florida Association of Mortgage
Brokers in Orlando, Florida.

"new score on his second game, which took two hours and 39 minutes"
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1565744/20070727/id_0.jhtml

King of Kong review: Go see it, like, yesterday
by Colette Bennett on 08.18.2007

"you're laughing one moment and moved the next while watching a film"
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1567389/20070817/story.jhtml

Some Steve Wiebe Donkey Kong Footage:
http://media.video.ign.com/ev/sv.html?dlURL=moviesmovies.ign.com/movies/video/article/812/812826/kong_wipemy_091407_flvlow.flv&object_ID=892769

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: SETH GORDON, STEVE WIEBE & STEVE SANDERS (KING OF KONG)
08.13.07
By Jeremy Smith
"King of Kong's stand-up-and-cheer final moment has been tarnished a little.
But Steve Wiebe will be back at it"

http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=interviews&id=11417

Other News: Funspot: The Greatest Arcade in the World
"last, but certainly not least, there is floor 3... the retro junkie's nirvana"
http://www.destructoid.com/the-greatest-arcade-in-the-world-38773.phtml

Official "King of Kong" Website:
http://billyvssteve.com/

[TT]

There is another review here with some clips too.

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/news/2007/08/king_of_kong

TT

[MDARULZ]

Mark/all:

     What is Picturehouse doing (if anything) now that the ending of the movie has changed since Bill took back the world mark ? Are they at least acknowledging this or ignoring it ?

Well, other than my interviews, and appearances throughout the film (according to those who've seen it), I've got no inside info, and don't communicate with Picturehouse or the original crew for the documentary.  Paul's more plugged in than me, perhaps, but I doubt if he knows their thinking on this development.  As Paul alludes, it would be foolish of them to acknowledge it, at least before the film plays initially, since it might detract from the 'story'.

One assumes that they may footnote it on the DVD release, assuming there is one, and / or on the 'remake' with actors, when it comes out.  Actually, with all the acclaim the documentary has had, I'm not sure why they'd do a remake.  I suppose it's because a film labeled a documentary is automatically at a disadvantage, due to most people's notions of a docufilm (read: boring).  Thus, a remake needs put in no such label.  Still, I would think that it's got to cost enough that what they'd lose from it being a true documentary would be made up from the savings.  But, obviously not.

     At the very least I hope they start to acknowledge that there are some major discrepancies intentionally left in the film, such as when they state that Bill and Steve "never met" but later, in the MTV interview, Steve suddenly remembers that they did meet. QUITE a significant happening to forget, and definitely shows a lack of accuracy to say the very least.

I haven't seen the movie yet, or an accurate and full review would have appeared on these forums, but, I can't believe that the meeting of the two has any real bearing on anything.  Of more significance would be the editing, that (according to a number of people who were interviewed for the production) slants things negatively toward Billy / TG, and more favorably toward Steve.

Thanks again to Paul, and also to Tony, for the links to reviews.  But, I'm still wanting gamers to chime in with a review.  I know a number of forum members have seen the movie - how about a review from someone ??  Put it right here in this thread...

[RTM]

Hi Mark:

     You stated "...but, I can't believe that the meeting of the two has any real bearing on anything."

     Oh, but it sure as heck does !! It shows, among other things, that this picture went thru not just the editing phase but according to some interviews fifteen (15) viewings where both Steve and his wife sat thru it, and not once did Steve do the honourable thing and say that this is clearly inaccurate, not to anyone interviewing him, and possibly not even to his wife. Not a very honourable thing to do, to himself of his worthy opponent.

     On top of that it also illustrates how easily the people who filmed this can incorporate lie and half-truths into their final product for the sake of the almighty dollar. There's also very little honour in that. I'd sooner believe a Michael Moore or Oliver Stone conspiracy movie that this.

     I'm not going to be silent on this. The movie is a pack of lies and half truths, and that's just from what I've heard. I doubt I can see it in it's entirety without mimicking a finger pressed downward on my tongue of even half of what I heard is in this flick. I shudder at what a travesty can become of a fully fictionalized version, but then again, so much of this movie already IS fiction.

     As a film on it's own merits it probably is well made, but the facts are what makes this movie worth seeing. If someone wanted to, I am sure they could make a high-quality, high production value docudrama illustrating just about any concoction that the director and producer could conceive...doesn't mean it's right if all the facts are distorted or grossly misrepresented, or if entire truths are left out of the final product.

     Considering Bill's last performance ended at stage 21-1 with 1.051M and a potential final outcome of 1.095-1.110M depending on aggressiveness, the mantle of "King of Kong" is surely secure now in the minds of those who are not blinded my lies or blind themselves to the truth. And as far as all those reviewers labelling Steve as a "family man", as if he's any different from Bill who also has a wife and kids, puh-lease.

RObert

     

[TT]

Is this right? Steve Weibe regains the record?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIUbIQ6pPI

[***PL***]

No, Tony...

This appears to be an award ceremony noting his WR achievement back in March (the 1049 score).  Another publicity stunt!

[TT]

But it says the date is August 19th 2007 and appears to show a successful attempt at the record?

Video Game champion Steve Wiebe visits the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for two screenings of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. It is a documentary about himself battling fellow video game champion Billy Mitchell for the official highest ranking score on Donkey Kong. While Steve was at the theater, he also decided to break the world record on Donkey Kong and once again defeat Billy Mitchell.

I think you might be mistaken.

Can anyone confirm?

[***PL***]

Take a closer look at the video link you posted.  The fine print on the certificate says March 23, 2007 which was the date the WR was broken.  The date of the certificate is August 19, 2007.  Big deal.

[pauldean]

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (famous theater in Austin TX) August 19, 2007 DK WR Attempt

Added:  20 August 2007
From:  TexasGeektv
Video Game champion Steve Wiebe visit... Video Game champion Steve Wiebe visits the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for two screenings of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. It is a documentary about himself battling fellow video game champion Billy Mitchell for the official highest ranking score on Donkey Kong. While Steve was at the theater, he also decided to break the world record on Donkey Kong and once again defeat Billy Mitchell.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIUbIQ6pPI

The above You Tube taping shows no high score and the TG Data Base shows no
new world record and there is no TG world record story on the TG Front Page or
any place else.
http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=22&pi=2&gi=3852&vi=22

Donkey Kong, Arcade, Points [Hammer Allowed]
 Rank 1
Score 1,049,100
Score Type Points
Player Steve Wiebe
Redmond, WA
United States
Date Achieved Friday, March 23, 2007
Date Verified Friday, March 23, 2007
Verification Method Video
Verified By Walter Day
 
Note: There is no mention of Billy Mitchell's new world record on the TG Leaderboard.

7/26/2007 Donkey Kong Record Falls
Billy Mitchell makes Record on 25th Anniversary of 1982 DK Record 
Man Shatters Donkey Kong World Record Exactly 25 Years After First Setting It in 1982
http://www.twingalaxies.com/index.aspx?c=19&id=1465

On Friday, July 13, 2007 Billy Mitchell scored 1,050,200 points for a new world record at
the Annual Florida Association of Mortgage Brokers convention in Orlando, Florida.

It is possible that Steve Wiebe got to the kill-screen at the Alamo Drafthouse, in Austin,
TX on August 19, 2007 but even that is unclear when watching the video.

-------------
Alamo Drafthouse, Austin, TX for 8/19/07
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - South Lamar, 1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 476-1320 www.drafthouse.com
1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
http://www.originalalamo.com/default.aspx?l=4

http://www.drafthouse.com/

Late breaking news from the drafthouse!!!
Arcade Champ Billy Mitchell has allegedly reclaimed his Donkey Kong world record holder status last week at a convention in Orlando. In a bold and daring move, Picturehouse has flown in an official referee to oversee a world record attempt by Steve Wiebe in the lobby of the Alamo Drafthouse. If you have a vintage, regulation, mint-condition machine and want Steve to set a world-record on your game, please email us.

There are still tickets available for the two Sunday 8/19/07 evening shows with Steve Weibe live in person. Following the shows, stick around for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see him attempt to reclaim his title.

About King of Kong;
This weekend it is LITERALLY "on like Donkey Kong" at the Alamo South Lamar, as we go ape for the opening of the greatest documentary of the season and quite possibly the decade: THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS. To celebrate the premiere of this heartwarming film about a middle school science teacher battling against a hot sauce mogul for world record domination of Donkey Kong, we're driving in a vintage Donkey Kong machine from Arkansas and giving it away to whoever can post the highest score in our on screen Donkey Kong challenge before the evening shows this weekend.

-------------------
King of Kong - Directors Screening - Screen 10 - Thursday August 16, 2007 8:00pm

The Directors screening took place at Arclight Cinemas at 6360 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 and the after party and Steve Wiebe's World Record attempt was at Big Wang's Wings.

Cinerama Dome and Arclight Cinemas
Hollywood, CA
6360 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/33/

Big Wang's Hollywood, CA 8/16/07
http://www.bigwangswings.com/contact/

Steve Wiebe's Hollywood California Donkey Kong world record attempt at Big Wangs Wings
did not make it to the kill-screen and was 861,000 on 8/16/07 at the Pictruehouse Directors screening after party at Big Wang's, 152 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, CA. 90028

[MDARULZ]

Is this right? Steve Weibe regains the record?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fAIUbIQ6pPI

No, Tony...

This appears to be an award ceremony noting his WR achievement back in March (the 1049 score).  Another publicity stunt!

This one's tricky.  Check out this screenshot from the vid...

As you can see (and Pat noted in a later post), the TG certificate is dated 08-19-2007, but is for Steve's March achievement, as can be seen.  For the high-quality video, see the post on the web site that put up (and, perhaps, shot and edited) the YouTube vid.  Note that their post is dated 08-20-2007.

I'm assuming the date shown on the vid is correct.  I find it interesting too that Dwayne is there, after all his bashing of Steve (including on these forums), but hopefully he's making amends.  I'm glad Walter was there too, tho I do have to wonder, knowing how Walter and Dwayne's travel usually works, if people associated with the movie paid their way.  I've heard from inside sources that Steve's travel is covered for these appearances, which would (of course) make sense.

The video, and accompanying commentary on YouTube, make it sound like Steve set a wr during this get-together.  I'm assuming that he did not, as this is not said or noted by anyone on the vid.  But, the editing and text inserts make you think he did, even tho it was Walter just recognizing him for the wr he set back in March.  Steve even notes at the end that Billy just got the record back (thus proving that this was shot recently).  Damn, when are people going to edit things accurately ??!!  Just be glad, my friends, that on CAGDC, I take accuracy seriously, and also that I don't censor.  A story is a story, and facts are facts.

Well, a final note; the weekend box office results are in, and TKoK almost beat out Spiderman 3 !!  Of course, that's because the latter's been out a while...  But, over $10,000 a theater is super-good, especially assuming it played on only one screen per theater, which is almost a surety.  While the #1 picture (Superbad) exceeded that 'take', I imagine that numerous theaters had it playing on more than one screen, so if that was considered, TKoK may have even topped that film !  Wow...  Well, hopefully my part in the movie helped put things over the top !  OK, I know - dream on...

[TT]

Pulling the wool over people's eyes by clever editing? Surely not! 

Walter in the video says something like "I've travelled a long way, so he'd better do it". Could someone clarify what "it" was?

[pauldean]

More links and info.: Alamo Drafthouse Austin, TX Showdown

This Sunday... 8/19/2007 Will You Be A Witness To History? Because I will! THE KING OF KONG and Steve Weibe working to break the record

"Walter Day or "TWIN GALAXIES" will be presenting Weibe with his Guinness World Record award... and then after that... Steve will be unleashed upon the Alamo Drafthouse's DONKEY KONG original Standup Arcade machine for a Guiness run on the record - sanctioned and observed by Walter Day."
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33705


'King of Kong' @ the Alamo Drafthouse

"Things got even more complicated Sunday night, when two members of Wiebe nemesis Billy Mitchell's crew arrived off a plane to observe the action at the theater"

"Billy Mitchell's "entourage" was in attendance"

"UPDATE FROM NYC: Reportedly, Steve "did not" beat the world record to regain his title last night at the Alamo Drafthouse. Though, multiple sources indicate that there were rumblings abound of a possible in-person, one-on-one showdown between Wiebe and Mitchell at some point in the near future."
http://blogs.indiewire.com/mattdentler/archives/014401.html


SXSW Film Presents:
KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS

"Picturehouse has flown in an official referee to oversee a world record attempt by Steve Wiebe in the lobby of the Alamo Drafthouse."
http://www.originalalamo.com/Show.aspx?id=4722


Donkey Kong is a rite of passage for American Youth

"Alamo Drafthouse is coming through for us with a Donkey Kong tournament before the showing of King of Kong on Sunday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. After an involved quest to find a wonderful, working Donkey Kong machine, the Alamo organizers were finally able to plan the ultimate DK tourney, in which first prize is the ultimate Donkey Kong machine--awarded to the winner by Steve Wiebe, holder of the disputed Donkey Kong title."
http://austinist.com/2007/08/13/king_of_kong_a.php

It's on like Donkey Kong! At the Alamo

"they rolled in a Donkey Kong machine and drew raffle tickets to get people to go play the machine while it was hooked up to the big screen in preparation for a city-wide contest to be held this Sunday. One guy who went up there got to like the 5th board, which apparently is seriously impressive."
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2596750

Arcade Fire
by Carson Barker
"It takes a true story of true grit, a man overcoming overwhelming odds a la David and Goliath to be made king"
http://www.zimbio.com/pilot?SP=1&ID=&ZURL=King%2Bof%2BKong%2BA%2BFistful%2Bof%2BQuarters%2Ftrackers%2F3%3FSort%3Drank&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.austinchronicle.com%2Fgyrobase%2FIssue%2Fstory%3Foid%3Doid%253A524353

Bottom Line: 8/19/07
Steve "did not" beat the world record to regain his title at the Alamo Drafthouse