1st Feb 08

What:
King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Where:
Dendy George St, 346 George St, Brisbane

When:
Released Feb 28, but we have an advance screening...

Win:
Want to watch it with us? We have our own screening at Dendy, George St, on Wed Feb 13 and heaps of double passes to give away. To enter email win@fourthousand.com.au with the subject line ‘I am a Chuck Norris fashion disciple'

Watch the trailer:
Here

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.)

By Martyn Pedler

Format: Cinema

Mood: Nostalgic