interesting movie for arcade types in general.

website:> http://www.billyvssteve.com/

teaser

that sucks.  no canadian dates released.  would have been a hit at the toronto film festival or shot one of the smaller town film festivals even.  will have to wait for a dvd release.

I just watched it a couple of days ago myself.  It's really an interesting look into the world of competitive classic video gaming.  I'm sure it's a bit biased but still without a doubt Billy Mitchell is a total private.

_Troy

The latest issue of Gameroom includes an interview with Walter Day in which he basically says that the movie is slanted so much that it's not even close to reality.

There have been related interviews in this month's and last month's Gameroom magazine
http://www.gameroommagazine.com/

Apparently the movie has some unfair bias and innacurate stuff shown.
According to the interviews, Billy Mitchell is actually a great guy, and not the
bad person he may appear to be in the movie.

(I have not seen the movie so cannot comment directly myself!).

Cheers,
- Sylvain.

I'm certainly not surprised Walter Day would say that.  One thing that is plainly obvious is that there is a clique of individuals that are Billy sycophants and when something threatens Billy they all try to make sure it doesn't happen.

I watched this movie on the weekend, I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it, it is worth watching.

Quoted from mark

I watched this movie on the weekend, I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it, it is worth watching.

  where?

Quoted from gorydeath

  where?

There are copies on Bit Torrent if you are so inclined.

that was great if you havent seen it see it it is really worth it. great movie

an interview with steve sanders borrowed from  http://www.razorfine.com/index.php/2_0/5_questions_with_steve_sanders/

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

1. How did you become involved in the film?

When the documentarians were looking into the history of competitive gaming they started out with Twin Galaxies in Ottumwa, Iowa.  I�ve been involved there since 1982.  I had the unofficial Donkey Kong record in 1982 and the Kansas City Star did an article called �The King of Kong� about me holding the unofficial record.  I also did a book for Bantam Books around that time entitled The Video Master�s Guide to Donkey Kong.  I am thinking about writing and updating a new version for the Wii with some minor changes.


2. You are a friend of Bill Mitchell.  For those who haven�t seen the film, can you explain how you and Billy met?

Bantam Books told me to contact Walter Day of Twin Galaxies late February 1982 and learned I had the highest scores for Donkey Kong and Pac Man.  Shortly after I learned about Bill Mitchell.  We first spoke to each other in May or June of 1982 and hit it off right away and became quick friends even after the negative things which happened later on, which I brought on myself.  I have been a friend of Bill Mitchell�s for years and I know the feeling is mutual.


3. Has Bill seen the film?  How do you think he like how he comes off on screen?

As far as I know Bill has not seen the film.  I have seen the film twice.  It�s hard to describe Bill to other people.  Recently the best metaphor to use for Billy is the �poppa bear.� All the people in Twin Galaxies are in the bear�s den.  If you are a bear in the bear�s den he�s your provider and protector and you love him.  And when someone from outside comes in you don�t know them or respect them and you distrust them.  When I found out people on the outside don�t perceive him as I do I was shocked.  He can come across as very aggressive as he protects the integrity of classic arcade games.


4. Do you still play video games?

I had basically put them aside for 20 years.  I have never spent time on any of those new consoles like the XBox or Playstation.  When the documentarians came around they encouraged me to start playing again.  Now I own a Donkey Kong, Ms Pac Man and Joust arcade game.  I don�t play as much as I used to, but recently I set the third highest Joust record in the world, a world record I used to own, and I sure would like to have the world record.  I played doubles with the guy I have been competing with and we obtained the world record for doubles on Joust.


5. What message would you like people to take away from the film?

I think the message of the film is the classic human struggle.  Obviously there�s no question that Steve Wiebe is the protagonist, the underdog, the good everyman who is trying to achieve notoriety and fame.  Just as many humans are trying to become great at something.  Versus the antagonist, which is Bill Mitchell, who has the notoriety and fame that Steve is trying to achieve.  On one level it�s about Donkey Kong, which I�m sure most people would probably not be that interested in.  On another level it touches those classic themes.  It�s about us, ti�s about me, it�s about you, it�s about life.  The movie makers were terrific and I think this film will launch all of their careers.  The director Seth Gordon has already signed on to do a major motion picture with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.  When I first heard the idea I thought, it�s a documentary about video games; it will be lucky to make cable TV.  But I have been amazed and gratified to see how critics are uniformly praising the film.  I�m not sure the film has brought in new people to Twin Galaxies, except one thing I am certain of - there are more people who are now more aware.

Quoted from gorydeath

that sucks.  no canadian dates released.  would have been a hit at the toronto film festival or shot one of the smaller town film festivals even.  will have to wait for a dvd release.

It played at the Fantasia film festival in Montreal earlier this summer.