Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Daryl Zero (A) on October 21, 2007 at 09:27:48

Saw this along with 30 Days of Night last night. The theater had a nice little promotion doing a Donkey Kong--off prior to the show with 6 audience members trying for the high score. A fun documentary about 2 guys: Billy Mitchell (holding the world's DK record since 1982) and Steve Weibe a nice guy who hasn't had much go right for him in terms of ambition. Billy Mitchell is depicted as the evil guy. He is arrogant and has acolytes who try to protect him. Steve Weibe tries to get Billy to go head to head with him and Billy ducks him despite rhetoric to the contrary. Steve comes off as a nice guy and the film is definitely fun and worthwhile.

Ultimately, I feel this movie breaks rules of a true documentary with the filmmakers definitely choosing sides and going out of the way to portray the guys as "good" and "evil." You basically have Billy Mitchell who is a celebrity and done a lot for gaming and others probably well past his prime and trying to hold on to his kingdom against a fairly nice guy (probably very annoying guy) who is trying for a stupid record. The dynamics help drive the movie but ultimately the key line is from Steve's daughter as she doesn't know why people waste their time trying to set records. Out of the mouth of babes . . .