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EastEnders spoilers for the week of July 14 reveal Oscar Branning (Pierre Moullier) causes mayhem, Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) arrives, and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) makes a discovery. Also, Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) puts on the pressure, and the Queen Vic is auctioned.

Oscar’s Return

Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) receives a phone call that leads to a surprising reunion with Oscar; soon, she discovers where he has been and why he can’t come back home.

Their uncle, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), returns from his trip and reconnects with Oscar, but the young man is determined to persuade Lauren to let him stay, using some emotional manipulation.

Peter Beale (Thomas Law) and Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) ask questions, while Lauren gives in and agrees that Oscar can stay for a while if he behaves.

However, Oscar gets a message that suggests he might be more trouble than he is worth.

EastEnders spoilers and updates for the week of May 12 tease exposés, fights, mixed signals and peacemaking.

Cindy Beale (Michelle Cotton) pulls off an exposé, Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiatra) and Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) fight, Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) gets mixed signals and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) attempts peacemaking.

Cindy Stirs Up Trouble For Kathy

Next week, Cindy continues to stir up trouble for Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), resulting in heartbreak for Jean Slater (Gillian Wright).

As Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) gets ready for the Slater camping trip, things go awry when Jean insists on not going without her daughter Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), which frustrates granddaughter Lily Slater (Lillia Turner).

Although Harvey manages to persuade Stacey to join, Lily firmly states she doesn’t want her there.

In a fit of anger, Harvey storms off to the café in search of comfort from his secret lover Kathy, only to be met with indifference.

EastEnders spoilers and updates for the week of May 5 tease exposures, births, suspicions and more! Kathy Cotton’s (Gillian Taylforth) exposed, Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) gives birth, Gina Knight’s (Francesca Henry) suspicious and more!

Cindy Exposes Kathy

Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) returns to Walford next week, and she won’t hold back on revealing Kathy’s attempt on her life!

It’s the engagement party for Lauren and Peter Beale (Thomas Law), but Lauren is anxious after their recent midwife appointment raised concerns about possible complications.

Her frustration grows when a preoccupied Peter steps away to take a call, while Kathy relocates the celebration to Harry’s Barn due to an issue at The Albert.

Gina recruits Mo Harris (Laila Morse), Jean Slater (Gillian Wright), and Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) for assistance, but it’s evident they are not equipped for the task.

During the party, Lauren’s worries persist,...

EastEnders spoilers and updates for the week of March 17 tease worsening dementia, a standalone episode, someone’s busted, and two grieving ladies clash!

Nigel Bates’ (Paul Bradley) dementia worsens, a standalone Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) episode explores his hospital stay, Nicola Mitchell’s (Laura Doddington) busted, and Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) and Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) clash!

Nigel’s Dementia Worsens And Causes An Upsetting Mix-Up

Nigel’s condition creates a distressing scenario concerning Phil, as he grapples with memory issues stemming from young onset dementia.

After a particularly tough day, Nigel confides in Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), who has come to understand his diagnosis after witnessing him disclose it to Phil last month.

Unfortunately, the week takes a troubling turn when Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) encourages Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) to be truthful with Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) about Phil’s situation.

Billy, however, refuses and becomes furious when...

EastEnders spoilers and updates for the week of January 27 tease Gina Knight’s (Francesca Henry) in the suspect spotlight, and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) comes to someone’s rescue. Plus, Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) gives someone much needed encouragement and more!

EastEnders Spoilers – Gina In The Suspect Spotlight

A new suspect emerges in the attack on Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) next week, and this time, attention turns to her daughter Gina.

Anna Knight (Molly Rainford) is very wary of her older sister Gina, especially after witnessing another secret conversation between her and Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway).

Meanwhile, Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) is heartbroken when Monique (Busayo Ige) restricts his access to their son Xavier (Chase Dean-Williams) because he is a suspect in an attempted murder case.

At The Queen Vic, tensions rise as Junior reveals a shocking truth about Gina! Everyone accuses her, but George Knight (Colin Salmon) defends her.

EastEnders spoilers and updates for the week of January 6 tease seven scandalous spoilers! Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) seeks forgiveness, Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) plots an exit, the Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) drama explodes, the Beale family gets updates and shocks, and more!

EastEnders Spoilers – A Brief Recap Of The New Year’s Eve Tragedy

The intense New Year saga unfolded with Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) tying the knot with her true love, Eve Unwin (Heather Peace).

However, their joy was short-lived as the nefarious Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) poisoned Eve and then dragged Suki into his chaotic downfall.

After provoking his son, Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), into pushing him from a hotel balcony, Ravi thought he killed his former stepmother in addition to his father.

Fortunately, both Suki and Eve Panesar-Unwin managed to escape these life-threatening situations, alongside Denise Fox (Diane Parish), who also fell victim to Nish’s attacks.

EastEnders spoilers and updates for the week of December 2-December 6 tease six scandalous spoilers! Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) gets a big ultimatum, Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) manipulates, Martin Fowler (James Bye) makes a mistake, and more!

EastEnders Spoilers – Linda Carter’s Big Ultimatum

Next week marks a significant turning point for Linda (Kellie Bright) as her drinking spirals out of control, raising questions about her future.

Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) is heartbroken when his younger brother, Ollie Carter (Harry Farr), reveals some troubling details about their mother’s drunken antics.

Linda soon finds herself intoxicated again, throwing out patrons from The Queen Vic right in front of Ollie.

When Johnny confronts her about the consequences of her behavior, Linda lashes out, grabs a bag, and decides to stay with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).

Sharon vows to support Johnny and address Linda’s issues, giving Linda a stern talking-to-however, Linda’s...

EastEnders spoilers and updates for the week of November 11 tease someone makes trouble, someone’s hurt, someone’s lonely and more!

Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) makes trouble for the six, Eve Unwin’s (Heather Peace) hurt, and Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) lonely.

EastEnders Spoilers – Bernie Taylor Makes Trouble And Confronts The Six

Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) feels a wave of relief as she sees her daughter Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) embracing sobriety and concentrating on her recovery journey.

However, Linda’s optimism takes a nosedive with the unexpected return of Bernie; she warns that neither of them will be able to move forward.

Linda finds herself in a tough spot, having to clarify her botched confession regarding Keanu Taylor’s (Danny Walters) murder, while Bernie is furious Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) is taking the blame.

In a fit of anger, Bernie heads over to confront Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal...

EastEnders spoilers and updates for the week of October 28 tease secrets discovered and Halloween horrors, a new friend bond and more.

The Six’s secret’s discovered by Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdry) and he inflicts Halloween horrors on them; Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) bonds with a new friend, and more!

EastEnders Spoilers – Nish Grows Suspicious, Uncovers The Truth About Last Christmas

Nish becomes wary of The Six after overhearing a secret conversation between Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) and his ex-wife Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal).

He soon discovers their meeting as they try to recall their stories from Christmas; Nish is determined to uncover the truth, but the women claim they have nothing to hide.

However, we know they have been hiding their role in Keanu Taylor’s (Danny Walters) murder for the past year, and it looks like their secret will be exposed soon.

Nish insists on accompanying them to the police station,...

EastEnders spoilers and updates tease some shocking new twists for next week. Maya Houssain (Bharti Patel) is exposed, Davinder ‘Nugget’ Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) collapses and will Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian) steal Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) from Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt)?

EastEnders Spoilers – Maya Houssain Exposed?

Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) and Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) were all set for a romantic evening until a message from Maya changes everything.

Harvey makes an excuse to Jean and meets Maya, who confesses she is selling her home to pay off debts.

Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) spots them together and tells Jean, who fears Harvey is being unfaithful.

Maya leaves behind a letter with a different address, prompting Harvey to investigate-he finds a distressed man at the new address and realized Maya’s troubles run deep.

Jean braces herself for a confession of infidelity, but Harvey surprises her with the truth; Harvey has learned a valuable lesson,...

EastEnders spoilers for Thursday, May 9 tease George Knight (Colin Salmon) has a dilemma-to fight or not to fight? Also, Patrick Trueman’s (Rudolph Walker) annoyed over slow progress, Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) meets up with Stevie Mitchell (Alan Ford) and Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) isn’t happy .

EastEnder Spoilers – George Knight’s Dilemma

Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) walks into the café and is greeted by Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer).

Gina and Anna Knight give her the cold shoulder, clearly annoyed with her for keeping George’s fighting a secret. Cindy assures them that she will talk to George and convince him not to fight again

Reluctantly, Gina and Anna agree to have lunch with Cindy, but when Cindy meets up with George, he rejects her suggestion of online therapy to manage his emotions.

However, Cindy eventually persuades George to reconsider; he’s torn, contemplating participating in another fight despite the...

EastEnders spoilers and updates for Wednesday, May 8 tease there’s a dark cloud over George Knight (Colin Salmon) when he receives a devastating diagnosis.

Also, Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) makes a brave move, and Billy Mitchell’s (Perry Fenwick) furious finding Stevie Mitchell (Alan Ford) with Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips).

EastEnders Spoilers – George Knight’s Devastating Diagnosis

The day of Gloria Knight’s (Elizabeth Counsell) memorial has arrived, and the Knight family has come together to honor her memory-however, George is struggling after a fight the night before.

Despite his pain, George tries to hide it from his family so they won’t worry-as the memorial service begins, George gazes at a photo and suddenly feels unwell.

When Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) realize what’s happening, they urge George to go to the hospital.

George complies and undergoes a thorough check-up but the news he...

EastEnders spoilers and updates for Monday, May 6 tease there is a shocking moment when Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) confronts Pastor Gideon Clayton (Howard Saddler).

Coming Up On Eastenders

Also, Stevie and Billy Mitchell clash over the grandchildren and George Knight (Colin Salmon) struggles over missing Gloria Knight’s (Elizabeth Counsell) funeral.

Patrick And Denise Concerned Over Yolande’s Strange Behavior

Patrick and Denise Fox (Diane Parish) grow increasingly worried about Yolande Trueman’s (Angela Wynter) peculiar behavior.

They believe that Pastor Clayton might be able to help so Patrick confides in him, and he suggests that Yolande might be ill, shocking Yolande when Patrick confronts her about it.

Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) questions Patrick about Yolande’s well-being, but he is unsure how to respond; confused because he had no idea that Yolande had scheduled a medical appointment.

Seeking guidance, Patrick discusses his concerns with Pastor Clayton once again and...

Exclusive: Nearly two decades after producing The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, a video game documentary that’s emerged as a cult classic since its unveiling at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival, Ed Cunningham has wrapped production on Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad Of Walter Day, a follow-up film picking up with his documentary subject, known as the father of Esports.

Directed by Seth Gordon, The King of Kong offered a look into the world of competitive arcade gaming with a focus on the quest for the high score in the classic arcade game Donkey Kong. The specific focus of the film is the intense rivalry between two gamers: the reigning champion, restaurateur Billy Mitchell, and underdog challenger, Steve Wiebe. As Wiebe relentlessly pursues the Donkey Kong high score, he faces obstacles and skepticism from the gaming community, particularly from Mitchell and the organization Twin Galaxies, which oversees video game records.

Billy Mitchell, the notorious gamer who proved a perfect antagonist in the 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, is back at the top of the leaderboard after years of dispute that his Donkey Kong gaming may have been through emulators.

Twin Galaxies – the organization that officially bestows world records on gamers – has again confirmed that Billy Mitchell holds the following Donkey Kong records: 1,047,200 (the King of Kong Score), 1,050,200 (the Mortgage Brokers score) and 1,062,800 (the Boomers score). And while it’s not in the record books, we have yet to see another professional gamer with such a gorgeous head of hair.

Twin Galaxies launched their official investigation into the legitimacy of Billy Mitchell’s records back in 2018 after there was a dispute that his achievements “were not generated by unmodified original Donkey Kong arcade hardware as required by the leaderboard rules”, with some pointing to Mitchell’s video...

Pixels is a comedy action film with a penchant for silly humor. While its reception did not live up to expectations, Pixels boasts a stellar ensemble cast featuring Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, Kevin James, Josh Gad, and Michelle Monaghan, among others. It even includes cameo appearances by celebrity tennis player Serena Williams and television personality Martha Stewart. With dialogue lines such as "I am sitting on the floor sobbing, drinking wine out of a sippy cup," Pixels is a film that encourages you to leave your logical faculties at the door and embrace the fun unfolding on the screen. But, did you know that Peter Dinklage's Eddie Plant is based on a real-life video game legend, Billy Mitchell?...

Pixels is a comedy action film with a penchant for silly humor. While its reception did not live up to expectations, Pixels boasts a stellar ensemble cast featuring Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, Kevin James, Josh Gad, and Michelle Monaghan, among others. It even includes cameo appearances by celebrity tennis player Serena Williams and television personality Martha Stewart. With dialogue lines such as "I am sitting on the floor sobbing, drinking wine out of a sippy cup," Pixels is a film that encourages you to leave your logical faculties at the door and embrace the fun unfolding on the screen. But, did you know that the four-time Emmy Award-winning Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage had a crucial role in the video game film? Peter Dinklage played Eddie Plant in the film, and drew inspiration from a real-life video game prodigy. The character of Eddie Plant was partly inspired by legendary video game player,...

On the April 17, 2018 episode of /Film Daily, /Film editor-in-chief Peter Sciretta is joined by /Film senior writer Ben Pearson and writer Chris Evangelista to talk about Pet Sematary remake casting, the title for Avengers 4, Harley Quinn movie director, an update on King of Kong champion Billy Mitchell, Neill Blomkamp crowdfunding his next […]

The post Daily Podcast: Inappropriate Books We Read As A Kid, Is DC Copying Marvel By Hiring Sundance Directors? Pet Sematary, Avengers 4, King of Kong, Neill Blomkamp, Httyd 3 & PTA appeared first on /Film.

Update: Mitchell has responded to these claims, denying any wrongdoing and promising he’ll provide evidence proving his innocence. Watch his full video response below. Back in 2007, there was a hit documentary that arrived by way of the Slamdance Film Festival called The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. The film from director Seth […]

The post ‘King of Kong’ Champion Billy Mitchell Stripped of ‘Donkey Kong’ World Record Score [Updated] appeared first on /Film.

In what came as a shock to absolutely nobody who has seen the King of Kong documentary, star Billy Mitchell was banned from competition and had all of his high scores removed for cheating. Videos of Mitchell's Donkey Kong playing were proven to be doctored and it was also proven that he used an emulator, which is against the rules and something that Mitchell flat out denied in the documentary. Now, Billy Mitchell has announced that he will be revealing evidence to prove his innocence at a future date that will clear his name.

Over the weekend, Billy Mitchell addressed the allegations at the Midwest Gaming Classic in Milwaukee and in typical Billy Mitchell behavior, denied the allegations. In addition, he has vowed to clear his name with some mysterious evidence, which sounds pretty much like how he delivered the cheating tape to Twin Galaxies in King of Kong. The...

Last week, Twin Galaxies and the Guinness Book of World Records announced Billy Mitchell had been stripped of his high score titles after an investigation confirmed he had been using illegal emulation software to gain his high scores. Now, Mitchell has released a statement regarding the controversy, and has claimed he has evidence that his records are legit:

I'm curious as to who these "witnesses" are and what level of proof Mitchell has towards the legitimacy of his records. I also find it curious he referred to Twin Galaxies as the "new regime," as I'm assuming that means someone took over the business from Walter Day, who seemed all in on Mitchell's side in the documentary. Do you think Mitchell is telling the truth and that his evidence is relevant enough to get his records back, or do you think this is another VHS tape in the trunk incident like in King of Kong?...

The recently dethroned “King Kong” champion promised in a video over the weekend that a new investigation will prove that he didn’t cheat.

“I’ve been asked to address things that are recently in the media,” Billy Mitchell said in a YouTube video on Sunday recorded for Old School Gamer Magazine, for which he is an advisor. “The fact of the matter is, now there is a true professional due diligence being done to investigate things that happened as far as 35 years ago in a professional manner, not in a shock-jock mentality designed to create hits.

“We will show that everything that has been done, everything was done professionally, according to the rules, according to the scoreboard, the integrity that was set up. Not 2014-forward by the current regime, who wants to reach back 35 years. Everything will be transparent. Everything will be available. I wish I had it in my hands right now,...

One of the best gaming documentaries of all time is being developed into a musical. The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters the musical is being developed by the original director Seth Gordon whose most recent film, Baywatch, is now in theaters.

Very little is known about the adaptation, save the fact that it will feature an original song from Twin Galaxies iconic scorekeeper Walter Day called ‘Museum of Your Heart’. I'm also sure, like the doc, it will explore the rivalry between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell who were competing for the world record for Donkey Kong.

Of all the shows to appear on Broadway, I truly believe this is the first I would make the trip to NYC to go and see. When talking to IGN about the project, Gordon said:

“Yeah, some scripts have been written – we’re actually working on a musical right now, which is pretty great.

We’re still waiting on New Line’s remake of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Seth Gordon‘s excellent 2007 doc about Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell competing over the world record for Donkey Kong. Gordon, who went on to direct Horrible Bosses and Baywatch, has been wanting to dramatize their rivalry in a feature film for years now – […]

The post ‘The King of Kong’ Musical in the Works appeared first on /Film.

Wil Jones Sep 7, 2016

Movies based on videogames tend to be awful. But documentaries about games? They're sometimes brilliant...

Hollywood has always has an awkward relationship with videogames. Studios are scared of them because they’re a threat, and something else for teenagers to spend money on instead of big summer movies. But on the other hand, there’s a lot of money in games, and Hollywood wants some of that — but they’ve never properly worked out how. Ever since 1993’s Super Mario Bros, there has been a steady stream of movies based on videogame properties, and their guaranteed awfulness has become a running joke. And while that’s slightly unfair on a few films (Raul Julia totally makes Street Fighter worthwhile), it’s not without reason.

And even when they’re not based on an actual title, attempts to make movies more broadly also tend to be terrible. The Last Starfighter,...

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a decade since The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters was released. Seth Gordon‘s now-classic documentary chronicled the world of arcade gaming championships, with the main storyline focusing on the feud between a Redmond, Washington high school teacher named Steve Wiebe who attempted to break Billy Mitchell‘s record […]

The post Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell Will Never Be ‘The King of Kong’ Again appeared first on /Film.

A judge has thrown out a lawsuit by former Donkey Kong record holder Billy Mitchell — who was featured in the 2007 documentary The King of Kong — over his claim that a Cartoon Network show stole his likeness, The Associated Press reports.

Mitchell had taken umbrage with the Regular Show character Garrett Bobby Ferguson, a floating head with a beard who cheats his way to video game glory. Cartoon Network said Ferguson is a transformative depiction of Mitchell — who also sports a beard and long brown hair — and New Jersey Federal District...

To this day, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters remains one of my favorite geek-focused documentaries. It's a journey through a very niche and exclusive world of coin operated arcade competition. Grown men compete for all-time records on games ancient by today's standards, and get super salty and obsessive when their records are broken. Featured prominently throughout the film is Billy Mitchell, who once held both the record for high scores in Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Mitchell has long protested the film's depiction of him, which makes him seem petty, paranoid, and conniving...and while that may or may not be true, this new expose by Gawker may not help his case.

Mitchell recently had a case thrown out by a judge after the gaming champ attempted to sue the Cartoon Network program Regular Show over its depiction of him, which can be seen below.

While the whole...

Featuring: Jay Bartlett, Billy Mitchell, Walter Day, Patrick Scott Patterson, Warren Davis, Tommy Tallaric | Written by Robert McCallum, Jordan Christopher Morris | Directed by Robert McCallum

Confession time. Between working a full time job and keeping Nerdly going, I don’t have a lot of downtime. Working all day and well into the night also means I also often struggle to unwind at bedtime. But a few years ago I found a solution for that, YouTube. Whereas a lot of people will read a book in bed for going to sleep, I watch videos. In particular the myriad of retro gamers on YouTube making videos about their collections, their game hunts and their general all-round love for old-school gaming. I’ve even made some videos of that nature myself.

Over the years there has been an explosion of well-produced YouTube “shows” that rival Us reality television in terms of editing, production and quality.

Nintendo Quest is a new documentary launching today that shows what happens when two fans go on the hunt to track down and purchase all 678 games for the Nes console. If you're a gamer or collector, this may be worth checking out. Come inside to learn more.

This should be an interesting documentary not only for gamers, but retrogaming collectors. While I used to collect a lot of retro stuff, I gave it up a while back. Even so, I still feel a certain passion for it, and this sounds like the type of documentary that's right up my alley.

Nintendo Quest from Vision Films on Vimeo.

Vision Films is set to release adventure-filled documentary Nintendo Quest with an exclusive worldwide premiere on Vimeo On Demand on October 1st. It will then be released on all other major digital platforms and DVD in North America on December 1st 2015.

The documentary follows two gaming enthusiasts,...

Nintendo Quest follows two gaming enthusiasts, director Robert McCallum and life-long friend Jay Bartlett, as they hit the open road in hope of buying all 678 official retail licensed Nintendo games in just 30 days, with no online purchases.

One man. 30 days, 678 games. No online purchases. It’s the premise that launched a film over 10,000 miles in the making and showcases the adventure of video game rock star, Jay Bartlett, a fanatic collector in pursuit of his dream to own a complete official North American Nes library. Along the way, filmmaker Rob McCallum examines the enduring legacy of the Nes and Nintendo while talking to the enthusiastic community of retro gamers and game collectors.

Nintendo Quest features exclusive interviews with well-known names in the game industry including ‘greatest arcade player of all time’ Billy Mitchell, ‘Twin Galaxies’ founder Walter Day, and gaming personality Patrick Scott Patterson, as well as legendary game designers Warren Davis and Tommy Tallarico.

One of the movies I’m most looking forward to this summer is an Adam Sandler film. You read that right. I said Adam Sandler. While I’ll be the first one to admit his track record has some blemishes, I don’t think Pixels is going to be one of them. In fact, I think Pixels is going to surprise everyone when it turns out to be a lot of fun. If you’re not familiar with the film, it’s helmed by Chris Columbus and revolves around a group of 80's gaming champions who are called upon to defend Earth from alien invaders who have misinterpreted our classic arcade games as a declaration of war. Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan, Josh Gad, Kevin James, and Brian Cox round out the cast. As a huge fan of 80s arcade games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Centipede, I can...

What would you do if aliens interpreted examples of 1980s video games found in a space probe as a declaration of war? And sent giant versions of icons such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong to attack us? Clearly, you’d hire... Adam Sandler to defend the human race. Or at least, that’s what happens in action-comedy Pixels. Spawned from Patrick Jean’s inventive short, Pixels has is a big, brash Roland Emmerich-style alien invasion thriller welded to a high-concept Sandler comedy. The story finds Us President Will Cooper (Kevin James) tracking down old friend and ‘80s video-game champ Sam Brenner (Sandler) so he can put together a team of old-school arcade masters (including Josh Gad and Peter Dinklage) to defeat the techno-menace. So, basically it’s Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell from The King Of Kong saving the world?With director Chris Columbus aboard to marshal the spectacle...

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Directed by Seth Gordon

Us, 2007

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a documentary that follows Steve Wiebe’s attempt to break the Donkey Kong high score held by “Gamer of the Century” Billy Mitchell. Director Seth Gordon captures a classic underdog story on film that has you rooting for Steve the moment he takes on the Donkey Kong challenge, even though it means snatching the crown from Billy. More importantly, The King of Kong demonstrates the importance of good sportsmanship.

Initially Billy appears to he a pretty stand-up guy. His charisma pulls you into his world and makes you want to be a better gamer. I was actually torn at the beginning of the documentary. On one hand I wanted Billy to hold onto the title, but on the other I’ve always cheered for the underdog. I mean,...

Like the later levels on Space Invaders, things are moving ever quicker as Adam Sandler puts the pieces together for short film-based video game comedy sci-fi thriller Pixels. He’s just landed Game Of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage for a major role.Sandler, Josh Gad and Kevin James are already aboard for the story of what happens when aliens use iconic video game characters to wage war on the human race. Things look dark for humanity until the president (James) calls on his old friends (Sandler and Gad) to employ their gaming skills to stop the invaders.Dinklage, meanwhile, will seemingly be channelling The King Of Kong’s Billy Mitchell to play an arrogant, preening former Donkey Kong and Space Invaders champ. Chris Columbus is in the director’s chair for this one, working from Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling’s script, itself based on Patrick Jean’s short film. The...

Welcome back to another edition of Kickstart This, FirstShowing's weekly column dedicated to spreading the word about cool and interesting crowdfunded projects that need your help to become a reality. Today, we're heading back into the world of documentaries and shining a light on Man vs. Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale of Nibbler. It tells the story of the video game called Nibbler, the first billion-point video game score, and the man who remarkably reached that milestone who's named Tim McVey (no, not that one). Take a look at the pitch below, leave us a comment with your thoughts, and don't forget to donate. Though this documentary shares some obvious similarities to Seth Gordon's terrific The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (including an appearance by one of that film's subjects, Billy Mitchell), this one isn't just a faceoff between two middle-aged gamers to capture (and recapture...

Feature Ryan Lambie 23 Aug 2013 - 06:34

Here are a few geeky crowdfunding projects for your consideration, including a videogame documentary and a survival horror adventure...

If you were a documentary maker, and you went to a major television network, would they necessarily give you the money to make a quirky film about a largely forgotten videogame? Would a major publishing company give you the cash to make an off-the-wall horror game where you fight off monsters using mobile phone apps? The answer in both cases is: probably not.

That's the great thing about crowdfunding, and something we're reminded of every week - it gives everyone a chance to make what they'd like to make, all supported by the people who want to see it. This week's selection includes those examples listed above, plus a worthy cause involving a replica Tardis, and a stop-motion animation from a highly talented artist.

Man...

One of the more underrated gems of the past ten years of documentaries is a film called "The King of Kong," wherein real life hero Steve Wiebe wrestles over control of the all-time high score in Donkey Kong with real life creepster nemesis Billy Mitchell. If you haven't seen it, check it out and join us in loving/loathing strangers for their video game skills.

In the meantime, with a tip of the hat to our homies at movies.com, there's a faux documentary out there paying homage to "The King of Kong" and "Wreck-It Ralph," called "Wreck-It Ralph Presents 'Garlan Hulse: Where Potential Lives,'" whose 28-minute run time serves as a nice contrast with its War and Peace-esque title. Indeed, "Garlan Hulse" follows the same basic plot points as "The King of Kong" — grown men playing video games, a hero and a nemesis, questionable hygiene, etc. — only with,...

Hot off the heels of his apparent success with Horrible Bosses, director Seth Gordon is already talking about a sequel* -- to his previous (much more moderate) hit The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. The concept of a sequel, or a fictional remake, to the documentary is at least a three years old, but Gordon insists via The Playlist that it will totally happen this time. And he now knows how he wants to tell that story:

"There's a few different avenues [the film can take]. I've done some work on 'Modern Family' and 'The Office' and have worked in this doc style, and so that inspired me to say, instead of doing a traditional narrative feature script, what if we did the remake in the doc style? What doors what that open? What opportunities? What additional story could we tell? And that's essentially the approach we took."

The angle is an interesting one,...

For some people, a serious look at the world of competitive "Donkey Kong" would already count as a mockumentary. Not so for Seth Gordon, the director of "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters," who has made public his intentions to direct a new mockumentary adaptation of his breakout hit.

The 2007 documentary followed "Donkey Kong" newcomer Steve Wiebe as he struggled to wrest the world record high score on the game from long-time champion Billy Mitchell. As you can probably imagine, 85% of the people in this movie are at least 75% nuts, so it makes for a pretty good time.

Rumors of some kind of follow-up to the film have circled for years, with Gordon having claimed at different times that it would be both a remake and a sequel. Now, the "Horrible Bosses" director appears to be taking the mockumentary route: "I've done some work on 'Modern Family' and...

We all know that Hollywood is in the habit of remaking anything and everything, but this one took me a little off guard. And here I thought I was immune to such things. You all remember The King Of Kong, the (sensationalized) documentary that pit Donkey Kong pro Steve Wiebe against video game god Billy Mitchell in a race to get the highest score possible for the game. It was an endearing little film, and a lot of fun, and so uh, what's happening with it now? It's being remade as a dramatic...

Seth Gordon has quickly made a name for himself in the world of film. He started as a cameraman for the documentary, Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing and eventually produced and edited the documentary, New York Doll, which was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize in documentary at Sundance Film Festival in 2005. But most people know him best for his feature directing debut with the 2009 hit documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Since he has kept busy directing a video series focusing on the threat posed by cybercrime to Internet users, H*Commerce: The Business of Hacking You. He’s also directed various music videos and commercials, as well as an episode each of Modern Family and Community, two episodes of The Office, and multiple episodes of Parks and Recreation.

But the man behind the cameras of this weekend’s Horrible Bosses can’t escape...

Seth Gordon's Horrible Bosses was a hilarious ride so I am excited to report the following news. It looks as though the long-planned sequel of his directorial debut, The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters will be in a faux documentary style. Gordon sat down with The Playlist to talk a bit about the project. The film that brought humor anda touching story to a film about Billy Mitchell's and Steve Wiebe's battle for the Donkey Kong crown. The film was such a success that New Line picked up rights to a sequel immediatley.

Here is what Gordon had to say:

“Totally. It’s stunning…I think it’s the thing that won’t ever die in a way because I think we all love the doc,” Gordon said, confirming the remake is still being worked on. “And so we haven’t given up on it.

Seth Gordon seems to have become a director of studio comedies like Horrible Bosses (and he's remaking WarGames) but don't forget that he first took the spotlight as the guy who made The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters back in 2007. The film really struck a chord with people, and New Line bought the rights to make a dramatic remake of the video game showdown between Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe. We haven't heard too much about the film in a while, but it hasn't died off. In fact, Seth Gordon is talking about it while doing the press rounds for Horrible Bosses, and he says that we might expect a mockumentary-style movie. Seth Gordon told The Playlist [1], I think it’s the thing that won’t ever die in a way because I think we all love the doc. And so we haven’t given up on it.

Director Seth Gordon, the man behind the cameras of "Four Christmases" and this weekend's "Horrible Bosses" still has people talking about his debut feature, the documentary "The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters" four years since it hit theaters. The sleeper sensation was an unlikely hit, tracking Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe as they slugged out to wear the crown as the champion players of Donkey Kong. As funny and at times absurd as that story was, it was also unexpectedly tender and moving, and it's no surprise that New Line snapped up the rights to remake it into…...

It was hard not to love Seth Gordon’s documentary The King of Kong. Not only did it make watching a guy playing a decades old arcade game interesting but it constructed an excellent, if fairly biased, narrative between two very different personalities.

We are a month away from seeing Gordon’s Horrible Bosses and Deadline are breaking the news that Gordon will next take on the reigns of a new version of the 1983 movie War Games, which had Matthew Broderick playing Noughts & Crosses (or Tic-Tac-Toe if you absolutely insist) with a scary computer to prevent a nuclear planet punching.

Unless Gordon is planning on returning to his roots and having the world at risk due to a particularly tough game of Donkey Kong (and if he does then Billy Mitchell must surely have a cameo as Ming the Merciless) then it’s a fair bet that all manner of...

When Seth Gordon directed The King of Kong, a story of two men battling for the title of master of a classic arcade game, gaming whiz Billy Mitchell came across as the moustache twirling villain to Steve Wiebe’s devoted and entirely sympathetic hero. Was the characterization entirely fair? No, but it made for an incredibly compelling and entertaining documentary. With Make Believe, the Gordon-produced documentary directed by J. Clay Tweel, the feature avoids vilifying any of its subjects while still managing to give us a great film about the battle of human wills and the admirable human desire to be the best. The fact that it’s six teenagers fighting for the title of best teen magician just makes it that much more entertaining.

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The producers are behind this fascinating new documentary that takes viewers into the world of magic!

Ardent fans of The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters have a new documentary to worship and obsess over. From the executive producers of that fan favorite comes the all-new masterpiece of fascination, Make Believe. This coming of age journey is set in the quirky subculture of magic, and it follows six of the world's best young magicians as they battle for the title of Teen World Champion.

Much as The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters pitted the heroic Steve Wiebe against douche supreme Billy Mitchell, Make Believe also find the perfect rivalry in lovable, self-taught magicianHiroki Hara, who hails from a small town in the middle of nowhere Japan. And his nemesis Krystyn Lambert, a seemingly privileged blonde haired beauty who is accused of coasting on her looks more than her skills as a magician.

There's a reason certain arcade games never really leave the public consciousness. The twitchy panic of "Asteroids," the interminable march of the pixellated aliens of "Space Invaders" and the surge of revenge from eating a ghost in "Pac-Man" still make all those titles incredibly powerful experiences, long after the heyday of the arcade era.

"Donkey Kong" rates up there as well and the game enjoyed resurgent awareness after Seth Gordon's acclaimed 2007 documentary "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" chronicled the high-score rivalry of Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell. That film inspired Dr. Hank Chien to try his scalpel-wielding hands at the Nintendo masterpiece. Chien went on to jump right over both Wiebe and Mitchell like so many rolling barrels and is now the current "Dk" champion. Filmmaker and actress Alexis Neophytides met Chien just as he was gearing up for his Dk journey and recorded him for a year,...

For obvious reasons, I am a pretty big fan of Seth Gordon's 2007 documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, which captures the intense battle between Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe as they both try to attain the coveted title of Donkey Kong World Champion. One of the few unsatisfying things about the movie is the fact that the story never seems to end, because the title has continued to change hands ever since the release of the film. Things became even more complicated last year when a third contender entered the picture and stole the title away from both Mitchell and Wiebe: 35-year-old plastic surgeon Hank Chien. Chien's skills have earned him the nickname Doctor Kong, and now he is also getting a documentary of his own called Doctor Kong: Cutting Up the Competition. Directed by Alexis Neophytides, it's somewhat unclear if this is a feature-length doc or just a short.