King Of Kong Comes In January

Michael Moore may get all the documentary attention, and his Sicko almost deserves it, but there is more to the documentary game than the political shocker. Take Seth Gordon for instance. Gordon has assembled a fantastic documentary that pits man versus man in the arena of classic video games. As silly as that subject may sound, Gordon treats both the subject and the players involved with a great deal of respect, resulting in one of the best documentaries this year, King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.

If you missed King of Kong in theaters (and lets be honest, most of you probably did), now you’ll get a second chance to see it as it hits DVD on January 29th. The movie is about everyman Steve Wiebe and his journey to get a “win” in life. After losing his job, Wiebe turns his attention to Donkey Kong and attempts to beat the high score record, held by Billy Mitchell. You’ll be surprised at just how many obstacles stand in Wiebe’s way, and I’m not talking about barrels and a big monkey.

The announced release for King of Kong looks fascinating, with new interviews featuring the players and even side-by-side tapes. Take a look at the plans for this January 29th release:

• Feature commentary from director Seth Gordon, producer Ed Cunningham, associate producer Clay Tweel and associate producer Luis Lopez
• Feature commentary from IGN.com editor and i am 8-bit founder
• Featurettes including extended interviews, player profiles and bonus footage
• “A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong" animated short