The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a 2007 American documentary film. Highlighting the popular 1980s arcade game Donkey Kong, it follows Steve Wiebe in his attempts to take the world high score for the arcade game from Billy Mitchell, who the film presents as reigning champion. The film premiered January 22, 2007, at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival and has been shown at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival, the SXSW Film Festival, the TriBeCa Film Festival, the True/False Film Festival, the Aspen Comedy Festival, and the Fantasia Festival. The film opened in limited release in the United States on August 17, 2007 in five theaters, and by September 9, 2007, the film had expanded to 39 theaters in the U.S.

The film's original title was simply The King of Kong but later received the subtitle A Fistful of Quarters. A scripted film adaptation is also in the works. Director Seth Gordon has said that the movie might be a sequel instead of a remake, telling the story of how the documentary changed both men's lives, as well as their continuing rivalry. The film's DVD release was on January 29, 2008.

Ed Cunningham and Seth Gordon shot more than 300 hours of film to make the documentary. The film was dedicated to the memory of Doris Self, who appeared in the film but died before its release.

Synopsis

In Ottumwa, Iowa Walter Day founded Twin Galaxies, an organization formed to keep track of high scores achieved on arcade games. Billy Mitchell, having achieved the highest ever recorded scores on Donkey Kong and Centipede in the 1980s, remains a video game legend in 2005. Twin Galaxies has now become a global organization. Mitchell is portrayed as unabashedly cocky and fond of self-promotion, proclaiming himself the "Sauce King" of Florida for his successful line of homemade hot sauces. Next to his family, Mitchell considers his arcade scores to be his greatest life achievements.