The King of Kong

"The King of Kong: A fistful of Quarters." An unusual documentary about the high price, and the intense stress of obtaining the world record in the game of "Donkey Kong." Yep, you heard right, Donkey Kong! The story of the back and forth battle for the 20+ year standing record between the elusive Billy, and the determined Steve is nothing short of captivating. I was a little skeptical when my brother, Chris, let me borrow this movie, but was most pleasantly surprised. It's funny, intense, frustrating, liberating, and enlightening. I'm not joking, it's an in depth experience that goes beyond just the game. In the words of the protagonist, "It's not even about 'Donkey Kong' anymore...".

This movie has an underdog hero, a conniving, scheming, calculating villain, and a quirky mediator to top it all off. There's deceit, anger, love, lying, cheating, rivalry, and camaraderie. A movie that once again proves that life can be stranger than fiction. The more I ponder over this film the more I think fondly upon it. The eventual antagonist even has the equivalent of henchmen for crying out loud! Hilarious and infuriating!!! A must see for anyone interested in a good laugh, and an even better story. It's out now on DVD. Released in 2007. Run-time: 90 minutes. Rated PG-13 (barely...mostly PG).

Grade: A

Clash of the Titans

I saw the old iteration of the "Clash of the Titans" many, many years ago, and have very few memories of it. What I do remember is that it was not that good, but entertaining none-the-less. The new movie follows those same sentiments almost exactly. " Clash of the Titans" is not that good... film-making-wise, and the script is flawed on multiple levels, but it somehow squeezes out fun entertainment! I can't totally explain it, but I really liked the movie. It's not one that you will be dissecting, and delving into. It's not a movie that will be discussed in any awards ceremonies, but it is escapist fun, and it knows it. Clash doesn't try to be better than it really is, and it hits well on its intended targets. I feel comfortable recommending it to most people--so long as they know to go into the movie with the idea that it's not high art, but fun escapism.

Grade: B