Billy Mitchell, mullet and all, rules his world. He reminisces of the legions of fans, desirous groupies and the tour schedules that sucked his life. He thinks back to the 80's when he was king and the world wanted to be him. And now, with his close-knit group of die-hard followers he secretly plans a comeback. In fact, his comeback, riddled with secrecy, promises to shock the world and once again crown him the best of his domain. The funny thing is, Billy is not what you would call a rock star. His mullet is not what's left over from Butt Rock glory and his fans don't wait for him to slide into an old pair of black leather pants. Billy doesn’t slobber on microphones and certainly has never trashed a hotel room. For Billy, being a rock star means handling a joystick and breaking world records instead of hotel suites. Billy is a rock star. But his stage is the world of classic arcade games.
King of Kong: a Fist Full of Quarters is a glimpse into Billy's world. It follows a group of frenzied record-seeking gamers who will do anything to etch their names in the record book archives and feel, even for a second, what it's like to be Billy Mitchell. The top of the heap of would-be contenders is Steven Wiebe, a soft spoken science teacher from Washington State. Wiebe, oblivious in the beginning to the dynamics and hierarchy of the gamer world, sits quietly at his personal Donkey Kong machine in his suburban garage attempting to crack 1 million points. After kicking some major Donkey Kong butt, Wiebe sends his video taped record performance in for review and finds out the hard way that it takes more than just a high score to crack into this odd world.
As a documentary King of Kong does not disappoint. It’s as fascinating as it is bizarre and devishly clever in the way it makes us want to be part of this weird, wacky world.
Those who know me, know I love film. They (people who know me) know I not only love to watch movies, but love to discuss them. They (people who know me) seem to like to talk to me about movies as well; and they (people who know me) like to tell me which films they liked and which ones they (people who know me) think I should see. I think people who know me don't know me well enough. Often times, when I'm recommended a film, I either go right out and see it or put it on my Netflix queue. I generally assume that someone is recommending the film for reasons I will understand only after seeing the film. And until I do I'm not at liberty to comment on the film or give reasons why it could suck or offend me. If someone recommended a movie and I said 'But I don't watch stupid movies,' I would be suggesting that I am smarter and more refined then them and am only attracted to things of my significantly higher standards. This immediately puts a wedge between us and implies that I am better than you.
Growing up LDS (Mormon) is terribly confusing. There is a paradox, unbeknownst to many, of immense duality that exists within the consciousness of the highly religious sort. That is: Righteousness vs. ego. As many of you know, ego is disguised as self. It makes you think that it is you. It wants you to think that you are it. While growing up I was constantly told that I am part of a chosen religion and therefore am special. I was also told that my righteousness would define me. As a child who's already, on certain levels, being guided by ego, especially in a society of one-upper peers; I began to allow my ego to use righteousness to stroke itself, and put me above others I felt were unrighteous. Not only that, but I began to despise those who I felt were either more righteous than me or, for that matter, more anything than me. Doing this created enemies; people I was subconsciously threatened by. High school was sort of a battle ground for clashing ego's; the catalysts being youth and vulnerability. Author Deepak Chopra, M.D. in the following video says "there is no such thing as an external enemy, no matter what that voice in your head is telling you. All perception of an enemy is a projection of the ego as the enemy."
Growing up LDS also led me to believe in a spirit, something that existed before earth life and will continue to exist after. The spirit and ego are at war. The ego intends to claim us, and to counterfeit spirituality as itself. The spirit intends to salvage what it can and lead us to experiences that will help us shed as much of the ego as we can through choices. Proclamations of righteousness, in attempt to showcase our level of spirituality are manifestations of the ego disguised as the spiritual self. Confusing, right?
Recently I had a friend tell me he was terribly interested in being part of my March Madness office pool. In fact, after a mass email, he was the first to get back to me and offer his interests. I met him at his office in town and gave him a sheet detailing the point system and rules that we used. He was enthusiastic and continued to detail his interest. He even said there were several people at his office that also might be interested. I was pumped. I love talking sports and love March Madness. We had sort of a bonding experience.
A few days later I texted him to let him know I needed the brackets and money (we do 5$ a bracket). He texted me back and told me he was not going to participate this year. Being close friends, I decided to call him and find out why. I could certainly help him if it was a money or time problem. He told me it was because he didn't feel good about it morally, and that gambling was wrong. He kept saying that it was nothing against me and for me not to be mad. 'Not to be mad?' Why would I be mad I asked. He told me because he was choosing the right.
At that moment, I felt inferior to my friend. I felt like he was saying I am better than you. And not only that, but the fact that he assumed that him choosing the right would in effect, make me mad. I know his intentions were not to hurt my feelings or to come across condescendingly, but then again, ego is hardly an intention. The ego companioned with self-righteousness is an ugly creature. It minimalizes all of our actions and poses itself as a beacon or example of goodness. I mean, have you ever wondered what is it that compells us/some of us to detail and pinpoint our righteous decisions to others. Did you think it was integrity?
Righteousness without ego on the other hand is rare in the Mormon culture. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Please remember I'm only differentiating the LDS culture from others simply because it is mine. But ego is no different anywhere else. It is what makes us human after all. It is what limits us and what protects us. It causes us to feel fear and is what eventually will destroy us. Self-righteousness or overt attempts to proclaim one's spiritual stance is the ego projecting itself as righteousness. The truly humble don't know and think about their humility, nor do they carry it as a banner for all to see.
Back to the movies.
Telling me you aren't going to watch a recommendation because you don't watch R's is no different than me telling you I'm not going to watch your recommendation because it's stupid. You are not taking a religious stand nor showing me how righteous you are. You are simply stroking your ego. Proclamations of righteousness, in attempt to showcase your level of spirituality, are manifestations of the ego disguised as the spiritual self.
I've come to realize that people who emphasize they don't watch rated R's because religious leaders told them not to, but in contrast watch every and any pg-13 film that comes their way, regardless of content, aren't avoiding R's because of content but simply because the film was rated R.
This my friends is the ego's way--it will always disguise itself as self and continue to make you feel your righteousness proclamations are needed and necessary for others to know. It’s no different than it fooling me into believing others need to read this.
"There is something about yourself that you don't know. Something that you will deny even exists, until it's too late to do anything about it. It's the only reason you get up in the morning. The only reason you suffer the shitty boss, the blood, the sweat and the tears. This is because you want people to know how good, attractive, generous, funny, wild and clever you really are. Fear or revere me, but please think I'm special. We share an addiction. We're approval junkies. We're all in it for the slap on the back and the gold watch. The hip-hip-hoo-****in' rah. Look at the clever boy with the badge, polishing his trophy. Shine on you crazy diamond, because we're just monkeys wrapped in suits, begging for the approval of others." -Jake Green, Revolver
REVOLVER: This film is bit of a blur. I watched it on a grave shift. I don't remember it being special in any way and was let down Guy Ritchie missed the mark so foolishly. However, while I was yawning between scenes, this quote about knocked me off my chair. I listened to it again and again and began to think about other film quotes and monologues that 'screamed to the soul.' I was going to make a lengthy list but when I started to think about quotes of this caliber I got sidetracked by the entire Network screenplay; which is simply a masterpiece.
Network is more applicable now then in 1976 when it was released. It's about, well everything, but on the surface it's about the effects of the media. An anchorman named Howard Beale announces on air that he's going to kill himself. Later, as he's forced to retract the statement, and feeling as if he has nothing left to live for, decides to rant about the bullshit of life.
"Good evening. Today is Wednesday, September the 24th, and this is my last broadcast. Yesterday I announced on this program that I was going to commit public suicide, admittedly an act of madness. Well, I'll tell you what happened: I just ran out of bullshit. Am I still on the air? I really don't know any other way to say it other than I just ran out of bullshit. Bullshit is all the reasons we give for living. And if we can't think up any reasons of our own, we always have the God bullshit. We don't know why we're going through all this pointless pain, humiliation, decays, so there better be someone somewhere who does know. That's the God bullshit. And then, there's the noble man bullshit; that man is a noble creature that can order his own world; who needs God? Well, if there's anybody out there that can look around this demented slaughterhouse of a world we live in and tell me that man is a noble creature, believe me: That man is full of bullshit. I don't have anything going for me. I haven't got any kids. And I was married for thirty-three years of shrill, shrieking fraud. So I don't have any bullshit left. I just ran out of it, you see."
Howard's rant makes sense to the American public and because of a ratings spike during Howard's monologue, the network decides to give Howard his own show and lets him say whatever he wants. This makes for some of the best scenes in the film and certainly plenty of quotes that scream to the soul.
All I know is, you've got to get mad. You've got to say, "I'm a human being, g*****n it. My life has value. We’ll [Television] tell you anything you want to hear, we lie like hell. You're beginning to believe the illusions we're spinning here, you're beginning to believe that the tube is reality and your own lives are unreal. You do. Why, whatever the tube tells you: you dress like the tube, you eat like the tube, you raise your children like the tube, you even think like the tube. This is mass madness, you maniacs. In God's name, you people are the real thing, WE [TV] are the illusion. Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube. This tube is the gospel, the ultimate revelation; this tube can make or break presidents, popes, prime ministers; this tube is the most awesome g*****n propaganda force in the whole godless world.
Howard's show is seemingly the most popular show on TV and people seem to do whatever he tells them to. Although he badgers and belittles the media and the very network he works for, he continues to get air time because of high ratings. Eventually he tells people to write the White House and stop a business merger involving his network and an Arab company. Needless to say, his minions respond and flood the White House with telegrams. Worried about the repercussions of Howard's words, the CEO of the communications company that owns the network, who happens to have millions to gain from the merger, invites Howard to his office for a lesson in world politics. This tyrannical soap box rant has Howard shrinking at the end. Ned Beatty delivers it with optimal force and miraculously shifts Howard's renegade-like gears. Here is a portion of it:
It is the international system of currency which determines the vitality of life on this planet. THAT is the natural order of things today. THAT is the atomic and subatomic and galactic structure of things today. And YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature. And YOU WILL ATONE. Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? You get up on your little 21-inch screen and howl about America, and democracy. There is no America; there is no democracy. There is only IBM, and ITT, and AT&T, and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today. You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr. Beale, and I won't have it. Is that clear? You think you've merely stopped a business deal? That is not the case. The Arabs have taken billions of dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back. It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity. It is ecological balance. You are an old man who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations; there are no peoples. There are no Russians. There are no Arabs. There are no third worlds. There is no West. There is only one holistic system of systems; one vast, interwoven, interacting, multivaried, multinational dominion of dollars.
Ironically, Howard gets gunned-down on air by assassins hired by the very network executives who winced and cringed at the thought of a televised suicide.
2007 oozes with style. From the hipster cool of Grindhouse to the isolative frigidity of No Country For Old Men, 2007 showcases the patented styles of some of Hollywood’s freshest artists. I noted that 2005 was the new millennium’s year of the auteur, where the bravest of talent etched its mark into the epic cannon of cinema. That being said, 2007 is the year of the young-gun stylist. Youth is relative of course. The Coen brothers (No Country For Old Men), although vets in the game, still, fingers crossed, have their best work to come.
Wes Anderson (The Darjeeling Limited), a man steeped with tales of wealthy dysfunctional families, has just hit his glide of a stride and has deeper depths to dive.
At times I'm fascinated with Tarentino (Grindhouse) and other times I think he's just regurgitating gold. I'm keen on his style, but waiting for his genius to rethink and re-ink its way out of this self-indulgent broken-record phase.
My favorite of late, the innovative and campy Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz) is the ultimate stalwart stylist, homageing, parodying and furthering the likes of the stale zombie and buddy-cop genres. Wright invented a new genre, the parody tribute with Sean of the Dead and iced the cake with Hot Fuzz.
Then there's Paul Thomas Anderson. I don't won't to lessen the power of the word 'genius' by using it twice in one article but I really can't describe PTA in any other way. A friend of mine from college and owner of "I vidded it on The Screen" often likens Stanly Kubrick to King Midas; suggesting everything he ever touched turned to gold. Some of course say the same thing about Orson Wells. The only contemporary director in the world of film of this nature would be, in my opinion, PTA. There Will Be Blood is a masterpiece and if it wasn't for those pesky Coen Brothers, it would be the best film of 2007 and possibly the decade. But the Coens, somehow, beat PTA to the punch and gave us not only an impressive, deeply haunting western thriller, but gave us Anton Chigurh, the scariest villain the silver screen has ever seen and I'm not just talking about his haircut.
So here are the best films of 2007:
10- Once 9- Juno 8- Grindhouse 7- Hot Fuzz 6- Into The Wild 5- The King of Kong 4- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 3- The Darjeeling Limited 2- There Will Be Blood 1- No Country For Old Men.
