Home Media Magazine - January 27, 2008 - (Page 22) MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PROELITE and EliteXC IS PROUD TO PRESENT REVIEWS I THE KING OF KONG: A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS Street 1/29 New Line, Documentary, B.O. $0.7 million, $27.95 DVD, ‘PG-13’ for a brief sexual reference. Edited by John Latchem RUMBLE ON THE ROCK – THE SUPERSTAR COLLECTION D 5 FULL-LENGTH MIXED MARTIAL ARTS PAY PER VIEW EVENTS STARRING THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE SPORT! FIGHTERS IN THIS BOX SET INCLUDE CURRENT CHAMPIONS OF UFC, PRIDE FC AND KING OF THE CAGE! irector Seth Gordon’s The King of Kong is a wonderful, funny and bittersweet look at what it means to be a champion, even if the competition isn’t fully embraced (or understood) by the public at large. The King of Kong chronicles the offbeat inhabitants of the highly political world of competitive video gaming, where holding the high score on a classic 1980s arcade game means everything. The scores are tracked by the Twin Galaxies organization, and since 1982 their best-known champion has been Billy Mitchell, who set the high score in Donkey Kong with 874,300, and later completed the first perfect game of Pac-Man. As Mitchell says, if all the balls are bouncing his way, there must be someone getting screwed by the cosmos. Enter Steve Wiebe, a nice guy who has never been able to capitalize on his many talents. After he is laid off (on the day he and his wife sign the papers for their house), he sets his sights on breaking Mitchell’s high score. Wiebe sets up a Donkey Kong machine in his garage and attacks with the mathematical precision of John Forbes Nash, eventually earning more than 1 million points and sending a hilarious tape of his efforts to Twin Galaxies. When Mitchell learns this, he sends two cronies to investigate Wiebe’s game and, upon learning parts were provided by his chief rival, invalidates the record. What follows is Wiebe’s unrelenting quest to break the record unequivocally, earn the respect of Twin Galaxies and crack the cliquish fraternity of gamers, while Mitchell dodges any attempt to even admit there could be a player as good as he, espousing a higher standard to which he does not hold himself. As Wiebe closes in, observers trumpet his potential feat with all the fan- fare of a Sandy Koufax perfect game, while we wait for a showdown that seems destined not to happen. Not only is the movie fascinating, but the DVD is a lot of fun, with great video-game-inspired menus, a brief history of Donkey Kong, two good commentaries, interviews with the cast reacting to the documentary and updates of the participants. As a special treat, the cover is reversible, revealing a sprawling mural set in an arcade. Most interesting is a side-byside comparison of video of Mitchell and Wiebe’s records, with commentary from gaming experts. – John Latchem Elite Xtreme Combat (EliteXC) brings to the marketplace the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven broadband entertainment via the Internet. EliteXC brings the highest level of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem to the MMA sport, while remaining inclusive of fighters, fans and training schools. EliteXC capitalizes on the growing popularity of mixed martial arts as a sport, by building a community of enthusiasts around the globe. EliteXC takes pride in its leadership position in the MMA sport world. Professional athletes will compete within EliteXC events offering world-class entertainment filled with innovative staging, outstanding production values and new rules that elevate mixed martial arts fighting to a whole new level! MSRP I STREET BANGAZ Prebook 1/29; Street 2/26 TLA, Documentary, $14.99 DVD, NR. Stars Redman, Method Man, Jim Jones. S $ 14.98 Available: 3-18-08 2-DISC SET Call: (866) 410-9000 treet Bangaz’ value to viewers rests solely on their interest in hip-hop, increasing exponentially with their knowledge of (and concern for) its current culture. To outsiders, those who “ain’t street,” it is nearly unwatchable, except as a very raw and very fragmented look into the New York hip-hop scene — with insider interviews so specific that they seem like sitting down with a clique of inner-city high-school kids from another state. Those in the know, however, will appreciate the candid and direct approach. The DVD’s creators make little effort to streamline it for the masses, instead getting straight to the nitty-gritty with some of the biggest names in the N.Y. scene. Well-known artists such as Method Man, Redman, Cuban Link and Ice Cube weigh in on what’s bangin’ and what’s not, sharing gripes, anecdotes and calls to action. Although largely lacking in performances, the interviewed artists’ speech cadences propel the documentary with subtle rhythm, whether they are ranting about the state of hardcore hip-hop or freestyling about themselves. Nonetheless, due to this dearth and the insider nature of the title, only the most devout will find it appealing. – J.R. Wick 22 Home Media Magazine January 27–February 2, 2008
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