8/17/2007

Gaming's finest "athlete"?

Now that so called cyber-athletes are actually getting some level of recognition, with big pro leagues and broadcasts on not only cable, but major networks, it seems like a perfect time to remember one of the originals, Billy Mitchell, who set a lot of original records when even fewer people gave a damn than they do today. So it's fitting that a documentary about him and one of his records being threatened comes out in limited release this weekend in King of Kong. Granted, two grown men competing for a high score in an ancient arcade game seems like boring fodder only the nerdiest of nerds would even bother to pay attention to, but the reviews have been stellar, saying this is essentially a mockumentary reminiscent of gems like Spinal Tap & Waiting for Guffman, but of course, the difference is that it's all too real. So I'll check it out with high hopes this weekend and hopefully if you are in one of the 3 major cities it's playing in (New York, LA & Seattle), you'll check it out too.

If you're not in one of those cities or just looking for something a little more mainstream, don't worry, the infallible Judd Apatow brings you his latest guaranteed laugher-Superbad. Granted, it's obviously the very familiar ground of high school losers trying to do remembered for something cool (or at least get laid) before high school is over, but the reviews claim it rings truer than American Pie or most other recent efforts, so it's most likely worth checking out, which I plan on doing if I have time.

One movie to clearly avoid, however, is The Invasion. How Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig got talked into this obvious 3rd-rate Body Snatchers rip off is beyond me. Seriously, just save yourself some time and money and rent the cheesy yet entertaining '93 remake for a much better time.

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