King of Kong Star Scores Cameo in Seth Gordon’s Four Christmases

Posted by on February 6th, 2008   Filed under: Comedy, Documentary, Games
Source: Joystiq

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Director Seth Gordon has seemingly moved on to bigger things ever since the release of his popular arcade game documentary King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Despite the fact that he may get a chance to direct a fictional remake of the doc in the near future, he is currently working on a romantic comedy called Four Christmases starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. The movie is about a couple who both have divorced parents, and their humourous struggle to visit all four of them on Christmas Day. The movie co-stars Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Dwight Yoakam, and yes, Vinnie Vaughn pal Jon Favreau. In an interesting twist, however, Gordon is also giving back to one of the men who helped him get where he is today.

Joystiq reports that King of Kong competitor Steve Wiebe apparently has a small, uncredited role in the film as Reese Witherspoon’s brother. Could this be the start of a new career for Wiebe? Probably not, but hey, one can always hope. If anything I would think Hollywood might come knocking at Billy Mitchell’s door sooner or later. There just aren’t enough good villains out there nowadays. Seriously, just imagine Billy Mitchell starring as the next James Bond baddie, with a nefarious plot to sabotage all the arcade games in the world. Now that would be brilliant casting!



  • “just imagine Billy Mitchell starring as the next James Bond baddie, with a nefarious plot to sabotage all the arcade games in the world” <== YES!

    OK. So maybe it’s a bit over the top but it’s certainly a nice gesture by Gordon.

  • I haven’t seen The King of Kong yet, but having heard and read several reviews on various websites and podcasts, all of which talk about what a good “villain” Billy Mitchell makes, I wonder how the guy feels about being compared to thieves, murderers, and criminals all the time now.

  • I think Billy Mitchell is taking the brunt of all this, because everybody knows a childish asshole like that, who can’t for the life of him be honest or upright about anything – and yet doesn’t realize that everybody else sees right through him. It’s a very widely spread condition, but that doesn’t make it more despicable. The way the film uses him is ingenious, and it really is one of the most remarkable characters in a documentary I have ever seen, and there is nothing appealing about him. No redemption, just a continuation of being an asshole towards everything.

    The only thing that redeems Billy Mitchell is the sappy way that his competitor is presented. As being some sort of crybaby whos had a rough time, but he’s got his loving wife crying right alongside him when he doesn’t get his world record, and there is no doubt where the sympathy is supposed to lie. That took away from the feeling of authenticity that is important to have in documentaries for me. But there are other things to enjoy about the film – especially Robert Mruczek who seems like one of the most respectable, genuine people you could ever meet. A pillar of integrity, insight and friendliness – and he’s got a great accent too.

  • Goon

    to be fair, Billy comes across a tad better in the special features of the documentary where people vouch for his charities, and especially the way he specifically treats the elderly woman who plays Q-Bert.