Added to my list of regrets...

I doubt many of you remember this, but towards my final year in Columbia, I tossed around the idea in my mind of making a documentary about the annual International Classic Game Tournament held at a New Hampshire video arcade called Funspot. I had read up on it quite a bit, and was particularly fascinated by the array of participants that took part each year; from Israeli physicists to Canadian concrete testers, the people who were going out of their way to master these digital dinosaurs seemed to be the polar opposite of the classic gamer stereotype (i.e. 40 year-old man with ass permanently attached to the couch in his Mom's basement, remnants of a Cheeto stuck in his teeth). This article from the Boston Phoenix officially sold me on the idea that the drama of this event would make for a great movie.

Well, I never pursued it like I wanted to, even though I remember Ryan Woodsmall and I briefly discussing taking a vacation to attend this event and some Buffalo Wing Eating Competition close-by, and now someone else has gone and done it.



It's a tad different, I know, and definitely a better idea than a straight telling of the competition. From what I've gathered, this is apparently going to be one of the documentaries of the year, receiving great write-ups all over. The director even has been signed on to do a remake, a la "Dogtown and Z-Boys"/"Lords of Dogtown".

I don't doubt that this guy did a much better job with the idea than I ever would have (personally, as someone who loves video games, I think it looks REALLY good), but I can't help but kick myself a little. When I get home from Korea though, I fully plan on fulfilling my dream of mastering this:


Mark Shelley, does my high score at CBGB's still stand?