Burn After Reading: A Wort Report Short

The latest effort from Academy Award-winning writers/directors Joel and Ethan Coen is very good. It’s not great, and I would never rank it with their finer efforts such as Fargo, Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski or No Country for Old Men, but Burn After Reading is a fun, dark comedy with a tremendous cast.

George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt each turn in a top-notch performance and they all seem to be having a good time with this labyrinthine pseudo-spy story that—in typical Coens’ fashion—examines a group of not-terribly-bright people who are in way over their heads. By the end of the film’s 96-minute running time, you’ll swear that the story never really went anywhere. But I suppose that’s the point, right? Right?

Burn After Reading Is an entertaining, satisfying and sometimes subversive film, but don’t expect the limitless quotability or rewatchability of The Big Lebowski—which remains the Coens’ strongest comedy.

But hey, that’s just, like, my opinion, man.

The King of Kong: A Wort Report Short

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters may be the best documentary released last year that you didn’t see. While one man’s struggle to dethrone the world champion of Donkey Kong may seem trivial to most, the film treats its subject matter with such respect that even non-gamers will find something to enjoy about this joystick journey.

As the credits rolled, one thing about this film really stuck with me: Donkey Kong world record-holder Billy Mitchell comes off as a major league douchebag. Just read this quote:

“No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It’s sort of like the abortion issue.”-Billy Mitchell

Yep. He just compared a video game competition to abortion. Did you get douche chills?

From what I’ve read, director Seth Gordon had a definite bias, choosing a hero in the humble up-and-comer Steve Wiebe and a villain in Mitchell. Whether this rivalry was over-dramatized or not, it makes for compelling filmmaking.

If you’re checking out The King of Kong on DVD, be sure to watch the bonus features, which include extended interviews and more footage of Mr. Awesome, a.k.a. Roy Shildt, the Missile Command record holder. His level of insanity is bafflingly entertaining.

While The King of Kong might not be worthy of a purchase—particularly if you’re not into classic gaming—it’s a solid, solid rent.

Lego Star Wars: A Wort Report Short

In the wake of classic games like Knights of the Old Republic and Battlefront II, there has been a serious draught of quality console Star Wars titles. With the release of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed still months away, how will Jedi wannabes curb their Darth addictions?

Thankfully, the multiplatform Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is not only a great Star Wars title, but a must-play for gamers and children of all ages. While it’s not necessarily anything new—Lego Star Wars hit consoles in 2005 with the Original Trilogy follow-up the following year, this title combines all six episodes of the film series, Lego-fies them and adds the allure of online cooperative play (Xbox 360 version, pictured here) to give you more bang for your bantha.

The game infuses the Star Wars saga with a playful, irreverent sense of humor that’ll give you a chuckle whether or not you kneel at the altar of George Lucas. All of your favorite characters are here, and so is Jar Jar Binks—even by now, that guy must realize that he’s nobody’s favorite.