“Battlestar Galactica” editors Andrew Seklir & Tim Kinzy have taken their feature-length documentary MAN VS SNAKE: THE LONG AND TWISTED TALE OF NIBBLER to Kickstarter in hopes of raising finishing funds. Set against the backdrop of the enduring subculture of competitive classic video gaming, MAN VS SNAKE is a funny and compelling tale that tells the story of “Nibbler”, the first billion-point video game and Tim McVey, the first person in history to reach this remarkable milestone. Five years in the making, the film wrapped principal photography this summer and is currently in post-production. Click ahead to read the details about the highest score recorded in video game history – on a single quarter!
In 1984, 16 year-old Timothy McVey (the gamer, not the bomber) walked into the legendary Twin Galaxies arcade in Ottumwa Iowa; 44 ½ hours later he had recorded the highest score in video game history – on a single quarter. The game was “Nibbler” and for 25 years, Tim’s record stood as the highest verified video game score of the “Golden Age” of video games, or so he thought. When a rumor surface of a higher score having been set in Italy (back in 1984), Tim embarks on a quest to reclaim his title from the Enrico Zanetti, an Italian kickboxing champion who may or may not be the reigning “Nibbler” world record holder. Soon after, Tim is challenged to a “Nibbler” showdown by Dwayne Richard, a renowned Canadian video game champion. The stakes rise dramatically as each vows to set a new “Nibbler” world record, but it won’t be easy. With 40+ hours of grueling non-stop play ahead of them, the high score contest becomes a test of wills to see who can hold out longer. Both players will battle fatigue, aching limbs and swollen hands in a brutal competition that they refer to grimly as “death in slow motion.” Pushed to the limit, McVey must fight to overcome his own demons (and the trials of middle age) or risk losing his legacy forever.
MAN VS SNAKE includes intimate interviews with the player, back-breaking days-long marathon attempts and unique archival footage from the 1980s. Locations range from small town Iowa to Los Angeles, New Jersey, Denver, Chicago, Washington, Miami, Canada, and Italy. Walter Day & Billy Mitchell (featured in THE KING OF KONG), “Nibbler” programmers: John Jaugilas & Joe Ulowetz, Joshua Bearman and others.
About the Filmmakers
Andrew Seklir (Producer/Director) is a producer, director and Emmy nominated editor of episodic television AMC (“Turn”), SyFy (“Defiance”, “Warehouse 13”, “Battlestar Galactica”, “Eureka”), Warner Bros. (“Alcatraz”) and NBC/Universal (‘Bionic Woman’).
Tim Kinzy (Producer/Director) is an episodic television editor SyFy (“Alphas”, “Eureka”, “Battlestar Galactica”)
Official Website: www.manvssnake.com
Official Email: info@manvssnake.com