Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day Review
Arcades & Love Songs is the follow-up to The King of Kong, following Walter Day as he begins his music career at 73.
I’m trying to be more mindful about what films I want to cover and not saying yes to everything that comes into my inbox. But honestly, I don’t know if I have ever jumped at the chance to review a film as quickly as I did for Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day from director Ed Cunningham. It is the follow-up to one of the best documentaries ever made, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.
Arcades & Love Songs focuses on Walter Day, the man who is the father of esports. Despite being known for his work in recognizing the competitive nature of video games, even in 2007, he was hoping to hang it up and pursue a career in music. Following a bad break-up, he began hearing music in his head and started writing down melodies and scraps of lyrics. He performed one song in The King of Kong, but aside from that, he continued his work at Twin Galaxies, putting his dreams on hold while he helped others achieve theirs.
When fans discovered this dream, they found a way to fund Walter’s album. He was able to record because of the impact that he had on so many. In one of the most touching scenes, he visits a local community college that is hosting a Q&A with him about esports, as they had recently started an esports team. Cunningham and the crew of Arcades & Love Songs interviewed some of the students. One young woman, Amber Lawthers, shared that before she got involved in esports, she had no real friends and was struggling in school. Following her involvement in these teams, she had a strong friend group and was getting good grades for the first time. Even though Day had dreams of music, he was still able to change lives with his work in video games.
One of the other fascinating things about Arcades & Love Songs is that they were able to include interviews with Shane Harris, the great love of Walter’s life. What is impressive is that while this kind of reunion could be awkward and cringey, it is incredibly sweet. We see the affection that she still has for him, even if things didn’t work out. She also shares how she is kind of glad they didn’t end up together because who knows what Walter’s life might have looked like if they had. Like so many aspects of this documentary, it is a reminder that we have no control over these things.
Arcades & Love Songs does a great job of bringing back familiar faces from The King of Kong without simply rehashing that entire film. What is lovely in this movie is to see how much these folks were there to lift up Walter when he needed it. There was a cheating scandal involving Billy Mitchell that Walter got roped into, and it was fascinating to see Billy protect his long-time friend. Billy can only be described as a villain in the original movie, so it was fascinating to see another side of him here.
More than anything, Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day is a testament to how our lives are able to reach far beyond what we might think. And it is also a reminder that it is never too late to pursue your dreams. In the final scene, Walter performs a concert for his friends and community. The start is a bit shaky, but as his friends gas him up, we see and hear him become more confident in his performance. Walter was in his 70s when he finally realized his dream of becoming a musician, and it is beautiful to behold. Arcades & Love Songs is about Walter Day’s music, but it is no doubt a love song to a man who has helped build something important to many.
Watch my interview with director Ed Cunningham.
Sad and creepy, with lies thrown in.
Walter's always been a conman.
Grifter....