The new documentary, Spencer Halpin’s: Moral Kombat, examines the controversy over violence in videogames and attempts to present a balanced presentation by interviewing key figures on both sides of the debate, including Doug Lowenstein, American McGee, Jack Thompson and Lorne Lanning.

Despite the entire film being screened only one time, the trailer has caused quite a stir:  The trailer has collected thousands of negative comments on YouTube, was the subject of a comic on Penny-Arcade, and has resulted in numerous death threats on the director's life.

Regardless of what others think, we were curious about the film, and why the director chose this topic.  Spencer Halpin, director and producer of Spencer Halpin’s: Moral Kombat, was kind enough to answer some of our questions.

GG: Spencer Halpin’s: Moral Kombat is your first film. Why start with a documentary?

SH: I consider myself an artist first and foremost and believe that a documentary, by its very nature, simply ‘is’ – or at least ‘should be’ – a few things: honest in intention, true to the art form, and a platform for discussion and education. For me, those things and this subject matter were so symbiotic that it was compelling to investigate.

GG: Does your film look to settle the debate over videogame violence once and for all or illuminate the battle

SH: Given the choice between the two, I guess “illuminate the battle.” As a Director, my goal is to shoot and edit together thousands of hours worth of footage of the experts to make the story intellectually compelling, then apply brand new technology (that was really unproven, and we were testing) to make it visually compelling, and then create or re-create (due to legal constraints) each and every sound you hear in the film – then cobble all of that content into a piece that entertains and educates. Then, like any artist, sit back and wait for others to draw their own conclusions. So far, the reception from both sides of the debate has been good, so I guess I’ve done my job. *laughs*

GG: For those readers that are unaware, your brother, Hal Halpin, has worked in the videogame industry for many years and is the founder of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), which according to its website is a “non-profit membership organization established to serve the needs of those who play computer and video games.”  Why make a film that could be seen as critical of the industry?

SH: Spencer Halpin’s: Moral Kombat was intended, from inception, to be a probative work – one that would investigate the, then growing, debate about violence in video games – and as such it was, and remains, important that it be from a neutral point of view. While there certainly are critics of some of the game industry’s content choices, I don’t believe that even the most vocal of anti-games participants in the film are critical of the industry as a whole.

GG: What was Hal’s reaction when you told him you planned to make Spencer Halpin’s: Moral Kombat?

SH: My brother and I have always been very close and very supportive of each other’s careers. He knew all along that I wouldn’t want to be a part of something that wasn’t objective, and while he has his opinions and I have my own, we respect each other’s take… and I think that’s what a good doc does, engage the audience and create a forum for discussion.

GG: What was the pitch you used to get such a cross-section of commentators for your film?

SH: Pretty straight-forward actually. Something like, “We’re doing a documentary about the subject and understand that you’re one of the key figures on your side of the debate. Would you like to participate?” And typically they ask if it was “pro” or “con” – probably due to Michael Moore’s popularity – but they were almost always happy to hear that it was neutral, and that we’d have experts on the opposing side to counter their claims.

GG: You’ve obviously worked very hard to make sure Spencer Halpin’s: Moral Kombat remained an unbiased, balanced view of the videogame violence debate.  Where do you stand on the issue?  Do you favor censorship, government regulation or something else?

SH: I’d prefer to let the film speak for itself, honestly. As I alluded to earlier, Hal and I definitely have different perspectives – his from working in the business for so long, and mine from being an artist, husband, father, son and uncle. I believe that my thoughts are expressed most eloquently in the piece, but I guess we have to see what the public’s reaction to it is to know for sure. 

You can read Part 2 here...

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