Thursday, April 12, 2012

A-Z Challenge: King Kong

King Kong used to play every Thanksgiving.  I remember watching it at Grandma's house, usually just the beginning, and sometimes the end when we got home.  Due to the 20-minute drive time, it was years before I actually saw the whole movie uninterrupted. 

This movie was remade (poorly) in the 1970s, and Peter Jackson did a decent job with his version more recently, but nothing compares to the original.  King Kong was a success from its first series of showings, where it sold-out ten shows a day for four days.  It didn't get any Oscars, though...unfortunately for Kong the visual effects category didn't exist yet in 1933.

But still, a fantastic story about a huge ape on an island with dinosaurs and giant snakes, with a beauty and the beast motif snuggled inside it, that's what movies are all about, in my opinion.  I love films that wrap many different elements together and present a visual spectacle driven by a compelling story. 

I've never seen the original King Kong on a big screen.  I wonder if that would enhance the experience or call out some of the technical disadvantages of the early days of film?  I don't think I'll ever know, but if I do get the chance to see Kong in full 70-mm glory, I know I'll take it.

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4 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The 70's remake was awful. I really liked Jackson's version though. Like LOTR, he made it with thoughtful consideration to the original source material.

Matthew MacNish said...

I liked Jackson's remake, but they made a terrible video game out of it. The original, as usual, can't be beat.

D.G. Hudson said...

I prefer the original, as well. The femme fatale was better in that one.

I did see the King Kong (could have been a copy) at Universal Studios, California, in the early nineties when we took our kids to Disneyland. (the background lot tour)

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