King Kong (1933)

I for one am thrilled that this movie is getting the special treatment it deserves.

Is this movie still good? Or is it one of those "when it came out it was revolutionary but nowadays pales in comparison" (i.e. Terminator 1). The collector's tin sounds very intriguing however.

Yes, the movie is still good. In fact, most good movies remain good movies no matter how old they are. It's a funny thing about "goodness"; it tends to last. That's why some older movies are deemed "classics." For me, the 1933 "King Kong" holds up the way "The Bride of Frankenstein" holds up.

John

I think King Kong holds up much better than any of the old Godzilla flicks and it is still a good beauty and the beast-esque fable. Funny thing John mentioning "B of Frankenstein", I still find the original Frankenstein to be very good and scary. His naivete and unflinching lack of hesitation in killing people is terrifying still. I watch lots of terrible gory horror flicks that do nothing to scare me and yet things like Frankenstein and the hobbling in Misery still give me shivers. Also, I jut watched Bale in The Machinist and seeing his gaunt physique terrified me much more than any recent horror flick, especially when compared to American Psycho or Batman Begins.

Back to the topic at hand, King Kong is still good, but I will only be purchasing the two-disc edition.

John,

I guess it's just the difference between growing up with those films, versus, seeing them once they're outdated. Part of why it's so hard to envelope myself in these older films, is not only the drastically different wardrobe, and style's, but the vernacular used in the era, as well. It winds up being very difficult for me to relate.

For me, old school sci-fi represents inferior technology, and is difficult for me to watch. With the exceptions of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" TV episodes, as I grew up watching them. That's not to say however, that the 1933 Kong and other movies as old, or older, aren't good movies. But, while current CGI animation is still not entirely believable, in my opinion, it's far more convincing than the oldschool stuff, thus easier (for me) to get lost in the film.

For someone that's only ever really known color movies, and grown up in the dawn of astounding FX and CGI, it's hard for me to see what others do in the old films. I am "trying" to open my mind to them, however.

I think once you've moved forward in technology in any situation, it will always be harder to move backward from that point. Just you try going back to a 486 DX computer! I dare ya! ;) :D



- Josh

Josh,

The stop-motion animation in the original "King Kong" looks no more unreal to me than watching Spider-Man swinging from building to building in the first of his recent screen appearances, and it's a lot more realistic than the monsters in something like "An American Werewolf in Paris" and many other CGI-laden flicks.

John

Michael,

You REAAAAAALY need to get out more. ;) :D


John,

I haven't seen the original King Kong, but I have seen snippits of the movie. I think the acting, plot, and all else would be fine for me. The stop motion animating was SOOO cheesey though, that I doubt I could take it seriously. I'd probably laugh myself to death whenever "Kong" hit the screen. It reminds me of the old school movies that used to use tight shots of a lizard to represent dinosaurs. Ugh, I guess special effects had to start somewhere. ;)



- Josh

Fay Wray, wow she is so, so, so, hot, I wish I could have been her man, to take her out for long walks on the bay, yap away every day, until the winter came when we would be out in the snow with a sleigh, then go to the flower store in the spring to buy a nice bouquet, then go to IHOP for it's great buffet, have some coffee in a French cafe, and then head back home with F. Scott and Hemingway for a grand soiree. Boy, I really love Fay Wray. :x

I am also looking forward to this "King Kong" DVD because I do believe there is a certain "wardrobe malfunction" involving Ms. Wray in the film. ;)

I still prefer the stop motion animation in the original Kong to most of the CG effects we get stuck with today.

I am probably just a stubborn old coot, but I think special FX have been on the decline for more than a decade now, though Jackson did turn that around in LOTR.

Kong Is Terrific!!
He takes what he likes, and he likes Blondes! The uncensored version has the big guy stomping some hapless natives to mush, and other monkey shenanigans. I also highly recommend “Son of Kong”, which has a slightly more cuddly version of his pappy kicking ass.
Also for the kids, consider “The Last Days of Pompeii” – a raw and bold film showing how Christians were dealt with quite properely back then by Romans who were then burned alive by Mt. Vesuveus. Ah, those were the days, eh?
Do yourself a favor and get the first two Kong films and the Pompeii DVD too – you can’t go wrong with these great films. 8)