King Kong (1976)

Fred Wilson: [as the "Petrox Explorer" comes in sight of Skull Island] ... Did you ever wonder how Hernando Cortez felt when he discovered the Lost Treasure of the Incas?
Jack Prescott: That wasn't Cortez; it was Pizarro. And he died flat broke.

Well, we are back this time to look at the main King Kong franchise (the movies with “King Kong” only as its title) and this time it’s the 1976 version where Fred Wilson (Charles Grodin), who is the head honcho of a petroleum company called Petrox, is given a map of an undiscovered island that may contain a huge amount of oil to make him and his company even richer.  So he charters a ship to find and explore this island to see if his hunch is right about the vast oil supply.  Jack Prescott (Jeff Bridges), a palaeontologist, gets inside information that Fred is going to search for the island so he sneaks aboard the ship in a hope to see this island first hand and to see if the rumors he has heard about the inhabitants are true.  Then there is Dwan (Jessica Lange) who, as you have guessed, is and will be the damsel in distress.  When they get to the island they end up find more than what they expected.

It’s quite interesting that the main reason to go to the island (in this film) was about oil.  Anyone would think that there was an oil crisis at the time and in fact there was, in 1973 and 1979 and this movie fits right in the middle.  It’s quite interesting how the film makers adopted the fears of the time in an attempt to engage with the audience.  Anyway, back to the movie.  Whilst it’s an engaging movie and the special effects are better than the 1933 version, it does not translate into a better movie.  It does however make you feel more for Kong than the 1933.  The acting is quite good but the movie as a whole feels lacking especially when compared to the 1933 or 2005 version.  I’m certainly not saying it’s a terrible movie but it’s just not as good, I feel, as the 1933 or 2005 versions.  

As can be seen from the dvd cover, the finale does not occour on the Empire State Building, but the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York so it’s a little different but to add to that difference it also shows the brutality of what man can do for power.  Jeff Bridges does a good job portraying his character and Jessica Lange also does well, though a bit “ditsy” as the object of Kong’s affection as well.  I do have to say though that I feel they did take things too far between Kong and Dwan.  There are two scenes of partial nudity and some parts which are very suggestive both of which are not necessary at all and in fact it just makes those scenes feel stupid, cheap and dirty.  As previously stated, the special effects are well done and in one scene they used a real 40-foot mechanical replica of Kong which is certainly a great feat, though it was just for one main scene and he did act a bit like a robot.

The disc reviewed was a DVD from the Australian Distributor Umbrella Entertainment who have a DVD and Bluray available (the Bluray was out of stock at the time) for very reasonable prices.  The quality of the image on the DVD is quite good, though I’m sure the Bluray would be better.  The DVD had a trailer and deleted scenes as extras so it adds a bit more to the viewing pleasure.  

So, is it worth seeing?  Sure. It is a good movie with a story that has a different slant to it.  The special effects were ground breaking for the time and they hold up quite well which adds to the movie’s believability and you do end up feeling a bit more for Kong in the end.  It’s worth watching but don’t automatically discard the original 1933 version with its better story and acting, not to mention that funky stop animation.

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King Kong (1933)

Carl Denham: Whaddaya think of that wall, Skipper?
Captain Englehorn: Colossal; might almost be Egyptian.
Carl Denham: Yeah, but what's on the other side of that wall; that's what I wanna find out.

If the average Joe was asked about King Kong the majority would no doubt bring up the creature on top of the Empire State Building in New York causeit’s such an iconic image that has been imprinted into people’s minds no doubt from the great 2005 Peter Jackson version which really brought Kong to life with its fantastic CG, but he came to our screens much earlier than that.  In 1933 Hollywood introduced the world to King Kong on the silver screen in all its stop-animation glory.  Yep, believe it or not they never had green screens or CGI in those days so they had to do things the old fashioned way.  But before you get too excited let’s get something out of the way.  Yes, Kong from 2005 does indeed look better and more realistic than either the 1933 or 1976 versions however it also needs to be said that there is more to a movie than its special effects.  If looks were the most important thing in a movie, “Transformers: Age of Extinction” would be the champion, but hey…. its not.  

Essentially the movie is about nature film maker, Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) who gets access to the map of a mysterious island and charters a boat to make a movie there.  Before they set sail, a suitable actress, Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) is found and convinced to head out on this journey of a lifetime.  On the ship Ann meets up with Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot), the first mate, and forms a close friendship with him but when they get to the Island, Ann is kidnapped and offered to Kong who also seems to have an interest in her.  If that sounds like a familiar story your most likely thinking again of the 2005 Peter Jackson remake which seems to be faithfully modeled off the original King Kong movie which is not a bad thing at all.

The movie itself is very surprising as the cast play their roles convincingly and the story is really quite engaging and it’s no wonder that as at June 2016 is ranked number 4 in the top 100 horror movies of all time by Rotten Tomatoes.  Kong can look a bit like a manipulated toy at times but when you keep in mind that it is stop animation and 1933, its not all that bad and to be honest it lets the imagination run a bit further too.

I held off for a long time in watching the movie thinking that a 1933 version would be a sad affair but after doing some checking around I decided to spend the hard earned $7 on the DVD and was very much surprised that it kept me in the whole time.  Even its stop animation was well done and in some scenes quite humorous as Kong makes sure some of its enemies are dead.

The film’s original runtime was 125min but sadly the only available version now is the restored 104min version so its missing about 20 minutes of footage however some dvd/bluray editions has the well-known “Spider-pit sequence” as a deleted scene which Peter Jackson re-created for the 2005 version.  Basically it features some of the sailors in a ravine being attacked by various giant spiders and insects.

So is it worth seeing?  Yes, very much so!  It certainly belongs among the top movies made of all time both taking into account how advanced it was at the time, the acting and the story.  As mentioned above, the DVD reviewed was only about $7 from JB Hifi and comes from the same restored master as the Bluray available in USA.  It’s obviously not like a new movie visually but considering the age of the film it scores a high mark for looking as good as it does for a film that old.  As a bonus, the DVD also contains a commentary which for $7 is fantastic value for a great classic.  There is a Bluray and two-disc DVD available overseas but the cost of them is somewhat higher than the local offering.   
So go for it…grab yourself some old school Kong for a Friday night!

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King Kong 1933 vs 1976 vs 2005 – Battle of the Gorillas!

Three movies, three Kong’s but only one that can rule them all.  Which version of King Kong is the best?  

In deciding this, I am not just looking at special effects or how realistic Kong looks but rather what is the most enjoyable Kong movie that has an engaging story, good acting and overall just put together well.  Are they similar or completely different to one another?

Over the coming week or so I will be posting a review of each main version of King Kong and then finally post a conclusion about which Kong movie I reckon is the best.

Stay tuned!

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Trumbo (2015)

Dalton Trumbo: [challenging John Wayne] If you're gonna talk about World War II as if you personally won it, let's be clear where you were stationed - on a film set, shooting blanks, wearing makeup, and if you're going to hit me, I'd like to take off my glasses.

The 40’s and 50’s were a tough time for many in the Hollywood business.  Sure it was hard keeping the millions happy with a consistent flow of movies and battling the banter from movie critics and the public alike, however there was a much deeper unrest rearing its ugly head.

The background of the movie is quite a complicated story (a great outline can be read here on Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_blacklist), however in basic terms, the 30’s saw the great recession where many lived in great poverty whilst no doubt some survived less affected.  Then came WW2 and communist Russia became an ally in the war against Germany and once the war had finished there was a fear in the late 40’s into the 50’s that communist ideas and thinking were making its way to the public through a very powerful medium...the movies. The US Government formed the House Un-American Activities Committee to investigate people with possible links to communism who were previously or were currently involved in the Communist Party, had similar thinking or sympathy toward those ideas even minor ones such as equality among all people, workers’ rights etc.  The movie makers got involved especially when there were “equal workers’ rights” strikes being conducted and arranged by those who were thought to have current or previous involvement in the Party and so on.  This lead to blacklisting of 10 screenwriters (one of them being Dalton Trumbo) and eventually led to hundreds even thousands of people being affected and unable to find work in the movie industry and even outside of that.  Writers, Directors, Actors and Actresses (and others) were questioned in front of the Committee about involvement in communist activities or if they knew of people in the movie industry who may have had ties or even sympathy toward it.  These were then investigated and often added to the blacklist.  Some even had to flee the country to find work (such as the Director Jules Dassin).  This basically sets the background of the issues during these times.  The movie picks up just before the blacklisting occurred.

Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) and nine other screenwriters get unfavourable coverage as they start fighting for the rights of workers in the film industry.  Then come 1947 they get blacklisted and are unable to find work in the industry.  The movie essentially tells the story of not just the start of all this controversy but how they (particularly Dalton Trumbo) lived through it and what was the beginning of the end of this terrible time for many.  It’s a very interesting movie in many ways.  Firstly, we get to see actors portraying characters that we either know the names of or have heard of them such as John Wayne, Edward G. Robinson, Hedda Hopper, Kirk Douglas, Otto Preminger plus original footage of some other characters of the time.  Secondly, we hear of movies that Trumbo secretly wrote but could not be acknowledged on screen at the time due to the blacklisting.  Thirdly, seeing how all this panned out and what real like characters had an important part to play in putting this whole fiasco to death is fascinating.  

The movie has a bunch of quality actors/actresses such as Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, John Goodman, Stephen Root and others who do a fantastic job and even the John Wayne and Edward G. Robinson (the line he delivers at the committee hearing is a little different to what he said in real life) impersonators are convincing.  The movie is well paced and keeps you in throughout its 125 minutes and for me it was exciting to watch, but I must say that I know of and own some of the movies this fella wrote so seeing how they came to be just added to the enjoyment of it.

The Bluray is not available in Australia, so the review was based off the DVD which in all honesty delivers a fantastic (1.85:1 aspect ratio) image that is sharp and clean.  The great mostly Jazz soundtrack suites the movie perfectly and sounds great via the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.  There are also two short featurettes included in the DVD which are interesting but certainly not a making of doco.

Overall I very highly recommend the movie both as a part of what happened in movie history and simply as a quality movie.  You don’t have to be a fan of 40’s and 50’s movies to enjoy it as it’s one of those enjoyable “Based on a True Story” movie’s.  But it would be even more interesting if you knew of some of the characters being portrayed either by name or simply who starred in or made the movies you came to enjoy.  I wasn’t too sure what to expect from the movie as I do not recall it coming out at the cinema, but after seeing it I am more than certain that I will be watching it again.  Check out the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y_Pj--igG4

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Classic Car Chase - The Master Touch (1972)

The Master Touch (a 1972 West German/Italian production starring Kirk Douglas) certainly isnt the best movie around, but it has a cracker of a car chase that reveals a few rigged stunts but overall is a real blast.  I would love to see a full restoration of this film as there are several variants of the DVD around and having just got a second copy I will have to check it out and compare it against the copy I currently have (the new copy couldn't be any worse!).  They just don't make car chases like this any more. Anyway, sit back and enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bxvGy1Uy70

Night of the Generals (1967)

Night of the Generals (1967)

Liesowski: But what happens if the murderer really is a general?

Major Grau: What happens? Well, justice is blind, my dear Inspector. Justice cannot see the red stripe or the gold braid, but justice can sometimes hear the cry of a murdered woman.

There are plenty of WW2 movies around, some great and some not so great, some overrated and others underrated.  Today’s movie is one of those good solid underrated films based in WW2 which also happens to have some big names under its collar.  It’s an engrossing story that has a historical event weaved into its plot which also makes it very interesting.  

Germany has just taken over Poland and in 1942 a prostitute, who doubled as a German agent, is murdered in a hotel.  As the murderer walks from the scene he is spotted from by a fearful eye looking out through the crack of a door but all the witness sees is someone dressed in a German uniform which has a red stripe down the side of the trousers.  The uniform of a German general.  

Major Grau (Omar Sharif) of the German Intelligence is sent to investigate the murder and as the time reveals and not all is quite as it seems.  The search narrows down to three possible suspects, General Kahlenberge (Donald Pleasance), General von Seidlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray) and General Tanz (Peter O’Toole) and they all have something to hide on the evening of the murder.

I like a bit of authenticity in movies, so if the characters are German they should be speaking German or at the very least have a strong German accent.  Sadly, as three the main actors come from England they talk with a prominent English accent (especially Peter O’Toole and Charles Gray) which in some way takes some believability out of it but I understand why they would do that as they would either need to learn German or hire German speaking actors and the audience at the time may not like the idea of having subtitles on an American release film.  That aside the movie is quite well done.  Not a masterpiece but just a good ol whodunit film with good acting and good story.  It’s not so much a WW2 film with battles and so on, but the film just takes place during this period and also brings up an important historical event that a more recent Hollywood movie also looked at, which adds to the interest of the film if you’re a WW2 movie fan.

I have the Australian DVD release of the film (cover to the left) but the review was based off the High Definition digital version available through Google Play (no doubt the same as the iTunes version) which, visually, is somewhat better than the DVD.  Both are displayed in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio with 2 channel stereo audio.  The DVD is not bad but lacks detail whilst I suspect the HD version is sourced from a new remaster of the film and therefore adds extra detail and punch in the colour department especially reds which is an important colour within the film.  There is a Bluray available from the U.S. company “Twilight Time” and from what I gather it uses the same new transfer of the film used with the HD digital copies so it’s very pleasing to watch visually but the Bluray will take the sharpness/detail of the film a notch higher than the digital copies but Twilight Time only produce 300 copies of the Bluray and sells for USD29.95 which makes it a very expensive Bluray when converted to Aussie dollars.  

Overall it’s a very enjoyable movie with some good performances with that WW2 flavour to it and well worth seeing though you may want to either hire the movie (digital HD for the best reasonable cost) or just buy the DVD.  For Australians it’s not really worth paying about AUD50 for the Twilight Time Bluray unless you really, really, really like it (I really do not like recommending digital versions over hard copy discs but at those costs we are having our arms twisted).

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