Thursday, April 04, 2013

AFI 41 - King Kong

King Kong
1933
Directed by Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack
Netflix sleeve: Delivering action, adventure, chills and thrills, this precedent-setting monster movie tells a timeless tale of man vs. beast. While shooting in the jungle, filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) discovers an awe-inspiring marvel of nature: a 50-foot gorilla dubbed Kong. Subduing the mighty beast, the crew returns to New York with the primate, who promptly escapes, spreading mayhem and going ape for the production's leading lady (Fay Wray).

It's been a very long time since I watched this original, classic monster movie. Of course, I've seen Peter Jackson's more recent remake a handful of times. It's hard to go from having that version fresh on my mind to going back in time to see the really bad special effects. But I tried to view it through the eyes of someone who would be seeing it for the first time in 1933. Not really possible, but those effects must have been really impressive at that time. There's no denying the fact that this movie is a classic that probably broke ground in its day.

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