How the 1976 King Kong created one of the great moments in cinema history

[Kevin Roegele]

The 70's version of King Kong often gets very bad word of mouth, and is considered by most be be significantly infetior to both the original and Peter Jackon's recent 3-hour, 'I love King Kong, let me show you how great King Kong is," marathon.

BUT....the 70's Kong achieved some kind of magic on it's theatrical release that few films ever have or ever will do....or, as the article on the linked site reads, "Even as the audience knew they were watching an illusion, they didn't realize how great that illusion really was."

http://www.pulpanddagger.com/canuck/Kong_rob.html

 

[Red Mask]

I love New York during the Depression era. It makes for a great setting for Kong. He's not just a spectacle, but something extraordinary in a time when they needed one.

 

[Ultimate Movie-Man]

The 70s version was and is mediocre, average, mainly just because Kong doesn't move like an ape.

 

[Caliber]

I love New York during the Depression era. It makes for a great setting for Kong. He's not just a spectacle, but something extraordinary in a time when they needed one.

Plus its impossible to modernize King Kong. It kill that spirt of wonder. Plus the 70s remake just makes me think that it would be easier to kill Kong.

 

[Movies205]

The 70s version was and is mediocre, average, mainly just because Kong doesn't move like an ape.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, peopel sense of imagination is pitiful nowadays and the limits they put on film-makers in what they percieve to be true and realisitic is ridiculous. Kong in the 70s version reminds me more of a god like figure in the form of an ape, it's fine by me. Like I said in other threads I actually really like the 70s version quite a bit and the train scene is one of my favorite scene in cinema history...

 

[Galactical]

HAhhh

I love the rocketeer quote.

And that's interesting. Critics really thought that man in suit was a robot? what did they think of godzilla?

 

[Jackasscoley15]

So the movie was so horrible that De Laurentiis had to tell everybody that he was using a 40-foot robot Kong to get people to see it? That makes the film look even worse than it already is.

 

[mister Lennon]

That movie was a joke. King Kong was badly portrayed, Rick Baker in a costume was pathethic, the snake was pathethic, the island was pathetic, the new look of the story sucked( twin towers, 70s, oil company, etc). Only some two or three good moments in the movie, the rest sucked big time.

 

[BatMatt]

Jessica Lange looked nice tho

 

[Superhobo]

"You male chauvinist pig-ape!"

'Nuff said.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

So the movie was so horrible that De Laurentiis had to tell everybody that he was using a 40-foot robot Kong to get people to see it? That makes the film look even worse than it already is.

But don't you see? The audiences wanted to believe it was a giant robot ape, so they believed it was, and therefore believed the sets were all life size, the cars were real cars, etc. So the only difference is, they thought they were watching a robot 40-gorilla rather than a 40-foot gorilla. When in actual fact - they were watching a normal sized man in a gorilla suit on minature sets.

How can you not say that's a fantastic piece of illusion?

 

[Mr. Credible]

was this the one called 'king kong lives'?

does anyone know why the writer/director/whoever of 'the bit hit' had such a ***** for it? i thought it was pretty funny that they kept mentioning it randomly.

 

[Movies205]

was this the one called 'king kong lives'?

does anyone know why the writer/director/whoever of 'the bit hit' had such a ***** for it? i thought it was pretty funny that they kept mentioning it randomly.

King Kong Lives is the atrocious sequal to King Kong (1976)

 

[Kevin Roegele]

King Kong Lives is the atrocious sequal to King Kong (1976)

King Kong Lives is, "Wow!"-bad.

I tried to watch it and I just couldn't. I could actually feel my time being wasted.

 

[kainedamo]

The 70's version has the hottest girl.

 

[kainedamo]

King Kong Lives is, "Wow!"-bad.

I tried to watch it and I just couldn't. I could actually feel my time being wasted.

Says the guy with Casshern avatar, LOL!

 

[Movies205]

King Kong Lives is, "Wow!"-bad.

I tried to watch it and I just couldn't. I could actually feel my time being wasted.

I watched it for 2 reasons... B4 King Kong (2005) came out I went on a Kong Extravagansa! And 2ndly, believe it or not when I was a small kid I absolutely loved King Kong Lives, so watching it was nostalgic in some ways, particularly the beginning, the guy getting snapped in two, and the end. But never have I seen such a shame-ful ploy for a sequal to spawn a franchise... Wow... Just amazing! But come on Kong Sex, you telling me you weren't turned on

 

[The Dark Defender]

The 70's version has the hottest girl.

She's not even close to Naomi Watts.

 

[BatMatt]

Jessica Lange:

Nice

 

[kainedamo]

She's not even close to Naomi Watts.

Naomi Watts is too skinny. She's good looking in a more 1940s way.

You wanna **** the 70's version alot more.

 

[The Dark Defender]

Naomi Watts is too skinny. She's good looking in a more 1940s way.

You wanna **** the 70's version alot more.

No she's not, she's quite curvy(and of course she was beautiful in a 1940's type way, she was made up to look like a woman in 1933); and no I don't, at all. I'd shove her out of the way for Naomi.

 

[FOG3]

I never saw 70s Kong. I did, however, recently rent King Kong Lives, and it was hilarious!!!!! I must have rewound the part where his head hits that rock in the river 100 times. Also very touched when Kong gets to hold his son at the end, and he fits right in the palm of his daddy's hand. haahahaha

Anyway, the clip of the 70s Kong at the beginning of KKLives made that movie look hilarious so I might have to check that out too. Plus, IMO Jessica Lange was way hot in her day.

 

[BatMatt]

Watts looked really good in Mulholland Drive

 

[The Dark Defender]

Jessica Lange:

Nice

Naomi Watts:

Nicer

 

[Addendum]

Meh. Not my bag