That famous quote was from Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham in 1933’s classic film King Kong. King Kong holds a special place in my heart as one of the first films I saw that left me speechless after viewing the film. Still to this day when I view the film I am still amazed and blown away by the technique used to make King Kong possibly the most influential film of all time.
The year was 1986 and I was in the first grade. When the weekly TV Guide came out in the paper I always looked to see what was playing on the local PBS WILL-TV’s Silver Screen. Silver Screen was a program that used a host to introduce the movie of the night without commercials. I saw in bold letters King Kong was playing that week and had asked my Dad to record it for me since I could not stay up that late. My dad was more than happy to do it for me. This was not the first time I saw Kong in action. I believe in the early to mid 80’s he had a part in an insurance commercial ad and I had caught what I believe to be brief glimpses of him from the 1976 remake when my Dad watched it on TV not quite sure to young to remember. So I had a brief idea in my head what I thought I was about to see, but never knew what I was about to fall in love with.
The credits rolled and the first 30 minutes rolled by mainly with Carl Denham building up the crew of the ship, film, and my own anticipation of what we were all about to see. Then we all arrive at the island and see the natives in very elaborate costumes and mad that we interrupted their ceremony in honor of Kong. They ask for Ann Darrow, but the crew says no and leaves. In the end the natives kidnap Ann Darrow and we are forced to retrieve her before she meets her doom. All of a sudden a giant 25’ ape arrives on the screen and the build up and anticipation was worth the wait for what I had just saw had changed my life forever. I had jumped behind the couch to watch the rest of film in amazement because my mom was not there and I could not bury my face in her.
I had seen Freddy, Jason, and Bruce(Jaws) before then none of those characters could even come close to scaring me as much as Kong did because he was believable in my eyes and I never knew what to expect from him, but as the film went on I fell in love with Kong. Kong was like an animal with human emotions you could see and love him for, which made it that much harder for me when Kong died at the end of the film because I cried for him just like I cried when Old Yeller died. Anybody with just a small imagination could see what Kong and could easily feel what he went through and did not deserve. Even to this day I still feel for him when I watch the film as I had just done earlier today.
Today was the first time I had the chance to view the new Blu Ray release from Warner Studios of the 1933 King Kong and the first time of seeing King Kong in HD. The film is still as brilliant today as it was the first time I viewed it, but I am able to appreciate in a much different light now then I was able to back then. King Kong came from the minds Merion Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack and in a lot of ways is almost an autobiography of their life and adventures. Cooper and Schoedsack were known for going to strange place across the world and were willing to put their own lives on the line against wild animals such as man eating tigers and more just to get the picture they wanted. If an animal appeared that close to the camera on screen it was because it was that close to the camera. They were eventually hired by RKO Pictures to make films and overlook certain productions. One of those productions happened to be a project Willis O’Brien was working on called Creation. Creation had a lot of problems going on with the production mostly due to towards the escalating budget that was going to reach somewhere towards a million dollars. At ten cents a head the studio heads knew the chance of getting their money back their money at the height of the depression would be impossible. So they asked Cooper and Schoedsack to take a look into the project and tell them what they thought of it. Cooper and Schoedsack thought it was crap, but a light went off in their heads they saw an opportunity with the help of Willis O’Brien to tell their story the way they could of never dreamed of.
Pieces and portions of the script were taken out of Creation and put inside a story written by Cooper and Schoedsack that was about to tell the story of their ultimate expedition they could only dream of. With the technical effects of Willis O’Brien they created Kong the 8th Wonder of the World. With state of the art technology then combined with great sets and effects. The world was about to be taken to a place they have never been before.
However it would take more than effects, sets, and a great story to make King Kong the film as it is remembered today. In walks Max Steiner”The Father of Film Music” an Austrian composer for films and theatre who has done some film scores before, but is about to make a film score that is going to change the way films are made still to this day. Steiner sets the entire mood for the audience suspense, drama, action, and more. Something that was rarely seen in film at that point and nothing to that extant.
Bring on the stars of the film Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. Yes Kong is the true star of the film for reasons mentioned above it took great performances from legendary actress Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. Wray was absolutely sensational in her role being able to make an audience believe a giant ape has fallen for her, but at the same time being able to show her fear, emotions, and more. Wray just delivered on all levels and became Hollywood’s first scream queen. Armstrong’s role was just as important though he had to build up the audience’s anticipation as well as keep them interested for nearly 30 minutes while we wait to see Kong for the first time. Armstrong also delivered on his part.
Radio City Music Hall in New York City and the 3,700-seat RKO Roxy across the street on Thursday, March 2, 1933 King Kong premiered. Audiences were amazed. This was the first time people were able to see a big budget special effects film, mixed with strong acting, great story, and a music score that complemented the movie as needed. It was the rebirth of Hollywood for a film had never been done on this level, but it showed studio heads what could be done. Without Kong maybe there would be no Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and more. Seeing King Kong in the theaters back then must have been like for me seeing Jurassic Park in the theaters when it was originally released. I never knew it was possible, but a whole new set of doors opened up for film. King Kong would go on to inspire countless filmmakers and special effects artists. While it may not be the greatest film of all time it is the most influential film of all time. Story - A+ I’ve already said it above Video Quality – B This is the best print I have ever seen of the 1933 classic, but certain parts bother me. The parts have nothing to do with the transfer itself and come down to the source material used. While I saw no artifacts, dirt, or scratches I am bothered by the amount of grain certain scenes have or scenes within the scenes have. Some of the best examples come from the jungle sequences you have a blue screen in the back, the middle scene involving the animation, and a front scene involving the actors. The blue screen sequence might be quite grainy, the middle scene would have less, and the scene involving the actors would have little to none at all. Making a sequence that just does not look like it goes together. I hated viewing the film to review this part because it did take away from some of my enjoyment of the film. However one has to take into factor of when this film was made and not let it bother them much. Sound Quality - A+ Warner my hat off to you for not creating a 5.1 mix and sticking to a DTS-HD Mono Mix staying true to the film and not trying to make the film something it’s not. Warner you may have alienated some fans with this move, but in my book you just went up another level. Special Features – B Blu-ray Exclusives: A 32-page Blu-ray book with production photos, notes, and a background of director Merian C. Cooper Commentary: Yes, with Ray Harryhausen and special effects supervisor Ken Rolston with archive interviews from Fay Wray and Cooper Documentaries/Featurettes: 2 Documentaries: the 7-part two-and-a-half hour "RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World" and "I'm King Kong: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper"; Original creation test footage with Ray Harryhausen commentary Deleted/Extended Scenes: Yes, "The Lost Spider Pit" sequence in its entirety (HD) Theatrical Trailer: Yes Digital Copy/DVD: No/No All of these extras appeared on the 2005 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD These are all great features, but we have gotten these before. I am sure they could of added a few more features to make people triple or even say it quadruple dip into this. Overall – A- While this is a great release, great story, and loaded with nice features. It is virtually the same release as the 2005 release with a slight bump in video and audio quality. If you already own the DVD this might be overkill, but if you missed the release on DVD or are just a collector like myself who is dead set on upgrading your favorite films from DVD to Blu Ray then bring on the Kong.
That famous quote was from Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham in 1933’s classic film King Kong. King Kong holds a special place in my heart as one of the first films I saw that left me speechless after viewing the film. Still to this day when I view the film I am still amazed and blown away by the technique used to make King Kong possibly the most influential film of all time. 
The year was 1986 and I was in the first grade. When the weekly TV Guide came out in the paper I always looked to see what was playing on the local PBS WILL-TV’s Silver Screen. Silver Screen was a program that used a host to introduce the movie of the night without commercials. I saw in bold letters King Kong was playing that week and had asked my Dad to record it for me since I could not stay up that late. My dad was more than happy to do it for me. This was not the first time I saw Kong in action. I believe in the early to mid 80’s he had a part in an insurance commercial ad and I had caught what I believe to be brief glimpses of him from the 1976 remake when my Dad watched it on TV not quite sure to young to remember. So I had a brief idea in my head what I thought I was about to see, but never knew what I was about to fall in love with. 
The credits rolled and the first 30 minutes rolled by mainly with Carl Denham building up the crew of the ship, film, and my own anticipation of what we were all about to see. Then we all arrive at the island and see the natives in very elaborate costumes and mad that we interrupted their ceremony in honor of Kong. They ask for Ann Darrow, but the crew says no and leaves. In the end the natives kidnap Ann Darrow and we are forced to retrieve her before she meets her doom. All of a sudden a giant 25’ ape arrives on the screen and the build up and anticipation was worth the wait for what I had just saw had changed my life forever. I had jumped behind the couch to watch the rest of film in amazement because my mom was not there and I could not bury my face in her. 
I had seen Freddy, Jason, and Bruce(Jaws) before then none of those characters could even come close to scaring me as much as Kong did because he was believable in my eyes and I never knew what to expect from him, but as the film went on I fell in love with Kong. Kong was like an animal with human emotions you could see and love him for, which made it that much harder for me when Kong died at the end of the film because I cried for him just like I cried when Old Yeller died. Anybody with just a small imagination could see what Kong and could easily feel what he went through and did not deserve. Even to this day I still feel for him when I watch the film as I had just done earlier today. 
Today was the first time I had the chance to view the new Blu Ray release from Warner Studios of the 1933 King Kong and the first time of seeing King Kong in HD. The film is still as brilliant today as it was the first time I viewed it, but I am able to appreciate in a much different light now then I was able to back then. King Kong came from the minds Merion Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack and in a lot of ways is almost an autobiography of their life and adventures. Cooper and Schoedsack were known for going to strange place across the world and were willing to put their own lives on the line against wild animals such as man eating tigers and more just to get the picture they wanted. If an animal appeared that close to the camera on screen it was because it was that close to the camera. They were eventually hired by RKO Pictures to make films and overlook certain productions. One of those productions happened to be a project Willis O’Brien was working on called Creation. Creation had a lot of problems going on with the production mostly due to towards the escalating budget that was going to reach somewhere towards a million dollars. At ten cents a head the studio heads knew the chance of getting their money back their money at the height of the depression would be impossible. So they asked Cooper and Schoedsack to take a look into the project and tell them what they thought of it. Cooper and Schoedsack thought it was crap, but a light went off in their heads they saw an opportunity with the help of Willis O’Brien to tell their story the way they could of never dreamed of. 
Pieces and portions of the script were taken out of Creation and put inside a story written by Cooper and Schoedsack that was about to tell the story of their ultimate expedition they could only dream of. With the technical effects of Willis O’Brien they created Kong the 8th Wonder of the World. With state of the art technology then combined with great sets and effects. The world was about to be taken to a place they have never been before. 
However it would take more than effects, sets, and a great story to make King Kong the film as it is remembered today. In walks Max Steiner”The Father of Film Music” an Austrian composer for films and theatre who has done some film scores before, but is about to make a film score that is going to change the way films are made still to this day. Steiner sets the entire mood for the audience suspense, drama, action, and more. Something that was rarely seen in film at that point and nothing to that extant. 
Bring on the stars of the film Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. Yes Kong is the true star of the film for reasons mentioned above it took great performances from legendary actress Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. Wray was absolutely sensational in her role being able to make an audience believe a giant ape has fallen for her, but at the same time being able to show her fear, emotions, and more. Wray just delivered on all levels and became Hollywood’s first scream queen. Armstrong’s role was just as important though he had to build up the audience’s anticipation as well as keep them interested for nearly 30 minutes while we wait to see Kong for the first time. Armstrong also delivered on his part. 
Radio City Music Hall in New York City and the 3,700-seat RKO Roxy across the street on Thursday, March 2, 1933 King Kong premiered. Audiences were amazed. This was the first time people were able to see a big budget special effects film, mixed with strong acting, great story, and a music score that complemented the movie as needed. It was the rebirth of Hollywood for a film had never been done on this level, but it showed studio heads what could be done. Without Kong maybe there would be no Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and more. Seeing King Kong in the theaters back then must have been like for me seeing Jurassic Park in the theaters when it was originally released. I never knew it was possible, but a whole new set of doors opened up for film. King Kong would go on to inspire countless filmmakers and special effects artists. While it may not be the greatest film of all time it is the most influential film of all time. Story - A+ I’ve already said it above Video Quality – B This is the best print I have ever seen of the 1933 classic, but certain parts bother me. The parts have nothing to do with the transfer itself and come down to the source material used. While I saw no artifacts, dirt, or scratches I am bothered by the amount of grain certain scenes have or scenes within the scenes have. Some of the best examples come from the jungle sequences you have a blue screen in the back, the middle scene involving the animation, and a front scene involving the actors. The blue screen sequence might be quite grainy, the middle scene would have less, and the scene involving the actors would have little to none at all. Making a sequence that just does not look like it goes together. I hated viewing the film to review this part because it did take away from some of my enjoyment of the film. However one has to take into factor of when this film was made and not let it bother them much. Sound Quality - A+ Warner my hat off to you for not creating a 5.1 mix and sticking to a DTS-HD Mono Mix staying true to the film and not trying to make the film something it’s not. Warner you may have alienated some fans with this move, but in my book you just went up another level. Special Features – B Blu-ray Exclusives: A 32-page Blu-ray book with production photos, notes, and a background of director Merian C. Cooper Commentary: Yes, with Ray Harryhausen and special effects supervisor Ken Rolston with archive interviews from Fay Wray and Cooper Documentaries/Featurettes: 2 Documentaries: the 7-part two-and-a-half hour "RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World" and "I'm King Kong: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper"; Original creation test footage with Ray Harryhausen commentary Deleted/Extended Scenes: Yes, "The Lost Spider Pit" sequence in its entirety (HD) Theatrical Trailer: Yes Digital Copy/DVD: No/No All of these extras appeared on the 2005 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD These are all great features, but we have gotten these before. I am sure they could of added a few more features to make people triple or even say it quadruple dip into this. Overall – A- While this is a great release, great story, and loaded with nice features. It is virtually the same release as the 2005 release with a slight bump in video and audio quality. If you already own the DVD this might be overkill, but if you missed the release on DVD or are just a collector like myself who is dead set on upgrading your favorite films from DVD to Blu Ray then bring on the Kong.
