Has the world gone ape mad ?

 

Again it has !

 

With only weeks to go before Peter Jackson’s remake on the biggest guy in Hollywood to hit the cinema screens, the world does indeed seem to be going Kong mad. Every version of every movie, animation and game to feature the great ape is getting a dusting down. We have the animated series ‘Kong’ and ‘Kong of Atlantis’. In the US there is a two disc set, a two disc collector’s tin and a four disc movie box which features the previous 2 disc set plus ‘Son of Kong’ and ‘Mighty Joe Young’ (also released separately). The UK has also re-released the trite 1977 remake version with its worse sequel ‘King Kong Lives’, hard to believe I know. The original version gets a single disc release too which is the same as the 2001 release in all but cover art, and it shows up again in a four disc set along with a colourised version and two versions from those happy Japanese 'Godzilla' folk, housed in a nifty Empire State packaging. If that was not enough, Mr Jackson is releasing his own ‘Production Diaries’ for the monster of a movie he is about to unleash. As for the games, well I think I will leave them alone.

 

With all that said above, 1933’s ‘King Kong’ is a marvel of filmmaking. The cream of the above must be in the shape of the wonderfully embossed tin collector’s edition of the 2 disc set and there is more than enough interest in the ‘Production Diaries’ to warrant a purchase for an early look at what Jackson has created, but for that one I will leave it for another review.

 

Here, it’s now time for the tin.

 

The story of the pairing of Merian C Cooper and Ernest B Shoedsack is a story worthy of its own movie or two. This adventuring, highflying pair is the stuff of legend and would give Indiana Jones a run for his money. For all their heroics during the World Wars, and their input into movies, cinematography, aviation and the list is almost endless, their names will be forever linked to the largest and first non human movie star to grace the screen. In 1933 when the depression was at its grimmest in the US, this giant ape gave the public a release and an escape from their own turmoil. What started out, as a mere whim of a live ape versus lizard drama became a monster movie in more ways than one.

 

Things would change upon its re-release in 1939, the political climate had changed in the USA and the war was breaking out all over Europe. So what was thought fine for public consumption 6 years previous was not welcomed in this new era. The scissors came out. Kong lost lots of footage, with natives being chewed and trampled under foot being deemed too violent and Fay Wray got to keep most of her clothes on.

 

Back to the story, and that of film director Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), seeking to make a new movie that would show the unshowable, something the world has never seen or experienced before. This would take him and his new star Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), to a remote island with an expedition crew in tow. Needless to say, he would get his wishes granted. Upon venturing onto Skull Island they find the locals a superstitious lot, there is a huge wall to protect them from what lies on the other side – Kong. Denham, always the showman, believes there is more here than what meets the eye and not before long we have the star of the show making an appearance and cinema would never be the same again.

 

 

Kong takes Ann to be his very small playmate, and we have the glorious making of the unlikeliest love story and biggest adventure movie ever made. The crew go on a rescue mission and find not only Kong, but also dinosaurs and all matter of deadly peril. Denham thinks this is nothing that a few smoke bombs won’t take care of and dreams of talking Kong to New York to be his star and his way to a fortune.

 

Shackled and exhibited, Kong is indeed the star on Broadway, but when he believes that Ann is in danger there is nothing that is going to stop him.

 

Kong is a landmark for many, many reasons and has probably inspired more filmmakers than any other movie. In most ways it actually set the benchmark for modern film. This was released only a few years after the talkies arrived and hence sound design was born, and with it was the first time a musical score was orchestrated particularly to enhance the tale being told. Max Steiner gave the world motifs and cues to the action, romance, terror and comedy, something that had never been done before. The camerawork was just as pioneering, not only in the realms of animation but in special effects as mattes, split screens, rear projection and more were utilised in ways never dreamt of in cinema before. All of this is enough to set it in the pantheons of movie greats, and then there was the star. Kong was not only an animated 18-inch model, he gave an emotional performance and by the end there is hardly a dry eye in the audience. <!--page-->

 

So what makes this collector’s tin so collectable ?

 

Apart from the shiny embossed Kong on the front and the screaming artwork on the back, this is a treasure trove. Warners, as they have done previously with the ‘Wizard of Oz’ re-release, have produced the goods here fit for the movie classic it encapsulates. Disc 1 gives a remastered and restored director's cut print, in its own mono sound and an audio commentary from animated Visual Effects veterans Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, speckled throughout with a few sound bites from Cooper and Wray. A trailer gallery also belongs to the movies of Cooper, not all as director, and the likes of the classic ‘The Searchers’ and ‘She Wore a Yellow Ribbon’ , are some of the prime examples on show.

 

As for disc 2, that deserves a review in its own right.

 

Split into two main documentaries this is well worth shelling your money for. The first is ‘I’m King Kong ! The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper’, showing excerpts from the early days of the adventurer to his captivity as a Prisoner of war to movie pioneer. With past and present masters in their fields, movie stars of the day, and family members, all speaking out about the great man. Peter Jackson is on hand too giving a touch oddly familiar with his own mockumentary ‘Forgotten Silver’.

 

The real gem is the second doc, running at almost 2 hours ‘RKO Production 601’ is one of the best making of documentaries I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. Covering some of the same ground as the previous documentary in the first chapter it then goes ape ! This gives warts and all on the classic and then goes one step further. From showing footage of the abandoned Wilis O’Brian movie ‘Creation’ (can also be viewed separately with an audio commentary from Harryhausen) that gave the inspiration to Cooper that it was now time to make his ape movie, Mr Jackson again, and Weta (the brains and the know how that brought the marvel of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to the big screen), have had more than just a hand in this seven part documentary, and even go to the extent of recreating the ‘lost’ spider pit sequence. This is formed from the original script and photos and created in pain staking details to blend with the footage already present. This is a fans tribute to a revered movie, which brings a lump to the throat, and makes the time between now and the release of Jackson’s own version seem like an eternity.

 

 

As if that was not enough, there are 5 poster miniature reproductions and a 20-page reproduction of the original souvenir program. There is also a bonus for US residents with the inclusion of a mail order only token for a 27” x 40” King Kong movie poster !

 

A monster release of the biggest monster movie of the all, get it now !

 

'King Kong 2-disc Collector's Tin' is available to buy via Amazon, and as of yet no UK release date has been given.

 

'Peter Jackson's King Kong Production Diaries' are available to pre-order via Amazon and AmazonUK.

 

You can read more about the DVDs in our database.