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When you're young, your favorite movies can leave quite an impression on you. For a nine-year-old boy in New Zealand, it set him on the path towards becoming a filmmaker. Indeed, Peter Jackson's first viewing of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 epic "King Kong" on a tiny television screen inspired him to make movies. In a 2005 interview with NBC News, Jackson said the film had a "profound effect" on him and described its titular ape as "a very special little chap" who captured his heart. When he was 12, he even made a rubber Kong and cardboard model of the Empire State Building and tried to animate it using his parents' Super-8 camera.
What was it about "King Kong" that Peter Jackson loved so much? In an interview with Chud, he once described the film as "a wonderful piece of escapist entertainment.
When you're young, your favorite movies can leave quite an impression on you. For a nine-year-old boy in New Zealand, it set him on the path towards becoming a filmmaker. Indeed, Peter Jackson's first viewing of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 epic "King Kong" on a tiny television screen inspired him to make movies. In a 2005 interview with NBC News, Jackson said the film had a "profound effect" on him and described its titular ape as "a very special little chap" who captured his heart. When he was 12, he even made a rubber Kong and cardboard model of the Empire State Building and tried to animate it using his parents' Super-8 camera.
What was it about "King Kong" that Peter Jackson loved so much? In an interview with Chud, he once described the film as "a wonderful piece of escapist entertainment.
- 10/26/2024
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
These are frightening times. Of this, there is no doubt. We may even believe there’s never been more to fear. And for some populations, that’s true. But humanity has always lived in frightening times.
Since we first cast shadows onto cavern walls, we’ve made things to fear. Over time, those shadows evolved into performers donning masks, authors putting ink to paper, and filmmakers harnessing technology to project our nightmares onto the screen as we returned to our cave-dwelling roots to sit in the dark with others. We are a horror people. And as the world has gotten scarier, horror has been there to reflect back our fears.
The rise of Hollywood and independent filmmaking in the 20th century created a lasting dialogue between what we see in the fear-seeking news, and what films are made in response. Early American horror movies of the mid-1920s and 30s,...
Since we first cast shadows onto cavern walls, we’ve made things to fear. Over time, those shadows evolved into performers donning masks, authors putting ink to paper, and filmmakers harnessing technology to project our nightmares onto the screen as we returned to our cave-dwelling roots to sit in the dark with others. We are a horror people. And as the world has gotten scarier, horror has been there to reflect back our fears.
The rise of Hollywood and independent filmmaking in the 20th century created a lasting dialogue between what we see in the fear-seeking news, and what films are made in response. Early American horror movies of the mid-1920s and 30s,...
- 10/23/2024
- by Richard Newby
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire truly shocked everybody, even though it didn’t have much money behind it. It stormed the box office, getting a huge $35 million on its first day, much more than anybody anticipated. This most recent film in the Monsterverse series demonstrates the way that large spectacles and fan excitement can beat budget issues any day.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
It’s setting an entirely different norm for blockbuster hits. And with a particularly huge start, it’s on target to break a wide range of records in the cinematic world, showing that people actually love watching giant beasts battle it out in the cinema.
Godzilla X Kong Smashes Box Office Records Despite Low-Budget
A recent report by Deadline revealed Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire had a production cost of about $135 million. Unbelievably covered 75% of the spending plan, with Warner Bros. disclosure contributing...
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
It’s setting an entirely different norm for blockbuster hits. And with a particularly huge start, it’s on target to break a wide range of records in the cinematic world, showing that people actually love watching giant beasts battle it out in the cinema.
Godzilla X Kong Smashes Box Office Records Despite Low-Budget
A recent report by Deadline revealed Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire had a production cost of about $135 million. Unbelievably covered 75% of the spending plan, with Warner Bros. disclosure contributing...
- 3/31/2024
- by Muskan Chaudhary
- FandomWire
He may be king of the monsters and headliner of the longest-running film franchise, but Godzilla isn’t exactly a beacon of consistency. He made his premiere in Honda Ishirô’s 1954 classic Godzilla as an allegorical figure, warning of the dangers of nuclear technology, before eventually settling into a drive-in movie star and a hero for children, as well as those young at heart. That’s a somewhat unlikely legacy, especially considering that the original film ends with the creature’s unambiguous death.
Inspired by King Kong’s popularity in Japan, Godzilla’s filmmakers didn’t have the time or resources to execute the stop-motion movie magic that brought Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s King Kong to life (the 1933 monster adventure was re-released in Japan in 1952), but their resourcefulness and ingenuity resulted in a different kind of magic. Tsuburaya Eiji’s pioneering use of suitmation was not...
Inspired by King Kong’s popularity in Japan, Godzilla’s filmmakers didn’t have the time or resources to execute the stop-motion movie magic that brought Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s King Kong to life (the 1933 monster adventure was re-released in Japan in 1952), but their resourcefulness and ingenuity resulted in a different kind of magic. Tsuburaya Eiji’s pioneering use of suitmation was not...
- 3/29/2024
- by Rob Humanick
- Slant Magazine
This article contains mild spoilers for "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."
Moviegoers have been madly in love with King Kong ever since Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack unleashed him onto the big screen in 1933, and he's only gotten more lovable over the years. Some might argue that's a problem. He is, after all, a monstrously large gorilla who isn't above squashing dozens upon dozens of human beings if need be. But in almost every case, it's the humans who go looking for trouble, straying into Kong's territory and arrogantly trying to cage him for their own greedy interests. Put yourself in the big guy's position, and you'd probably get smash-happy, too.
Kong might be the most relatable kaiju out there. He's eminently susceptible to heartbreak and bleeds red just like the rest of us. When he hurts, we hurt, even when... no, especially when he gets a toothache.
Moviegoers have been madly in love with King Kong ever since Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack unleashed him onto the big screen in 1933, and he's only gotten more lovable over the years. Some might argue that's a problem. He is, after all, a monstrously large gorilla who isn't above squashing dozens upon dozens of human beings if need be. But in almost every case, it's the humans who go looking for trouble, straying into Kong's territory and arrogantly trying to cage him for their own greedy interests. Put yourself in the big guy's position, and you'd probably get smash-happy, too.
Kong might be the most relatable kaiju out there. He's eminently susceptible to heartbreak and bleeds red just like the rest of us. When he hurts, we hurt, even when... no, especially when he gets a toothache.
- 3/29/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Franchise animation Kung Fu Panda 4 and creature clash Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire lead a bumper weekend of 16 new films at the UK-Ireland box office.
Universal’s Kung Fu Panda 4 has the biggest opening of the weekend in 715 sites – a significant jump for the series, after 2008’s Kung Fu Panda (448) and sequels in 2011 (514) and 2016 (585), all through Paramount.
Conversely, the total grosses of each film have dropped, with the first title making £20.4m, followed by £17m and £14.2m for the sequels. All of these were pre-pandemic; number four will look to cross the £10m mark before challenging any of those totals.
Universal’s Kung Fu Panda 4 has the biggest opening of the weekend in 715 sites – a significant jump for the series, after 2008’s Kung Fu Panda (448) and sequels in 2011 (514) and 2016 (585), all through Paramount.
Conversely, the total grosses of each film have dropped, with the first title making £20.4m, followed by £17m and £14.2m for the sequels. All of these were pre-pandemic; number four will look to cross the £10m mark before challenging any of those totals.
- 3/28/2024
- ScreenDaily
Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 mega-hit "King Kong" was a marvel of special effects. It employed stop-motion animation, outsize models, rear-projection, and novel composting methods to convince audiences that a giant ape was interacting with human co-stars. Compared to modern, ultra-slick CGI effects, the 1933 King Kong may not look as realistic, but the ape shimmers with life and personality beyond what many modern effects can accomplish. Kong is the most sympathetic character in the movie, as he was kidnapped from his home and exploited by would-be entertainment moguls. Using bi-planes to shoot Kong off the top of the Empire State Building wasn't a moment of triumph for a masterful humanity, but the tragic execution of an animal that doesn't understand what it was thrust into. Not bad for a film that's going to celebrate its 91st birthday in April of 2024.
Interpreting "King Kong" in 2024 is fraught. Cooper...
Interpreting "King Kong" in 2024 is fraught. Cooper...
- 2/17/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When the monster was invented in 1954, Godzilla stood as a symbol of nuclear devastation. Indeed, in March of 1954, shortly before Ishiro Honda's film "Gojira" was made, a group of fishermen aboard the ship Daigo Fukuryu Maru was exposed to radiation from a nearby American nuclear bomb test in the Bikini Atoll. One of the fishermen died of radiation poisoning and their fish were irradiated, causing a public panic about the safety of their food and the effects nuclear fallout may be having on the local fauna. As all cineastes know, Godzilla was an animal mutated by nuclear tests, turning into a nuclear-powered, unstoppable force of destruction. Godzilla echoed the devastation of the nuclear bomb that Japan had suffered at the hands of America. Honda's original "Gojira" is a somber and downbeat film about how weapons of mass destruction will never be done destroying us.
In the years since...
In the years since...
- 1/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The world will never know what was going through 26-year-old Christian missionary John Allen Chau’s head when he was shot and killed by arrows off the coast of North Sentinel Island. There are jokes, of course, and educated guesses, but the best most of us can do is search inside ourselves for the answer. That’s the approach “Boys State” directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine take with “The Mission,” using an investigation of Chau’s story as a Rorschach test of audiences’ own biases and beliefs.
Was Chau an evangelical martyr-hero who answered God’s calling and gave his life trying to convert a remote and hostile tribe? Or was he an arrogant and unprepared American, brainwashed by the church into undertaking a suicide mission? Chau can’t answer, and though he left behind detailed diaries and a string of social media posts, the filmmakers were obliged to...
Was Chau an evangelical martyr-hero who answered God’s calling and gave his life trying to convert a remote and hostile tribe? Or was he an arrogant and unprepared American, brainwashed by the church into undertaking a suicide mission? Chau can’t answer, and though he left behind detailed diaries and a string of social media posts, the filmmakers were obliged to...
- 10/13/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
A strong argument could be made for King Kong being the most influential movie ever made. Kong’s progeny includes Mighty Joe Young, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Godzilla, Ray Harryhausen films, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, Avatar, many of the character-driven stop motion creations of the past ninety years, and dozens of authorized and unauthorized spin-offs, sequels, remakes, and rip-offs. The film inspired dozens, if not hundreds of directors, special effects artists, sound effects creators, composers, and film creators of all kinds, who have in turn inspired the next generation of filmmakers, and they the next. It is the first special-effects driven blockbuster of the sound era; a genre-crossing spectacular that introduced the world to some of cinema’s most iconic imagery and sound, the screen’s first true Scream Queen, and one of the all-time great gods and monsters of film history.
King Kong...
King Kong...
- 3/24/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
About 43 minutes into the 1933 pre-code horror classic “King Kong,” aspiring actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) finds herself on a remote island struggling to free herself from the two stone pillars she’s tied to as an offering for the giant ape its inhabitants worship. The trees rustle, and then we see him. Kong. The camera quickly cuts to Wray, who instantly freezes, holding in her breath as if her life depended on it. The camera zooms in on the ape’s face, his eyes growing wide, then suddenly cuts back to Wray, who lets out the most iconic blood-curdling scream in cinema history.
And thus, the scream queen was born.
“I’d become Hollywood’s scream queen without even realizing it,” Wray told journalist James Bawden in a 1989 interview. After the film wrapped, Wray recorded what she called an “Aria of Agonies” — screams and moans for the editors to use as they pleased.
And thus, the scream queen was born.
“I’d become Hollywood’s scream queen without even realizing it,” Wray told journalist James Bawden in a 1989 interview. After the film wrapped, Wray recorded what she called an “Aria of Agonies” — screams and moans for the editors to use as they pleased.
- 10/13/2022
- by Marya E. Gates
- Indiewire
Disney+ is heading to Skull Island for a live-action King Kong series that will explore the mystery and mythology of the giant ape’s home. As reported by Deadline, the series is in the very early stages of development at the streamer, with Disney Branded Television behind the project. It is said to be based on the original 1933 film directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, as well as the recent novelizations by artist Joe DeVito. Stephany Folsom (Paper Girls) is on board as writer and executive producer. James Wan (Aquaman) will also serve as executive producer alongside Michael Clear and Rob Hackett via their Atomic Monster banner and Dannie Festa of World Builder Entertainment. King Kong has seen a resurgence in recent years due to Legendary Entertainment’s Monsterverse movies, including 2017’s Kong: Skull Island and 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. However, the upcoming Disney+ series is not connected to the Monsterverse franchise.
- 8/24/2022
- TV Insider
King Kong is going from Skull Island to Disney+.
The iconic movie monster, who first appeared in Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s 1933 masterpiece, will be headed to Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform in “King Kong” (working title). The project will be the first live-action series set in the Kong Universe, and hails from James Wan and his Atomic Monster production company and Stephany Folsom, who has worked on Disney projects like “Toy Story 4” and “Thor: Ragnarok.”
Well, I guess the news is out. I'm beyond excited to be working with these people on one of my favorite stories. #KingKong https://t.co/ibpAYGs6uc
— Stephany Folsom (@StephanyFolsom) August 23, 2022
According to early reports, the story will be set in modern times and partially set on Skull Island and the origins of a new Kong. The project will be based on IP from Merian C. Cooper’s original...
The iconic movie monster, who first appeared in Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s 1933 masterpiece, will be headed to Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform in “King Kong” (working title). The project will be the first live-action series set in the Kong Universe, and hails from James Wan and his Atomic Monster production company and Stephany Folsom, who has worked on Disney projects like “Toy Story 4” and “Thor: Ragnarok.”
Well, I guess the news is out. I'm beyond excited to be working with these people on one of my favorite stories. #KingKong https://t.co/ibpAYGs6uc
— Stephany Folsom (@StephanyFolsom) August 23, 2022
According to early reports, the story will be set in modern times and partially set on Skull Island and the origins of a new Kong. The project will be based on IP from Merian C. Cooper’s original...
- 8/23/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Following the success of the three "Lord of the Rings" movies, director Peter Jackson was granted the power in Hollywood to make whatever film he wanted. Jackson immediately cashed in his chips on a remake of "King Kong" that would expand one of his favorite movies into a massive technological marvel. In the spirit of Merian C. Cooper's and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 original, Jackson employed the most advanced special effects of the era to envision the enormous gorilla, bringing Kong to a level of realism not previously seen. Additionally, Jackson was determined to make his "King Kong" feel as big to adults...
The post Putting Naomi Watts In King Kong's Hands Took Some Serious VFX Trickery appeared first on /Film.
The post Putting Naomi Watts In King Kong's Hands Took Some Serious VFX Trickery appeared first on /Film.
- 5/11/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Above: 1981 French grande for Stalker. Art by Bougrine.It’s been six months since I last did one of these round-ups of the most popular posters featured on my Movie Poster of the Day Instagram (previously Tumblr).With some 3,349 likes to date, this rare French poster for Tarkovsky’s Stalker, posted just last month, outstripped the pack and is in fact the second most “liked” poster I’ve ever posted, just a couple of hundred likes shy of Andrew Bannister’s UK poster for Parasite which I posted over a Pandemic ago. With art signed by one “Bougrine” the poster is currently offered for sale at Posteritati. Though the style and signature don’t quite look right, there was a Vladimir Bougrine (1938-2001) who was a prominent Soviet dissident painter who ended up in Paris in 1977 where, according to Wikipedia, “the French Ministry of Culture introduced him to...a community of writers,...
- 9/2/2021
- MUBI
Next month’s Criterion Channel selection is here, and as 2021 winds down further cements their status as our single greatest streaming service. Off the top I took note of their eight-film Jia Zhangke retro as well as the streaming premieres of Center Stage and Malni. And, yes, Margaret has been on HBO Max for a while, but we can hope Criterion Channel’s addition—as part of the 63(!)-film “New York Stories”—opens doors to a more deserving home-video treatment.
Aki Kaurismäki’s Finland Trilogy, Bruno Dumont’s Joan of Arc duology, and Criterion’s editions of Irma Vep and Flowers of Shanghai also mark major inclusions—just a few years ago the thought of Hou’s masterpiece streaming in HD was absurd.
I could implore you not to sleep on The Hottest August and Point Blank and Variety and In the Cut or, look, so many Ernst Lubitsch movies,...
Aki Kaurismäki’s Finland Trilogy, Bruno Dumont’s Joan of Arc duology, and Criterion’s editions of Irma Vep and Flowers of Shanghai also mark major inclusions—just a few years ago the thought of Hou’s masterpiece streaming in HD was absurd.
I could implore you not to sleep on The Hottest August and Point Blank and Variety and In the Cut or, look, so many Ernst Lubitsch movies,...
- 8/25/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
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It’s not quite the summer, but studios are all ready rolling out their biggest franchises for delightful popcorn flicks that make movie lovers sprint to the multiplexes. This year might look a little different, but indicators of normal life gradually returning are always welcomed signs. “Godzilla vs. Kong” feels like a return to the big-budget summer blockbusters that moviegoers became accustomed to, before the pandemic. It’s the kind of movie that doesn’t require much of a synopsis, beyond its three-word title. Whether you’re a diehard fan of the two iconic characters, or are simply itching to watch a new blockbuster, the release should be an event to remember.
Warner Bros....
It’s not quite the summer, but studios are all ready rolling out their biggest franchises for delightful popcorn flicks that make movie lovers sprint to the multiplexes. This year might look a little different, but indicators of normal life gradually returning are always welcomed signs. “Godzilla vs. Kong” feels like a return to the big-budget summer blockbusters that moviegoers became accustomed to, before the pandemic. It’s the kind of movie that doesn’t require much of a synopsis, beyond its three-word title. Whether you’re a diehard fan of the two iconic characters, or are simply itching to watch a new blockbuster, the release should be an event to remember.
Warner Bros....
- 3/23/2021
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Thanks to our current situation, there aren’t many new movies being released at the moment. And while that’s a sad state of affairs for cinephiles, it does at least provide a good opportunity to look back and check out some golden oldies that might have so far slipped under your radar.
Luckily, the good old Beeb has you covered. Streaming service BBC iPlayer has acquired a bunch of big-screen masterpieces for your lockdown delectation, all produced by the legendary Rko Pictures – one of the “big five” studios of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
From powerhouse dramas to technicolour marvels, toe-tapping musicals to weird and wonderful B-movies, Rko produced some of Tinseltown’s all-time classic movies, and boasted some of the period’s biggest star signings – including Orson Welles, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Joan Fontaine and Robert Mitchum.
BBC iPlayer currently has 26 “silver screen classics” available to stream or download,...
Luckily, the good old Beeb has you covered. Streaming service BBC iPlayer has acquired a bunch of big-screen masterpieces for your lockdown delectation, all produced by the legendary Rko Pictures – one of the “big five” studios of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
From powerhouse dramas to technicolour marvels, toe-tapping musicals to weird and wonderful B-movies, Rko produced some of Tinseltown’s all-time classic movies, and boasted some of the period’s biggest star signings – including Orson Welles, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Joan Fontaine and Robert Mitchum.
BBC iPlayer currently has 26 “silver screen classics” available to stream or download,...
- 5/22/2020
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
“We Have Ways Of Making Men Talk”
By Raymond Benson
Despite its grammatically incorrect title, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is considered one of the great old-school Hollywood epic adventure movies, and it remains so to this day. It was released very early in 1935 after a long gestation period and became one of the most popular pictures of the decade. It was nominated for the Oscar Best Picture, Best Director (Henry Hathaway), Best Adapted Screenplay, and four other awards, but it won only one—Best Assistant Director? (Obviously a now defunct category.)
What are Bengal Lancers, you ask? They were British soldiers serving in India in those days of the British Raj between the two world wars. Apparently, one didn’t have to be British to serve. The protagonist, Lieutenant Alan McGregor (Gary Cooper), is Scottish-Canadian. Lieutenant John Forsythe (Franchot Tone) seems to be American, but maybe the actor...
By Raymond Benson
Despite its grammatically incorrect title, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is considered one of the great old-school Hollywood epic adventure movies, and it remains so to this day. It was released very early in 1935 after a long gestation period and became one of the most popular pictures of the decade. It was nominated for the Oscar Best Picture, Best Director (Henry Hathaway), Best Adapted Screenplay, and four other awards, but it won only one—Best Assistant Director? (Obviously a now defunct category.)
What are Bengal Lancers, you ask? They were British soldiers serving in India in those days of the British Raj between the two world wars. Apparently, one didn’t have to be British to serve. The protagonist, Lieutenant Alan McGregor (Gary Cooper), is Scottish-Canadian. Lieutenant John Forsythe (Franchot Tone) seems to be American, but maybe the actor...
- 5/6/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“The Hunt” may be new and controversial, but stories about humans hunting humans for sport have been around since, at the very least, Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s “The Most Dangerous Game,” and they’ve pretty much always been used to explore the evils of one form of dehumanization or another.
It’s not supposed to be thrilling to watch a rich psychopath kill poor people. It’s supposed to be a thrill to watch the hunted turn on the hunter. The hunter, in simple terms, is always the a-hole.
Craig Zobel’s “The Hunt” is a little more complex than that, but it’s still a raucous, funny, ultraviolent exploitation thriller about people trying to kill each other. Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz and Emma Roberts star as conservatives who suddenly wake up in a forest with a box full of weapons awaiting them in the middle of a field.
It’s not supposed to be thrilling to watch a rich psychopath kill poor people. It’s supposed to be a thrill to watch the hunted turn on the hunter. The hunter, in simple terms, is always the a-hole.
Craig Zobel’s “The Hunt” is a little more complex than that, but it’s still a raucous, funny, ultraviolent exploitation thriller about people trying to kill each other. Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz and Emma Roberts star as conservatives who suddenly wake up in a forest with a box full of weapons awaiting them in the middle of a field.
- 3/11/2020
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
David Crow Feb 13, 2020
King Kong returns to theaters in March for one day only. Find out how you can bend the knee and pay fealty to the big ape.
You may not be getting your promised King Kong vs. Godzilla smackdown next month, but something even better is about to stomp into your multiplex: the original King Kong movie from 1933! Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies announced the humongous news on Thursday, revealing that the big ape will have his moment for one day, and one day only, on March 15.
Even if it’s for an afternoon, this also marks the first nationwide rerelease of King Kong 64 years with the film will play on over 600 screens across the country.
“Last given a big-screen re-release in 1956 – when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, the average movie ticket cost 59 cents, and not a single manmade item was orbiting the earth – the original theatrical...
King Kong returns to theaters in March for one day only. Find out how you can bend the knee and pay fealty to the big ape.
You may not be getting your promised King Kong vs. Godzilla smackdown next month, but something even better is about to stomp into your multiplex: the original King Kong movie from 1933! Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies announced the humongous news on Thursday, revealing that the big ape will have his moment for one day, and one day only, on March 15.
Even if it’s for an afternoon, this also marks the first nationwide rerelease of King Kong 64 years with the film will play on over 600 screens across the country.
“Last given a big-screen re-release in 1956 – when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, the average movie ticket cost 59 cents, and not a single manmade item was orbiting the earth – the original theatrical...
- 2/13/2020
- Den of Geek
While 2019’s home media releases ended on a quiet note, taking off the week of Christmas and New Year’s, this first Tuesday of 2020 is more than making up for it with an array of titles that should delight horror and sci-fi fans of all tastes. In terms of recent films, both Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, Travis Stevens’ Girl on the Third Floor are making their way to Blu-ray and DVD this week, Michael Beach Nichols' documentary Wrinkles the Clown is coming to DVD from Magnet Releasing, and Scream Factory is releasing Larry Fessenden’s take on Frankenstein—Depraved—as well.
Kino is showing some love to the sci-fi classic Doctor Cyclops, and Rlje Films is keeping busy with both The Shed and The Nightshifter this Tuesday. Other notable releases for January 7th include Trespassers, Cosmos, Dark Encounter, Mermaid Down, Savage Creatures, and Dark Light.
Depraved
The legend of Frankenstein...
Kino is showing some love to the sci-fi classic Doctor Cyclops, and Rlje Films is keeping busy with both The Shed and The Nightshifter this Tuesday. Other notable releases for January 7th include Trespassers, Cosmos, Dark Encounter, Mermaid Down, Savage Creatures, and Dark Light.
Depraved
The legend of Frankenstein...
- 1/6/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
It may be a little creaky, but Dr. Cyclops is a genuine classic of the imagination, from a time long before pulp fantasy dominated Hollywood filmmaking. For 1940 audiences this must have felt like a strange dream. Five humans are miniaturized and terrorized by Albert Dekker’s Dr. Thorkel, a card-carrying mad scientist. Held firm by a giant rubber hand, ‘Mr. Crabby’ Charles Halton keeps an unfortunate appointment with a horrifying fate. Who will survive, and how big will they be? Did Thorkel change his name to Soberin, move to California, and steal The Great Whatzit? Kino’s new HD transfer of this oddball gem is a wonderment — the Technicolor is outstanding, better than Paramount’s old nitrate studio print.
Dr. Cyclops
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Kino Classics
1940 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 77 min. / Street Date January 7, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Albert Dekker, Thomas Coley, Janice Logan, Charles Halton, Victor Kilian, Frank Yaconelli,...
Dr. Cyclops
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Kino Classics
1940 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 77 min. / Street Date January 7, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Albert Dekker, Thomas Coley, Janice Logan, Charles Halton, Victor Kilian, Frank Yaconelli,...
- 12/28/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“Goddamn it Chief, you’re about as big as a damn mountain! “
Get ready to laugh, cry, scream, sigh, and sing along with some of the greatest movies ever made, because throughout 2020, Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies are teaming up for the fourth year in a row to present the hugely popular TCM Big Screen Classics Series in movie theaters nationwide.
In addition to pristine digital projection and movie-quality sound, each presentation will also feature all-new pre- and post-film commentary from popular TCM hosts, showcasing what makes each of these unique cinematic achievements such an important – and lasting – part of movie history. We hope you can share this exciting news with fellow movie lovers!
Now in its fourth year, the TCM Big Screen Classicsseries continues to grow in popularity. In 2019, many events in the series experienced sold-out audiences and ranked near or at the top of box-office results – showcasing...
Get ready to laugh, cry, scream, sigh, and sing along with some of the greatest movies ever made, because throughout 2020, Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies are teaming up for the fourth year in a row to present the hugely popular TCM Big Screen Classics Series in movie theaters nationwide.
In addition to pristine digital projection and movie-quality sound, each presentation will also feature all-new pre- and post-film commentary from popular TCM hosts, showcasing what makes each of these unique cinematic achievements such an important – and lasting – part of movie history. We hope you can share this exciting news with fellow movie lovers!
Now in its fourth year, the TCM Big Screen Classicsseries continues to grow in popularity. In 2019, many events in the series experienced sold-out audiences and ranked near or at the top of box-office results – showcasing...
- 12/4/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
David Crow Sep 20, 2019
The Most Dangerous Game is the original man-hunting-man film that's influenced everything that came afterward.
On a sleepy island in a desolate swath of the Pacific, the comforts of modernity remain strangely cold. Four people, three men and one lonely woman, are sharing cocktails by a grand piano. Yet even in this candlelit reverie, there is something amiss outside—a howl. Does that noise emanate from what the host of the evening, dear Count Zaroff, alludes to as “The Most Dangerous Game” known to man? No, the count insists, it is merely the baying of his hounds. Little can the three guests know, however, that the hounds’ cries trumpet each’s potential doom, and that this noise will still be ringing in our collective ears 87 years after the premiere of The Most Dangerous Game.
Despite what some shortsighted, historically ignorant politicians and Fox News personalities might say,...
The Most Dangerous Game is the original man-hunting-man film that's influenced everything that came afterward.
On a sleepy island in a desolate swath of the Pacific, the comforts of modernity remain strangely cold. Four people, three men and one lonely woman, are sharing cocktails by a grand piano. Yet even in this candlelit reverie, there is something amiss outside—a howl. Does that noise emanate from what the host of the evening, dear Count Zaroff, alludes to as “The Most Dangerous Game” known to man? No, the count insists, it is merely the baying of his hounds. Little can the three guests know, however, that the hounds’ cries trumpet each’s potential doom, and that this noise will still be ringing in our collective ears 87 years after the premiere of The Most Dangerous Game.
Despite what some shortsighted, historically ignorant politicians and Fox News personalities might say,...
- 9/20/2019
- Den of Geek
Using Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 cinema classic 'King Kong' as the inspiration for a musical theatre piece really isn't such a bad idea. Among the film's notable achievements is the extraordinary dramatic underscoring music by Max Steiner, that supplied the title character's tragic death plunge from atop the Empire State Building with the kind of heartbreaking emotion that would make any operatic tenor jealous.
- 11/9/2018
- by Michael Dale
- BroadwayWorld.com
A new Broadway season is gearing up, and there are currently three productions of musicals (all new) set to open this fall. Could we be seeing any of them contend at next year’s Tony Awards? Below, we recap the plot of each musical as well as the awards history of its author, cast and creative types and the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
“King Kong” (previews begin October 5; opens November 8)
In this musical adaptation of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s classic 1933 film of the same name, an ambitious young actress and a maverick filmmaker voyage from the bustling streets of 1930s New York to an uncharted island to capture the greatest wonder the world has ever seen. At the center of this 21st-century reimagining: a 2,000-pound, 20-story gorilla, and the woman who risks everything to help him.
With a book by Tony-winning playwright Jack Thorne...
“King Kong” (previews begin October 5; opens November 8)
In this musical adaptation of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s classic 1933 film of the same name, an ambitious young actress and a maverick filmmaker voyage from the bustling streets of 1930s New York to an uncharted island to capture the greatest wonder the world has ever seen. At the center of this 21st-century reimagining: a 2,000-pound, 20-story gorilla, and the woman who risks everything to help him.
With a book by Tony-winning playwright Jack Thorne...
- 9/27/2018
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Every year, we here at PopOptiq celebrate the month of October with a series of articles we like to call 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list to 200 movies, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles.
Note: Since there are so many great horror films and so much to choose from, I am not including documentaries such as Haxan — short films such as Outer Space – a mini-series such as Stephen King’s It — nor animated films such as Perfect Blue, Ninja Scroll and Coraline. I am, however, including some films as special mentions along with a few movies that some people consider horror films, but I don’t.
****
Special Mention: King Kong
Directed by Merian C. Cooper...
Note: Since there are so many great horror films and so much to choose from, I am not including documentaries such as Haxan — short films such as Outer Space – a mini-series such as Stephen King’s It — nor animated films such as Perfect Blue, Ninja Scroll and Coraline. I am, however, including some films as special mentions along with a few movies that some people consider horror films, but I don’t.
****
Special Mention: King Kong
Directed by Merian C. Cooper...
- 6/26/2018
- by Ricky D
- SoundOnSight
If you missed Long Live The King when it played last November at The St. Louis International Film Festival, you can now watch it on Amazon Video and YouTube! The 2016 documentary Long Live The King explores the enduring fascination with one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history: the mighty King Kong. Long Live The King is produced and directed by Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger, the creative team behind the award-winning Beast Wishes (the 20112 documentary about Bob and Kathy Burns, the goodwill ambassadors of science fiction film fandom. Long Live The King devotes primary attention to the 1933 classic, celebrating the contributions of filmmakers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, stars Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot, writer Edgar Wallace, and especially stop-motion innovator Willis O’Brien. But Kong’s legacy is also fully detailed: the sequel “Son of Kong,” the cinematic kin “Mighty Joe Young,” the Dino DeLaurentis and Peter Jackson remakes,...
- 6/27/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Join us for some old-school 16mm Movie Madness! – It’s our monthly 16Mm Double Feature Night at The Way Out Club (2525 Jefferson Avenue in St. Louis)! Join Tom Stockman and Roger from “Roger’s Reels’ for complete films projected on 16mm film. The show is Tuesday May 2nd and starts at 8pm. Admission is Free though we will be setting out a jar to take donations for the National Children’s Cancer Society.
First up Is Mighty Joe Young (1949)
The producer –director team of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack attempted to recreate the magic of King Kong in 1949 with Mighty Joe Young, which followed the Kong story closely but this time with more humor, affection and a big ape that kids could see as a hero. Again Robert Armstrong leads a safari to an isolated land to find a new attraction and again discovers a giant ape attached...
First up Is Mighty Joe Young (1949)
The producer –director team of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack attempted to recreate the magic of King Kong in 1949 with Mighty Joe Young, which followed the Kong story closely but this time with more humor, affection and a big ape that kids could see as a hero. Again Robert Armstrong leads a safari to an isolated land to find a new attraction and again discovers a giant ape attached...
- 4/26/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Chamber of Horrors
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1940 / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date March 21, 2017
Starring: Lilli Palmer, Leslie Banks.
Cinematography: Alex Bryce, Ernest Palmer
Film Editor: Ted Richards
Written by Gilbert Gunn, Norman Lee
Produced by John Argyle
Directed by Norman Lee
Near the turn of the century a struggling war correspondent named Edgar Wallace began churning out detective stories for British monthlies like Detective Story Magazine to help make the rent. Creative to a fault, his preposterously prolific output (exacerbated by ongoing gambling debts) soon earned him a legion of fans along with a pointedly ambiguous sobriquet, “The Man Who Wrote Too Much.”
A reader new to Wallace’s work could be excused for thinking the busy writer was making it up as he went along… because that’s pretty much what he did. He dictated his narratives, unedited, into a dictaphone for transcription by his secretary where they would then...
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1940 / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date March 21, 2017
Starring: Lilli Palmer, Leslie Banks.
Cinematography: Alex Bryce, Ernest Palmer
Film Editor: Ted Richards
Written by Gilbert Gunn, Norman Lee
Produced by John Argyle
Directed by Norman Lee
Near the turn of the century a struggling war correspondent named Edgar Wallace began churning out detective stories for British monthlies like Detective Story Magazine to help make the rent. Creative to a fault, his preposterously prolific output (exacerbated by ongoing gambling debts) soon earned him a legion of fans along with a pointedly ambiguous sobriquet, “The Man Who Wrote Too Much.”
A reader new to Wallace’s work could be excused for thinking the busy writer was making it up as he went along… because that’s pretty much what he did. He dictated his narratives, unedited, into a dictaphone for transcription by his secretary where they would then...
- 4/17/2017
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
"Is this the moving picture ship?"—Opening line of King Kong (1933)You can get close to madness trying to fit the entire cultural legacy of the original King Kong into a single box. Even setting aside the two Hollywood remakes, you're still left with hastily made or quickly buried sequels, follow-ups like Mighty Joe Young (1949), a Universal Studios ride, a direct-to-video cartoon, a children’s TV series, and a set of 1960s Japanese-American co-productions—Kingu Kongu!—which saw the big ape square off against Godzilla and "Mechani-Kong" in showdowns with worse special effects than the film that preceded them by thirty years. Apologies for anything I've left out, because by this point King Kong is a cottage industry unto itself, an old-fashioned self-perpetuating Hollywood myth that's morphed in meaning and presentation but never entirely gone away. The sight of King Kong atop the Empire State Building, with its a mixture...
- 3/26/2017
- MUBI
In the entire history of cinema, only a few select films are so influential, so ingrained in our popular culture, that they become a modern myth. 1933's King Kong, directed by Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack, is one of those films. As the original effects-driven blockbuster and monster movie milestone, Kong has been re-imagined, parodied, and referenced countless times since first being unleashed more than eight decades ago. Each one of us has, at some point in our lives, encountered The Eighth Wonder of the World. Whether it's a remake, like John Guillermin's 1976 film, or Peter Jackson's in 2005, or a reference made in The Simpsons, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, or Jurassic Park, the legend of the colossal ape endures. With Kong: Skull Island, the eighth movie to feature the titular beast, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (of the Sundance breakout The Kings of Summer previously) delivers a fresh,...
- 3/9/2017
- by Adam Frazier
- firstshowing.net
1933. That’s the year King Kong first roared onto the big screen and since then, the film landscape has never quite been the same. Indeed, few movie monsters hold a candle to the enduring legacy of the iconic Kong, who so famously scaled the Empire State Building in Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s age-old classic before beauty ultimately killed the beast. But it’ll take more than just romance to topple the 100ft behemoth in Kong: Skull Island.
Pegged for release on March 10th, Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ lavish creature feature is set to introduce moviegoers to Kong like they’ve never seen him before. Housed up on the primordial Skull Island right around the time of the Vietnam War, King Kong is more akin to a lonely god than anything else. However, you don’t go into someone’s home unless you’re picking a fight, which is...
Pegged for release on March 10th, Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ lavish creature feature is set to introduce moviegoers to Kong like they’ve never seen him before. Housed up on the primordial Skull Island right around the time of the Vietnam War, King Kong is more akin to a lonely god than anything else. However, you don’t go into someone’s home unless you’re picking a fight, which is...
- 1/31/2017
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
A Tribute to King Kong takes place as part of the The St. Louis International Film Festival Sunday, Nov. 6 beginning at 6:00pm at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium. The first film screened will be the new documentary Long Live The King, which explores the enduring fascination with one of the biggest stars — both literally and figuratively — in Hollywood history: the mighty King Kong. Produced and directed by Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger, the creative team behind the award-winning “Beast Wishes,” the documentary devotes primary attention to the 1933 classic, celebrating the contributions of filmmakers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, stars Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot, writer Edgar Wallace, and especially stop-motion innovator Willis O’Brien. But Kong’s legacy is also fully detailed: the sequel “Son of Kong,” the cinematic kin “Mighty Joe Young,” the Dino DeLaurentis and Peter Jackson remakes, even the Japanese versions by Toho Studios.
- 11/2/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A Tribute to King Kong takes place as part of the The St. Louis International Film Festival Sunday, Nov. 6 beginning at 6:00pm at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium. The first film screened will be the new documentary Long Live The King, which explores the enduring fascination with one of the biggest stars — both literally and figuratively — in Hollywood history: the mighty King Kong. Produced and directed by Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger, the creative team behind the award-winning “Beast Wishes,” the documentary devotes primary attention to the 1933 classic, celebrating the contributions of filmmakers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, stars Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot, writer Edgar Wallace, and especially stop-motion innovator Willis O’Brien. But Kong’s legacy is also fully detailed: the sequel “Son of Kong,” the cinematic kin “Mighty Joe Young,” the Dino DeLaurentis and Peter Jackson remakes, even the Japanese versions by Toho Studios.
- 10/21/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
” Throw your arms across your eyes and scream, Ann. Scream for your life!”
Long Live The King and King Kong screen at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Ave.) Sunday, November 6th beginning at 6pm as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. The event will be hosted by We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman. Ticket information can be found Here
Sliff bows down to the King — Kong, that is — with a double bill of “Long Live the King” and the 1933 classic that introduced the giant gorilla to the awestruck world at this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. The event takes place at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium on Sunday November 6th beginning at 6pm.
First up will be the documentary Long Live The King, which explores the enduring fascination with one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history: the mighty King Kong.
Long Live The King and King Kong screen at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Ave.) Sunday, November 6th beginning at 6pm as part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. The event will be hosted by We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman. Ticket information can be found Here
Sliff bows down to the King — Kong, that is — with a double bill of “Long Live the King” and the 1933 classic that introduced the giant gorilla to the awestruck world at this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. The event takes place at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium on Sunday November 6th beginning at 6pm.
First up will be the documentary Long Live The King, which explores the enduring fascination with one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history: the mighty King Kong.
- 10/17/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The schedule for the 25th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (Sliff) has been announced and once again film goers will be offered the best in cutting edge features and shorts from around the globe. The festival takes place November 3-13, 2016.
Sliff kicks off on November 3 with the opening-night selection St. Louis Brews, the latest home-brewed documentary by local filmmaker Bill Streeter, director of Brick By Chance And Fortune: A St. Louis Story (read my interview with Bill Here)
According to Sliff, the festival will feature more than 125 filmmaking guests, including honorees: Actress Karen Allen (Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Animal House), director Charles Burnett (Killer Of Sheep, To Sleep With Anger), winner of the Cinema St. Louis Lifetime Achievement Award; and director Steve James (Hoop Dreams).
Full information on Sliff films, including synopses, dates/time, and links for purchase of advance tickets is available on the Cinema St.
Sliff kicks off on November 3 with the opening-night selection St. Louis Brews, the latest home-brewed documentary by local filmmaker Bill Streeter, director of Brick By Chance And Fortune: A St. Louis Story (read my interview with Bill Here)
According to Sliff, the festival will feature more than 125 filmmaking guests, including honorees: Actress Karen Allen (Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Animal House), director Charles Burnett (Killer Of Sheep, To Sleep With Anger), winner of the Cinema St. Louis Lifetime Achievement Award; and director Steve James (Hoop Dreams).
Full information on Sliff films, including synopses, dates/time, and links for purchase of advance tickets is available on the Cinema St.
- 10/14/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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Want a quality action film, but you only have an hour and a half? Step this way...
Looking back over the genre, action films definitely haven’t suffered from the trend to make everything longer. They’ve always been pretty long, regularly clocking in at over two hours. Perhaps because of all the slo-mo? But while the sweet spot for action classics seems to be the 100-110 minute mark, there are those that have cut the genre right down to basics, and succeeded all the more for it.
Below is my pick of 25 great action films 90 minutes or under. Even more so than other genres, action crosses many other films - picking a pure ‘action’ flick is all but impossible. So below I’ve chosen films that retain action sequences as their main narrative device, and keep the action at the heart of the movie, rather than as a extra.
google+
Want a quality action film, but you only have an hour and a half? Step this way...
Looking back over the genre, action films definitely haven’t suffered from the trend to make everything longer. They’ve always been pretty long, regularly clocking in at over two hours. Perhaps because of all the slo-mo? But while the sweet spot for action classics seems to be the 100-110 minute mark, there are those that have cut the genre right down to basics, and succeeded all the more for it.
Below is my pick of 25 great action films 90 minutes or under. Even more so than other genres, action crosses many other films - picking a pure ‘action’ flick is all but impossible. So below I’ve chosen films that retain action sequences as their main narrative device, and keep the action at the heart of the movie, rather than as a extra.
- 3/10/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
A few years ago the editors of Shadowlocked asked me to compile a list of what was initially to be, the ten greatest movie matte paintings of all time. A mere ten selections was too slim by a long shot, so my list stretched considerably to twenty, then thirty and finally a nice round fifty entries. Even with that number I found it wasn’t easy to narrow down a suitably wide ranging showcase of motion picture matte art that best represented the artform. So with that in mind, and due to the surprising popularity of that 2012 Shadowlocked list (which is well worth a visit, here Ed), I’ve assembled a further fifty wonderful examples of this vast, vital and more extensively utilised than you’d imagine – though now sadly ‘dead and buried’ – movie magic.
It would of course be so easy to simply concentrate on the well known, iconic,...
It would of course be so easy to simply concentrate on the well known, iconic,...
- 12/28/2015
- Shadowlocked
Chis Marker's Chat écoutant la musiqueThere are dog people and there are cat people, this we know, and there are even people who claim to be of both—though latent sympathies remain unspoken, like with a parent and which child is their favorite. With the Vienna Film Festival welcoming me with a tumbling collection of dog and cat short films spanning cinema's history—the Austrian Film Museum, an essential destination each year collaborating with the Viennale, is hosting a “a brief zoology of cinema” throughout the festivities—it is clear that filmmakers, too, have their preference. Silent cinema decidedly prefers the more easily trained and exhibited canine, with 1907’s surreal favorite Les chiens savants as a certain kind of cruel pinnacle. For the cats, Chris Marker, already the presiding figure over so much in 20th century art, I think we can easily claim is the cine-laureate. One need not know...
- 11/8/2015
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
Top Ten Scream Queens: Barbara Steele, who both emitted screams and made others do same, is in a category of her own. Top Ten Scream Queens Halloween is over until next year, but the equally bewitching Day of the Dead is just around the corner. So, dead or alive, here's my revised and expanded list of cinema's Top Ten Scream Queens. This highly personal compilation is based on how memorable – as opposed to how loud or how frequent – were the screams. That's the key reason you won't find listed below actresses featured in gory slasher films. After all, the screams – and just about everything else in such movies – are as meaningless as their plots. You also won't find any screaming guys (i.e., Scream Kings) on the list below even though I've got absolutely nothing against guys who scream in horror, whether in movies or in life. There are...
- 11/2/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Special Mention: The Most Dangerous Game
Directed by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Written by James Creelman
USA, 1932
Genre: Survival Horror
The first of many official and unofficial screen versions of Richard Connell’s short story of the same name, The Most Dangerous Game was made in 1932, in the era known as “Pre-Code Hollywood,” a time when filmmakers were able to get away with sexual innuendo, illegal drug use, adultery, abortion, intense violence, homosexuality, and much more. It was during this time that a film like The Most Dangerous Game was allowed to be made and shown to the general public without fear of censorship. The film was put together by producer Willis O’Brien while in pre-production on King Kong, and features several of the same cast and crew members, as well as props and sets from Kong. Despite these obvious cost-cutting measures, Dangerous Game never feels like a second-rate production,...
Directed by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Written by James Creelman
USA, 1932
Genre: Survival Horror
The first of many official and unofficial screen versions of Richard Connell’s short story of the same name, The Most Dangerous Game was made in 1932, in the era known as “Pre-Code Hollywood,” a time when filmmakers were able to get away with sexual innuendo, illegal drug use, adultery, abortion, intense violence, homosexuality, and much more. It was during this time that a film like The Most Dangerous Game was allowed to be made and shown to the general public without fear of censorship. The film was put together by producer Willis O’Brien while in pre-production on King Kong, and features several of the same cast and crew members, as well as props and sets from Kong. Despite these obvious cost-cutting measures, Dangerous Game never feels like a second-rate production,...
- 10/30/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
I'll trade you two RKOs for two Warners', an even swap! This quartet of movie-magic wonderments offer a full course on old-school film effects wizardry at its best. Willis O'Brien passes the baton to disciple Ray Harryhausen, who dazzles us with his own effects magic for the first '50s giant monster epic. And the best monster thriller of the decade is offered at its original widescreen aspect ratio. It's all special enough to merit a mid-week review. Special Effects Collection Blu-ray The Son of Kong, Mighty Joe Young, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Them! Warner Home Video 1933-1954 / B&W / 1:37 Academy - 1:85 widescreen / 335 min. / Street Date October 27, 2015 / 54.96 or 19.98 separately Starring Robert Armstrong, Helen Mack,, Frank Reicher, Victor Wong; Robert Armstrong, Terry Moore, Ben Johnson, Frank McHugh; Paul Christian, Paula Raymond, Cecil Kellaway, Kenneth Tobey, Donald Woods, Lee Van Cleef; James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness, Onslow Stevens,...
- 10/23/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Read More: Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson Thriller 'Regression' to Open the 63rd San Sebastian Festival The 63rd San Sebastian Film Festival will honor filmmakers Merian C. Cooper (1893-1973) and Ernest B. Schoedsack (1893-1979) with a retrospective cycle dedicated to their films. The duo earned icon status as the directors of "King Kong" (1933), though their careers started earlier with documentaries such as "Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life" (1925) and "Chang" (1927), and fantasy adventure films like "The Four Feathers" (1929). After the success of "Kong," they would continue to explore special effects in epics like "Dr. Cyclops" (1940) and "Mighty Joe Young" (1949). The retrospective will be accompanied by the publication of a book dedicated to the two filmmakers, coordinated by Quim Casas. In addition the directors' retrospective, the festival has also announced the six films that will play in the...
- 8/20/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Retrospective will focus on Japanese independent cinema from the past 15 years and includes Cannes favourite Naomi Kawase.
The San Sebastian Film Festival is to programme a retrospective for its 63rd edition (Sept 18-26) titles New Japanese independent cinema 2000-2015.
Among the titles making up the retrospective from known directors are:
H Story (2001) by Nobuhiro Suwa;A Snake of June (Rokugatsu no hebi, 2002) by Shin’ya Tsukamoto;Bright Future (Akarui mirai, 2003) by Kiyoshi Kurosawa;Vibrator (2003) by Ryuichi Hiroki;Bashing (2005) by Masahiro Kobayashi;Birth/Mother (Tarachime, 2006) by Naomi Kawase;Love Exposure (Ai no mukidashi, 2008) by Shion Sono.
The works of several new talents to have made their debut since 2000 include:
Hole in the Sky (Sora no ana, 2001) by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri,Border Line (2002) by Sang-il Lee,No One’s Ark (Baka no hakobune, 2003) by Nobuhiro Yamashita, The Soup, One Morning (Aru asa, soup wa, 2005) by Izumi Takahashi,Fourteen (Ju-yon-sai, 2007) by Hiromasa Hirosue,Sex Is Not Laughing Matter (Hito no sekkuso...
The San Sebastian Film Festival is to programme a retrospective for its 63rd edition (Sept 18-26) titles New Japanese independent cinema 2000-2015.
Among the titles making up the retrospective from known directors are:
H Story (2001) by Nobuhiro Suwa;A Snake of June (Rokugatsu no hebi, 2002) by Shin’ya Tsukamoto;Bright Future (Akarui mirai, 2003) by Kiyoshi Kurosawa;Vibrator (2003) by Ryuichi Hiroki;Bashing (2005) by Masahiro Kobayashi;Birth/Mother (Tarachime, 2006) by Naomi Kawase;Love Exposure (Ai no mukidashi, 2008) by Shion Sono.
The works of several new talents to have made their debut since 2000 include:
Hole in the Sky (Sora no ana, 2001) by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri,Border Line (2002) by Sang-il Lee,No One’s Ark (Baka no hakobune, 2003) by Nobuhiro Yamashita, The Soup, One Morning (Aru asa, soup wa, 2005) by Izumi Takahashi,Fourteen (Ju-yon-sai, 2007) by Hiromasa Hirosue,Sex Is Not Laughing Matter (Hito no sekkuso...
- 5/7/2015
- ScreenDaily
Bero Beyer will be the new General and Artistic Director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. More festival news: This year's his year’s San Sebastian Film Festival will be celebrating the work of King Kong makers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. James Ponsoldt's The End of the Tour with Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg is part of the BAMcinemaFest 2015 lineup. Rooftop Films will be screening Sean Baker's Tangerine this summer. Locarno's announced the twelve finalists for its co-production lab, Open Doors. More lineups: Los Angeles and Sydney. » - David Hudson...
- 5/6/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
Bero Beyer will be the new General and Artistic Director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. More festival news: This year's his year’s San Sebastian Film Festival will be celebrating the work of King Kong makers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. James Ponsoldt's The End of the Tour with Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg is part of the BAMcinemaFest 2015 lineup. Rooftop Films will be screening Sean Baker's Tangerine this summer. Locarno's announced the twelve finalists for its co-production lab, Open Doors. More lineups: Los Angeles and Sydney. » - David Hudson...
- 5/6/2015
- Keyframe
“We’ll give him more than chains. He’s always been king of his world, but we’ll teach him fear. We’re millionaires, boys. I’ll share it with all of you. Why, in a few months, it’ll be up in lights on Broadway: Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World!”
King Kong screens at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143) Thursday, May 7th at 7pm. It is a benefit for Helping Kids Together
Doors open at 6:30pm. $6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. A bartender will be on hand to take care of you. “Culture Shock” is the name of a film series here in St. Louis that is the cornerstone project of a social enterprise that is an ongoing source of support for Helping Kids Together (http://www.
King Kong screens at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143) Thursday, May 7th at 7pm. It is a benefit for Helping Kids Together
Doors open at 6:30pm. $6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. A bartender will be on hand to take care of you. “Culture Shock” is the name of a film series here in St. Louis that is the cornerstone project of a social enterprise that is an ongoing source of support for Helping Kids Together (http://www.
- 4/24/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The human condition. It is a tricky and complicated concept for us mortals to grasp in terms of our ugly, unpredictable behaviors. However, when one applies a revealing spotlight on the animal kingdom and takes a look at their on-screen aggression against humans it becomes a whole new ballgame. Occasionally, the source of frustration embedded in these wayward creatures is often times triggered by the psychological prompting of the bad seed humans responsible for their behavioral tirade against nature and man.
In Creature Feature: Top Ten Animals Gone Bad in the Movies we will look at the bombastic beasts gone ballistic in cinematic society. Maybe you have your own selections of haywire critters out to cause random havoc? If so then they probably would suffice within the theme of this movie column when detailing the animals that run amok on land, by sea or in the air.
The selections for...
In Creature Feature: Top Ten Animals Gone Bad in the Movies we will look at the bombastic beasts gone ballistic in cinematic society. Maybe you have your own selections of haywire critters out to cause random havoc? If so then they probably would suffice within the theme of this movie column when detailing the animals that run amok on land, by sea or in the air.
The selections for...
- 2/24/2015
- by Frank Ochieng
- SoundOnSight
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