King Kong [1933] (DVD)

Following any movie that has achieved “classic” status is always fraught with danger; especially so for one as much loved as the Cooper/Schoedsack directed 1933 version of King Kong. For many like me, the iconic scenes of the Empire State Building towering over an equally iconic New York as a backdrop to one of the most dramatic finales in movie history was a defining moment in my celluloid gazing childhood. Peter Jackson says that King Kong was one of his favourite movies as he was growing up. In 2005 he attempted to re-create near perfection with some startling results. The story itself generally treads the path of its predecessor of 72 years earlier. Ann ...

Background I recently went to see Peter Jackson’s King Kong and shared my disappointment at the film with Dooyoo. I had really fond memories of King Kong from my childhood (I was obsessed with dinosaurs), so decided to go back and re-watch the 1933 original to see whether it was really as good as I remembered… The Plot Movie producer Carl Denham is setting off a journey to an unexplored island which is rumoured to have something on it which terrifies the natives. Desperate for a leading lady for his film, he spots starving actress Ann Darrow stealing an apple and persuades her to come along. Once there, they find an island inhabited by dinosaurs and ...

When the young actress Ann Darrow loses her job, her prospects look bleak. Unable to find more theatre work, her only real chance of employment seems to be a seedy strip club and she simply can't bring herself to do it. Budding young film director Carl Denham is halfway through his latest project when the studio management team calls him in for a review. Unimpressed with his output, they cancel the project altogether - but not before Denham can steal the incomplete reels and disappear into the night. Intent on completing the film of his dreams, he decides to carry on regardless and manages to persuade / con a number of people into helping him out. When his ...