King Kong, 1933

What amazes me the most about King Kong are the special effects. Sure, they look ridiculous and even laughable by today?s standards. But think about it this way: every single effect in this movie was cutting edge in 1933. Ever single shot that director Merian C. Cooper couldn?t achieve with standard film technique had to be completely rethought. Each new effect was invented specifically for this film. Stop motion animation was practically non-existent. From this perspective, King Kong is a technical marvel, a masterpiece in its own right. For entertainment value, there?s still a lot to be had. The story is classic, and who doesn?t enjoy seeing a giant ape rampaging around New York? I know I do. Even though the acting is weak (although it was on par for the period) and the entire production has certainly aged over time, King Kong is still fun. It?s a classic that has a sense of timelessness to it. Even though it clearly an old film with dated effects and silly acting, the story will live on forever. If nothing else, it only raises my excitement levels leading up to the 2005 remake of King Kong. King Kong finally makes it onto DVD. What took so long? Well, none of the original negatives exist, and even most of the second generation negatives are missing or damaged. This print was reassembled from third generation (or later) elements, a process that may leave a lot to be desired in regards to quality. but Warner Brothers has triumphed here. Sure, the print is far from perfect, but the picture looked remarkably good, all things considered. Contrast was good, shadow delineation was decent, and the grain wasn?t overpowering like it is in many older films. The sound was quite impressive. The mono track had virtually no hiss, and everything was clear and well defined. Overall, I was quite impressed. I might just have to rent the second disc to get the special features.

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