Kong '76 coming from Scream Factory - Review Up

[Eric Paddon]

I can live without any Blu-Ray release of "King Kong Lives".

[AndyDursin]

I want that one too!

[Monterey Jack]

I want that one too!

That movie's awful. It's amusingly awful, but still, it's by far the worst Kong movie of them all, despite a lush, hard-working John Scott score and the cuteness of a Terminator-era Linda Hamilton. It makes Son Of Kong look worthy of the Criterion Collection.

[AndyDursin]

Well we are talking different degrees of badness here, but I'd much rather watch a new HD print of King Kong Lives one day than another viewing of Son of Kong. Yeah Kong Lives is "bad", outlandish and silly but it's still a giant monster movie and the score is good. Most of them are hardly Shakespeare so the vitriol over it from some fans who enjoy all kinds of trash in this genre is a little over the top (I can think of a half-dozen Godzilla movies that are worse). And I'd also be willing to wager most of the comedy directed at it are from people who never saw it, since nobody ever saw it when it came out! (except me and my Mom, took me after school in 6th grade on the day that Christmas break started in '86).

I'm not arguing it's good at all, but when it comes to entertainment value, there's a lot more appealing about Kong Lives for me than Son of Kong. That movie is far worse than people remember and seems to get a pass amongst older fans because of its connection with the original. I was surprised how bad it was the last time I saw it, very hastily produced and feeling like some bad '30s drama whenever the ape wasn't around. It's shoddy and quite awful -- and worst of all, dull. Kong Lives at least isn't that!

[AndyDursin]

Worth noting also EXPLORERS has both the theatrical version and Dante's slightly "reworked for home video" cut that has a very slightly different ending and takes out the scene that Goldsmith's "Sticks and Stones" cue ran under.

The former is better, but it's unfortunate someone didn't recognize how horrific that final act was before they started shooting. I recognize Dante said they "didn't have an ending" but that one wrecked what starts off -- in its first hour -- as a wonderful fantasy before taking one of the biggest free-fall flops in any film I've ever seen.

[Eric Paddon]

I'm exactly the opposite, Andy. To me, "Son Of Kong" is okay in a "Jaws 2" way to me. Inferior to the original, but it has enough of the original's sense of style to be okay entertainment. "King Kong Lives" though is for me even worse than "Jaws" The Revenge." Terrible plot, terrible actors and filled with some of the worst cliches imaginable. Psycho Colonel who is psycho for no reason except that he IS a colonel! This during those 80s days when Hollywood's contempt for the US military knew no limits. And then we have to see Kong eat the hillbilly hunters who taunt him, which IMO is crossing an unacceptable line. Would we laugh at that, if say, Kong were immobolized in a ghetto region and he was being taunted by a street gang comprised of people of different ethnicities? The fact that it opens with a reprise of the end of Kong '76 only IMO calls attention to how much underrated *that* film is!

[AndyDursin]

I don't disagree with anything you are writing about KING KONG LIVES in terms of how awful it is. I just find there's more entertainment value for my tastes in a bombastically bad movie like that as opposed to just a mediocre/boring one like SON OF KONG. Yes SON OF KONG is "better," but it has very little entertainment value for me -- unappealing characters, sluggish pace (even at 60+ minutes), uninteresting plot, lame ending. Clearly rushed through production and it shows in pretty much every facet.

I have no reason to sit through SON OF KONG ever again, but as a bad movie aficionado (and it has a good score too), there's ample entertainment value in KING KONG LIVES that I would be happy to indulge if anyone ever creates a high-def master.

[Eric Paddon]

I can't even enjoy "Kong Lives" the way I can have fun with a movie like "The Swarm". There's nothing I like even in a "bad it's good" way. Turning Kong loose in the backwoods region just comes across as boring to me (in the same way Godzilla films of the early 70s that have no city destruction moments are dull too). "Son Of Kong" at least returns to the original setting. The one thing about that film I dislike is the awful Helen Mack as the female lead. Armstrong's Denham though is allowed to mature as a character which is nice to see.

One other gorilla film I can't get into is "Mighty Joe Young." Saw it maybe twice and its been at least a decade since the last time I saw it.

[AndyDursin]

For me MIGHTY JOE YOUNG is everything SON OF KONG isn't -- we watched it with Theo a few weeks ago. The film has energy, is well performed and fun. The end of it is sensational as an effects piece for Harryhausen's abilities and holds up well even today. Also appreciated they ended the film happily, without killing the character off as lazily as they did in SON OF KONG also. That's one of my main issues with the latter.

[mkaroly]

Worth noting also EXPLORERS has both the theatrical version and Dante's slightly "reworked for home video" cut that has a very slightly different ending and takes out the scene that Goldsmith's "Sticks and Stones" cue ran under.

The former is better, but it's unfortunate someone didn't recognize how horrific that final act was before they started shooting. I recognize Dante said they "didn't have an ending" but that one wrecked what starts off -- in its first hour -- as a wonderful fantasy before taking one of the biggest free-fall flops in any film I've ever seen.

I don't remember the film...only saw it once a long time ago. But an expanded film score presentation was a huge deal for me when Intrada released it. It still remains one of my favorite Goldsmith scores (actually it and MATINEE are very high tier for me...with a nod and tip of the cap to THE 'BURBS). Goldsmith did solid work for Joe Dante films, including both GREMLINS films and SMALL SOLDIERS to a lesser extent. LOONEY TUNES? Meh...not so much.

I never saw KING KONG LIVES so I can't comment on it. Interesting to read different opinions on both films as well as SON OF KONG.

[BobaMike]

Worth noting also EXPLORERS has both the theatrical version and Dante's slightly "reworked for home video" cut that has a very slightly different ending and takes out the scene that Goldsmith's "Sticks and Stones" cue ran under.

The former is better, but it's unfortunate someone didn't recognize how horrific that final act was before they started shooting. I recognize Dante said they "didn't have an ending" but that one wrecked what starts off -- in its first hour -- as a wonderful fantasy before taking one of the biggest free-fall flops in any film I've ever seen.

I don't remember the film...only saw it once a long time ago. But an expanded film score presentation was a huge deal for me when Intrada released it. It still remains one of my favorite Goldsmith scores (actually it and MATINEE are very high tier for me...with a nod and tip of the cap to THE 'BURBS). Goldsmith did solid work for Joe Dante films, including both GREMLINS films and SMALL SOLDIERS to a lesser extent. LOONEY TUNES? Meh...not so much.

I never saw KING KONG LIVES so I can't comment on it. Interesting to read different opinions on both films as well as SON OF KONG.

I watched Explorers a few months ago with my son...I had forgotten how lousy it gets after they go to space. Even at 8 years old, my kid was like "that was a dumb ending". I guess I watched the video version- how is the original cut different?

It really is too bad, because the 3 kids are all excellent, the FX and sets are unique, and Goldsmith's score is great.

[AndyDursin]

Totally agree, it really IS a shame. I think the first hour is underrated and up there with Dante's best work. The kids are great, the film is funny and appealing, Goldsmith's score is one of his best...and then it all goes to hell. And not just a little bit, the entire movie is ruined.

I guess I watched the video version- how is the original cut different?

How did you watch it? You may have seen the theatrical version -- I believe that's the only one that's available on the streaming services. It also was the only cut that played on TV also, both pay-cable and in syndication.

The original cut runs a couple of minutes longer -- there's a scene where River Phoenix gets harassed while the kids walk to school (that's the cue "Sticks and Stones" on the soundtrack) and some minor edits. The "video version" adds Ethan Hawke walking into the space capsule, which appears in the classroom at the end --

https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=80025

[Eric Paddon]

Specs are out on the upcoming Blu-Ray. Seems to indicate the TV cut will be widescreen as well which will be nice!

https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/ki ... ct_id=7572

[Monterey Jack]

Looks like a great package. The usual grousing at BR.com about no new interviews with Bridges, Lange or Grodin, but this is far more than I was expecting, and having the TV cut in full widescreen is an exciting prospect.

[Eric Paddon]

I think Lange long ago declared Kong an off-limits topic for interviews. Grodin I think would have been willing.