It’s amazing how many different techniques they must’ve used and how much hard work they all would’ve taken to make that come together. Just imagine what it’d be like if they hadn’t though, it’s hard to imagine a world without Kong (not to mention we wouldn’t have had anyone to throw barrels at a certain plumber back in the day, or any tie wearing gorillas to ride rhinos)
I’ll always remember the Halloween episode of The Simpsons based around this. Homer passing out after climbing only 3-4 stories of the Springfield State Building, Barney getting mad when Homer took more than one peanut, Mr. Burns barely throwing the gas bomb…
Arguably better than the Citizen Kane version of The Simpsons with Bobo in place of Rosebud. I guess The Simpsons and Monster Madness agree that King Kong may be the better film!
You make a valid point with the Citizen Kane comparison. King Kong is to genre films what Citizen Kane is to Hollywood drama films.
Citizen Kane gets all the glory because the critics and film school professors have far less respect for genre works like King Kong.
I’d also have to say King Kong was one of the most amazing films for me as a child. I still find it very entertaining too. Point in fact, as visually stunning as Kane is, I think the actual core drama of King Kong (with Kong himself) is better realized.
James, I like most about your work is that you take notes on the classics. Nothing like learning about how to do something, than from the ground floor up.
I have only seen the basic clips from King Kong that everyone has seen, but I will be sure to keep a look out for this movie when I go to my local video store.
Thanks for breathing life back into these old classics.
The Actress in this movie had one of the best screams ever recorded by a female actress. Actresses today don’t even come close to her authenticity of fear in her voice. Actresses today are even asked to replicate her, but to no avail.
I don’t know if I can wrap my brain around the line “my balls are clapping”. Unexpected, funny, but not a mental image I want to conjure…
More people are aware of King Kong than Citizen Kane. Love it or hate it, almost everyone has seen it, and even if they haven’t, they know what it is. It’s a permanent fixture in popular culture. Aside from that, I don’t think you can compare the movies too much, aside from drawing a few links. Picking one over the other is just a matter of which style you like better, imo. There is no “greatest film”, just a personal, subjective conclusion. That’s how I would interpret James’ statement “so why not King Kong”, anyway. He’s not necessarily saying it’s better, just that it has it’s own set of groundbreaking and positive features. Therefore you can’t so easily overlook it in favor of Kane as so many do.
James,
#1…lay off the 30’s already…we get it, we get it, its your favorite time period of films, there is no CG, blah blah blah..I mean 2 or 3 is fine, but 6 out of your 7 reviews are from the 30s?!
and #2, King King? I know its Monster Madness, but where the heck to does he fit into Halloween?! Who are you going to do next? Godzilla?…oh wait…..
James,
#1: It’s great you are doing so many films from the 30’s, the classics will always have a place in my heart, and it’s awesome to hear your take on them, and what makes them special to you.
#2: I agree, King Kong should be one of the greatest films ever made, but Sci-Fi and the Monster Genre have never really hit home with critics, no matter how groundbreaking they make have been.
Murph, he’s reviewing the films in chronological order so of course he’s going to start with the really early ones. Be patient, the later films will get their turn.
The last time I saw King Kong, I was surprised at how few punches it pulled, showing monsters being ripped apart and people being massacred en masse and the like. Old school Kong was badass. I haven’t seen the latest remake of the movie and I don’t intend to–I deem it unnecessary. You can’t improve on the 1933 King Kong. The film was perfect. Timeless. Awesome.
After watching King King in the 80’s like yourself James, I remember imagining Kong coming over the treeline in my back yard, like, way too vividly. They did a great job with that movie.
@Murph – It’s not James’ fault that better movies were made earlier in the history of film. It’s because as time went on studios grew larger and realized they could abuse the movie system to make profit. So naturally you have less good movies as time progresses becuase it’s more about making money. That’s why there has yet to be more than a handful of good movies post the year 2000. It’s starting to cave in, soon there won’t be any movies that aren’t franchises, remakes, sequels, or adaptations. Sad, but true.
King Kong is honestly one of the greatest movies of all time. You can tell that those who made it put a lot of hard work into the film and did it for the sheer love of making movies. For those of you that posted saying you’ve never seen it I feel sorry to someone say that. This iconic film is one of those films that I believe everyone should see. You never know. it may inspire you one day create your own film.
Still plowing through the 30’s films. I’ll be very interested to see if you include the film Mad Love–more aptly titled Orlac’s Hands outside of the States–which introduced the great, late Peter Lorre to American cinema. He was such a perfect horror-genre character with a naturally creepy quality and those bulbous, protrouding eyes that lend to the evil aura.
It’s also interesting to think about how certain movies revolutionized film, such as King Kong and Citizen Kane. I’m going to go off on a tangent, but it has me musing over whether I’ll be assessing feature films of yours in the future from a I-knew-of-you-before-you-completely-blew-up perspective. The prospect of you becoming the next Orson Welles of Horror with all of your homages to film–like Monster Madness–for people to refer back to is pretty cool. People would be able to go back across this excursion of your opinions and learn about what shaped and inspired you to evolve into who you are. It would be another way to revolutionize the way people perceive people who “create”, even though at the moment it’s just a natural progression for you in the process of getting your stuff out there for people to decide if they like it or not. Something to think about.
Long live Kong and the King of the Nerds. Another great video. I have been enjoying Monster Madness. Keep up the great work James! (I remember watching Kong vs. Godzilla as a kid and hoping Kong would win. Good thing I was watching the American version)
When I first saw this movie I, too, was beside myself. I couldn’t believe it. Despite the special effects being old compared to movies being made nearly a century later, it was still an outstanding work of art and engineering. I love the plot, the idea, and the authenticity of it.
Hey James, Monster Madness is a lot of fun. I’m glad someone else in their 20’s appreciate these kind of films, and I understand you are joking around when it comes to movies like Kane, but Roger Ebert makes a good point about it. He even wrote it up in article on “Great Movies” on the topic of King Kong.
He wrote:
“On good days I consider “Citizen Kane” the seminal film of the sound era, but on bad days it is “King Kong.” That is not to say I dislike “King Kong,” which, in this age of technical perfection, uses its very naivete to generate a kind of creepy awe. It’s simply to observe that this low-rent monster movie, and not the psychological puzzle of “Kane,” pointed the way toward the current era of special effects, science fiction, cataclysmic destruction, and nonstop shocks. “King Kong” is the father of “Jurassic Park,” the “Alien” movies and countless other stories in which heroes are terrified by skillful special effects”.
I’d agree. If you were doing an everyday countdown of your favourite old drama films the list wouldn’t be as fun, but that’s not to say films like Citizen Kane don’t have their place either. Hell, Orson Welles has made several thriller films and even starred in films by Bert I. Gordon so do not take Citizen Kane as film school snobbery, it’s just basically the film that inspired everything past it to film noir, to french new wave to countless independent productions. It’s awesome.
So is it better then Kong? That’s up to opinion, but honestly for me it’s what you are in the mood for. When asking if a film is good, you don’t compare apples and oranges so it makes more sense to compare King Kong to other pulp films rather than Citizen Kane. Reasons it’s brought up so often in film school as it’s probably a better idea not to focus on genre films as what should be basic filming for any filmmaker regardless of what they want their medium to be. Oh crap, this has gone on too long. Don’t read this anyone.
No disrespect what so ever, but you come on, you can’t compare King Kong to Citizen Kane (!!!)
Kane wasn’t just a groundbreaking visual film. If for no other reason, it tells the story in such a complex way that really hasn’t been matched since. From a technical point of view, Kong is probably the greatest movie of all time or whatnot, but in comparison to Citizen Kane, King Kong is just another movie. Very few movies match Kane as in how far you can take cinema narrative through editing, cinematography, etc.
If you’re talking about flim school terror, how about VERTIGO!! Now there’s a movie I don’t wish to see for a long time.
Haha, you and I are on the same page! I think James made his best comment on film school terror when he had that clip of Michael Snow’s Wavelength in one of his videos a long time ago. Vertigo’s not bad at all for me, just do not expect to experience another Read Window out of it.
fantastic review for a timeless and wondeful motion picture, although I think Citizen Kane is far superior, but that’s just me. Anyway, it’s amazing how good that looked for 1933, must of taken alot of brilliance to craft together such a visual and imaginitive masterpiece.
Great review, but I’m really surprised you didn’t touch on the underlying social commentary of the movie. Perhaps because it is so obvious you didn’t feel the need to bring it up. But, since you have so many young viewers, I would have enjoyed hearing your take on it.
Keep up the good work, and best of luck.
I never saw the original Kong movie and I really wanted to as well. I have to say though it is true about how the film teachers actually shove Citizen Kane at your face saying that’s the best movie. Did you actually know that Toho Co. was actually inspired by Kong. Like they saw the movie and they decided that they wanted a monster of their own. Which is how Godzilla came to be. They were going to make Godzilla stop motion as well, but they took the lazy way out and decided to do a costume instead. So if it wasn’t for Kong, then you wouldn’t have all the other giant monsters that we have today. So we should really be proud that we have the big ape in our history.
Yay, Kong!
Just saw that movie last weekend on German TV and I was fascinated by the effects, must have scared the shit out of people in the 30s!
I really like it that you keep your focus on the 30s and 80s, just the best ages of horror films.
@You Can Just Walk It Over:
“I was strolling through the gas one day…”
It’s because of this that Harryhausen gave us Mighty Joe Young. I love movies like his. The special effects look much more realistic than CGI. Probably because they are man-made. There’s just a different feel to them. The behind the scenes techniques are just as facinating.
You bring up a good point about Citizen Kane, but I personally still think it is the best movie of all time.
Oh, did anyone here no why that spider scene was cut from the original? The audience was more scared of it than they were of Kong. Just a bit of trivia.
Great movie, to be certain. Definitely better then Citizen Kane (Though, I will say CK is also a fantastic movie).
That being said, I am starting to think that the MM has stayed in the early 30’s for just a bit too long. I know every film mentioned is impactful in its own right, but you could always get the others you missed in MM 4 or 5 (Assuming they will come to be next October).
That being said, I also agree with every choice you’ve made so far. I know I complained about the MM being stuck in the early 30’s, but I can at least say that I’m happy to see such classics as King Kong and Invisible Man with lesser known horror flicks like White Zombie (Watched that movie a few weeks ago actually) and Freaks.
Great film! King Kong is amazing, and I highly endorse getting as many new film buffs as possible to see this.
I’ll go ahead and say this, too: Stay in the 30’s, man. You’re diving into stuff that most folks either haven’t seen or haven’t heard of, and I’m thankful for it. I’m really liking this year’s entries. Press on, sir. Press on…
I remember watching this as a kid. Now this fucking TV stations in Poland shows only recent shit, that was not good enough even for direct to video release
So far this years MM is awesome and I can’t wait to see more.
To all those who think that MM has been covering the early 30’s too much, I don’t really care as long as MM is great (and it is) that’s all that matters.
When you watch King Kong, you have to stand in awe at the effects that they were able to pull off. I HATE CG effects in comparison, and when we were younger we all used to laugh about these old movies and say “oh my god they look so fake”.
Well, you can say the same thing about CG, and I know it is an art form as well and great CG is cool to see. Buy too often in today’s movies is it used to do scenes that can be done without a computer. One thing I loved about Casino Royale (the 2nd one) when it came out was that you could tell that most of the stunts were real, and something that stuck out in my mind was the car crash scene. Comparing it to the film before (Die Another Day) it was great, and Die Another Day was almost a mockery of itself with all the corny CG effects.
I agree with James wholeheartly about King Kong being one of the greatest movies of all times. I got the two disc DVD set in the tin can, and I love the Hell out of the movie.
Plus, without Kong, you wouldn’t have any other giant monster, especially Godzilla.
Yes. I was waiting for this on the first one. I think you put it the best way, “I’m bowing down, and my balls are clapping.” I think this is the best Monster Madness so far.
What the hell are you talking about InkedUp. It is a horror movie, a monster movie actually( hence the title Monster Madness 3) with the biggest monster of them all, King Kong. Your lame….. So flame somewhere else. lol that rhymed
You mention King Kong in alot of things you do i’m glad he has had a day of him and no one else. I’m glad you’re doing more on the monster aspect then the scary movie since im not much a fan of horror as I am of Film in general.
holly shit, i hated citizen kain. probably one of the worst films i had to sit through and analyze while watching, form my film class. the only thing memorable about it is the horrible twist ending (if you could call it a twist) that literally has you laughing and screaming at just how bad a movie you sat through to see this horrible ending. it’s really something that belongs on mystery science theater 3000. …no wait. not even those guys deserve a movie this bad.
Anyways, I just realized that the first Monster Madness didn’t leave the 30’s until #8. Maybe he decided to do the same thing here.
Well, whatever Jame’s does, I’ll enjoy it (I’m just a little anxious to see if “Twitch of the Death Nerve” (1971) and “Cannibal Holocaust” (1980) is mentioned, but I can be patient.
Ew. He couldn’t use a better line? Well, thanks a lot James, I’m scarred for life. Ok not really. Anyway, King Kong really is the greatest for all the things its done for movies. Like Citizen Kane inspired so many movies, King Kong has done the same. And also for it’s new sounds and movie techniques like they way they put the actors and Kong together.
Seeing this review just reminds me how influential german cinema was. The projection effects come from metropolis from 1925. I never knew much about king kong, but now i’ve seen James’s review, how revolutionary early cinema was. they didnt have million dollar budgets back then, it was a craft. The made the best of what they had, enjoyed it and made the best of b/w film
Murph: The 30s and 40s were by far the greatest era in American cinema both terms of quantity and quality of the films produced. To review 2 or 3 films in a series like this would be completely disproportionate.
You know, this morning I saw this video and I went to school with this Citizen Kane/ King Kong thing, and I tryed to explain it to one of my Literature teachers. He just heard the words King Kong and laughed and ignored me. I can’t understand how come any horror/genere kind of flick is always so underrated by any guy who thinks that, if its not something “serious”, its just not worth it.
P.S. Forgive the grammer mistakes. I’m Mexican (and live in México, duuh… Ok, it just some times does not get really clear)
I saw King Kong for the first time when I was 7 and he scared me XD.But I love the movie now and I wish people didn’t think Citizen Kane was the best movie ever(Personally I think the Jazz singer is but that’s just me)
Well, actualy I love the story of the movie, cuz I saw it when I was 17, and that’s the age for some people to focus more in production, FX, actresses and shit.
But Kong will always be a milestone monster in all the monsters repertory, side to side with Godzilla.
Do you know why it’s actually not as cherished as Citizen Kane? Due to its complete lack of character development. Pardon me, but in the Jackson version the characters were far more likeable and the story less obvious.
Still, it’s groundbreaking in its technical way, as CK was atory and character wise.
Love your films, James — particularly your horror and sci fi reviews/documentaries. You seem to be getting a lot of notice (and, as the highest form of compliment, you have your share of imitators), and I hope that continues Happy you finally got around to Kong on your list. Love all your other choices, too. Hope you get around to reviewing “The Haunting,” “The Birds,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Carrie,” and “The Omen” — also iconic films in their own right. I would say Godzilla, too, but you did an entire Monster Marathon on just him (and rightly so). You always make the best choices, so I know you’ll get around to these eventually. Keep up the great work, my friend.
RS
James: I can understand hailing this film as the greatest of all-time, but Citizen Kane does special effects better than this film. Citizen Kane is the first true special effects film. So if you are going to praise this film for new techniques. You also have to give dap to Orsen and all he did to change the landscape of cinema.
@myself…listen guys I am really sorry for the immature comment earlier..it was uncalled for, and I was just frustrated, only because I am a huge 40’s and 50’s horror fan…everyone brought up alot of great points and I really want to retract my previous statement.
King King was indeed awesome, and the special effects did intrigue me alot..static special effects are really cool, and trust me I hate CG as much as the next guy
And you’re right its monster madness, not haloween madness, although what do we classify King King as? Technically he is just a huge ape which in its on definition isnt a monster, well he is a monster because of the destruction and anguish he causes..which is interesting..he’s not a monster for his looks at all, but for his personality.
Keep em coming James!
I have to disagree with this movie being greater than Citzen Kane. It’s not even close this movie didn’t go to the ideas Kane did. I feel like it took over 60 years for Kane to be matched up with an equal or greater film and that film was There will be Blood.
King Kong is without a doubt a timeless classic. I’m not a huge fan of King Kong persay, but I like him just the same. I saw the 2005 re-make, which was pretty good and although made in modern times and didn’t capture the 1933 vintage movie making, it was still good and captured the essence of King Kong, in my opinion.
Great review! I’ll definitely try to get my hands on the original 1933 version on DVD.
THANKS! When I thought it couldn’t get better, it got.. better. I love King Kong. I was three years old the first time I saw the film. That was 1981. I’m not sure, but I think it is the first movie that I can remember having seen. I was watching it with my big sister and parents. At the end of the movie, when they shot King Kong down, me and my sister were inconsolable. It must have made such an impression on me, because I can remember every part of the scene. King Kong dying, me and my sister crying our eyes out in our early eighties living room, our parents trying to console us. Yes, it’s an epic movie. Booth for mankind and for me personally.
My grandmother was 23 in 1933 and she would tell the first hand account about going to see KING KONG, and how the moment King Kong appeared on the screen everyone ran straight out of theater. People of her generation had never seen anything like it, and for being so ground breaking, its no wonder she always maintained that it was the scariest/trilling movie ever.
It is very common that really great classic films; either have to have some new way of filmmaking invented or they really push the bounders of the special effects for there time.
I worry about movies now, there all animated with computers now.
Many people say “Ann had no connection to Kong” and that there was no development between the two – giving the edge to Jackson’s version.
I think these folks are wrong.
The original version was meant to build sympathy for Kong – watch the ending! It’s supposed to be tragic.
By comparison, Jackson’s version hits the viewer over the head and forces an emotional connection.
If you didn’t feel a connection to Kong while watching the original, something’s wrong with you!
Jackson’s “development” of Kong and Ann are very, very hamfisted by comparison.
James is totally RIGHT about the film prof / Citizen Kane comment. Even film books give maybe a BOX to King Kong, while giving a page or two spread on Citizen Kane. An important film, yes, but Kong is way under-represented.
I just re-wartched the original. I vaguely remembered it from when I was a kid.
What I found impressive is how intense the last third of the film is. When Anne Darrow gets captured it goes into hyper mode and you don’t get a pause. It’s like one fantastic sequence after another. It’s so intense and some of it didn’t really need to be in there like when he takes down the metro. It’s as if they were on a roll and just kept pushing it as much as they could.
Oh, and it probably has the funniest non-intended homosexual lines of all time.
ALL HAIL THE KING!!!
THANK YOU, SIR. THIS IS THE ONE I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO. And I agree with you on that this film is better than Citizen Cane…I hate that movie!
Great job as always!
All right, Kong needed his day at monster madness.
Glad to see you’re posting the MM videos so early.
It’s amazing how many different techniques they must’ve used and how much hard work they all would’ve taken to make that come together. Just imagine what it’d be like if they hadn’t though, it’s hard to imagine a world without Kong (not to mention we wouldn’t have had anyone to throw barrels at a certain plumber back in the day, or any tie wearing gorillas to ride rhinos)
I’ll always remember the Halloween episode of The Simpsons based around this. Homer passing out after climbing only 3-4 stories of the Springfield State Building, Barney getting mad when Homer took more than one peanut, Mr. Burns barely throwing the gas bomb…
Arguably better than the Citizen Kane version of The Simpsons with Bobo in place of Rosebud. I guess The Simpsons and Monster Madness agree that King Kong may be the better film!
This is just awesome, if anyone could have done justice to King Kong, it would be you.
Cool video.
Wow. You must LOVE this movie.
I’ve never seen it but dang, it looks good considering it’s age. But your enthusiasm for the film is the real winner.
I love Monster Madness.
best fuckin monster madness review ever man! thank you, this made my day. sooo groundbreaking.
C’mon Nerd, ya gotta rip on this movie for one thing: the way Kong’s fur ripples around like crazy during the stop motion sequences.
You make a valid point with the Citizen Kane comparison. King Kong is to genre films what Citizen Kane is to Hollywood drama films.
Citizen Kane gets all the glory because the critics and film school professors have far less respect for genre works like King Kong.
I’d also have to say King Kong was one of the most amazing films for me as a child. I still find it very entertaining too. Point in fact, as visually stunning as Kane is, I think the actual core drama of King Kong (with Kong himself) is better realized.
First time commenter, long time follower.
James, I like most about your work is that you take notes on the classics. Nothing like learning about how to do something, than from the ground floor up.
I have only seen the basic clips from King Kong that everyone has seen, but I will be sure to keep a look out for this movie when I go to my local video store.
Thanks for breathing life back into these old classics.
~Chris
If I may add something to this video…
The Actress in this movie had one of the best screams ever recorded by a female actress. Actresses today don’t even come close to her authenticity of fear in her voice. Actresses today are even asked to replicate her, but to no avail.
Cheers
I don’t know if I can wrap my brain around the line “my balls are clapping”. Unexpected, funny, but not a mental image I want to conjure…
More people are aware of King Kong than Citizen Kane. Love it or hate it, almost everyone has seen it, and even if they haven’t, they know what it is. It’s a permanent fixture in popular culture. Aside from that, I don’t think you can compare the movies too much, aside from drawing a few links. Picking one over the other is just a matter of which style you like better, imo. There is no “greatest film”, just a personal, subjective conclusion. That’s how I would interpret James’ statement “so why not King Kong”, anyway. He’s not necessarily saying it’s better, just that it has it’s own set of groundbreaking and positive features. Therefore you can’t so easily overlook it in favor of Kane as so many do.
What do you think of the remake? Maybe you could do a review of it?
James,
#1…lay off the 30’s already…we get it, we get it, its your favorite time period of films, there is no CG, blah blah blah..I mean 2 or 3 is fine, but 6 out of your 7 reviews are from the 30s?!
and #2, King King? I know its Monster Madness, but where the heck to does he fit into Halloween?! Who are you going to do next? Godzilla?…oh wait…..
James,
#1: It’s great you are doing so many films from the 30’s, the classics will always have a place in my heart, and it’s awesome to hear your take on them, and what makes them special to you.
#2: I agree, King Kong should be one of the greatest films ever made, but Sci-Fi and the Monster Genre have never really hit home with critics, no matter how groundbreaking they make have been.
Keep up the great work!
Murph, he’s reviewing the films in chronological order so of course he’s going to start with the really early ones. Be patient, the later films will get their turn.
The last time I saw King Kong, I was surprised at how few punches it pulled, showing monsters being ripped apart and people being massacred en masse and the like. Old school Kong was badass. I haven’t seen the latest remake of the movie and I don’t intend to–I deem it unnecessary. You can’t improve on the 1933 King Kong. The film was perfect. Timeless. Awesome.
After watching King King in the 80’s like yourself James, I remember imagining Kong coming over the treeline in my back yard, like, way too vividly. They did a great job with that movie.
“I’ve never seen it but dang, it looks good considering it’s age. But your enthusiasm for the film is the real winner.”
I second that.
Ah King Kong, another classic. The remake was god awful.
@Murph – It’s not James’ fault that better movies were made earlier in the history of film. It’s because as time went on studios grew larger and realized they could abuse the movie system to make profit. So naturally you have less good movies as time progresses becuase it’s more about making money. That’s why there has yet to be more than a handful of good movies post the year 2000. It’s starting to cave in, soon there won’t be any movies that aren’t franchises, remakes, sequels, or adaptations. Sad, but true.
” I’m bowing down and my balls are clapping.”- I couldn’t agree more.
King Kong is honestly one of the greatest movies of all time. You can tell that those who made it put a lot of hard work into the film and did it for the sheer love of making movies. For those of you that posted saying you’ve never seen it I feel sorry to someone say that. This iconic film is one of those films that I believe everyone should see. You never know. it may inspire you one day create your own film.
@Murph
You ever notice how it’s called MONSTER Madness and not Halloween Madness?
and what is King Kong? A monster.
So there. That’s why there’s a King Kong video in Monster Madness
Still plowing through the 30’s films. I’ll be very interested to see if you include the film Mad Love–more aptly titled Orlac’s Hands outside of the States–which introduced the great, late Peter Lorre to American cinema. He was such a perfect horror-genre character with a naturally creepy quality and those bulbous, protrouding eyes that lend to the evil aura.
It’s also interesting to think about how certain movies revolutionized film, such as King Kong and Citizen Kane. I’m going to go off on a tangent, but it has me musing over whether I’ll be assessing feature films of yours in the future from a I-knew-of-you-before-you-completely-blew-up perspective. The prospect of you becoming the next Orson Welles of Horror with all of your homages to film–like Monster Madness–for people to refer back to is pretty cool. People would be able to go back across this excursion of your opinions and learn about what shaped and inspired you to evolve into who you are. It would be another way to revolutionize the way people perceive people who “create”, even though at the moment it’s just a natural progression for you in the process of getting your stuff out there for people to decide if they like it or not. Something to think about.
Keep up the good work.
Awesome review, James. Next to Godzilla, King Kong is one of the best giant movie monsters ever.
Long live Kong and the King of the Nerds. Another great video. I have been enjoying Monster Madness. Keep up the great work James! (I remember watching Kong vs. Godzilla as a kid and hoping Kong would win. Good thing I was watching the American version)
the funny thing is that i just rented this version yesterday and thought if james would do something about it…….freaky much
When I first saw this movie I, too, was beside myself. I couldn’t believe it. Despite the special effects being old compared to movies being made nearly a century later, it was still an outstanding work of art and engineering. I love the plot, the idea, and the authenticity of it.
Also, you’re balls are CLAPPING!? lol
Hey James, Monster Madness is a lot of fun. I’m glad someone else in their 20’s appreciate these kind of films, and I understand you are joking around when it comes to movies like Kane, but Roger Ebert makes a good point about it. He even wrote it up in article on “Great Movies” on the topic of King Kong.
He wrote:
“On good days I consider “Citizen Kane” the seminal film of the sound era, but on bad days it is “King Kong.” That is not to say I dislike “King Kong,” which, in this age of technical perfection, uses its very naivete to generate a kind of creepy awe. It’s simply to observe that this low-rent monster movie, and not the psychological puzzle of “Kane,” pointed the way toward the current era of special effects, science fiction, cataclysmic destruction, and nonstop shocks. “King Kong” is the father of “Jurassic Park,” the “Alien” movies and countless other stories in which heroes are terrified by skillful special effects”.
I’d agree. If you were doing an everyday countdown of your favourite old drama films the list wouldn’t be as fun, but that’s not to say films like Citizen Kane don’t have their place either. Hell, Orson Welles has made several thriller films and even starred in films by Bert I. Gordon so do not take Citizen Kane as film school snobbery, it’s just basically the film that inspired everything past it to film noir, to french new wave to countless independent productions. It’s awesome.
So is it better then Kong? That’s up to opinion, but honestly for me it’s what you are in the mood for. When asking if a film is good, you don’t compare apples and oranges so it makes more sense to compare King Kong to other pulp films rather than Citizen Kane. Reasons it’s brought up so often in film school as it’s probably a better idea not to focus on genre films as what should be basic filming for any filmmaker regardless of what they want their medium to be. Oh crap, this has gone on too long. Don’t read this anyone.
No disrespect what so ever, but you come on, you can’t compare King Kong to Citizen Kane (!!!)
Kane wasn’t just a groundbreaking visual film. If for no other reason, it tells the story in such a complex way that really hasn’t been matched since. From a technical point of view, Kong is probably the greatest movie of all time or whatnot, but in comparison to Citizen Kane, King Kong is just another movie. Very few movies match Kane as in how far you can take cinema narrative through editing, cinematography, etc.
If you’re talking about flim school terror, how about VERTIGO!! Now there’s a movie I don’t wish to see for a long time.
@fredzilla
Haha, you and I are on the same page! I think James made his best comment on film school terror when he had that clip of Michael Snow’s Wavelength in one of his videos a long time ago. Vertigo’s not bad at all for me, just do not expect to experience another Read Window out of it.
fantastic review for a timeless and wondeful motion picture, although I think Citizen Kane is far superior, but that’s just me. Anyway, it’s amazing how good that looked for 1933, must of taken alot of brilliance to craft together such a visual and imaginitive masterpiece.
Wow your balls are clapping. That is a monumental 1st. lol Almost as big as king kong.
King Kong swings, King Kong falls, King Kong claps his mighty balls!
lol
This movie is such a classic!! But I have only seen it in color :/ Would be cool to see it in Black&White too
Great review, but I’m really surprised you didn’t touch on the underlying social commentary of the movie. Perhaps because it is so obvious you didn’t feel the need to bring it up. But, since you have so many young viewers, I would have enjoyed hearing your take on it.
Keep up the good work, and best of luck.
This is the best monster madness episode ever!
Man i gotta track the original down, I’ve only ever seen the Peter Jackson remake.
Great video. I’m loving Monster Madness!
I’m off to get the DVD.
son of kong .son of kong
Nice review! I´ve got to see this movie. Last time I saw this was in 1988! :O So it´s been awhile!
I only saw King Kong for the first time maybe 3 years ago, and it had the same impact on me. It really is timeless.
King Kong rocks.
I have to agree with Vestner,get on with real horror films.
Kong was a classic,yes.Not a horror film though.
Well there’s a monster movie in the Monster Madness, it’s not called Horror Madness.. so it was great, yeeah!!
I never saw the original Kong movie and I really wanted to as well. I have to say though it is true about how the film teachers actually shove Citizen Kane at your face saying that’s the best movie. Did you actually know that Toho Co. was actually inspired by Kong. Like they saw the movie and they decided that they wanted a monster of their own. Which is how Godzilla came to be. They were going to make Godzilla stop motion as well, but they took the lazy way out and decided to do a costume instead. So if it wasn’t for Kong, then you wouldn’t have all the other giant monsters that we have today. So we should really be proud that we have the big ape in our history.
What a beautiful tribute, I’m moved to tears!
Yay, Kong!
Just saw that movie last weekend on German TV and I was fascinated by the effects, must have scared the shit out of people in the 30s!
I really like it that you keep your focus on the 30s and 80s, just the best ages of horror films.
@You Can Just Walk It Over:
“I was strolling through the gas one day…”
It’s because of this that Harryhausen gave us Mighty Joe Young. I love movies like his. The special effects look much more realistic than CGI. Probably because they are man-made. There’s just a different feel to them. The behind the scenes techniques are just as facinating.
You bring up a good point about Citizen Kane, but I personally still think it is the best movie of all time.
it stops half way through but still realy cool
Oh, did anyone here no why that spider scene was cut from the original? The audience was more scared of it than they were of Kong. Just a bit of trivia.
Great movie, to be certain. Definitely better then Citizen Kane (Though, I will say CK is also a fantastic movie).
That being said, I am starting to think that the MM has stayed in the early 30’s for just a bit too long. I know every film mentioned is impactful in its own right, but you could always get the others you missed in MM 4 or 5 (Assuming they will come to be next October).
That being said, I also agree with every choice you’ve made so far. I know I complained about the MM being stuck in the early 30’s, but I can at least say that I’m happy to see such classics as King Kong and Invisible Man with lesser known horror flicks like White Zombie (Watched that movie a few weeks ago actually) and Freaks.
wow thats alot of stuff they did to make 1 film shit oh and good reveiw james
My balls are clapping too. But…balls clapping = balls are touching = …..??
Holy shit i never realized how much work went into this movie for its time!
Amazing movie and review. Gets better and better everyday.
Also cant help but ask what you thought of Son of Kong lol.
Great film! King Kong is amazing, and I highly endorse getting as many new film buffs as possible to see this.
I’ll go ahead and say this, too: Stay in the 30’s, man. You’re diving into stuff that most folks either haven’t seen or haven’t heard of, and I’m thankful for it. I’m really liking this year’s entries. Press on, sir. Press on…
I remember watching this as a kid. Now this fucking TV stations in Poland shows only recent shit, that was not good enough even for direct to video release
So far this years MM is awesome and I can’t wait to see more.
To all those who think that MM has been covering the early 30’s too much, I don’t really care as long as MM is great (and it is) that’s all that matters.
Yeah, all MM can be set in 30’s. Good movies
When you watch King Kong, you have to stand in awe at the effects that they were able to pull off. I HATE CG effects in comparison, and when we were younger we all used to laugh about these old movies and say “oh my god they look so fake”.
Well, you can say the same thing about CG, and I know it is an art form as well and great CG is cool to see. Buy too often in today’s movies is it used to do scenes that can be done without a computer. One thing I loved about Casino Royale (the 2nd one) when it came out was that you could tell that most of the stunts were real, and something that stuck out in my mind was the car crash scene. Comparing it to the film before (Die Another Day) it was great, and Die Another Day was almost a mockery of itself with all the corny CG effects.
Very sensational movie for its time.
And a great review!
I agree with James wholeheartly about King Kong being one of the greatest movies of all times. I got the two disc DVD set in the tin can, and I love the Hell out of the movie.
Plus, without Kong, you wouldn’t have any other giant monster, especially Godzilla.
OH. MY. GOD. I’VE ALL READY SEEN THIS! It was an option to watch it after White Zombie! Or somewhere around there.
Yes. I was waiting for this on the first one. I think you put it the best way, “I’m bowing down, and my balls are clapping.” I think this is the best Monster Madness so far.
What the hell are you talking about InkedUp. It is a horror movie, a monster movie actually( hence the title Monster Madness 3) with the biggest monster of them all, King Kong. Your lame….. So flame somewhere else. lol that rhymed
You mention King Kong in alot of things you do i’m glad he has had a day of him and no one else. I’m glad you’re doing more on the monster aspect then the scary movie since im not much a fan of horror as I am of Film in general.
Good job James, Good Job!
holly shit, i hated citizen kain. probably one of the worst films i had to sit through and analyze while watching, form my film class. the only thing memorable about it is the horrible twist ending (if you could call it a twist) that literally has you laughing and screaming at just how bad a movie you sat through to see this horrible ending. it’s really something that belongs on mystery science theater 3000. …no wait. not even those guys deserve a movie this bad.
Good joke, Huggles.
Anyways, I just realized that the first Monster Madness didn’t leave the 30’s until #8. Maybe he decided to do the same thing here.
Well, whatever Jame’s does, I’ll enjoy it (I’m just a little anxious to see if “Twitch of the Death Nerve” (1971) and “Cannibal Holocaust” (1980) is mentioned, but I can be patient.
“And my balls are clapping.”
Ew. He couldn’t use a better line? Well, thanks a lot James, I’m scarred for life. Ok not really. Anyway, King Kong really is the greatest for all the things its done for movies. Like Citizen Kane inspired so many movies, King Kong has done the same. And also for it’s new sounds and movie techniques like they way they put the actors and Kong together.
Seeing this review just reminds me how influential german cinema was. The projection effects come from metropolis from 1925. I never knew much about king kong, but now i’ve seen James’s review, how revolutionary early cinema was. they didnt have million dollar budgets back then, it was a craft. The made the best of what they had, enjoyed it and made the best of b/w film
Murph: The 30s and 40s were by far the greatest era in American cinema both terms of quantity and quality of the films produced. To review 2 or 3 films in a series like this would be completely disproportionate.
You know, this morning I saw this video and I went to school with this Citizen Kane/ King Kong thing, and I tryed to explain it to one of my Literature teachers. He just heard the words King Kong and laughed and ignored me. I can’t understand how come any horror/genere kind of flick is always so underrated by any guy who thinks that, if its not something “serious”, its just not worth it.
P.S. Forgive the grammer mistakes. I’m Mexican (and live in México, duuh… Ok, it just some times does not get really clear)
I saw King Kong for the first time when I was 7 and he scared me XD.But I love the movie now and I wish people didn’t think Citizen Kane was the best movie ever(Personally I think the Jazz singer is but that’s just me)
Well, actualy I love the story of the movie, cuz I saw it when I was 17, and that’s the age for some people to focus more in production, FX, actresses and shit.
But Kong will always be a milestone monster in all the monsters repertory, side to side with Godzilla.
Do you know why it’s actually not as cherished as Citizen Kane? Due to its complete lack of character development. Pardon me, but in the Jackson version the characters were far more likeable and the story less obvious.
Still, it’s groundbreaking in its technical way, as CK was atory and character wise.
Love your films, James — particularly your horror and sci fi reviews/documentaries. You seem to be getting a lot of notice (and, as the highest form of compliment, you have your share of imitators), and I hope that continues
Happy you finally got around to Kong on your list. Love all your other choices, too. Hope you get around to reviewing “The Haunting,” “The Birds,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Carrie,” and “The Omen” — also iconic films in their own right. I would say Godzilla, too, but you did an entire Monster Marathon on just him (and rightly so). You always make the best choices, so I know you’ll get around to these eventually. Keep up the great work, my friend.
RS
@Optics
What was so bad about the remake? I thought it was quite well done and it followed the origonal very closly.
James: I can understand hailing this film as the greatest of all-time, but Citizen Kane does special effects better than this film. Citizen Kane is the first true special effects film. So if you are going to praise this film for new techniques. You also have to give dap to Orsen and all he did to change the landscape of cinema.
@myself…listen guys I am really sorry for the immature comment earlier..it was uncalled for, and I was just frustrated, only because I am a huge 40’s and 50’s horror fan…everyone brought up alot of great points and I really want to retract my previous statement.
King King was indeed awesome, and the special effects did intrigue me alot..static special effects are really cool, and trust me I hate CG as much as the next guy
And you’re right its monster madness, not haloween madness, although what do we classify King King as? Technically he is just a huge ape which in its on definition isnt a monster, well he is a monster because of the destruction and anguish he causes..which is interesting..he’s not a monster for his looks at all, but for his personality.
Keep em coming James!
King Kong was epic!
This year’s monster madness is off to a great start. Great job with King Kong. Look forward to the rest.
I have to disagree with this movie being greater than Citzen Kane. It’s not even close this movie didn’t go to the ideas Kane did. I feel like it took over 60 years for Kane to be matched up with an equal or greater film and that film was There will be Blood.
King Kong is without a doubt a timeless classic. I’m not a huge fan of King Kong persay, but I like him just the same. I saw the 2005 re-make, which was pretty good and although made in modern times and didn’t capture the 1933 vintage movie making, it was still good and captured the essence of King Kong, in my opinion.
Great review! I’ll definitely try to get my hands on the original 1933 version on DVD.
THANKS! When I thought it couldn’t get better, it got.. better. I love King Kong. I was three years old the first time I saw the film. That was 1981. I’m not sure, but I think it is the first movie that I can remember having seen. I was watching it with my big sister and parents. At the end of the movie, when they shot King Kong down, me and my sister were inconsolable. It must have made such an impression on me, because I can remember every part of the scene. King Kong dying, me and my sister crying our eyes out in our early eighties living room, our parents trying to console us. Yes, it’s an epic movie. Booth for mankind and for me personally.
My grandmother was 23 in 1933 and she would tell the first hand account about going to see KING KONG, and how the moment King Kong appeared on the screen everyone ran straight out of theater. People of her generation had never seen anything like it, and for being so ground breaking, its no wonder she always maintained that it was the scariest/trilling movie ever.
Great Review!
Wow I really agree this movie is awesome! XD
It is very common that really great classic films; either have to have some new way of filmmaking invented or they really push the bounders of the special effects for there time.
I worry about movies now, there all animated with computers now.
The remakes couldn’t touch this.
Classic, classic, classic.
Woah, someone hates Citizen Kane?
No wonder Welles had such trouble finding work as a director. Audiences even hated his best film.
Maybe they’ll like Mr. Arkadin (yeah, I keep promoting it,) which I think is an undiscovered cult film.
Many people say “Ann had no connection to Kong” and that there was no development between the two – giving the edge to Jackson’s version.
I think these folks are wrong.
The original version was meant to build sympathy for Kong – watch the ending! It’s supposed to be tragic.
By comparison, Jackson’s version hits the viewer over the head and forces an emotional connection.
If you didn’t feel a connection to Kong while watching the original, something’s wrong with you!
Jackson’s “development” of Kong and Ann are very, very hamfisted by comparison.
James is totally RIGHT about the film prof / Citizen Kane comment. Even film books give maybe a BOX to King Kong, while giving a page or two spread on Citizen Kane. An important film, yes, but Kong is way under-represented.
Oh King Kong. I love it. Not sure when I saw this… must have been a while ago but I would like to see it again.
The thing I remember really well is King Kong stepping on those helpless people. Who could forget that!
I just re-wartched the original. I vaguely remembered it from when I was a kid.
What I found impressive is how intense the last third of the film is. When Anne Darrow gets captured it goes into hyper mode and you don’t get a pause. It’s like one fantastic sequence after another. It’s so intense and some of it didn’t really need to be in there like when he takes down the metro. It’s as if they were on a roll and just kept pushing it as much as they could.
Oh, and it probably has the funniest non-intended homosexual lines of all time.