She (Deluxe Two Disc Edition)

Customer Reviews:

SHE's the one..........2007-09-13

This is in response to the viewer who wanted more details about the 2-disc special edition of SHE. Without giving away too much of the plot, the story basically involves some brave adventurers who head off on an expedition to a faraway land with the hope of finding a lost civilization rumored to possess a mysterious power source that can give eternal youth. After a perilous journey, the explorers eventually locate the ancient people but run into trouble when they meet the cold-blooded female leader of the kingdom.

This new edition of SHE includes both a colorized version of the film and a restored print of the original B&W feature, along with a second disc full of bonus material. For me, however, the main reason for getting this newer release of the film is that it's an expanded version that runs about 8 minutes longer than the original.

As for the film itself, SHE is one of the all-time great adventure movies. One might quibble that there could have been a little more action instead of some lengthy sequences dealing with the sacrificial ceremonies and such, but it still has a thought-provoking mix of mystery and excitement that truly holds your attention. If you liked the original KING KONG or JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH with James Mason, you're bound to enjoy this movie and it's certainly worth adding to your collection.

If you already own the previous Kino edition of SHE, this new version does indeed offer some impressive enhancements, so if you really love the movie I'd say it's worth the price to replace your old copy. If you're just a casual fan, though, the older DVD is perfectly acceptable. Bottom line: SHE is always a winner.

WOW! But then.........what would you expect?.......2007-09-13

Ah, they don't make them like this any more. Still my favorite version of a truly classic love story - think of it as a distaff version of the 1933 "The Mummy". H. Rider Haggard's "She" is one of those classics that has been filmed EIGHT times. This version, from 1935, is probably the most faithful to the spirit of Haggard's novel, despite some very, VERY odd changes to the plot.

Everyone will associate Nigel Bruce with his unforgiveably buffonish portrayal of Dr. Watson in the Basil Rathbone Holmes series. Here, four years before the first of those were filmed, he plays the part of Holly, a bit of miscasting if ever there was one. Fortunately, he quickly fades into the background once things get moving. Helen Gahagan, a well-known stage actress, plays the immortal Ayesha, "She Who Must Be Obeyed". The agonized, piercing shriek she makes when seeing her injured lost love for the first time in 500 years is worth the entire film - its horrifying notes of despair and loss raise my hair just remembering it. Randolph Scott and Helen Mack are more products of their time - a bit stiff and stolid, working their ways through the film rather than really grabbing you. Surprisingly good special effects and make-up, especially with the avalanche scene and the "Flame of Life" ending.

This release features both the original black-and-white version, and one that's been "colorized". Colorization technology has come a long way since it's introduction over 20 years ago, and those of you who remember those early efforts, where the monotone shades seemed to follow their subjects a few milliseconds behind the action, should at least audition this DVD to see how far things have progressed. MOST effective is the shading given to the extensive matte paintings (thank goodness!), in many scenes giving a terrific sense of scale and distance missing from the B&W version. The massive sets also come across very convincingly and to me are the closest to what I'd pictured in reading the novel. Anyone who considers themselves a "purist" really should consider that this isn't "Citizen Kane": Cooper is on record wishing he could have filmed it in color if he'd had the budget, and also that this is a far cry from the cheesy early technology.

The letdown: the human sacrifice scene. I haven't seen so much camp since "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls". Besides the dancing cavemen (what, do they rehearse, or do they do this so often that they're really good at synchronized syncopations?), we get a marching band! (Watch for the drummer in the middle with the psychotic grin on his face. Makes me wonder what the heck was going on in his head!)

Good extras, including the Harryhausen interview on the colorization. Recommended to all.

Review of the other Reviews.......2007-09-08

I just read the four posted reviews of this movie hoping to get some inkling of what it's about in order to decide if I should buy it or not. Unfortunately I find I know no more about the movie plot or theme after reading the posted reviews than I did before I read them. My review is directed to all who post reviews for all movies on Amazon. Write your review for people who haven't seen the movie and have little or no knowledge of it. Having read the posted reviews, I still don't know if this movie is about a chimpanzee in a hot air ballon, a murder mystry, a comedy or an what happens to an ice cream cone on a hot day. Somebody, anybody, what's the movie about?????

Lost World Classic Found!.......2007-09-02

"SHE" is a perfect example of classic Hollywood adventure film. Merian C Cooper produced spectacular moments ( the avalanche) and some priceless camp (during the human sacrifice production number I expected Fred and Ginger to appear at any moment). The colorized version reminds me of those Maria Montez technicolored extravanzas which were clearly influence by this films rich if slightly wacky art direction which feature both Art Deco palaces and dancing cave men. ( Was this film suppose to be a musical?) One thing for sure- they don't make them like this anymore !

SHE...who must be obeyed.......2007-08-25

Wouldn't you think that the studio that gave us the greatest of fantasies of it's age in KING KONG would have garnered so much more in financial kudos than they recieved ? It seems RKO was to go the fateful route that Carl Denham took into obscurity and financial ruin. After SON OF KONG, RKO released SHE and without the financial support needed for the undertaking. It was to be in color and to include scenes of wooly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers and such but all was not to be as the budget was drastically cut. Back again was Helen Mack from SON OF KONG and also starred Randolph Scott, which who's part was supposed to be played by Joel McCrea who played aside Fay Wray in THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME which was filmed during the production of KING KONG.

This DVD release honors the desire of Merian C. Cooper to release this film in color as it never was but done so now under the cooperation and direction of our beloved Ray Harryhausen, I'm sure as a tribute to the desires of Cooper himself.

Do not be put off by the "colorization" of this film. It was the desire of Merian to be seen this way-we've just increased the budget a bit so we can all see what he wanted us to see.

RKO went away quietly with the Desilu buy out but will always be remembered as the studio that brought us some of the great films of the 30's, as we should not forget SHE, She who must be obeyed.

King Kong (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Pointless, really
King Kong sized absurdity
She Never Gets Whiplash
Pretty exciting movie
Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars

King Kong (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Adrien Brody , Kyle Chandler , Thomas Kretschmann , Naomi Watts , and Jack Black
Director: Peter Jackson
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000E97Y6K
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Amazon.com

Movies don't come any bigger than Peter Jackson's King Kong, a three-hour remake of the 1933 classic that marries breathtaking visual prowess with a surprising emotional depth. Expanding on the original story of the blonde beauty and the beast who falls for her, Jackson creates a movie spectacle that matches his Lord of the Rings films and even at times evokes their fantasy world while celebrating the glory of '30s Hollywood. Naomi Watts stars as Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress down on her luck in Depression-era New York until manic filmmaker Carl Denham (a game but miscast Jack Black) entices her with a lead role. Dazzled by the genius of screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Ann boards the tramp steamer S.S. Venture, which she--and most of the wary crew--believes is headed for Singapore. Denham, however, is in search of the mythic Skull Island, hoping to capture its wonders on film and make a fortune. What he didn't count on were some scary natives who find that the comely Darrow looks like prime sacrifice material for a mysterious giant creature....

There's no point in rehashing the entire plot, as every movie aficionado is more than familiar with the trajectory of King Kong; the challenge facing Jackson, his screenwriters, and the phenomenal visual-effects team was to breathe new life into an old, familiar story. To that degree, they achieve what could be best called a qualified success. Though they've assembled a crackerjack supporting cast, including Thomas Kretschmann as the Venture's hard-bitten captain and young Jamie Bell as a plucky crewman, the first third of the movie is rather labored, with too much minute detail given over to sumptuous re-creations of '30s New York and the unexciting initial leg of the Venture's sea voyage. However, once the film finds its way to Skull Island (which bears more than a passing resemblance to LOTR's Mordor), Kong turns into a dazzling movie triumph, by turns terrifying and awe-inspiring. The choreography and execution of the action set pieces--including one involving Kong and a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, as well as another that could be charitably described as a bug-phobic's nightmare--is nothing short of landmark filmmaking, and a certain Mr. Spielberg should watch his back, as Kong trumps most anything that has come before it.

Despite the visual challenges of King Kong, the movie's most difficult hurdle is the budding romance between Ann and her simian soulmate. Happily, this is where Jackson unqualifiedly triumphs, as this unorthodox love story is tenderly and humorously drawn, by turns sympathetic and wondrous. Watts, whose accessibility balances out her almost otherworldly loveliness, works wonders with mere glances, and Andy Serkis, who digitally embodies Kong here much as he did Gollum in the LOTR films, breathes vibrant life into the giant star of the film without ever overplaying any emotions. The final, tragic act of the film, set mostly atop the Empire State Building, is where Kong earns its place in movie history as a work that celebrates both the technical and emotional heights that film can reach. --Mark Englehart

Description

Experience King Kong as never before in this exclusive 2-Disc Special Edition! See the larger-than-life film, plus, watch three-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson take you behind the scenes of this epic adventure. Thrilling, in-depth featurettes reveal the genius behind the creation of this timeless story.

Customer Reviews:

Pointless, really.......2007-09-16

This version of King Kong is so similar to the original, it was pretty much pointless to go to all the trouble of remaking it. Peter Jackson, by all means, is a decent director. But with his previous films, there was something ultimately no other director could capture, like with Dead/Alive and Heavenly Creatures. Even the Lord of the Rings trilogy will be really hard to surpass by directors fifty years from now.

But King Kong is a bunch of fancier scenes and lines from the original movie, then a ton of extra nonsense just to make it seem a whole lot different and original. This version would have been good if time on the boat, on the island, and in New York afterwards would have been cut in half. It's a drag to watch.

I did give it two stars, though, for the special effects and some of the action scenes were pretty cool. I also like Jack Black, so seeing his face in the midst of this was refreshing.

King Kong sized absurdity.......2007-08-27

It's strange, but looking at the reviews this movie seems to be a love/hate movie. I can't imagine what makes it so polarizing. I found it cringe-worthy.

My biggest gripes: nearly every action scene is cartoonish. A stampeding horde of brontosauruses not only can't outrun humans... it runs with them, over top them, without stepping on anyone. For several minutes. The same problem happens with the rest of the crazy dinosaur/island creatures... they don't seem to adhere to any principle of physics and motion, but gnash and crash and fall down all over the place while magically avoiding the main characters.

Another problem is the love story. Why would a woman care about a freaking monkey? One that has eaten human sacrifices for decades, and that destroys everything whenever he feels like cutting lose. She doesn't recognize that part of him, just that he's a big sweet monkey who has love in his heart too. Awwww. Not only that she doesn't just seem to like him as a friend. She seems to want to marry him. A 30 foot tall, man eating monkey. Of course, that's the original story, but they failed to help explain it any better.

One more gripe: Jack Black. Great guy, very funny. He screws up this movie because it's not a comedy. Sorry Jack but you don't belong in a dramatic action movie where everyone's waiting for you to crack jokes. He doesn't crack any, by the way, but there's the problem. He's not one of those guys who acts well outside his comedy, and as an important personality in this film it's almost embarrassing to watch him have no dramatic presence.

The one good thing is the visuals (for the most part, sometimes the CG feels disconnected from the actors), there's a lot of beauty shoved into some scenes.

She Never Gets Whiplash.......2007-08-26

Even after suspending disbelief to get into this movie's world, you have to keep on going. How she keeps from breaking her neck, or even getting whiplash, is amazing. Why can't Kong get around the wall with all of his amazing abilities? What do the natives do for a living -- that is, when they aren't offering people who drop by as sacrifices to Kong? Farm? Do embroidery? (And the scenes with them doing a sort of drugged dance was really worth a chuckle.) All that said, it's entertaining. And most of the unbelievable (in the movie's own world) stuff is in a way fun to see. So I gave it 3 stars. It's worth about $5 to see. (I'm very glad Peter Jackson was much more careful with The Lord of the Rings movies.)

Pretty exciting movie.......2007-08-23

I have seen the original and thought it was good but to me it seemed ancient and not 'classic'. Perhaps I am too young to see it that way. But at least I have seen the movie, on more than 1 occassion. Anyway, I love Peter Jackson and I loved this film. Yes, it was a tad overlong but I dont mind long movies as long as they keep my interest. The effects and acting were wonderful and amazing. Peter Jackson and his Weta team are genuises in that department. In this, I actually felt sypathy when King died, as opposed to the original where I felt nothing. Naomi Watts is quickly becoming my favorite actress. She can truly do anything. Kong Himself was by far some of the best effects in film history. There is no way anybody can complain about that. I saw it in the theaters and it was an awesome experience. That is probably the best way to see this, on a very big screen.

Do away with the ice pond and it's 5 stars.......2007-08-22

This film delivers what it is suppose to deliver: FUN. This isn't serious drama, this is cartoon type fun. Jack Black was terrific as Carl Denham, Adrien Brody was okay as the hero and Naomi Watts was great as Ann, the beauty loved by the beast. That said, the star of this film is the giant ape and a wonderful job they did bring the beast to life. I did not care for the scene on the frozen pond in New York. That really was dull and contrived, but the rest of the movie moved along well and it did not seem three hours long. The supporting actors were also very good, including the cameraman, the captain and of course the male movie star. Was it better than the original? Well, I loved the original and I was prepared to be disapointed by a remake. I was not however. If only all remakes could live up to this standard.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World - Season Two

Average customer rating:

More great stories from the Lost World
Love this series!
The Lost World - Season 2
A good second season
What A Great Series, A Must See!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World - Season Two
Director: Michael Offer , Ian Gilmour , Catherine Millar , Colin Budds , and Richard Franklin
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001I2CFC
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Product Description

Return to a land of adventure, fantasy and excitement in The Lost World, where a group of intrepid explorers fight for survival and discover a wondrous land never before seen by human eyes. Dinosaurs, man-beasts, and other startling creations make for hours of thrills in this action-packed television series taken from the pages of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, presented here with the entire second season for you to enjoy again and again!
include:

All Or Nothing

Amazons

Tourist Season

Stone Cold

Divine Right

Skin Deep

London Calling

The Prisoner

The Games

The Source

Trophies

Voodoo Queen

The Guardians

Under Pressure

The Outlaw

The Quality Of Mercy

Mark Of The Beast

Survivor

The Pirate's Curse

The Visitor

A Man Of Vision

Into The Fire.

System Requirements:

Length: 968 minutes

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

More great stories from the Lost World.......2007-04-10

I am Continually impressed with the production values, especially for a show that came out every week. The location shots are worth the viewing alone. The characters are good, with enough sense of togetherness that you care about watching them. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys adventure type shows.

Love this series!.......2007-01-18

Bought Season 1 for my husband. My Son(14 years old) liked them so much I bought him season 2. He said they were great, but the last episode is a continuation to Season 3, so now I gotta go buy that one. He was a little annoyed about the cliffhanger. But I have to say this is a good series and I am glad we started watching them, which we do as a family (ages 11 and up). They can be intense for younger veiwers. But better than anything on TV now.

The Lost World - Season 2.......2006-07-12

Each season was great. There was alot of action. I was sorry to come to the end.

A good second season.......2005-09-30

I have seen these episodes on TNT and on Tv.com and I still say that season one of The Lost World is still better than this season. Only twenty of these twenty two episodes are good and that is why I gave this four stars instead of five like I did season one. I still do intend to buy this when I get the chance though. Like I said, this seas on is still good.

What A Great Series, A Must See!.......2005-01-05

I know tons of people are watching reality series, but do they have what The Lost World has? It has romance, teamwork, friendship, and a lot of lessons. Surprisingly it's most vital lesson is teamwork because without it I bet they would have perished. Of course Roxton and Marguerite are awesome because they have more chemistry each episode. A must see, perfectly awesome and just getting better each episode!!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

The original is truly the best
Not wuite what I expected, but still very good.
One of the Most Influential Films of All Time
Jackson does it better
The Most Awesome Thriller Of All Time!

King Kong (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Robert Armstrong , Harry Bowen , Bruce Cabot , Steve Clemente , and Shorty English
Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CXAW
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Amazon.com

"Now you see it. You're amazed. You can't believe it. Your eyes open wider. It's horrible, but you can't look away. There's no chance for you. No escape. You're helpless, helpless. There's just one chance, if you can scream. Throw your arms across your eyes and scream, scream for your life!" And scream Fay Wray does most famously in this monster classic, one of the greatest adventure films of all time, which even in an era of computer-generated wizardry remains a marvel of stop-motion animation. Robert Armstrong stars as famed adventurer Carl Denham, who is leading a "crazy voyage" to a mysterious, uncharted island to photograph "something monstrous ... neither beast nor man." Also aboard is waif Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and Bruce Cabot as big lug John Driscoll, the ship's first mate. King Kong's first half-hour is steady going, with engagingly corny dialogue ("Some big, hard-boiled egg gets a look at a pretty face and bang, he cracks up and goes sappy") and ominous portent that sets the stage for the horror to come. Once our heroes reach Skull Island, the movie comes to roaring, chest-thumping, T. rex-slamming, snake-throttling, pterodactyl-tearing, native-stomping life. King Kong was ranked by the American Film Institute as among the 50 best films of the 20th century. Kong making his last stand atop the Empire State Building is one of the movies' most indelible and iconic images. --Donald Liebenson

DVD features
Not surprisingly, the eighth wonder of the world's DVD treatment is nothing short of spectacular. The newly restored, digitally mastered print of the 1933 version of King Kong is sharp, well balanced, and given that this film is seventy years old, has very few scratches or blemishes. The restoration is nothing short of amazing. What may frustrate some is the audio. Though crystal clear, it is still in 2.0 Mono. The soundtrack on Kong is such an integral part of the film you really wished they could have pulled it out to at least 2.0 Surround; but this is a minor criticism. The bulk of the commentary track is by visual effects veterans Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston joyfully discussing the special effects of the film and discussing why King Kong is such a favorite and important film to the community of visual effects artists. Spliced between their commentaries are colorful and humorous anecdotes from director from Merian C. Cooper and Fay Wray. The two documentaries on disc two run over three and half hours long. I Am Kong! The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper is an engaging documentary on the renegade, Hemingway-like director. It is fascinating to learn that Cooper was every bit the adventurer that the fictional director Carl Denham in King Kong was in the film. RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World is a two and a half hour documentary broken into 7 parts: "The Origins of King Kong," "Willis O'Brien and Creation," "Cameras Roll on Kong," "The Eighth Wonder," "A Milestone in Visual Effects," "Passion, Sound and Fury," "The Mystery of the Lost Spider Pit Sequence," and "King Kong's Legacy." Also included is complete footage of the legendary "The Lost Spider Pit Sequence." Presenting the segments are various film historians and filmmakers including Rudy Behlmer, Cooper biographer Mark Cotta Vaz, the Chiodo Brothers (of Team America: World Police special effects fame), and directors John Landis and Peter Jackson. Here you will learn everything you would ever want to know about the making and importance of King Kong, including that the producer/director team of Cooper and Schoedsack played the pilots who shoot Kong off the Empire State Building. The highly anticipated, long-awaited release of King Kong will meet most viewers' expectations, and exceed everyone's else. --Rob Bracco

Description

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Documentaries
Other
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

The original is truly the best.......2007-09-01

No matter how many times I see this film, it still surprises me. this is a classic that has stood the test of time and is still better than the remakes for sheer excitement with few special effects.

Not wuite what I expected, but still very good........2007-08-10

King Kong (Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1933)

When I was a kid, I obsessed over monster movies. (Well, didn't we all?) I was eight when the 1976 remake of King Kong came out, and I saw it innumerable times on the Saturday afternoon creature feature over the years. But somehow, despite seeing clips from it thousands of times and having seen enough stills of it in monster-movies books and magazines when I was just a little squid, I somehow managed to never see the original version entire. I remedied that error last week. King Kong is one of those movies that constantly makes thousand-best lists (of all those I've compiled, only Jonathan Rosenbaum's leaves it off), but while I was watching it, I had to wonder: did it make the lists because of what it was in 1933, or because it holds up well today? Ideally, a truly classic film should be a mix of both (Murnau's Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens is a perfect example; at the time, it was revolutionary, with Murnau inventing new ways to film tracking shots and the like, while it still packs a creepy punch almost a century later just because it's a damned good movie); while there's no doubt that King Kong was revolutionary for its time, and did a great deal to advance the wonderful world of movie special effects, it was made at a time when silent film was still a credible option, and the expressionism inherent in silent film hadn't quite cleared off yet. And when I look at it like that, I realize just how modern it was, for its time; so many of the players in this movie give perfectly creditable performances. But the one who seems like a holdover from the silent film days where her acting is concerned is incapable of being ignored-- the movie's star, Fay Wray. Now, I grant you, she's supposed to be playing someone who's acting in a silent film, so had she kept the overacting for when she was in front of Robert Armstrong's cameras, well, that would have been all well and good. But even while everyone around her is acting in a more modern fashion, Wray is all about the overacting. It tends to get annoying.

That said, the movie is exceptionally well-made (especially given Cooper and Schoedsack's previous collaboration, the somewhat anemic The Most Dangerous Game, made on a basement budget using the sets and actors, for the most part, the two were using for King Kong); the script is well-plotted and well-paced, much of the acting is at or above par for the time (Wray has already been noted; Victor Wong, who portrays Charlie the cook, plays his role well, but is so hopelessly stereotyped we never get to see what he's really made of), and of course the special effects were marvelous for the time. It is certainly still a watchable movie, and an enjoyable one. And maybe that's enough. ****

One of the Most Influential Films of All Time.......2007-07-12

For anyone who knows anything in regard to what cinema is supposed to be all about, the 1933 "King Kong" still ranks among the greatest films ever made. A film's greatness is ultimately measured, not by how many Oscars it may have garnered in its day, but rather by the influence it left on audiences and filmmakers for generations to come. Certainly Merian C. Cooper's fantastic fable of the gigantic, lovestruck gorilla has that going for it and much more. It has an audacity that wouldn't work in another movie yet is so appropriate here because of the primal nature of the story. "King Kong" is among the handful of films that happened to have all the aesthetic and narrative elements gel to form a seamless 100 minutes of pure, unabashed entertainment. In the 70 plus years since the film's release, Kong himself, Fay Wray, and the Empire State Building have gone on to dwell forever in our collective pop-culture consciousness. In fact, the character King Kong is so famous that many today have the misconception he existed in fiction even before the film that introduced him was made! One essential point they botched in both the '76 and '05 versions is that, in Cooper's own concept of the story, Kong is totally misunderstood by all - including Ann Darrow. Rather than wanting to be friends with Kong (as in the remakes), she only wants to escape his clutches the first chance she gets and, in true fairy tale fashion, be rescued by her handsome hero. Some recent critics have mistakenly cited this as a flaw. They don't seem to get it. It's precisely because of Ann Darrow's rejection of Kong that the final epitath, "It was Beauty Killed the Beast" is totally appropriate in the original film. After all let's not forget that "King Kong" is, at its core, a story about unrequited love. It wasn't conceived to be the traditional "Beauty and the Beast" treatment where Beauty comes to accept and understand her Beast. Instead, in this take on the timeless tale, Kong remains to the end a lonely, tragic victim as Cooper had intended. It is we the audience, not the characters in the film, who come to sympathize with Kong, and therein lies the film's magic. There is a brief but crucial moment snuck in where Kong plucks a tiny white flower, sniffs it, and is about to present it to Ann but is interrupted from doing so by an eel-like dinosaur. Blink and you'll miss it, but freeze frame the DVD and it's there. It makes one wonder: what would Ann Darrow's reaction have been if Kong was allowed to complete this tender gesture toward her? It's much more enigmatic to leave this question unanswered as Cooper did in his film, and this is part of what contributes to "Kong"'s mythical status. The "Beauty Killed the Beast" line is pointless and uninspired in Peter Jackson's overlong and overdone remake since in that film Ann Darrow does come to like Kong. She's not used as bait to lure Kong to his doom as in the original. Because of this, Jackson's film succumbs to sentimentalizing the big ape so that he emerges more like "Mighty Joe Young". Cooper's "Kong" touches something primal in us, and at the same time it addresses certain social themes in its own unique, proverbial way. Like their film's alter-ego Carl Denham, Cooper and his co-director Ernest B. Schoedsack were both adventurers in real life who knew first hand what it was like to go on expeditions to remote, exotic parts of the world. They brought their experiences to "King Kong" so that the film, although a fantasy, still manages to convey a certain reality of plot that is apparent to the viewer. From its fictional, opening "Old Arabian Proverb" to its famous, final line, the film comes full circle and is firmly grounded as a documentary/fairy tale. Summing up, "King Kong" stands as eloquent testimony to the dedication and craftsmanship of all who were involved in its making. Now with DVD, this wonderful movie can be enjoyed by audiences right on into the 21st century.

Jackson does it better.......2007-06-06

I've watched this film 3 times in the past 7 months & I don't care what a lot of people or a few blind critics say: this is NOT on any level better than Peter Jackson's `05 version. Don't get me wrong, this version is good & deserves credit for moving film into a new age but Jackson's remake makes this one look old. Carl Denham is the only character who even APPROACHES a real 3-dimensional person status. Wray's Ann is likeable enough, but seriouisly, is she anymore than a brainless piece of eyecandy found in any horror movie? She certainly doesn't posses the depth (and more importantly the heartache) that Watts' Ann has. This movie lacked everything it needed to rise above the level of an unscary horror movie (fleshed-out characters, a relationship between Ann & Kong & an epic feel in both scope & soundtrack.) Sorry movie fans, but no matter what you think, Cooper may have had the epic idea but Jackson made it an epic reality.

The Most Awesome Thriller Of All Time!.......2007-03-22

PLOT: The film begins in New York City in 1933, during the bottom of the Great Depression. Filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) has charted a freighter boat called Venture to take him to a filming location somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Denham is most well-known for making adventure films in exotic locations. He is keeping many of the details about the trip very secret. His backing studio announces that they refuse to get him a leading lady for his film without more details about the film itself, so Denham goes out to find a girl on his own. On the streets, Denham finds a poor, starving girl (Fay Wray) caught trying to steal an apple. The girl is very beautiful and Denham just knows that she is right for the part. He buys the girl a meal and introduces himself to her. Her name is Ann Darrow and she happens to have some acting experience. He offers her the film role and the chance of a lifetime. Ann is apprehensive at first, but finally agrees to it. Denham and his film crew finally set sail on the Venture. For weeks they sail towards Indonesia; Denham promises to tell Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher) their true destination once they get close enough. The first mate, Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot), is a real tough guy who feels that the ship is no place for women, but he soon finds himself falling in love with Ann. Denham finally tells Englehorn that they are sailing towards a place called Skull Island. It is only charted on a map which was sold to him by a Norwegian captain in Singapore; the location of the island was given to the captain by a native who was swept out to sea. Denham tells eveyone that there is a wall on the island that is so large and so old that the natives there don't even remember who built it. Apparently it was built to keep something out from the other side; legend says that it is a monstrous creatures simply known as "Kong". The ship eventually enters through a thick fog which hides the island on the other side. The film crew comes to shore on the island's penninsula, which is the only place on the island not surrounded by rock. They begin to spy on some natives who are having some sort of ritual. Many of the men are dancing around dressed as gorillas and yelling, "Kong! Kong!" The natives are also adorning a young girl with flowers and jewelry. The native chief spots the film crew, so they decide to show themselves. Engelhorn is able to understand the native language and acts as an interpreter for both groups. When asked what they are doing, the chief explains that they are offering a wife to their god Kong. Suddenly the chief gets a look at Ann, whom he thinks is a much better choice for Kong's bride than their own native bride. He offers the film crew six native girls in exchange for Ann, but they refuse. The chief becomes angry and tells them to leave. Later that night on the Venture, Jack and Ann openly express their love for one another. Jack is called to the bridge and Ann is left alone. Suddenly, Ann is kidnapped by a group of natives that canoed to the Venture. The crew later find a native bracelet on the deck and realize that Ann was kidnapped. Back on the island, the natives open up the gate at the wall and leave Ann on the other side. They hit a large gong to summon the mighty Kong. Kong finally emerges from out of the jungle and reveals himself to be a giant gorilla. He grabs ahold of Ann and proceeds back into the jungle. The film crew then get to the wall and take control of it from the natives. A small group of them decide to go off into the jungle and rescue Ann. What they don't realize is that they are about to enter a world filled with prehistoric beasts which were thought to be extinct long ago.

COMMENTS: King Kong has to be one of the greatest films of all time. It's astounding special effects must have blown the 1933 audiences away. Despite the fact that it was made during the Great Depression, it still attracted a huge audience. Unlike other horror films at the time, it was not based on a novel; it was a pure invention of hollywood. It was the first hit film to feature a life-like animated central character in any form, thanks to stop-motion master Willis O'Brien. Kong was created through the use of two stop-motion puppets (an 18" and a 24"), a life-size mechanical bust for Kong's close-ups, and a life-size mechanical arm for close-ups of Kong holding Ann in the palm of his hand. The combination proved to be extremely effective. O'Brien had previously used his stop-motion techniques to create the dinosaurs in The Lost World (1925). Next, he was hired to create the dinosaurs for the film Creation (1931), but the film was never finished. Many of the dinosaurs from the production were later used for King Kong. Many of the scenes in this one film alone are considered to be some of the most memorable in cinematic history, especially the scene of Kong atop the Empire State Building as airplanes are shooting at him. King Kong ultimately spawned several sequels, spin-offs, remakes, and rip-offs. Since the film was such a huge hit, RKO Pictures quickly filmed and released a sequel, Son of Kong, that same year. The premise of that film was that Carl Denham returns to Skull Island and discovers that Kong had an albino son. In 1949, a spin-off called Mighty Joe Young was released. This film told the story of a young girl named Jill Young who adopts a baby gorilla whom she names Joe. Joe later grows to a very large size (not as large as Kong, but larger than an average gorilla.) Joe is later brought to the U.S. to be the star of a Hollywood nightclub act. Joe was also created via stop-motion by Willis O'Brien. The film was later remade by Walt Disney Pictures in 1998. In 1962, the Japanese-based Toho Studios, who had created the giant radioactive monster Godzilla, obtained the rights to make a King Kong film. They decided to place Kong against their own creation Godzilla in the classic monster movie showdown King Kong vs. Godzilla. The film served as both a sequel to Son of Kong and Godzilla Raids Again (1955). This was the first movie where both of the monsters were seen in color. Rather than using stop-motion animation, Kong was brought to life using the popular Japanese form of suitmation known as "kaiju". Many Kong fans noticed that Kong is much larger in this film than in the original 1933 film. This was because Godzilla was actually much larger than the 1933 King Kong. Toho Studios decided to scale Kong up to Godzilla's size to make the fight more fair. The film's explanation for this was that Kong ate berries which contained growth hormones. Kong next appeared in the Toho produced King Kong Escapes (1967), which pitted Kong against Mechani-Kong (a robot version of himself). In 1976, Italian film mogul Dino De Laurentiis decided to produce a big budget remake of King Kong. Kong was brought to life through suitmation. The detailed suit was created by special make-up effects master Rick Baker (who also actually played Kong). The film had several major changes from the original film. It received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, but depite all that it was commericially successful. The De Laurentiis remake was followed by a sequel, King Kong Lives, in 1986. The film was a commercial flop and is regarded by fans as the "worst King Kong movie of all time." King Kong was remade again in 2005 by New Zealand director Peter Jackson, who also directed the highly succussful Lord Of The Rings (2001 - 2003). Jackson stated that the original film was what inspired him to be a film director. This time, Kong was created through a highly evolved CGI process in which sensors are placed all over an actor's body to create the movements. The actor picked to portray Kong through this process was Andy Serkis, who also portrayed the CGI-created character Gollum in the Lord Of The Rings films. The film was extremely faithful to the original and it became a mega-hit. This DVD presents the film in its original full screen ratio. The footage and audio have been completely digitally remastered. The 2-disc set also contains "I'm Kong: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper" -- 2005 documentary, Merian C. Cooper Movies trailer gallery, RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World - 7 Part Documentary, Creation test footage with commentary by Ray Harryhausen, and commentary by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, with interpolated interview excerpts of Merian C. Cooper and Fay Wray.

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two dumb cheap plain worlds
What the...? A spliced-up bit of ham, barely coherent
Really Lost
TWO LOST WORLDS DVD
A Watchable Curiosity

Two Lost Worlds
Starring: James Arness , Kasey Rogers , Bill Kennedy , Gloria Petroff , and Pierre Watkin
Director: Norman Dawn
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305473420
Release Date: 1999-07-20

Amazon.com

Unable to decide whether to make a pirate movie, a Western, or a dinosaur flick, director Norman Dawn decided to make all three at once. It's 1830 and the clipper ship Hamilton Queen is leaving New England for the East Indies. James Arness in his pre-Gunsmoke days stars as Kirk Hamilton, the son of the ship's owner who is there to tell the captain what to do, like go through the pirate-infested waters to cut a day off their schedule. When the pirates attack, Kirk is seriously injured, so they drop him off on an island near Australia to heal. The movie slips into "Western" mode when he helps the townsfolk form an American-styled militia to protect them from the pirates (and gets involved in a love triangle). Then the pirates return to steal some women, so Kirk and company chase after them and get shipwrecked on an island full of dinosaurs. Some might say this plot was just an excuse to use whatever stock footage was sitting around. Who cares? This movie gives a great look back at what low-budget filmmaking was like in 1950. Plus, the narration that glues the disparate scenes together is as overstated, flowery and entertaining as any narration from an Ed Wood film. Though only 61 minutes long, Two Lost Worlds is honest camp and pure pleasure. --Andy Spletzer

Description

Prehistoric, primitive, primeval monsters of 100,000,000 years ago...alive again today! Maddened mastodons fight for savage women! Spectacular wondrous earth-shaking adventures as man battles monster in the screen's most awesome spectacle! Beyond imagination...the weird sloth, giant congorillas, poisonous lizards, venom vultures! James Arness (The Thing) stars as the heroic Captain Kirk Hamilton, the man shipwrecked on

the island that time forgot.

Customer Reviews:

two dumb cheap plain worlds.......2007-07-13

boat goes to sea, gets pirated, wins, lands on australia-world1-ok but brief borin land scene, then gets land pirated by same ones, then chased to sea, loses and lands on world 2-no spitting monster vultures or anything but a croc w/ a fin who bit a gila monster-((stock footage from other film-1 mil. b.c. which was on tv recent by surprise free and better because it was unedited)), then back to this pic,-volcano caused lizard & croc jumping, 2 secs of neat but cheap special fx on volcano smoke in background. the next day the group is picked up at sea by their former boat.(b/w boring movie)-if it sells it should be .01 minus 2$ shipping. lousy, i can't even pawn it, they want $1 for it but said i have to get 4 more lousy movies like this one to pawn a total of 5$-just my continued dumb luck, oh but no, i want my $ back (oh,ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-sam kinison).

What the...? A spliced-up bit of ham, barely coherent.......2003-03-08

Wow. Gathering together miles of stock footage, using leftover sets and costumes, and with a narrator whose dialogue HAD to be written by Ed Wood (c'mon, NO ONE else could write like that!), this is one of the most stupefying flicks I've ever come across. The "clipper ship" has the most Freudian bowsprit I've ever seen (certainly nothing like those actually USED), but don't worry - nothing stays on screen for more than a couple of minutes. The pace is downright frantic - clipper ship, pirates, battle, wild kangaroos, sheep, period-costume ball, another ship, another pirate battle, burning ships, lost island, "dinosaurs", volcano, back to the original clipper. All in about 60 minutes! Yikes!

This one may be of some interest to older Detroit-area viewers because the co-star is Bill Kennedy. Bill used to host a daily TV afternoon movie (back in those halcyon days before everything was syndicated to death), trading in on his days as a B-movie actor. He also gets the funniest scene in the movie, when, after having a large (styrofoam) volcanic boulder bounce off of him, he lays down, tells Arness to "take care of Elaine", then jerks his head to the left in the quickest "death scene" I've ever seen. Worth the price of the DVD just to see THAT!

The dinosaurs? Sheesh - must have been used from somewhere else, because they look VERY familiar (in a cheesy Irwin Allen way). But they're just stuck in with less than 15 minutes to go, and have NO bearing on the "plot". Without them, this would have been a "pure" costume-drama. With them, hmmmm, not much improvement.

Not really recommendable unless you want to try out your skills as an MST riffer. (This would have been a GREAT show, with enough extra time for a short!) A bit faster paced than "Lost Continent" (what isn't?), which was made the same year, but LOOKS 30 years older due to the 1830's setting and relentless costuming, and nowhere NEAR the rewatchability factor. Worth a look if you can get it cheap just to see Bill Kennedy and his howler of a death scene.

Really Lost.......2001-09-25

I purchased this movie based on it's title and because James Arness was in it. The title sounded good and I have seen James in a number of movies from the 50's (e.g., The Thing, and THEM) so how could I go wrong. Well - the movie starts out slow, drags in the middle, and the prehistoric creatures (a couple of big lizards) don't even show up until the end of the movie. It will be hard for me to watch this one twice.

TWO LOST WORLDS DVD.......2000-09-24

Before making a career out of the TV show "Gunsmoke," James Arness appeared in a series of classic 1950s science fiction films, including THEM!, THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, and INVADERS FROM MARS. TWO LOST WORLDS, an unfortunate mess, was not one of them.

TWO LOST WORLDS tries to be too many things at the same time; it has pirates, ranchers, melodramatic lovers, and intensely annoying "cute" characters like Salty, a dreadful walking stereotype who's supposed to provide comic relief. No one will complain again about Jar Jar Binks from STAR WARS EPISODE I after seeing this turkey. The DVD's packaging promises "Prehistoric Time's Most Awesome Spectacle" and shows two dinosaurs slugging it out. We do see lizards that are supposed to be dinosaurs about 45 minutes into the film. They may be onscreen for about 2 minutes tops. Not exactly truth in advertising.

Image Entertainment has been releasing DVDs of old curiosities to cult fans for a couple years now, and largely I've been glad of it. TWO LOST WORLDS, however, has nothing to offer to even film fans who believe in the old adage "this is so bad it's good". The movie is barely an hour long -- a scant 61 minutes -- and offers no special features outside of a list of other James Arness movies. Consider carefully whether you really want to spend the dough on this film.

A Watchable Curiosity.......2000-07-07

The story begins as an around the world trading voyage in the 1830's, leading into a series of battles with pirates interspersed with a love triangle, and ending on an uncharted island inhabited by stock footage from "One Million B.C." James Arness (listed as "Jim Aurness" in the opening credits) is the first mate on the trading ship. He is wounded in the first encounter with the pirates, and is dropped off at a settlement in Queensland, while his ship continues its swing through the Dutch East Indies. While recovering at the settlement, he becomes involved in the love triangle. At this point, the same pirates land and raid the settlement, in the process making off with Arness's love. Arness and men from the settlement chase after and overtake the pirates in a fast sloop. In the ensuing battle, both ships are set ablaze and abandoned. Arness, his love, his rival for her affections, plus a few others escape in a lifeboat. After a couple of days they land on an uncharted island said to be near 131E and 8S. While looking for water, they find themselves superimposed on battling giant lizards. Shortly thereafter, the volcano on the island explodes. Just when all seems lost, Arness's original ship returns to rescue the survivors. A narrator is used throughout the movie to speed events along. It is left to the viewer to decide what are the "Two Lost Worlds" referred to in the title. Better than it sounds.

Charlie Rose with Michael Crichton; Ernst Gombrich (September 22, 1995)

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Charlie Rose with Michael Crichton; Ernst Gombrich (September 22, 1995)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000J6H0XA
Release Date: 2006-10-02

Description

Acclaimed novelist Michael Crichton talks about his new sequel to the bestselling Jurassic Park, The Lost World. He also discusses his background as a novelist and physician, his new television show E.R., and his plans for future projects. Then, art historian Sir Ernst Gombrich discusses his book The Story of Art, the evolution of artistic styles, and how music influences artistic people.

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