A strong argument could be made for King Kong being the most influential movie ever made. Kong’s progeny includes Mighty Joe Young, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Godzilla, Ray Harryhausen films, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, Avatar, many of the character-driven stop motion creations of the past ninety years, and dozens of authorized and unauthorized spin-offs, sequels, remakes, and rip-offs. The film inspired dozens, if not hundreds of directors, special effects artists, sound effects creators, composers, and film creators of all kinds, who have in turn inspired the next generation of filmmakers, and they the next. It is the first special-effects driven blockbuster of the sound era; a genre-crossing spectacular that introduced the world to some of cinema’s most iconic imagery and sound, the screen’s first true Scream Queen, and one of the all-time great gods and monsters of film history.
King Kong...
King Kong...
- 3/24/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
” Don’t be alarmed, ladies and gentlemen. Those chains are made of chrome steel.”
Though it’s a genuine icon of American cinema, and one of the most instantly recognizable creations ever put on screen, 1933’s King Kong has not had a nationwide theatrical re-release in 64 years. That changes on Sunday, March 15, when Fathom Events unleashes “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World,” on more than 600 movie screens nationwide as part of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series.
Last given a big-screen re-release in 1956 – when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, the average movie ticket cost 59 cents, and not a single manmade item was orbiting the earth – the original theatrical version of King Kong is back to dazzle the digital era with it’s all-analog marvels. Adding to this rare cinematic event, TCM Primetime Host Ben Mankiewicz will offer all-new insight and commentary on one of the most well-known, influential...
Though it’s a genuine icon of American cinema, and one of the most instantly recognizable creations ever put on screen, 1933’s King Kong has not had a nationwide theatrical re-release in 64 years. That changes on Sunday, March 15, when Fathom Events unleashes “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World,” on more than 600 movie screens nationwide as part of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series.
Last given a big-screen re-release in 1956 – when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, the average movie ticket cost 59 cents, and not a single manmade item was orbiting the earth – the original theatrical version of King Kong is back to dazzle the digital era with it’s all-analog marvels. Adding to this rare cinematic event, TCM Primetime Host Ben Mankiewicz will offer all-new insight and commentary on one of the most well-known, influential...
- 2/19/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Join us for some old-school 16mm Movie Madness! – It’s our monthly 16Mm Double Feature Night at The Way Out Club (2525 Jefferson Avenue in St. Louis)! Join Tom Stockman and Roger from “Roger’s Reels’ for complete films projected on 16mm film. The show is Tuesday May 2nd and starts at 8pm. Admission is Free though we will be setting out a jar to take donations for the National Children’s Cancer Society.
First up Is Mighty Joe Young (1949)
The producer –director team of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack attempted to recreate the magic of King Kong in 1949 with Mighty Joe Young, which followed the Kong story closely but this time with more humor, affection and a big ape that kids could see as a hero. Again Robert Armstrong leads a safari to an isolated land to find a new attraction and again discovers a giant ape attached...
First up Is Mighty Joe Young (1949)
The producer –director team of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack attempted to recreate the magic of King Kong in 1949 with Mighty Joe Young, which followed the Kong story closely but this time with more humor, affection and a big ape that kids could see as a hero. Again Robert Armstrong leads a safari to an isolated land to find a new attraction and again discovers a giant ape attached...
- 4/26/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Chamber of Horrors
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1940 / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date March 21, 2017
Starring: Lilli Palmer, Leslie Banks.
Cinematography: Alex Bryce, Ernest Palmer
Film Editor: Ted Richards
Written by Gilbert Gunn, Norman Lee
Produced by John Argyle
Directed by Norman Lee
Near the turn of the century a struggling war correspondent named Edgar Wallace began churning out detective stories for British monthlies like Detective Story Magazine to help make the rent. Creative to a fault, his preposterously prolific output (exacerbated by ongoing gambling debts) soon earned him a legion of fans along with a pointedly ambiguous sobriquet, “The Man Who Wrote Too Much.”
A reader new to Wallace’s work could be excused for thinking the busy writer was making it up as he went along… because that’s pretty much what he did. He dictated his narratives, unedited, into a dictaphone for transcription by his secretary where they would then...
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1940 / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date March 21, 2017
Starring: Lilli Palmer, Leslie Banks.
Cinematography: Alex Bryce, Ernest Palmer
Film Editor: Ted Richards
Written by Gilbert Gunn, Norman Lee
Produced by John Argyle
Directed by Norman Lee
Near the turn of the century a struggling war correspondent named Edgar Wallace began churning out detective stories for British monthlies like Detective Story Magazine to help make the rent. Creative to a fault, his preposterously prolific output (exacerbated by ongoing gambling debts) soon earned him a legion of fans along with a pointedly ambiguous sobriquet, “The Man Who Wrote Too Much.”
A reader new to Wallace’s work could be excused for thinking the busy writer was making it up as he went along… because that’s pretty much what he did. He dictated his narratives, unedited, into a dictaphone for transcription by his secretary where they would then...
- 4/17/2017
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
"Is this the moving picture ship?"—Opening line of King Kong (1933)You can get close to madness trying to fit the entire cultural legacy of the original King Kong into a single box. Even setting aside the two Hollywood remakes, you're still left with hastily made or quickly buried sequels, follow-ups like Mighty Joe Young (1949), a Universal Studios ride, a direct-to-video cartoon, a children’s TV series, and a set of 1960s Japanese-American co-productions—Kingu Kongu!—which saw the big ape square off against Godzilla and "Mechani-Kong" in showdowns with worse special effects than the film that preceded them by thirty years. Apologies for anything I've left out, because by this point King Kong is a cottage industry unto itself, an old-fashioned self-perpetuating Hollywood myth that's morphed in meaning and presentation but never entirely gone away. The sight of King Kong atop the Empire State Building, with its a mixture...
- 3/26/2017
- MUBI
Bright Lights, the documentary about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds that debuted on HBO Saturday, was filled with major revelations about the life of the Hollywood icons — but some of its best moments and most memorable lines came by far quicker.
Here are 15 of the most-surprising moments in directors Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens’ superb documentary.
1. Reynolds and Fisher were so in sync, they even wore the same shoes in one scene. The sandals were different colors, for what it’s worth.
2. Fisher’s home with Reynolds was built by Robert Armstrong, who was in King Kong. The two lived there for 20 years,...
Here are 15 of the most-surprising moments in directors Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens’ superb documentary.
1. Reynolds and Fisher were so in sync, they even wore the same shoes in one scene. The sandals were different colors, for what it’s worth.
2. Fisher’s home with Reynolds was built by Robert Armstrong, who was in King Kong. The two lived there for 20 years,...
- 1/8/2017
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Casting is a hugely important part of the filmmaking process. Unfortunately, sometimes Hollywood gets it very wrong. When the wrong person gets the part, it can spoil the whole movie. Here are eight instances where bad casting damaged a big movie.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy: This bit of bad casting not only ruined a film, it wrecked three films. While the Star Wars prequels had numerous problems, the worst was the portrayal of iconic villain Darth Vader—Aka Anakin Skywalker—as a sulky, petulant teenager. Christensen’s bland performance made the problem 10-times worse. How do you follow the voice of James Earl Jones with the whiny voice of Christensen? He also had no chemistry at all with his co-star and love-interest Natalie Portman, who played Queen Amidala.
Jack Black as Carl Denham in King Kong (2005): Jack Black didn’t know what movie he was in here.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy: This bit of bad casting not only ruined a film, it wrecked three films. While the Star Wars prequels had numerous problems, the worst was the portrayal of iconic villain Darth Vader—Aka Anakin Skywalker—as a sulky, petulant teenager. Christensen’s bland performance made the problem 10-times worse. How do you follow the voice of James Earl Jones with the whiny voice of Christensen? He also had no chemistry at all with his co-star and love-interest Natalie Portman, who played Queen Amidala.
Jack Black as Carl Denham in King Kong (2005): Jack Black didn’t know what movie he was in here.
- 8/20/2016
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Rob Young)
- Cinelinx
Attention classic movie freaks – Set your DVR for this Monday!!!!
Tod Browning (1880-1962) was a pioneering director who helped establish the horror film genre. Born in Louisville Kentucky, Browning ran away to join the circus at an early age which influenced his later career in Hollywood and echoes of those years can be found in many of his films. Though best known as the director of the first sound version of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi in 1931, Browning made his mark on cinema in the silent era with his extraordinary 10-film collaboration with actor Lon Chaney, the ‘Man of a Thousand Faces’. Despite the success of Dracula, and the boost it gave his career, Browning’s chief interest continued to lie not in films dealing with the supernatural but in films that dealt with the grotesque and strange, earning him the reputation as “the Edgar Allan Poe of the cinema”. Browning...
Tod Browning (1880-1962) was a pioneering director who helped establish the horror film genre. Born in Louisville Kentucky, Browning ran away to join the circus at an early age which influenced his later career in Hollywood and echoes of those years can be found in many of his films. Though best known as the director of the first sound version of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi in 1931, Browning made his mark on cinema in the silent era with his extraordinary 10-film collaboration with actor Lon Chaney, the ‘Man of a Thousand Faces’. Despite the success of Dracula, and the boost it gave his career, Browning’s chief interest continued to lie not in films dealing with the supernatural but in films that dealt with the grotesque and strange, earning him the reputation as “the Edgar Allan Poe of the cinema”. Browning...
- 1/21/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Let’s talk remakes again. Our series continues as we look at a remake which is just as good--and maybe better--than the original. Cinelinx goes ape this week as we look at the 1998 remake of Mighty Joe Young.
As cinematic simians go, Joe Young is not as well remembered as King Kong or Caesar from the Planet of the Apes films, but the original 1948 film has enough of a cult following to rate a remake, which came out exactly 50 years later.
The 1948 version of Mighty Joe Young was made by some of the same people as the classic King Kong (1933) was. It had the same writer (Ruth Rose), one of the same lead actors (Robert Armstrong) and the guy who did the Kong SFX (Willis O’Brien.) Fun Fact: O’Brien trained FX legend Ray Harryhausen, who also worked on this film as Willis’ First Tech. But I digress. The...
As cinematic simians go, Joe Young is not as well remembered as King Kong or Caesar from the Planet of the Apes films, but the original 1948 film has enough of a cult following to rate a remake, which came out exactly 50 years later.
The 1948 version of Mighty Joe Young was made by some of the same people as the classic King Kong (1933) was. It had the same writer (Ruth Rose), one of the same lead actors (Robert Armstrong) and the guy who did the Kong SFX (Willis O’Brien.) Fun Fact: O’Brien trained FX legend Ray Harryhausen, who also worked on this film as Willis’ First Tech. But I digress. The...
- 12/22/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Rob Young)
- Cinelinx
By Todd Garbarini
Just after the school year ended in June 1984, I went to a friend’s house on a Friday night to watch the premiere of Carlin on Campus, an HBO concert of one of my favorite comedians, the legendary George Carlin. When the concert was over, my friend switched around until he reached NBC-tv. They were airing When A Stranger Calls, a 1979 thriller starring Carol Kane, Charles Durning, and Colleen Dewhurst. I saw the film from the beginning, and the first twenty or so minutes had me utterly captivated. It presented a scenario that I found to be terrifying, and apparently so did Rex Reed, whose proclamation “some of the most terrifying sequences ever filmed” was used in the newspaper ads. I thought it was so original – until I saw Bob Clark’s frightening Black Christmas (1974) four years later and saw where the “inspiration” may have come from.
Just after the school year ended in June 1984, I went to a friend’s house on a Friday night to watch the premiere of Carlin on Campus, an HBO concert of one of my favorite comedians, the legendary George Carlin. When the concert was over, my friend switched around until he reached NBC-tv. They were airing When A Stranger Calls, a 1979 thriller starring Carol Kane, Charles Durning, and Colleen Dewhurst. I saw the film from the beginning, and the first twenty or so minutes had me utterly captivated. It presented a scenario that I found to be terrifying, and apparently so did Rex Reed, whose proclamation “some of the most terrifying sequences ever filmed” was used in the newspaper ads. I thought it was so original – until I saw Bob Clark’s frightening Black Christmas (1974) four years later and saw where the “inspiration” may have come from.
- 8/10/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
“We’ll give him more than chains. He’s always been king of his world, but we’ll teach him fear. We’re millionaires, boys. I’ll share it with all of you. Why, in a few months, it’ll be up in lights on Broadway: Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World!”
King Kong screens at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143) Thursday, May 7th at 7pm. It is a benefit for Helping Kids Together
Doors open at 6:30pm. $6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. A bartender will be on hand to take care of you. “Culture Shock” is the name of a film series here in St. Louis that is the cornerstone project of a social enterprise that is an ongoing source of support for Helping Kids Together (http://www.
King Kong screens at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143) Thursday, May 7th at 7pm. It is a benefit for Helping Kids Together
Doors open at 6:30pm. $6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. A bartender will be on hand to take care of you. “Culture Shock” is the name of a film series here in St. Louis that is the cornerstone project of a social enterprise that is an ongoing source of support for Helping Kids Together (http://www.
- 4/24/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Most Dangerous Game. Courtesy of Rko Radio Pictures Inc./Photofest.Early in his career as a leading man, Joel McCrea was cast in two films about dangerous animals on the loose. Using the same jungle sets, the same directors (Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack), and even the same stars (Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong) as their upcoming King Kong (1933), Rko’s production of The Most Dangerous Game (1932) submitted to economic shortcuts. Both adventure films would be made at the same time by organizing the same constituents in different roles. Even our hero McCrea would be asked to cross over to Team Kong, only to pull out thanks to thesesame frugal actions. Within this year of production McCrea’s star power had already exceeded what the studios could afford him.The Most Dangerous Game’s first reveal of McCrea’s Bob reveals him wearing a sport shirt adorned with...
- 4/13/2015
- by Zach Lewis
- MUBI
It can be such a beautiful happening when the natural forces of humanity and the wild kingdom can get together and establish a sense of harmony in motion pictures. Also, it can be a compelling yet regrettable conflict as well when man and beast decide to collide in the interest of big screen entertainment. Whatever the case may be certainly does not matter because the concept of beasts of all species (rather it be of the four-legged or two-legged variety) collectively clashing or cooperating sends a special message about triumph, tragedy and just plain tenderness.
In Beast of Burden: Top 10 Human-Animal Combinations in the Movies we will look at some of the best selections where man and animal co-exist whether it be in calmness or chaos. There is no doubt that one can come up with numerous top ten lists detailing their ideal man-animal themes in cinema. The struggle for...
In Beast of Burden: Top 10 Human-Animal Combinations in the Movies we will look at some of the best selections where man and animal co-exist whether it be in calmness or chaos. There is no doubt that one can come up with numerous top ten lists detailing their ideal man-animal themes in cinema. The struggle for...
- 8/8/2014
- by Frank Ochieng
- SoundOnSight
Article by Tom Stockman
The big guy once known as ‘The 8th Wonder of the World’ is celebrating his 80th birthday. A landmark accomplishment in cinema and fantasy, King Kong still holds the power to astonish and inspire, so in honor of its 80 years, here’s a look at the movie’s groundbreaking production and significant legacy.
Carl Denham, who brought Kong from Skull Island to New York, was an adventurous, globe-hopping filmmaker and the same was true of Merian C. Cooper, the mastermind behind the movie King Kong. Born in 1893, Cooper had been an aviator and hero in the First World War. He began his movie career in the mid-1920s at Paramount Pictures where he teamed up with Ernest B. Schoedsack, a pioneering motion picture photographer and news cameraman who would become his filmmaking partner. Their first successes were a pair of ambitious anthropological documentaries inspired by the...
The big guy once known as ‘The 8th Wonder of the World’ is celebrating his 80th birthday. A landmark accomplishment in cinema and fantasy, King Kong still holds the power to astonish and inspire, so in honor of its 80 years, here’s a look at the movie’s groundbreaking production and significant legacy.
Carl Denham, who brought Kong from Skull Island to New York, was an adventurous, globe-hopping filmmaker and the same was true of Merian C. Cooper, the mastermind behind the movie King Kong. Born in 1893, Cooper had been an aviator and hero in the First World War. He began his movie career in the mid-1920s at Paramount Pictures where he teamed up with Ernest B. Schoedsack, a pioneering motion picture photographer and news cameraman who would become his filmmaking partner. Their first successes were a pair of ambitious anthropological documentaries inspired by the...
- 9/26/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Glenda Farrell: Actress has her ‘Summer Under the Stars’ day Scene-stealer Glenda Farrell is Turner Classic Movies’ "Summer Under the Stars" star today, August 29, 2013. A reliable — and very busy — Warner Bros. contract player in the ’30s, the sharp, energetic, fast-talking blonde actress was featured in more than fifty films at the studio from 1931 to 1939. Note: This particular Glenda Farrell has nothing in common with the One Tree Hill character played by Amber Wallace in the television series. The Glenda Farrell / One Tree Hill name connection seems to have been a mere coincidence. (Photo: Glenda Farrell as Torchy Blane in Smart Blonde.) Back to Warners’ Glenda Farrell: TCM is currently showing Torchy Runs for Mayor (1939), one of the seven B movies starring Farrell as intrepid reporter Torchy Blane. Major suspense: Will Torchy win the election? She should. No city would ever go bankrupt with Torchy at the helm. Glenda Farrell...
- 8/30/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Article by Tom Stockman
Though he may have been but an animated model given life through primitive special effects, King Kong, with his doomed loved for the beautiful blonde, has become one of the most beloved of all movie characters, revived in remakes, sequels and knock-offs. But Kong wasn’t the only massive simian to grace the silver screen. Here’s a look at the ten best giant ape movies.
Honorable Mention: A*P*E
The ad campaign for the 1976 Korean film A*P*E warned “Not to be confused with King Kong”. A captive giant ape, after escapes from a freighter and sets his destructive sights on Seoul, Korea where he falls for an American actress (Joanna Kerns ) filming a movie there. A*P*E was originally filmed in 3-D so there are countless shots of a man in a moth-eaten ape suit throwing Styrofoam boulders at the camera.
Though he may have been but an animated model given life through primitive special effects, King Kong, with his doomed loved for the beautiful blonde, has become one of the most beloved of all movie characters, revived in remakes, sequels and knock-offs. But Kong wasn’t the only massive simian to grace the silver screen. Here’s a look at the ten best giant ape movies.
Honorable Mention: A*P*E
The ad campaign for the 1976 Korean film A*P*E warned “Not to be confused with King Kong”. A captive giant ape, after escapes from a freighter and sets his destructive sights on Seoul, Korea where he falls for an American actress (Joanna Kerns ) filming a movie there. A*P*E was originally filmed in 3-D so there are countless shots of a man in a moth-eaten ape suit throwing Styrofoam boulders at the camera.
- 8/20/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Seasons of Ape-Human Love”? “Seventy-Six Fighter Planes”? “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going (to Climb Down the Empire State Building)”? These made-up songs will not appear in a new musical based on the classic 1933 film King Kong — but the show itself is very much real. According to a press release, Kong is set to premiere in June 2013 at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre.
The musical’s book was written by Tony Award nominee Craig Lucas, who also penned the script for The Light in the Piazza. Its score is studded with both refurbished Depression-era tunes and original material...
The musical’s book was written by Tony Award nominee Craig Lucas, who also penned the script for The Light in the Piazza. Its score is studded with both refurbished Depression-era tunes and original material...
- 10/9/2012
- by Hillary Busis
- EW.com - PopWatch
Latest Additions Include Star-Studded Appearances, Noted Film Historians,
An Opening-Night Poolside Screening of High Society (1956)
And a Vanity Fair Showcase of Architecture in Film
Complete Schedule for 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival
Now Available at http://www.tcm.com/festival
With just over two weeks left before opening day, the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival continues to expand its already-packed slate with new events and live appearances:
On opening night of the festival, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will be the site of a poolside screening of the lavish Cole Porter musical High Society (1956), starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Actresses Maud Adams and Eunice Gayson will attend a 50th Anniversary screening of the James Bond classic Dr. No (1962) and participate in a conversation about being “Bond Girls.” Filmmaker Mel Brooks will be on hand to introduce his brilliant parody Young Frankenstein (1974). Filmmaker John Carpenter will introduce his favorite film, the...
An Opening-Night Poolside Screening of High Society (1956)
And a Vanity Fair Showcase of Architecture in Film
Complete Schedule for 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival
Now Available at http://www.tcm.com/festival
With just over two weeks left before opening day, the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival continues to expand its already-packed slate with new events and live appearances:
On opening night of the festival, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will be the site of a poolside screening of the lavish Cole Porter musical High Society (1956), starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Actresses Maud Adams and Eunice Gayson will attend a 50th Anniversary screening of the James Bond classic Dr. No (1962) and participate in a conversation about being “Bond Girls.” Filmmaker Mel Brooks will be on hand to introduce his brilliant parody Young Frankenstein (1974). Filmmaker John Carpenter will introduce his favorite film, the...
- 3/28/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Decoy
Directed by Jack Bernhard
Written by Nedrick Young (screenplay) and Stanley Rubin (story)
U.S.A., 1946
Film noir is film noir because of a variety of recognized qualities which concern both visuals cues as well as some specific narrative aspects, including stereotypical character traits. It stands to reason that that is how the genre, or any other genre for that matter, is recognized. However, there are some examples of films that, by the very fact that they follow the standards of the genre, somehow manage to create their own special uniqueness. It might be because said movie exemplifies those characteristics particularly well. Other examples prove to be more challenging to evaluate as to what makes them special. The reasons may be more difficult to flesh out simply because one is uncertain as to whether or not the picture is actually good. Watching Jack Berhard’s Decoy in preparation for...
Directed by Jack Bernhard
Written by Nedrick Young (screenplay) and Stanley Rubin (story)
U.S.A., 1946
Film noir is film noir because of a variety of recognized qualities which concern both visuals cues as well as some specific narrative aspects, including stereotypical character traits. It stands to reason that that is how the genre, or any other genre for that matter, is recognized. However, there are some examples of films that, by the very fact that they follow the standards of the genre, somehow manage to create their own special uniqueness. It might be because said movie exemplifies those characteristics particularly well. Other examples prove to be more challenging to evaluate as to what makes them special. The reasons may be more difficult to flesh out simply because one is uncertain as to whether or not the picture is actually good. Watching Jack Berhard’s Decoy in preparation for...
- 3/2/2012
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
Former Dx wrestler ‘Road Dogg‘ Jesse James (aka Bj James) has re-signed with the WWE as a producer/road agent. 42 year old James revealed his return on his official Facebook page;
“Ok guys,if you dont know already,here goes;I have recently been hired,on a trial,6 week period,as an agent/producer with the WWE.Its the job Ive wanted and prayed about for a while now.He answered my prayers and now its my turn to repay Him w/my service.God bless you guys and have a great evening!”
If you couldn’t tell he is happy about it!
Road Dogg was released from his Tna contract two years ago but is now back at the previous company where he spent his prime years as a performer, the height of which came during his teamings with ‘Bad Ass’ Billy Gunn as The New Age Outlaws’.
Having...
“Ok guys,if you dont know already,here goes;I have recently been hired,on a trial,6 week period,as an agent/producer with the WWE.Its the job Ive wanted and prayed about for a while now.He answered my prayers and now its my turn to repay Him w/my service.God bless you guys and have a great evening!”
If you couldn’t tell he is happy about it!
Road Dogg was released from his Tna contract two years ago but is now back at the previous company where he spent his prime years as a performer, the height of which came during his teamings with ‘Bad Ass’ Billy Gunn as The New Age Outlaws’.
Having...
- 10/11/2011
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
Carole Lombard Best remembered for her light comedies of the '30s and early '40s, Carole Lombard is Turner Classic Movies Star of the Day on Sunday, August 28, as TCM's continues its "Summer Under the Stars" film series. Unfortunately, TCM isn't showing any hard-to-find Carole Lombard movies. So, don't expect Swing High, Swing Low; We're Not Dressing; the eminently dreadful (and compulsively watchable) White Woman; I Take This Woman; Up Pops the Devil; It Pays to Advertise, Power, etc. [Carole Lombard Movie Schedule.] Having said that, TCM did show the lesser-known Virtue (1932) and Brief Moment (1933) earlier today, and will be showing The Racketeer (1929) later this evening. Directed by the all but completely forgotten Howard Higgin, The Racketeer is a crime melodrama that features future King Kong semi-villain Robert Armstrong. Chances are The Racketeer will turn out to be nothing more than a historical curiosity — but that's not a bad thing at all. First,...
- 8/29/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Carole Lombard on TCM: My Man Godfrey, Nothing Sacred, The Racketeer Mitchell Leisen's Hands Across the Table (1935) would have been more enjoyable had Carole Lombard ended up with Ralph Bellamy instead of Fred MacMurray. In fact, MacMurray's obnoxious Average Joe portrayal — who comes across as the Average Jerk instead — all but destroys the film. His character should have gone to, once again, Melvyn Douglas, Herbert Marshall, Cary Grant, Brian Aherne, Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Edward G. Robinson, Bela Lugosi, Ginger Rogers, May Robson, or just about anyone else in Hollywood at that time. I haven't watched Vigil in the Night (1940), a melodrama about two sisters/nurses that isn't considered one of George Stevens' best. The cast, however, is good: in addition to Lombard, there are Brian Aherne and Anne Shirley. Vigil in the Night is also of interest in that it's one of Lombard's rare post-1935 non-comedic roles.
- 8/28/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Eighth Wonder of the World returns to Toronto for One Nite Only! Plus shorts, cartoons and prizes from Rue Morgue Magazine!
King Kong (1933)
Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Starring Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot and Kong
Written by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace
100 mins | 16mm
Call it a love story, a horror film, a jungle adventure — King Kong remains one of the greatest films from Hollywood’s Golden Age, still drawing awe nearly 80 years since it premiered at Toronto’s Uptown Theatre.
While planning his latest film, Carl Denham (Armstrong) has found the perfect location, Skull Island, but is still missing a leading lady. He finds Ann Darrow (Wray — arguably the first Scream Queen), a young actress willing to do whatever it takes to make it big, which in this case involves traveling to a mysterious island and ultimately kidnapped by a giant gorilla-like creature named Kong.
King Kong (1933)
Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Starring Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot and Kong
Written by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace
100 mins | 16mm
Call it a love story, a horror film, a jungle adventure — King Kong remains one of the greatest films from Hollywood’s Golden Age, still drawing awe nearly 80 years since it premiered at Toronto’s Uptown Theatre.
While planning his latest film, Carl Denham (Armstrong) has found the perfect location, Skull Island, but is still missing a leading lady. He finds Ann Darrow (Wray — arguably the first Scream Queen), a young actress willing to do whatever it takes to make it big, which in this case involves traveling to a mysterious island and ultimately kidnapped by a giant gorilla-like creature named Kong.
- 2/13/2011
- by Dork Shelf
- DorkShelf.com
No doubt this comes as four-year-old news to many Ray Harryhausen fans, but in the whirl and rush of so many DVD and Blu-ray releases of interest, I’d completely missed out on (or perhaps simply forgotten about) the fact that special effects genius Harryhausen had very recently given us the results of his ambitious efforts to colorize—yes, colorize—three movies dear to his heart: She, Things to Come, and The Most Dangerous Game. I came upon this information intending first to offer simply a look back at Game, Rko Pictures’ 1932 jungle-action-horror movie, a compact and entertaining thriller adapted from the Richard Connell story. I knew there was a Criterion release of the film (that I’d seen ages ago but don’t own), but the existence of this re-issue came as a genuine surprise. After all, there are some word pairings that appear pretty unnatural at first. Harryhausen-colorization...
- 1/10/2011
- by Movies Unlimited
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Commemorating 60 Years of Soap Operas on CBS-tv
By Rob Wargo
On December 4, 1950, CBS-tv aired its very first daytime soap opera – The First Hundred Years – sponsored by Procter & Gamble. The series starred James Lydon as “Chris Thayer,” who married “Connie Martin” (played originally by Olive Stacey and later by Anne Sargent) during the first week of the series, and thereafter moved his new bride into a decrepit three-story Victorian mansion. The couple’s problems with their living quarters, their middle in-laws, including Connie’s sister Margy, and the typical problems any newlyweds face gave credence to the show’s title, a reference to the old staying that the “first 100 years of marriage are the hardest.”
The series was produced on a budget of $8,650 per week and was directed by Gloria Monty, who subsequently directed The Secret Storm and produced General Hospital.
Created and written by prolific radio soap writer Jean Holloway,...
By Rob Wargo
On December 4, 1950, CBS-tv aired its very first daytime soap opera – The First Hundred Years – sponsored by Procter & Gamble. The series starred James Lydon as “Chris Thayer,” who married “Connie Martin” (played originally by Olive Stacey and later by Anne Sargent) during the first week of the series, and thereafter moved his new bride into a decrepit three-story Victorian mansion. The couple’s problems with their living quarters, their middle in-laws, including Connie’s sister Margy, and the typical problems any newlyweds face gave credence to the show’s title, a reference to the old staying that the “first 100 years of marriage are the hardest.”
The series was produced on a budget of $8,650 per week and was directed by Gloria Monty, who subsequently directed The Secret Storm and produced General Hospital.
Created and written by prolific radio soap writer Jean Holloway,...
- 12/8/2010
- by Guest Editorial
- We Love Soaps
#Gift! It is the middle of November so it must be time to start talking about Christmas. CinemaSpy has an upcoming feature on 10 Blu-ray and DVD titles that you must have under your tree (or that you should buy in what's left of 2010 if you don't celebrate Christmas). In the meantime, we'll also be highlighting a few other releases that are recommended as gifts for yourself, a loved one or someone you wish was loving you. Look for the stocking icon and the #Gift tag at the start of our reviews from now until Christmas to spot them (we're including the '#' because we're now living in Twitterlight Zone). Reviews of not-so-recommended titles won't have that so you can read those later (be sure you read them, though, because we'll find you if you don't).
For our first such suggestion, here's the Blu-ray debut of the original (i.e.
For our first such suggestion, here's the Blu-ray debut of the original (i.e.
- 11/19/2010
- CinemaSpy
Merian C Cooper and Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933
By now, King Kong is so familiar and endearing that we have to pinch ourselves to remember he's a fantasy. It feels so true! Today, the special effects in the movie look innocent and charming, not to say amateur. But somehow we believe that Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) goes on a boat to Skull Island to act in a movie planned by Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), is kidnapped by "natives" (white actors in shameless black-face), then offered as a sacrifice to this momentous id-like beast, Kong – one of the most resonant names in movies, known all over the world and acknowledged as the animal we all long to be.
But when she screams, we understand. Yet Kong proves to be a gentleman and a stalwart defender of his Beauty. He'll take on any dinosaur the film can invent. And he treats Ann as a precious new toy,...
By now, King Kong is so familiar and endearing that we have to pinch ourselves to remember he's a fantasy. It feels so true! Today, the special effects in the movie look innocent and charming, not to say amateur. But somehow we believe that Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) goes on a boat to Skull Island to act in a movie planned by Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), is kidnapped by "natives" (white actors in shameless black-face), then offered as a sacrifice to this momentous id-like beast, Kong – one of the most resonant names in movies, known all over the world and acknowledged as the animal we all long to be.
But when she screams, we understand. Yet Kong proves to be a gentleman and a stalwart defender of his Beauty. He'll take on any dinosaur the film can invent. And he treats Ann as a precious new toy,...
- 10/21/2010
- by David Thomson
- The Guardian - Film News
By now, reviewing King Kong is kind of pointless. The details of plot and characterization are familiar to millions who have not even seen the original film, and its conclusion has been copied and referenced so many times that it has come to feel more obligatory than revolutionary. But as the distance we look back to see its 1933 premiere grows greater and greater, so too does the film’s at once majestic and concise vision of primal aggression. In a cinema that frequently seems obsessed with exploring different modes of male hierarchy and how they are enforced, there has yet to be a better expression of singular power than of Kong standing astride the Empire State Building, shaking his fists in the air and roaring defiantly at a more complicated world that it won’t take him down by wits alone.
Carl Denham (Bruce Cabot) is a out to get...
Carl Denham (Bruce Cabot) is a out to get...
- 10/9/2010
- by Anders Nelson
- JustPressPlay.net
Chicago – Is there any better metaphor in the history of film for technology taking over nature than the planes that shoot down King Kong at the end of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s 1933 classic? At the height of the depression, when 25% of the workforce was unemployed, the two adventure-seekers and his team took that metaphor and spun it around an amazingly slice of entertainment that would become one of the most influential and enjoyable films ever made, now available on Blu-ray.
Television Rating: 4.5/5.0
When Peter Jackson remade “King Kong” in 2005, Warner Brothers released a beautiful special edition DVD with physical collectibles, an amazing transfer, newly-discovered footage, and incredible behind-the-scenes detailes captured in a theatrical-length documentary. It was a must-own at the time and it’s somewhat shameful that the company has taken this long to import it to Blu-ray. And that’s essentially what this is: A straight-up import.
Television Rating: 4.5/5.0
When Peter Jackson remade “King Kong” in 2005, Warner Brothers released a beautiful special edition DVD with physical collectibles, an amazing transfer, newly-discovered footage, and incredible behind-the-scenes detailes captured in a theatrical-length documentary. It was a must-own at the time and it’s somewhat shameful that the company has taken this long to import it to Blu-ray. And that’s essentially what this is: A straight-up import.
- 10/4/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Synopsis ~ Robert Armstrong stars as movie producer Carl Denham who travels to a mysterious, uncharted island in search of material for his next film. Also aboard are unemployed actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and adventurer Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot). Once the crew reaches Skull Island they discover it is home to prehistoric beasts including Kong, a giant ape who becomes obsessed with the crew’s blonde starlet. King Kong teems with memorable moments, from the audience’s first glance at the giant ape to his last stand atop the Empire State Building. With 32 pages of...
- 10/1/2010
- by Kyle Kinder, Houston Movie Examiner
- Examiner Movies Channel
The IMDb250. A list of the top 250 films as ranked by the users of the biggest Internet movie site on the web. It is based upon the ratings provided by the users of the Internet Movie Database, which number into the millions. As such, it’s a perfect representation of the opinions of the movie masses, and arguably the most comprehensive ranking system on the Internet.
It’s because of this that we at HeyUGuys (and in this case we is myself and Barry) have decided to set ourselves a project. To watch and review all 250 movies on the list. We’ve frozen the list as of January 1st of this year. It’s not as simple as it sounds, we are watching them all in one year, 125 each.
This is our 34th update, my next five films watched for the project. You can find all our previous week’s updates here.
It’s because of this that we at HeyUGuys (and in this case we is myself and Barry) have decided to set ourselves a project. To watch and review all 250 movies on the list. We’ve frozen the list as of January 1st of this year. It’s not as simple as it sounds, we are watching them all in one year, 125 each.
This is our 34th update, my next five films watched for the project. You can find all our previous week’s updates here.
- 9/16/2010
- by Gary Phillips
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It’s an especially exciting weekend to be living in Los Angeles, as Turner Classic Movies comes to Hollywood for its first ever Classic Film Festival, a four day celebration of classic film, with 35mm screenings of some of the best films ever made, including the premieres of several notable restorations.
The screenings will take place across the Grauman’s Chinese, Mann’s Chinese and the neighboring Egyptian theatres. As part of the festival, the Roosevelt Hotel will play host to several panel discussions and celebrations, including a welcome party this evening at 4:30 pm.
Taking a glance at the schedule, fans of Famous Monsters have plenty to scream about — here’s an overview of the genre offerings that the festival will host:
Friday, April 23rd
2001: A Space Odyssey — Egyptian Theatre at 9:00 am.
Stanely Kubrick’s groundbreaking science fiction achievement, presented in full 70mm. With a screenplay co-written...
The screenings will take place across the Grauman’s Chinese, Mann’s Chinese and the neighboring Egyptian theatres. As part of the festival, the Roosevelt Hotel will play host to several panel discussions and celebrations, including a welcome party this evening at 4:30 pm.
Taking a glance at the schedule, fans of Famous Monsters have plenty to scream about — here’s an overview of the genre offerings that the festival will host:
Friday, April 23rd
2001: A Space Odyssey — Egyptian Theatre at 9:00 am.
Stanely Kubrick’s groundbreaking science fiction achievement, presented in full 70mm. With a screenplay co-written...
- 4/22/2010
- by Jesse
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
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