King Kong - Peter Jackson's Version

[yoda313]

Hi,

I taped the first trailer last night during FEAR FACTOR (I don't watch reality tv). It doesn't look too bad at all. Its a period piece in the 30s. They have New York looking old with classic cars.

It seems to be faithful to the original to a point. I don't think I've ever seen the original completely but it doesn't seem hoky. They are going to an unexplored island to film a movie. Then they encounter the animals and KONG.

Its written by Jackson and the rest of the LOTR team. Music is by Howard Shore who did LOTR. And Andy Serkis who did the blue screen work for GOLLUM is doing the capture for KONG.

It looks pretty good. Out in DECEMBER.

Kevin

[BJ_M]

The trailer is here

http://www.kingkongmovie.com/ef239524432ba87f1ca8f70eed4b1fa7/en_splash.html

[BJ_M]

Kong following Godzilla's sad claw prints?


I'm prepared to extend Peter Jackson a reasonable amount of slack for his upcoming King Kong remake, because he did such a fine job with The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

If anyone can pull off a successful retelling of a classic, Jackson can — even if no one was really clamouring for yet another version of the 1933 original.

But the hype for Jackson's King Kong, scheduled for a Dec. 14 release, is starting to take on the bilious shades of another monstrous project: the 1998 Godzilla travesty.

Remember all the "Size Matters" hoo-ha that preceded that disaster? For about a year before the film opened, we were inundated with billboard, poster and bus-shelter ads suggesting that the new Godzilla was going to be not just big in stature, but also in impact.

Then the movie opened to the sound of no hands clapping. Much was promised, and little was delivered. Godzilla sucked, plain and simple.

I'm starting to fear a similar misfire with King Kong, based on the overwhelming build-up and the underwhelming results we've seen to date. And it's not getting any better.

On Monday, Universal Pictures and its TV affiliate NBC are rolling out something called a "roadblock" to promote the first trailer for the movie. At the stroke of 8:59 p.m., and for two minutes and 30 seconds of excitement thereafter, the trailer will be broadcast simultaneously on NBC, SCI FI, USA Network, Bravo!, MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo, Mun2 and Universal HD. The trailer will be offered in high-definition on NBC and Universal HD.

It will reach an estimated audience of 109 million across North America.

"This exciting and expansive campaign will allow us to stretch and realize the full promise of NBC Universal's formidable assets," boasted Jeff Zucker, the president of NBC Universal Television Group, in a press statement.

"This concerted push will create a buzz across the spectrum of our networks that will build through King Kong's much-anticipated release."

It all sounds terribly stimulating, except when you stop to think that Hollywood is using hype to promote more hype. Remember when movie trailers just sort of popped up in theatres and on TV and caught you by surprise? And maybe even intrigued you enough to want to see the movie?

Now studios want us to plan our television viewing around their ads. If you're watching TV at 8:59 on Monday night, you'll have trouble escaping the Kong action.

If you're somehow not able to tune in, never fear. At 8:44 p.m. on the same day, the King Kong trailer will be available for viewing at http://www.volkswagen.com, "the exclusive automotive promotional partner of King Kong." Get the joke, small cars and big apes? Genius stuff, just genius.

This will be immediately followed by the unveiling of the official King Kong website at http://www.kingkongmovie.com, which will be loaded with all the usual gimcracks and geegaws.

The trailer is going to have to be pretty good to overcome the yawns elicited by the 10-second teaser that is already playing on the Internet, on such fan sites as KongIsKing.net and TheMovieBox.net.

The clip shows Naomi Watts, the Fay Wray of the remake, walking through a prehistoric jungle. She looks like she's about to be devoured by a hungry dinosaur, but suddenly something large and fuzzy stomps in to presumably save the day. It looks like a scene from the original Jurassic Park, or from any number of monster movies from years past. How very 20th-century.

Worse yet, the image of the new Kong makes the beast look like a cross between the Incredible Hulk, the Tasmanian Devil and Porky Pig.

A scan of a Topps trading card, part of a series that will be hustled to push the movie, is doing the Internet rounds. It shows an extreme close-up of a fanged Kong, looking more defeated than dangerous.

Is this what Jackson is giving us? Kong looks like a cartoon. I'm expecting Bugs Bunny to enter the frame to tweak the big lug's nose and go, "What's up, Doc?"

Hopefully something a lot better than we've seen so far.

[ukb007]

Hello BJ_M

I'd like to copy the Peter Jackson KING KONG trailer in my HD. The trailer is embedded in the webpage that you have given. Can you please tell me how I can copy the downloaded movie? It is presumably downloaded in the Firefox Cache (which is where I don't know).

Thanks.

EDIT:

SOLVED. I've saved the web-page (en_large.html). In the en_large_files folder there was this quicktime movie.

Thanks.

[ukb007]

What was wrong with John Guillermin's version (1978)?. Arguably, yes, the power and impact of the 1933 version wasn't duplicated. And probably the beast (that's what he was) was endowed with an unbelievebaly large share of human emotions and intelligence...he even smiled (how unbeastly, as some would say). I feel it was only this aspect that made critics slam it.

From the trailer, apparently, Mr Jackson isn't falling into this same trap. The appeals of the story are obviously huge...his will be the fifth in the list of Kong's chronicles. It will be difficult to maintain Kong's beastliness and unfold an unusual love story at the same time. Let's see how the celebrated creator of the Lord of the Rings saga rises up to the challenge.

Thanks.

[tenders]

its the december part that sucks

[MackemX]

are they using a mobile phone to shoot it?, the quality isn't all that good :P

trailer looks good enough but I hope it's not another case of those are the best bits

are any more big name movies coming out before December?

[ukb007]

are any more big name movies coming out before December?

Yes.

Michael Bay's The Island (Ewan McGregor)
Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp)
Rob Cohen's Stealth (Josh Lucas)
David Dobkin's Wedding Crashers (Owen Wilson)
Mike Mitchell's Sky High (Kurt Russell)
John Singleton's Four Brothers (Mark Wahlberg)
Louis Letterier's Transporter 2 (Jason Statham)
Peter Hyam's A Sound of Thunder (Edward Burns)
Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders (C. Thomas Howell)

See more here, here, here, and here

Thanks.

[MackemX]

cheers ukb007, I missed a big one

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is out in November

[ukb007]

Yep. A bad miss for me.

Thanks.

[CuCuy]

are any more big name movies coming out before December?

Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders (C. Thomas Howell)

A re-release? It came out in '83.

[ukb007]

Yes. Warner Bros. greases up once again to hype the September 20th special edition DVD release of Francis Ford Coppola kind-of-cult classic.

Thanks.