TSOTSI Movie

From Diana Saenger

The 1933 picture “King Kong” became not only one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed movies of all times, it saved the RKO studio from bankruptcy. Directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s vision to create a 50-foot monster that hoped to eat a five-foot tall beauty (Fay Wray) for breakfast, paid off. “King Kong” is the all-time classic, ranking 43 on the American Film Institute’s list of Top-100 American movies, and who can forget those images of King Kong atop the Empire State building fighting off the biplanes tiring to kill him.

Warner’s newly restored and digitally mastered 2-Disc Collector’s Edition also contains a copy of the original March 24, 1933 program for the screening of “King Kong” at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and color cards of the original posters.

When Merian C. Cooper exposed his idea about King Kong to a possible backer, he probably held his breath that he wouldnt be shipped off to a lonely bin. Luckily that idea turned the film into a profit for RKO of $1.75 million and saved the studio.

The film is so amazing, that in 2005 Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson , who admits “King Kong” has been his favorite movie of all time and inspired him to be a filmmaker, released his newest version of the incredible horror film. James A. Creelman and Ruth Rose (Ernest B. Schoedsack’s wife), original screenwriters of the 1933 film, could pat themselves on the back if they were still around (Creelman committed suicide in 1941), that their story has held up and is the basic plot of Jackson’s new film as well.

The story of documentary film producer Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) who longed to take a ship to an undiscovered island and pit a beauty against a beast was not only a milestone for horror and fantasy fans, the humanistic aspect that a pretty blonde could tame a beast appealed, and looking at the 2005 box office receipts, still appeals, to movie fans across the board. The new Warner version begins with a melody from Max Steiner’s impressive soundtrack of the film, which you may be tempted to fast forward through, but should really listen to, because since the film has little dialogue and is mostly visual, it backs up those visuals impeccably.

Carl discovers Ann Darrow (Wray) only hours before he compels the captain of the Venture to set sail out of Manhattan quickly, as the several people looking for Carl are fast on his heels. At first Ann questioned Carl’s motives, but understanding that he wants to feature her in one of his movies with prehistoric animals, and the fact that she’s really down and out, she agrees.

Ann, the only woman aboard, is ignored by the ship’s Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher) as he has too much to oversee. However, Ann’s beauty does not escape adventurer John “Jack” Driscoll (Bruce Cabot), who soon announces he’s in love with Ann. Driscoll is rumored to be modeled in personality and demeanor after filmmaker Ernest B. Schoedsack.

The romance is perfect for Carl, who has been chastised for the lack of romance in his pictures. Now he’ll have romance AND adventure.

The adventure starts almost immediately when the ship sails into the mist-covered Skull Island. The sound of the native drums is like an enticement of gold to Carl, who orders the crew to board the rowboats for shore. Once there the crew encounters a bunch of natives having a ceremony to present one of their island girls to the beast, Kong, as his bride. But once he sees Ann, the chief decides she will be a better offering and begins to banter with Englehorn about trading for her.

Now, one must admit it’s a far stretch that Englehorn would be able to understand this primitive language, especially since he never even knew about this island, but one goes along with it for the sake of the adventure.

The crew makes their way back to the boat agreeing to address the issue with the chief the next day. But during the night the islanders make a raid on the boat and kidnap Ann. By the time the men make their way on shore, Ann has been strung up by her wrists, gets her first look at Kong and let’s out her first blood-curdling scream as the towering beast tramps through the jungle towards her.

As Carl and the men hunt for Ann, they’re attacked by one kind of dinosaur after another. The animals kill some men, and although it’s obvious now that at times some scenes were filmed with the actors on a treadmill against a rear projection screen, the method worked back then to up the fright quotient.

Except for Jack and Carl, all the crew that went ashore is soon killed by historic creatures. Jack sends Carl back to the boat for help and more bombs they brought along, while he goes to look for Ann. She’s begging cuddled by Kong who treats her like his own little doll. He fights off other giant lizards and snakes about to eat her.