Oh, on a computer screen it all looks great (apart from Kong's size as we said).
But on an interlaced screen, with the added resolution, the dinos are definitely not so hot. We'll see tonight, when I run this on my projector for a couple of friends.
Peter Jackson's King Kong
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Whew, got here before GeorgeC!
The Bits has posted the details on the 11/22/05 release of the original King Kong! It looks stupendous, with a Ray Harryhausen commentary
, a 2-hour doc from Peter Jackson, and more. Looks great. Then, there's a tin-clad package with the set PLUS replicas of theatrical posters & program & stuff. OR you can buy a 4-disc set that includes Mighty Joe Young and Son of Kong. 
Wow. Check the Bits for more info.
www.thedigitalbits.com/
What to do, what to do... I imagine that MJY and Son of Kong will also be released on their own, either that day or later on, and I have them both on laserdisc already (MJY even has a great commentary track). So, I may spring for the tin.
The 1976 version also comes out in a new edition the same day from Paramount, hoping consumers will be so excited that they'll pick up the inferior remake. I may just be sucker enough to fall for it, too. GeorgeC can likely convince me to resist.
The Bits has posted the details on the 11/22/05 release of the original King Kong! It looks stupendous, with a Ray Harryhausen commentary
, a 2-hour doc from Peter Jackson, and more. Looks great. Then, there's a tin-clad package with the set PLUS replicas of theatrical posters & program & stuff. OR you can buy a 4-disc set that includes Mighty Joe Young and Son of Kong. Wow. Check the Bits for more info.www.thedigitalbits.com/
What to do, what to do... I imagine that MJY and Son of Kong will also be released on their own, either that day or later on, and I have them both on laserdisc already (MJY even has a great commentary track). So, I may spring for the tin.
The 1976 version also comes out in a new edition the same day from Paramount, hoping consumers will be so excited that they'll pick up the inferior remake. I may just be sucker enough to fall for it, too. GeorgeC can likely convince me to resist.
I heard about the set with all 3 films on radio today, too! Sounds like a great set. That's the one I'll definitely buy! (I'm gonna skip the set with all the promos and cards. I just don't have any use for that. I want the films!)
(I've seen the 1976 remake and it JUST STINKS. Definitely saving my money for something else!)
The 4-disc set is split up as follows: one-disc a-piece for the "sequels" and 2 for the original Kong. Jackson's WETA is also contributing a NEW sequence to the original Kong! There was a spider pit sequence cut from the original film and that footage has been lost or the sequence was never filmed. WETA has digitally recreated it and it's being inserted into an extended version of the original Kong!
The reason Harryhausen is doing commentary is because he was an apprentice of the guy who did the stop-motion on King Kong, Willis O'Brien. I'm sure he has plenty to tell about the making of the film and special effects.
(I don't know who owns it, but the original King Kong stop-motion figure still exists.)
Lots of great horror films coming this fall. Between this Kong set and the Val Lewton set, there's plenty to keep classic horror fans busy.
(I've seen the 1976 remake and it JUST STINKS. Definitely saving my money for something else!)
The 4-disc set is split up as follows: one-disc a-piece for the "sequels" and 2 for the original Kong. Jackson's WETA is also contributing a NEW sequence to the original Kong! There was a spider pit sequence cut from the original film and that footage has been lost or the sequence was never filmed. WETA has digitally recreated it and it's being inserted into an extended version of the original Kong!
The reason Harryhausen is doing commentary is because he was an apprentice of the guy who did the stop-motion on King Kong, Willis O'Brien. I'm sure he has plenty to tell about the making of the film and special effects.
(I don't know who owns it, but the original King Kong stop-motion figure still exists.)
Lots of great horror films coming this fall. Between this Kong set and the Val Lewton set, there's plenty to keep classic horror fans busy.
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(I know George probably knows this, but for all the youngsters out there...) Actually, Harryhausen's also doing the commentary because King Kong was THE film that set him off on his course to eclipsing O'Brien's legacy with his own fantastic career. (Harryhausen has always said that seeing King Kong was the defining moment of his life.) That career began in earnest when he did most of Mighty Joe Young for O'Brien. Now THAT would be a nice film to hear Harryhausen's commentary on, too!
[quote="RandCanuck"](I know George probably knows this, but for all the youngsters out there...) Actually, Harryhausen's also doing the commentary because King Kong was THE film that set him off on his course to eclipsing O'Brien's legacy with his own fantastic career. (Harryhausen has always said that seeing King Kong was [i]the[/i] defining moment of his life.) That career began in earnest when he did most of Mighty Joe Young for O'Brien. Now THAT would be a nice film to hear Harryhausen's commentary on, too![/quote]
Actually,
I've gotta confess that I know NEXT-TO-NOTHING about Ray Harryhausen other than a few anecdotes. Aside from "Clash of the Titans" and "Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers," I have not seen many of his films. I have nothing against Greek and Roman mythology ("Titans" is based on some of my favorite Greek myths), but I have to say that the stop-motion works against the believability of some of those films for me. (The ham-fisted acting also didn't help, either!)
I've always had a problem with the jerkiness of the technique. I admire stop-motion animators for having the patience to assemble armatures, cover them in fabric or clay, and animate the darn things, but aside from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" the artform really hasn't captured my eye. I even have problems with some of the stop-motion in "The Empire Strikes Back" which is my favorite Star Wars film by far.
I knew about the O'Brien influence but had no idea Harryhausen worked on "Mighty Joe Young."
My guess is that you'll probably get your wish and that there WILL be some kind of Harryhausen commentary on "Mighty Joe Young."
I'm much more interested in buying the original "Joe" than the Disney remake with Charlize Theron.
Actually,
I've gotta confess that I know NEXT-TO-NOTHING about Ray Harryhausen other than a few anecdotes. Aside from "Clash of the Titans" and "Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers," I have not seen many of his films. I have nothing against Greek and Roman mythology ("Titans" is based on some of my favorite Greek myths), but I have to say that the stop-motion works against the believability of some of those films for me. (The ham-fisted acting also didn't help, either!)
I've always had a problem with the jerkiness of the technique. I admire stop-motion animators for having the patience to assemble armatures, cover them in fabric or clay, and animate the darn things, but aside from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" the artform really hasn't captured my eye. I even have problems with some of the stop-motion in "The Empire Strikes Back" which is my favorite Star Wars film by far.
I knew about the O'Brien influence but had no idea Harryhausen worked on "Mighty Joe Young."
My guess is that you'll probably get your wish and that there WILL be some kind of Harryhausen commentary on "Mighty Joe Young."
I'm much more interested in buying the original "Joe" than the Disney remake with Charlize Theron.
Here's the latest from the Digital Bits as of today, 8 August 2005:
"(LATE UPDATE - 8/8/05 - 12:30 PM PDT)
Okay... we have FINAL King Kong details for you. Warner has sent over their official press release with all the specs on the release, so here they are:
The King Kong: Two-Disc Special Edition (SRP $26.99) will include the 104-minute restored and remastered B&W film on video in its original full frame, with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras will include audio commentary (by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, with Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Ruth Rose, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong), the 2005 I'm Kong: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper documentary, a gallery of trailers for other films by director Merian C. Cooper, the new RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World documentary by Peter Jackson (featuring the following featurettes: 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) and Creation test footage (with commentary by Ray Harryhausen).
The King Kong: Two-Disc Collector's Edition (SRP $39.98) will include all of the above in limited tin packaging that also features a 20-page reproduction of the original 1933 souvenir program, King Kong original one-sheet reproduction postcards and a mail-in offer for a reproduction of a vintage theatrical poster.
The King Kong Four-Disc Collector's Set (SRP $39.92) will include the King Kong: Two-Disc Special Edition along with The Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young. It will NOT include the extras in the Collector's Edition tin.
Fortunately, The Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young will also be available separately (as will The Last Days of Pompeii, also by Kong directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack) for an SRP of $19.97 each.
The Son of Kong will include the 70-minute restored B&W film on video in the original full frame, with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras will include the theatrical trailer.
Mighty Joe Young will include the 94-minute restored B&W film on video in its original full frame, with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras will include audio commentary (by Ray Harryhausen, Ken Ralston and Terry Moore), 2 new featurettes (Ray Harryhausen and The Chioda Brothers and Ray Harryhausen and Mighty Joe Young) and the film's theatrical trailer."
The solution for all of you that want ALL the extras is to buy the King Kong tin set THEN GET Mighty Joe Young AND Son of Kong separately.
At least you have that option.
Me? I'll probably just get the 4-disc collection. There's hardly been a gift set worth its MRSP. You're getting a bunch of cards and junk that's going to sap storage space from you. I can remember the way I felt after I got the original Spider-Man film giftset. Other than the 2 DVD pack-ins, it was a complete waste of money with ultra-cheap production values on the pack-in art and reproduction of Amazing Fantasy #15 which I already have a million reprints of!
AND, as I predicted Harryhausen IS doing commentary on Mighty Joe Young.
It's a win-win-win situation for everybody!
"(LATE UPDATE - 8/8/05 - 12:30 PM PDT)
Okay... we have FINAL King Kong details for you. Warner has sent over their official press release with all the specs on the release, so here they are:
The King Kong: Two-Disc Special Edition (SRP $26.99) will include the 104-minute restored and remastered B&W film on video in its original full frame, with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras will include audio commentary (by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, with Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Ruth Rose, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong), the 2005 I'm Kong: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper documentary, a gallery of trailers for other films by director Merian C. Cooper, the new RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World documentary by Peter Jackson (featuring the following featurettes: 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) and Creation test footage (with commentary by Ray Harryhausen).
The King Kong: Two-Disc Collector's Edition (SRP $39.98) will include all of the above in limited tin packaging that also features a 20-page reproduction of the original 1933 souvenir program, King Kong original one-sheet reproduction postcards and a mail-in offer for a reproduction of a vintage theatrical poster.
The King Kong Four-Disc Collector's Set (SRP $39.92) will include the King Kong: Two-Disc Special Edition along with The Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young. It will NOT include the extras in the Collector's Edition tin.
Fortunately, The Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young will also be available separately (as will The Last Days of Pompeii, also by Kong directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack) for an SRP of $19.97 each.
The Son of Kong will include the 70-minute restored B&W film on video in the original full frame, with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras will include the theatrical trailer.
Mighty Joe Young will include the 94-minute restored B&W film on video in its original full frame, with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio and English, French and Spanish subtitles. Extras will include audio commentary (by Ray Harryhausen, Ken Ralston and Terry Moore), 2 new featurettes (Ray Harryhausen and The Chioda Brothers and Ray Harryhausen and Mighty Joe Young) and the film's theatrical trailer."
The solution for all of you that want ALL the extras is to buy the King Kong tin set THEN GET Mighty Joe Young AND Son of Kong separately.
At least you have that option.
Me? I'll probably just get the 4-disc collection. There's hardly been a gift set worth its MRSP. You're getting a bunch of cards and junk that's going to sap storage space from you. I can remember the way I felt after I got the original Spider-Man film giftset. Other than the 2 DVD pack-ins, it was a complete waste of money with ultra-cheap production values on the pack-in art and reproduction of Amazing Fantasy #15 which I already have a million reprints of!
AND, as I predicted Harryhausen IS doing commentary on Mighty Joe Young.
It's a win-win-win situation for everybody!
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The tin's going to be the same King Kong discs as the regular 2-disc and 4-disc set.
All you're going to get with the tin besides the tin itself is the extra chrome wrapping paper and whatever little goodies WB decides to throw your way.
I'm sorry if I sound cynical about giftsets but honestly they usually aren't worth the extra cash. I've been burned a couple of times paying extra for the packaging and notecards or whatever it is they package in the boxes. It's generally not worth it. I can live without lobby cards or a Kong poster.
I have enough comic art posters and animation production drawings as it is that I have to eventually frame or preserve somehow.
Besides, I don't imagine I could really get to love looking at Kong's 5-foot tall puss every morning...
All you're going to get with the tin besides the tin itself is the extra chrome wrapping paper and whatever little goodies WB decides to throw your way.
I'm sorry if I sound cynical about giftsets but honestly they usually aren't worth the extra cash. I've been burned a couple of times paying extra for the packaging and notecards or whatever it is they package in the boxes. It's generally not worth it. I can live without lobby cards or a Kong poster.
I have enough comic art posters and animation production drawings as it is that I have to eventually frame or preserve somehow.Besides, I don't imagine I could really get to love looking at Kong's 5-foot tall puss every morning...