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1933 King Kong in November - Page 9

post #241 of 542
8/6/05 at 9:31am
I'll get the tin and wait for the two others to be released individually...and if they never are then I'll buy the 4-disc and sell the two disc Kong to my brother or a friend.

I seriously doubt that they will not give these fantasy genre films, usually a respectable selling category, individual releases though.
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post #242 of 542
8/6/05 at 10:07am
Quote:
You guys are making a huge deal out of this. I'll bet the two sequels are released as stand-alone catalog titles as well. If you look at the box for the 4-disc, it's clearly not a digipak. It's an outer casing that holds discs in Amaray cases. When Warner has done this lately, they've been good about making all the films contained within available for purchase seperately.

Dane, while it's true that we don't have definite word yet on whether the 2 films will be available separately, Warners has NOT always made boxset films available separately. The Marx Bros. set had two discs (four films) that were exclusive to the box, and in the new Thin Man box all films except the first one are exclusive to the box.

If this is true, and the Variety blurb is wrong, then this is VERY poor marketing on WB's part. A forced double-dip, or forgoing some extras, is just a bad choice to have to force on consumers.

I said at the time of the Davis and Crawford boxsets that I have no problem with sets that contained previously released material, with the one proviso that they do not FORCE a double dip by offering something exclusive to the boxset that can't be purchased any other way. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. Perhaps I gave Warner Bros. an idea!
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post #243 of 542
8/6/05 at 12:34pm
from the side of the 4 disc set, it looks like Son of and Mighty Joe each have their own seperate keepcase.
i'm very surprised by that- especially if they were planning to release these later seperately.

on the other hand, maybe it does make sense, because while i can see Mighty Joe justifying a seperate release, i don't see the same sale potential with Son of- 99% of the people who would buy that would buy it in a set with the others.

i'm no fan of tins (or rather, i'm a bigger fan of uniform packaging on my shelves, aka keepcases- and the slimmer the better), but for $40 (probably a little under $30 with discounts, i'll be grabbing the 4 disc set, and tossing Son Of into the overflow pile after a first viewing.
- for the poster that solicitied opinions on it before, its not a terrible film, but its nowhere near as enchanting as the original. the first 10 minutes or so of the film are interesting for continuity reasons, but after that it feels like an unoriginal, dumbed down and scrubbed clean for the kiddies, quickie cash-in.
jmo of course.

as far as the tin and double dip goes, i don't really see the big deal. the whole point of buying the tin is the external stuff- the tin itself, the printed material (that frankly doesn't cost very much to produce). i find it very easy to avoid these kinds of 'quickie' premium sets.
and the tin is designed to be unique to Kong, not a tin representing classic monkey movies in general.
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post #244 of 542
8/6/05 at 2:09pm
Quote:
So, is Son of Kong as bad as it seems? Of the three movies, it's the only one I haven't seen. Many reviewers don't have many kind things to say about it. I also see that it came out the same year as Kong. That had to be a rush job! I'll definitely be getting the 4-disc set. I'm just curious what everyone thinks about this "forgotten" sequel.

SON OF KONG is definitely a rush job, and it feels like it. I'd say it's still at least "fair," though - not "bad". Believe it or not, I know at least two big fans of the genre who actually like SON OF KONG better than the original!
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post #245 of 542
8/6/05 at 2:26pm
One idea would be to get the 4-disc box and the tin, then sell the extra 2-disc Kong. I'm assuming the extra tin materials would fit inside the Kong amarary case.
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post #246 of 542
8/6/05 at 4:01pm
Boy, wish I had thought of that.....**Oh**.
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post #247 of 542
8/6/05 at 6:19pm
Call me a mug. Tin and four-disc please.
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post #248 of 542
8/6/05 at 7:18pm
Quote:
So, is Son of Kong as bad as it seems?

No, it is not bad at all.

Obviously it pales in comparison to KONG, but the so do 99% of all films.

SON OF KONG is more like a kids movie. Lovable creatures, the bad guys are moustache twirling villains, the good guys are good, the story is simple,... Oh, and there's a theme song, too:

"Oh, I got the runaway blues. I want to run away....Oh, I got the runaway blues with you"

That song will be in your head for the rest of your life
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post #249 of 542
8/7/05 at 12:59pm
Well, getting back to the posters and their selling prices. Last year on eBay, the Pressbook of "King Kong" (gorgeous color booklet)went for $25,000 and the Pressbook for "Son of Kong" went for $15,000.

Bob Burns is alive and well. I hope to meet him next month!

Let's hope the "Son of Kong" is in sepia as Robert Harris alluded to a few months back.

I would love to put my LD's to rest. You have to have all 3 films for your collection. This is a trilogy in that each one is better in their stop-motion than the one before, but are all still connected.

Just to hear Ray Harryhausen tell about his experiences in animating over 80% of "Mighty Joe Young" is going to be a real highlight!

I'm hoping that WB will let you buy each one separately or all together. However they do it...remember, we'll be the ultimate winners...we finally get "King Kong" after all this time. On the down side, the bastards will release the whole thing in HD 5 months down the line!!!
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post #250 of 542
8/7/05 at 1:23pm
Ah, the fuzzy white baby seal Kong jr.


There is a story behind Son Of Kong FOUND HERE at Kong Is King that is tragic but worth reading.
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post #251 of 542
8/7/05 at 5:14pm
Thanks Kevin M for the good read!!!
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post #252 of 542
8/7/05 at 5:31pm
On the down side, the bastards will release the whole thing in HD 5 months down the line!!!


Nah, they will continually put it off until the NEXT generation video system is ready to start.
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post #253 of 542
8/8/05 at 12:06am
I wonder if the HD market will really make people buy their favorite DVDs a new time...
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post #254 of 542
8/8/05 at 5:49am
I come back from a weekend trip and look what I find!

What incredible news!!

I'll be going for the Kong tin and probably picking up Mighty Joe Young seperately, Son Of Kong depending on what extras are included though I've never seen the film the reviews have been kind of harsh.

As for the 4-disc box set, it would've been really nice to grab that too, I love the artwork used but I can't justofy buying both the tin and set for that reason alone. It's too bad MJY and SOK weren't offered a 2-disc box set on their own with the same packaging. That would have really been ideal. Maybe someone could picth the idea to Warners, since as others have said, those of us shelling out for the tin obviously want the most we can get from King Kong on DVD!


Eitherway this is some of the ost exciting DVD news of the year. I cant wait to see all of these editions sitting on shelf at my retailer. Im marking off the calendars!
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post #255 of 542
8/8/05 at 5:56am
You know, I just realised... I'll buy the 4-disc box set as well, and replace the 2-disc KONG with the inevitable upcoming 2-disc release of the 2005 Peter Jackson Remake. That way I'll have all the "sequals" in one convenient box set (save for that 1970's travesty)!
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post #256 of 542
8/8/05 at 7:22am
2-disc for PJ's KONG ?
Well, I wont' be surprised we get a 3-disc or 4-disc (depending on the movie lenght) mega-set, like the LOTR ones...
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post #257 of 542
8/8/05 at 8:04am
Quote:
2-disc for PJ's KONG ?
Well, I wont' be surprised we get a 3-disc or 4-disc (depending on the movie lenght) mega-set, like the LOTR ones...


Yeah there's enough behind the secenes material on kongisking.net to fill 2 DVDs.
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post #258 of 542
8/8/05 at 10:48am
Count me in as another one who thinks "Son" is as good as "King". The story about the torn photo of Obie O'Brien was a real eye-opener and only makes me more definite about having the 4-disc AND the tin.

My main concern, being part of the afterthought the Studios call the rest of the World, is what are the plans for R2? Universal holds the rights to Kong in Europe, so are they going to license the contents of the sets off Warners? There's a retailer already listing a Kong SE for £9.99 ($18) and a box set for £24. I'm betting we won't see anything like the goodies R1 will be getting.
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post #259 of 542
8/8/05 at 11:20am
Here is the official WB Press Release:
---------------------------------------




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE ATTACHED

One of the Greatest Adventures of All Time and Warner Home Video’s Most Requested Title Makes Long-Awaited DVD Debut

KING KONG

Two-Disc Special Edition &

Two-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD


Special Features Include New Documentary on Legendary Kong Creator

Merian C. Cooper and

New Seven-Part Documentary on the Making of Kong, including

The Mystery of the Lost Spider Pit Sequence

Also Available: Four-Disc Collector’s Set Featuring King Kong and New-to-DVD Titles The Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young Also Available: DVD of Cooper/Schoedsack’s The Last Days of Pompeii

Burbank, Calif. August 8, 2005 – On November 22, Warner Home Video’s most requested title, the original 1933 RKO classic King Kong, will debut in a Two-Disc Special Edition and a Two-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD. Now newly restored from rare nitrate film elements and digitally mastered in glorious black and white, King Kong features extensive bonus content, including an insightful seven-part documentary with Oscar®-winning director Peter Jackson (King Kong (2005), The Lord of the Rings trilogy); commentary by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston with Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Ruth Rose, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong; and a feature length documentary on Kong creator Merian C. Cooper, directed by renowned filmmaker Kevin Brownlow. The Collector’s Edition DVD will be released in a collectible keepsake tin with 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 Two-Disc Special Edition DVD will be available for $26.99 SRP/$19.95 MAP and the Collector’s Edition will sell for $39.98 SRP.


The King Kong Collection, featuring two more new-to-DVD titles – The Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young – along with the King Kong Two-Disc Special Edition DVD – will also be available for $39.92 SRP. RKO collaboration from Kong directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, The Last Days of Pompeii, will be released simultaneously. These three additional titles will each be sold individually for $19.97 SRP/$14.95 MAP.


About King Kong


With equal parts adventure, horror and old-fashioned romance, King Kong is a milestone of movie-making that has endured for more than seven decades. Recently named as one of the 100 Best Films of All Time by Time Magazine, King Kong premiered in New York City in 1933. The film was an instant success, breaking box-office records to become one of the top moneymakers of the 1930s. King Kong’s state-of-the-art visual effects, entertaining story and touching conclusion captivated audiences and started a worldwide love affair with the giant ape.


A film ahead of its time, King Kong defied the technological limitations of the ‘30s. Special effects pioneer Willis O’Brien’s revolutionary stop-motion animation was not only technically brilliant but also highly imaginative and continues to impress even in today’s era of computer-generated wizardry. Directed and produced by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, with a rousing score by Max Steiner, King Kong stars Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot and Fay Wray, whose memorable performance as damsel in distress Ann Darrow cemented her place in pop culture and earned her the nickname "The Queen of Scream."


DVD Details

King Kong (1933)

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.


DVD Special Features Include:

Disc 1: The Movie

Original 1933 Film classic in Glorious Black and White, Newly Restored and Digitally Mastered
Commentary by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, with Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Ruth Rose, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong
I’m Kong: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper -- 2005 documentary
Merian C. Cooper Movies Trailer Gallery
Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (Feature Film Only)
Disc 2: King-Sized Special Features

RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World
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
King Kong’s Legacy
Creation Test Footage with Commentary by Ray Harryhausen
The Son of Kong (1933)

The filmmakers who created King Kong kept the excitement going with this sequel released the same year as the original. Robert Armstrong reprises his role as Denham, paired with a new damsel in distress, played by Helen Mack. After the two rescue Kong Jr. from a quicksand pit, they are rewarded with his devotion and protection when he defends them from a variety of prehistoric monsters. Composer Max Steiner and special effects expert Willis O’Brien return to provide the film’s score and stunning stop-motion animation.

DVD Special Features Include:

Theatrical Trailer
Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (Feature Film Only)
The Last Days of Pompeii (1935)

The grandeur of an era and the terror of nature at its deadliest come to the screen in this classic starring Preston Foster, Basil Rathbone, Alan Hale and Louis Calhern. Foster plays a simple blacksmith, Marcus, who rises to glory and riches and crosses paths with Jesus and Pontius Pilate. However, Marcus’s wealth means nothing when Mt. Vesuvius awakes and releases its fury on the doomed Roman city.


Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper re-team with King Kong veteran Robert Armstrong for this touching film about a young girl and her pet gorilla. Featuring state-of-the art special effects, Mighty Joe Young seamlessly combined stop-motion animation with live action sequences to capture the 1949 Academy Award® for Special Effects. Supervised by the legendary Willis O’Brien, the film’s technical staff also included a young Ray Harryhausen working on his first full-length feature film.

DVD Special Features Include:

Commentary by Ray Harryhausen, Ken Ralston and Terry Moore
New Featurette Ray Harryhausen and The Chioda Brothers
New Featurette Ray Harryhausen and Mighty Joe Young
Theatrical Trailer
Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (Feature Film Only)



King Kong Collection
Street Date: November 22, 2005
Four-Disc Collector’s Set
Pricing $39.92 SRP



King Kong Two-Disc Special Edition $26.99 SRP/ $19.95 MAP



King Kong Two-Disc Collector’s Edition $39.98 SRP
Additional Individual titles $19.97 SRP/ $14.95 MAP



King Kong Two-Disc Special Edition
Rating: Not Rated
B & W
English: Mono
Dolby Digital
Run Time: 104 minutes


King Kong Two-Disc Collector’s Edition
Rating: Not Rated
B & W
English: Mono
Dolby Digital
Run Time: 104 minutes



The Son of Kong
Rating: Not Rated
B & W
English: Mono
Dolby Digital
Run Time: 70 minutes



Mighty Joe Young
Rating: Not Rated
B & W
English: Mono
Dolby Digital
Run Time: 94 minutes


The Last Days of Pompeii
Rating: Not Rated
B & W
English: Mono
Dolby Digital
Run Time: 96 minutes
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post #260 of 542
8/8/05 at 11:32am
Will "Mighty Joe Young" include the tinted fire sequence?
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post #261 of 542
8/8/05 at 11:34am
It's nice to see this info:
Quote:
These three additional titles will each be sold individually for $19.97 SRP/$14.95 MAP.
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post #262 of 542
8/8/05 at 1:43pm
Maybe it's just me, but I'm having trouble understanding something that should be rather simple. I want to have all three films (KONG, SON, and JOE), and also ALL of the extra DVD bells and whistles bonus material. Will there be ONE definitive set which will contain everything here, or do I have to buy more than one to get it all?
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post #263 of 542
8/8/05 at 1:47pm
Buy the Kong Tin, and the two individual films (Son & Joe) and there you go, I don't believe that Son or Joe are coming out in any sort of two disc SE so with those three purchases you should have everything.

OR if you don't want the KONG tin's extra postcards, booklet etc. extras then the box set might be what you want....it depends on whether you just want the DVD's extras or the tin's printed odds & ends, either of the KONG SE's (tin or standard) will contain the same DVD extras AFAIK.
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post #264 of 542
8/8/05 at 1:51pm
Can we pick n mix? I want the 2-disc King Kong, Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young. I don't want friggin' Last Days of Pompeii. I want all the extra paraphernalia that's in the tin, but not in a tin. And if possible The Most Dangerous Game aka The Hounds of Zaroff bundled in with them.
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post #265 of 542
8/8/05 at 1:52pm
Maybe it's just me, but I'm having trouble understanding something that should be rather simple. I want to have all three films (KONG, SON, and JOE), and also ALL of the extra DVD bells and whistles bonus material. Will there be ONE definitive set which will contain everything here, or do I have to buy more than one to get it all?

It looks like it's going to cost you extra money to get all three films on dvd. You will have to buy the Tin Collector's set then purchase the two other dvds "Son of Kong" and "Mighty Joe Young" separately. This is the problem I have with Warner on this release. The Collector's Edition of "King Kong" should have been the one paired with the other two dvds for the 4-disc set. Common sense would tell you that those going to extra expense to buy the Tin Collector set would want to buy the other two dvds in one big boxset.
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post #266 of 542
8/8/05 at 1:56pm
But Robert, at least they are offering SON & JOE separately so you won't have to buy both the Box & Tin to get everything with an extra KONG SE to get rid of...true it would have been nice to have paid the same price for the Box Set as you would have for the Tin and still got the TIN....but that wouldn't make sense financially speaking for WB, I think they are offering a rather wide range of options on the whole.
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post #267 of 542
8/8/05 at 2:05pm
I could care less about the tin, but I'm VERY interested in the booklet and the mail-in offer for the poster. It looks like, I'll have to get the tin, and the other releases separately. I agree with Robert, in saying that the Boxset should have been the premium item and included everything, or at least everything minus the tin.
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post #268 of 542
8/8/05 at 2:06pm
But Robert, at least they are offering SON & JOE separately so you won't have to buy both the Box & Tin to get everything with an extra KONG SE to get rid of...I am happy with this.

Some of you know that I rarely beat up on studios about how they release their product, but this 4-disc set could've been handled differently which would've been cheaper than spending another $24.00-28.00 for those other two dvds. Yes, Warner gave us some options for these dvd releases, but it still burns me that the SE 2-disc set and not the Tin Collector's set is going to be paired with those other two dvds for a nice 4-disc box set.

If you're going to offer a 4-disc box set then do it right and offer the ultimate box set for those consumers who are more than your average consumers, but instead are big fans of "King Kong" and those filmmakers that made those three films.
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post #269 of 542
8/8/05 at 2:15pm
Well if the only extra extras in the tin are the postcards and souvenir program, I'll stick with the 4-disc set.
I like box sets, hate tins.
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post #270 of 542
8/8/05 at 2:21pm
Well if the only extra extras in the tin are the postcards and souvenir program, I'll stick with the 4-disc set.
I like box sets, hate tins.

Unfortunately, that's probably what I'll do too, not because I can't afford to do otherwise, but due to the principal of it.






Crawdaddy
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