King Kong
Dir: John Guillermin
1976
****
John Guillermin's 1976 remake of the classic King Kong story was a cinematic project of epic proportions. It's fair to say that John Guillermin's vision and enthusiastic approach was not shared by all. It wasn't popular on release and is regarded as a major flop. However, decades of subsequent film fans have sought out the film and have adopted it as a bit of a cult classic. It is a great film! Okay, so not great in the classical sense, there is a strong element of so bad it's good about it but it isn't without its credit. The modern reworking of the story is actually pretty good, already dated but an influence to a few monster movies I can think of that have come since. King Kong 1976 is a mix of great ambition, creativity on a small budget and the wonder that is the 70's disaster film. Throw in a great cast and giant charismatic monkey and you're in business. Carlo Rambaldi's special effects are still impressive today, it's worth watching just for his legendary work. The last scene of Kong climbing New York's World Trade Center has become quite poignant now, it certainly reminds the viewer of what seemed like simpler times, and from a cinephiles view, certainly happier times. I love the 70s.