King Kong Game's Happy Ending

Besides the novelty of being able to tear up New York City as the titular great ape, the game adaptation of the King Kong movie now has another draw.

Ubisoft has announced that Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie contains an alternate ending to its filmic inspiration, "in which players can save the giant ape from his cinematic death, pilot an airplane, and discover Kong back home on his native Skull Island." Players who finish the game and then earn 250,000 points while replaying it will be able to access the alternate ending. Ubisoft did not say which versions of the multiplatform game had the ending.

Surprisingly, the alternate conclusion was made with director Jackson's express blessing. "I wanted the game to be able to take the audience a bit further than what the film could," said Jackson.

Related posts: King Kong for Xbox

Who was Fay wray?

As you may know Fay Wray was the actress on the original King Kong film who played Ann Darrow. She passed away last year at age 96, leaving the world as a Hollywood myth. Here's a small biography.

Vina Fay Wray saw the light of the day on September 15, 1907. Born in Alberta, Canada, Wray appeared since her early teens on movie productions as an extra.

Her most important role during the 20s was for the great movie "The Wedding March" (1928) directed by Erich Von Stroheim.

Thanks to her acting, Fay reached movie stardom and became one of the greatest actresses during the 30s. She appeared in movies like "Thunderbolt" and "The Mystery of the Wax Museum". But those roles where just a prelude for the film that helped her become a myth. Yes, that was King Kong (1933), a film by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack.

Form there, she continued working in films until the early 40s, by that time she married screen player Robert Riskin. During the 50s she would continue working but ion television, leaving the big screen.

Fay Wray passed away on August 8, 2004. At age 96.

Related Posts: A Little Bit of the Original King Kong History

Jack Black admits monkeying around during King Kong filming

Taking a cue from his “King Kong” co-star, Jack Black admits he went ape during the filming of the box office blockbuster and “had a bit of a lost weekend.”
The 36-year-old actor, who insists that he’s usually “very responsible on set,” told GQ that during a free weekend he “did some ecstasy and I went on a kind of crazy rampage and I started smoking (again).”
Hairy stuff!
“Me and another member of the cast, who will remain nameless, just running around, dancing around, drinking and ecstasizing, smoking like a chimney. And then it was over,” he reports in next month’s issue.
The “School of Rock” man did say that he’s since quit smoking — again! — and is on a strict diet.
In “King Kong,” Black plays Carl Denham, a filmmaker who traps Kong and brings him to New York.

King Kong Toys for this Holidays

If you are like me, you probably don't know what to give to your little loved ones as a gift for this Christmas. There are a lot of toys out there, for grown ups and children alike. But since this blog is about King Kong, I'm going to show you some King Kong toys to make this Chritmas a "Kongmas"!!! Ok.. maybe not. From toys based about Classic King Kong, to the recent King Kong movie's toys, to busts, you can find almost anything on the web.

Check out some of the King Kong toys out there!

Classic King Kong, chained - Movie Maniacs
King Kong Deluxe Figure: Roaring Kong
Kong The 8th Wonder Of The World: Electronic Kong Arms
King Kong and Ann Darrow Bronze Bust
Jack & Denham Ravine Struggle

And that's to name a few, you can't imagine the amount of toy merchandise out there. If I just couldd...grab..my..wallet..... Argh!!

King Kong on a Good Cause

As an alternative to the traditional angel, a toy replica of King Kong was used to put the finishing touch on a Harrogate Christmas tree to launch a new campaign by Cancer Research UK.

Images of Kong – whose latest movie blockbuster hit cinema screens last week – are being used on special fundraising badges now available in selected shops.
The collectable badges, which come in four unique designs, are on sale throughout December – including at Cancer Research UK's own Wishes outlet in Beulah Street, Harrogate – for a suggested donation of £1. The entire proceeds from sales will go directly to helping the charity achieve its goal of curing cancer faster.
To help launch the campaign, the charity also enlisted the help of George Claydon, whose mum Ingrid was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 when he was only two. Since then, Ingrid has helped raise thousands of pounds for Cancer Research UK, with George supporting her.
King Kong badges are also available Peacocks, Wilkinsons, Game, Murco and Cineworld cinemas – all supporters of Cancer Research UK.

Roger Ebert's Top 2005 movies - King Kong 8th Position

Roger Ebert has written his review for the best movies of 2005 at his website rogerebert.com. And King Kong is in 8th place. The only blockbuster surrounded by smaller movies. Here's what Ebert says about King Kong:

A stupendous cliffhanger, a glorious adventure, a shameless celebration of every single resource of the blockbuster, told in a film of visual beauty and surprising emotional impact. Of course, this will be the most popular film of the year, and nothing wrong with that: If movies like "King Kong" didn't delight us with the magic of the cinema, we'd never start going in the first place. Peter Jackson's triumph is not a remake of the 1933 classic so much as a celebration of its greatness and a flowering of its possibilities. Its most particular contribution is in the area of the heart: It transforms the somewhat creepy relationship of the gorilla and the girl into a celebration of empathy, in which a vaudeville acrobat (Naomi Watts) intuitively understands that when Kong roars he isn't threatening her but stating his territorial dominance; she responds with acrobatics that delight him, not least because Kong has been a gorilla few have ever tried to delight. From their relationship flows the emotional center of the film, which spectacular special effects surround and enhance, but could not replace.

The Name’s Kong “King Kong” Review

I finally got to see King Kong this weekend. I had a lot of work during the week so I missed the premiere L. I went with a friend who kept saying during the movie “wasn’t the ape supposed to be bigger?” …. Back to the subject of the post, here’s my review on King Kong.

King Kong is a long movie, so please don’t go too late as I did. Even so, the movie was so well done that it kept me with attention the whole time. It first starts wit the people’s story, the whole sets and environments depicting the New York of that time are just beautiful and gives us the feeling of the recession the country was going through. Naomi Watts gives us a top performance as a poor actress trying to just make it through the day and dreaming of getting a big part in a Hollywood Movie. We get to know the rest of the cast: Jack Black, as a director, and Adrien Brody as Jack Driscoll, a writer.

Then we get to the action on Skull Island. The special effects are just brilliant, the action scenes involving CG characters are some of the better I’ve ever seen. You totally forget they are computer animated characters and feel the emotion in your stomach as you see this giant creatures come to life. But the best of course is King Kong. Most of the props goes to Andy Serkis, who actually plays 2 roles on the film. Serkis acted live with Naomi Watts, that’s what helped her get the emotions running for her role. King Kong eveals itself as a character with emotions but still keeping this wild animal side. As you all know he “falls in love” with Ann Darrow. But I would not call it love, it is more like a strange friendship born in strange circumstances. We discover King Kong is lonely in an aggressive environment. The perfect animation of his facial features can help us know what King Kong is feeling. He also looks more like a giant gorilla, than in the original version, which of course add a lot more of life likeness.

Finally we get to the final part of the story, when King Kong is carried to the city. This is where the stronger emotions come out in the film. And makes a perfect finale, mixing love and sadness which leave us with a unique feeling.

As I said the movie is long, but you don’t notice it at all, because it doesn’t go to sloooooow parts (yeah just like the one you saw in Episode III) so you will definitely enjoy it, if you haven’t enjoyed it already. Go to see King Kong today!!! ;)

King Kong Diaries DVD is OUT!!

When director Peter Jackson released his special extended DVD version of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" in 2002 with some five hours of expertly made bonus material, it was a groundbreaking event that set a new standard in the marketing of deluxe DVDs.

Just hours before the release of his blockbuster "King Kong," however, Jackson has done himself one better. With his release Tuesday of "King Kong: Peter Jackson's Production Diaries," he's marketing the DVD bonus material BEFORE his movie comes out in theaters.

The boxed-set, which sells for $39.98, boasts two discs, together running three hours and 46 minutes, introduced by Jackson and chronicling the film's 131-day shoot in 54 segments originally made for the movie's official Internet fan site, kongisking.net.

Jackson says the discs are not "a calculated piece of publicity" but an idea that "grew without a master plan" as he realized that the more informally made Internet spots were capturing the production experience in a unique way that deserved a higher-quality DVD showcase.

The scenes have a much more relaxed, spontaneous cinema verite feel to them than the slick bonus material Jackson produced for his three "Rings" special edition DVDs, and he claims they "accurately and truly reflect the tone of the making of this film."

The "Diaries" package, which comes in a faux-antique traveling case modeled on the one used by expedition leader Carl Denham in the original "Kong," also includes a 52-page, full-color booklet with production notes, drawings and images from the film.

Also included are four specially commissioned, 8-by-10-inch production lithographs that come with a numbered "certificate of authenticity" signed by Jackson. The advertising stresses that the set is a "limited edition," with value as a collectible.

Only time will tell if this concept will become a major new element of movie promotion, but superproducer Jerry Bruckheimer said in Seattle last week he thought it was "brilliant ... what a smart idea. You put out the bonus material first and it promotes the movie."

As he points out, however, it's hardly a new idea. In the pre-wide-release era, movie studios routinely showcased their big releases with special souvenir booklets and "making-of" theatrical featurettes. Jackson is merely updating the "road show" concept to the DVD era.

Of course, with DVD sales more important than a film's theatrical gross, the argument might be made that the early release of so many production secrets may not be such a great idea, because it could lessen the appeal of the eventual special edition DVD package of "King Kong."

And there's a definite downside to viewing what is essentially a four-hour advertisement for a movie one day before seeing it. It's not exactly a complete spoiler, but it certainly cuts down on the surprises and makes the movie itself a wee bit of an anti-climax.

King Kong is coming!!!

Listen up! New Zealand folks!

A crowd has begun to form along Wellington's Courtney Place in anticipation of the New Zealand premiere of King Kong, Peter Jackson's latest film.

By 11am an estimated 200 fans lined the red carpet outside the Embassy Theatre on a scorching summer's day in the capital.

Buskers, stilt walkers and comedians will start the entertainment on the red carpet at 3.30pm. Kiwi celebrities including Dave Dobbyn, Karl Urban and Marc Ellis will arrive at 5.30pm, when Wellington rock band Odessa will play music to pep up the crowd. Jackson and the stars, except for Jack Black who has commitments in the United States, will start arriving at 6pm.

After speeches, guests will watch the three hour-long King Kong in the Embassy from 7pm, followed by a premiere party at Massey University's Grand Hall.

TODAY'S EVENTS

3pm: Allen St and Blair St closed to most vehicles.

3.30pm: Entertainment begins on red carpet, which will run from Allen St to Embassy Theatre. Includes buskers, stilt walkers and comedians 5pm: Guests begin arriving.

5.30pm: NZ celebrities arrive, including Dave Dobbyn, Karl Urban, Daniel Carter, Trelise Cooper, Marc Ellis, Norm Hewitt and Shihad frontman Jon Toogood.

6pm: King Kong stars arrive - Peter Jackson, Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Colin Hanks, Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Thomas Kretschmann and Philippa Boyens.

6.45pm: Speeches.

7pm: Invitation-only King Kong screening. Roads will begin opening.

10.30pm: Invitation-only party at the Great Hall, Massey University.

King Kong in the Top ten most expensive films

That's right people. King Kong ranks as the 6th most expensive film in the history of Hollywood.

The total movie costed $207 million dollars, almost 20 times than the original King Kong movie, back in 1933.

The most expensive ever was Cleopatra, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, directed by Joseph Mankiewicz in 1963, for $286,4-million (in 2005 money). Second was Titanic-$247 million, third was Waterworld-$229 million, fourth Terminator 3-$216 million, and fifth Spiderman 2- $210 million.

Below King Kong are Wild Wild West-$203,8 million and Speed 2-$198 million dollars.

A Little Bit of the Original King Kong History

During the years following the Stock Market Crack in 1929, two documentary makers accustomed to the wild and exotic places joined forces to film the Edgar Wallace's story about a giant gorilla living in a lost island in Indonesia.

They choose Fay Wray as the film's leading actress, by that time, Wray was just starting to get noticed as an "scream queen" actress in the 30's Hollywood. This lovely redhead gave life to Ann Darrow, the love victim of the misterious king Kong, a giant gorilla.

This first King Kong, animated frame by frame, with a precise architecture work, was the most spectacular work of specialist William O'Brien, father of this animation system. They needed not only to animate King Kong, but also the animals that lived in the island: triceratops, T-Rex, giant snakes and ancient birds in a dense jungle mixed with live actors. And it worked.

King Kong was a huge success after its premiere, Fay Wray stayed as the mythic image of the innocence in the wild. And the Empire States building could never be looked again the same way.

Jackson talks about King Kong

Peter Jackson talks about King Kong, his devotion to the project, movie lenght, and how it was his dream project since he was a kid.

I cried when I saw the original King Kong," says Peter Jackson. "I wanted to become a film-maker the moment I saw it.

"Actually, I wanted to become a monster-maker first," Jackson corrects himself, "because I didn't really know what directing was. But I wanted to create that sort of imaginative experience because, for me, that film does what entertainment should. It captivates you. It sweeps you away to another place but it also affects you emotionally. It's the reason I'm in the film business."

"The sense of responsibility has been great because I'm remaking my favourite movie," he says. "I just wanted to try to step in the footsteps of the original. I wanted to do something that was as entertaining today as the original was back in 1933."

Then Peter Jackson talks about the so famous King Kong movie lenght.

"The length of a film is not really a science," he explains. "You budget for a certain length and you make plans for that, but ... I don't know what to say. We shot the script and kept trimming back. I mean, we shot a lot more than what ended up in the movie."

Jackson screened a finished version which ran to 187 minutes. "We said, listen, we don't know whether this length is an issue for you but we want to have your feedback," he recalls. "They liked it and didn't have a concern about the length at all."

King Kong was a good diet!!

Peter Jackson has lost some pounds!! all that big gorilla action must have something to do with the "Extreme makeover" :P.

Anyway, as "this is London" says ----This must be Thin Kong!

He was almost unrecognisable when he attended the King Kong Premiere in New York.

'At first no one was taking any notice of him. I think a lot of people thought he was a bit part actor,' said an onlooker.

'It was some time before most of the crowd realised they were looking at Peter Jackson.

'He must have lost at least seven or eight stone and he was wearing contact lenses.

'He actually looked quite handsome, whereas previously he had been challenging Michael Moore for least attractive man in Hollywood.'

King Kong Flash Game

There are few days left for the premiere of King Kong. As you may know it opens in theaters December 14th, so now updates are appearing more frequently.

This post however is not about the movie, but a King Kong game that has been going around the web. What game you say???? KONG KICK ASS!! :D

Do you hate Bush, Paris Hilton, Governator?? don't worry! King Kong is here to make your stress levels come down a little. Have another person you'd like to see smashed by Kong? Then just upload your pic, it's that easy. Enjoy!