"The Eighth Wonder of the World"

Took my 11-year-old son, Philip, to see King Kong last night at the Loew's Theater (a refurbished movie palace from the 1920s) in Jersey City. It was a restored 35mm print, with scenes deleted in the late 1930s reinserted. Philip didn't say much about it, but he was clearly impressed, as was I. He had never seen it before; I had only seen it (many years ago) on TV (as a feature of Monster Movie Matinee--ie, with commercials). The special effects are, of course, primitive by today's digital, Jurassic Park, standards, but the story is entertaining enough to make up for it. (Story always trumps effects--are you listening, Hollyweird?) Fay Wray, the damsel in distress that the giant ape carries to the top of the Empire State Building, was very appealing--I had forgotten that. And she sure can scream!

King Kong (1933)