The Movie Guru

One of the most pleasant surprises of 2005 was that one of my all-time favorite movies was turned into a remake that was nearly as entertaining as the original. The film I am talking about of course is the blockbuster “King Kong.” I know the film was released over a month ago at this point, but since there is not much in the theater during the month of January, I will discuss Peter Jackson’s simian extravaganza, as well as the recent DVD box set of the original 1933 release.

Being the dedicated film geek that I am, I went to see an afternoon showing of “Kong” on opening day last month, and unlike “Episode 1” of the “Star Wars” saga, I was not disappointed. In spite of the film’s 3-hour running time, I was captivated from the first frame until the grand recreation of one of the most iconic moments in American cinema, the climax aboard the Empire State Building. I sat in a half-filled theatre with a sense of childlike wonder and amazement, wondering why in the hell more films could be as entertaining.  Read More...