King Kong (4K Ultra-HD) (+ Blu-ray) [2005]

Product Information

Updating a classic can either be difficult to top or impossible to manage. Somewhere in between, King Kong did something that was impossible at first but is a success. It updates the story in the best possible way without giving in to boneheaded dialogue and missed moments. It also doesn’t become a product of the modern time but it also paves the way again visually for he and his special effects crew. Nothing looked obvious and it’s another fine job indeed by the WETA bunch. Further information: King Kong §Conception and creation Charles R. Knight's Tyrannosaurus in the American Museum of Natural History, on which the large theropod of the film was based [10] King Kong's UHD release offers a substantial upgrade over the previously released VC-1 encoded Blu-ray, even as the UHD is not perfect and

The first Blu-ray offers the option to watch either the theatrical or extended version of the film in 1080p HD. Special features include the same audio commentary, a Picture-in-Picture mode (which features condensed versions of many of the interviews and behind-the-scenes footage found on the second Blu-ray), The Art Galleries (which also play along with the main feature), and a set of standard Universal BD options: My Scenes, U-Control, BD-Live, and a User Guide.Recreating the Eighth Wonder: The Making of King Kong– An eight part feature that essentially encompasses the entire film in one fail swoop. Helvering, David Allen; The University of Iowa (2007). Functions of dialogue underscoring in American feature film. pp.21–22. ISBN 978-0-549-23504-0. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014 . Retrieved March 28, 2011. Okay, so first, the color grade: the yellow and teal aren’t nearly as prevalent as it was in StudioCanal’s 4K releases of Cat’s Eye and Red Sonja. Certain exterior shots of blue skies and oceans definitely lay bare how revisionist this yellow-ish grade is, though other shots have strong whites and colors in close-ups. Although a bit problematic, what’s here isn’t enough to soften the many positives found throughout the presentation. Bitrate is also a bit anemic in certain scenes, which I can only imagine is because the three-hour Extended TV Cut is taking up a lot of space on the 4K disc. That being said, I didn’t find there to be any crushing or other issues because of the bitrate. Universal has partnered the 4K HDR regrade of King Kong with a good if not quite outstanding new DTS:X sound mix (you only get DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 on the HD Blu-ray). This retelling of the King Kong story was originally released in 1976, produced by Dino De Laurentiis (Conan the Barbarian, Dune) and directed by John Guillermin (The Towering Inferno, Death on the Nile).

degree, with a sense of flatness and smoothness that often gives way to a much sharper presentation. The increase in sharpness and clarity over the Creation Test Footage (HD, 5 min) — Another legendary film in the vain of 'The Lost World (1925).' Only, it is remembered today for being a project canceled by Cooper due to budgetary reasons and features amazing stop-motion animation by O'Brien. It's too bad the production was never completed because this short segment shows some remarkable camerawork and direction. The test footage also comes with audio commentary by Ray Harryhausen. Glut, Donald F. (2001). Jurassic Classics: A Collection of Saurian Essays and Mesozoic Musings. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 192. ISBN 9780786462469. Over the years, various actors have claimed to have played Kong in this [Empire State Building] scene, including a virtually unknown performer named Carmen Nigro (AKA Ken Roady), and also noted gorilla impersonator Charles Gemora... In Nigro's case, the claim seems to have been simply fraudulent, in Gemora's, the inaccurate claim was apparently based on the actor's memory of playing a giant ape in a never-completed King Kong spoof entitled The Lost Island. For those who are wary of the film receiving the dreaded teal and yellow treatment, I’ve got good news and bad news. Bad news is that the source of such illusory color grading came from Paramount rather than L’Immagine Ritrovata. Good news is that this 2160p presentation is a terrific upgrade in geometry and finer details than previous Blu-ray releases.

While King Kong’s 4K HDR picture quality is for the most part insanely good, going far beyond anything I’d expected, there are one or two little niggles. For instance, while the film’s ‘finish’ is mostly remarkably consistent for a 4K title that’s been derived from a 12 year old film, there are one or two scenes, especially in the first half, that suddenly exhibit a bit more grain than the rest. Goldner, Orville and George E. Turner (1975). The Making of King Kong: The Story Behind a Film Classic. A.S. Barnes. ISBN 0498015106. Over the years, some media reports have alleged that in certain scenes Kong was played by an actor wearing a gorilla suit. [20] [21] However, film historians have generally agreed that all scenes involving Kong were achieved with animated models, [22] [23] except for the "closeups" of Kong's face and upper body which are dispersed throughout the film. These shots were accomplished by filming a "full size" mechanical model of Kong's head and shoulders. Operators could manipulate the eyes and mouth to simulate a living monster. These shots can be identified immediately in two ways: the action is very smooth (not stop-motion jittery) and the footage is extremely sharp and clear because of the size of the subject being photographed. Eagan, Daniel (2010). America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry. The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc, New York, NY p.22. ISBN 9780826429773.