King Kong (1933) - OctoberFest

King Kong (1933)

The reviewer names King Kong his favorite film and gives it a 10/10. The story follows filmmaker Carl Denham and his crew to Skull Island, where Ann Darrow is offered to Kong. After Kong carries Ann into the jungle, the crew faces dinosaurs and other dangers. They eventually capture Kong and bring him to New York, where he escapes, finds Ann, and climbs the Empire State Building. Biplanes shoot him down.

The review celebrates the film’s groundbreaking effects. Willis O’Brien’s stop-motion creatures interact with the actors through techniques such as rear projection, animated models, and a life-size Kong hand. The reviewer also praises the enormous wall, atmospheric matte paintings, memorable score, and performances. He jokes that the studio built “a big ass wall” despite having other effects workarounds available.

Kong’s death feels genuinely tragic to the reviewer. Although Kong is violent, the story suggests he cannot survive in the modern world—and may be the last of his kind. The reviewer also acknowledges the film’s racist elements and notes that some characters have aged badly.

A Personal Favorite

The reviewer recalls becoming fascinated with King Kong as a child through old trailers, then rediscovering it years later. He shows a collection spanning VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, 16mm prints, and memorabilia. His goal is to collect the film in every commercially available or theatrical format by its 100th anniversary.

One 16mm screening left two children nearly traumatized because they thought Kong would survive.

Son of Kong

The video then turns to Son of Kong, a rushed sequel made in the same year as the original. With Fay Wray and Bruce Cabot unavailable, the story follows Denham, Englehorn, and Charlie back to Skull Island, where they meet Kong’s son.

The reviewer enjoys the sequel’s scrappy stop-motion and goofy Little Kong, but mocks its abrupt pacing. Just as the story seems to get going, the island sinks, Little Kong drowns, and the film ends. He compares the experience to Disney’s Dumbo: the movie seems to reach its real beginning, then suddenly stops.

The reviewer gives Son of Kong a 7.5/10, though he leaves its monster ranking undecided.

People and Characters Discussed

• People: The narrator/reviewer; filmmakers Marian C. Cooper and Willis O’Brien; actors Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, and Victor Wong.
• Characters: Carl Denham, Ann Darrow, Jack Driscoll, Englehorn, Charlie, Hilda, Hellstrom, Kong, and Little Kong.