Who saw this in theatres?
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namaGemo — 14 years ago(August 19, 2011 11:40 AM)
I'm guessing this is coming from someone who didn't see it at the theater. How old are you? Despite some flaws, lack of dinosaurs, man in costume instead of stop motion, this film was a hit. There was no laughter. There was cheering for Kong as he faught the military, and there were tears at the end of this film. This was the only Kong film of the 3 named KING KONG that got this effect.
What was there to laugh about? -
aac7294 — 16 years ago(December 09, 2009 09:51 AM)
Funny you should ask
This movie holds the record for me
I saw it 7 times in the theatre.
Twice out of town and 5 times when it came to town (the theatre was nearing the end of its life so tickets were only $1.00!)
For many years it was my favorite movie of all time. What is now I'm really not sure.
Loved the 2005 remake but 1976 will always be closest to my heart. -
shrink54 — 16 years ago(December 10, 2009 09:02 PM)
I saw it at least 3 times when it came out. The first time I saw it, when Kong died, people were actually crying and someone in the audience clapped and cheered and a man yelled at them to shut up. That always stuck with me. The theater was packed the first 2 times (night shows) The last was a weekday show, and it wasnt as crowded.
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Dogwalker — 16 years ago(December 14, 2009 09:43 AM)
I saw this at the age of 8. I remember that fantasic poster of Kong standing over the two towers, holding the helicopter in hand. Yeah, in retrospect, this is primitive, however, this is worth watching and effective.
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BishopsPita — 16 years ago(December 15, 2009 08:01 AM)
I saw this right after Christmas in 1976, as this was the BIG blockbuster offering that season. It was an evening show and the theater was packed. People seemed to enjoy it, though as I recall there was a lot of unintended laughter throughout, especially at the special effects (the fake-looking snake and Kong blow-drying Dwan brought howls). This film was heavily hyped prior to its release and it was easily the most anticipated movie of 1976. The marketing relied primarily on that famous poster of Kong straddling the World Trade Center and there were trailers in the months leading up to the opening that only hinted at Kong's appearance.
It was one of the top 5 movies of 1977 (relased Dec. '76), but it was still considered a disappointment because the studio had been expecting another "Jaws", which came out 18 months earlier (there were many articles prior to release saying this and I think one was in TIME Magazine). Anyway, most people didn't think it was very good. Jessica Lange couldn't get a job for three years after that (not until "All That Jazz") and Jeff Bridges didn't appear in another film for two years (the Farrah Fawcett disaster "Somebody Killed Her Husband"). His career picked up again in the 80s and around the time he did "Starman", I read an article where he said something about having regrets over making the film. -
househead1972 — 16 years ago(January 07, 2010 01:12 AM)
Saw this film when it first came out. My father took me and I was only 4 years old. I still have a very faint memory of sitting in the theater with amazement. Either King Kong or Rocky were the first films I had ever seen in the theater. Saw it at the Loews Paradise in Bronx NY. According to my father, I sat through the entire film without being restless.
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bigar-4 — 16 years ago(January 07, 2010 06:37 AM)
I saw it at the tender age of 11 and was in tears when Kong died (that heart beat still gets me). I remember being sad all evening after and I refused to tell my worried parents why I was so sad.
I still like the movie and is my preferred version of the story. Even King Kong Lives (that starts with the dreaded heart beat scene from this movie) was not able to spoil it for me. -
irishm — 16 years ago(January 20, 2010 11:59 AM)
I saw it in the theater when I was 15 and I don't remember how many times. My dad is a special-effects buff and my younger brother was a fan of monster movies, and the three of us just kept going back every night or every couple of nights until the film left town. We even dragged my mother along one time! The marketing was pretty intense, as I recall we had either a game or a puzzle, can't remember which, and there were other tie-ins out there but nothing like they do these days with marketing toys and other items. I drag out my old VHS copy every so often and take another look at it. Years later I met someone who was working in one of the buildings near where they filmed the ending and it was interesting to hear his memories of total annoyance at making it so hard for him to get to work every day he couldn't even enjoy the fun of watching a movie being made outside his office window!
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ringa80990 — 16 years ago(February 11, 2010 04:34 PM)
This movie will always occupy a special place in my heart.
I was ten. We didn't go to the movies when I was a kid, but, I was still a fan of King Kong even before the film because I had the Aurora model kit (birthday present). I never saw the original before this, so I had nothing to compare it to.
The hype leading up to the release was huge. It was very easy to get caught up in, especially when you are ten years old. When it was finally released, it was, at the time, as big or bigger than the 2005 remake. All the popular TV shows made mention of it; Mike Douglas Show, Dinah Shore, Donnie and Marie, etc. I remember Dinah interviewed Jessica Lange, then showed clips of the film, then they brought out this unknown guy who had something to do with the making of the film, and Dinah and her other guests had to ask him questions to figure out who he was (it was Rick Baker).
Kong was the talk of society. Many of the kids in my fifth grade class saw it before me. I remember asking them all kinds of questions about it. I just had to see it! After begging my mom relentlessly, she finally agreed to take us. It was my first movie theater experience, and it blew me away!
The theater I saw it in no longer exists, but it was a much larger screen and auditorium than are common today. The screens were about Imax size but wider, so wide that it was curved to keep everything in focus. This added to the experience. We saw it twice, about two weeks apart. It was sold out both times. The SFX were the most sophisticated at the time, meaning it had the same effect on audiences as watching Jurassic Park's digital dinosaurs for the first time years later, and now Avatar's 3D experience.
Because it was pre Star Wars, merchandising was not what it could have been, or what I hoped at the time, but, what we had we treasured. It wasn't cool for boys to have stuffed animals, but all my friends who loved this film had the Mego stuffed Kong. There were no video or dvd players, so the only way to experience King Kong outside of the theater was by collecting bubble gum cards or getting the Viewmaster King Kong reels for your birthday. The newspaper ads for Kong were always bigger than any other movie with large production pictures of Jessica Lange in the Hand (what a crush I had on her) or the poster. I clipped many of them and put them in a scrap book, which I still have to this day! (Yes, I have a scrap book of original newspaper clippings from the initial release of the '76 King Kong). The board game was lame with its cardboard cutout Kong, but it was worth having because the box cover was full with that awesome movie poster.
All these years later I watch the film on DVD, and I can understand why there are those who don't like it, or can't relate to it. But, they should be reminded that, like the original '33 film, it was a product of the time it was made. When I watch the original I wonder what the experience was like for audiences then. It is full of clichs and mannerisms of the day that seem odd and funny today, and I wonder if people really talked like that then. The Great Depression was a big part of that story. Likewise, the oil crisis of the mid Seventies that drove the story of the '76 Kong was a common, real news topic that we heard about all the time. The characters with their long, hippie hair, side burns, bell-bottom pants, etc. looks odd today, but was a non-issue then, as everyone looked like that. The setting of the film was something that audiences of that time related to in an unconscious way. Thus, the story within that setting was easier to invest in emotionally. There was not a dry eye leaving the theaters. I remember we went the second time with my uncle and his girl friend. She cried all the way home.
The fact is I loved this movie. I can watch it now and it takes me back to a special time in my life. Through King Kong I discovered the magic of movies and fell in love with this art form.
I hope you enjoyed this. -
ringa80990 — 16 years ago(February 12, 2010 06:45 AM)
"The point is is that I've seen thousands of movies in my lifetime and am an avid film buff."
And we're not? Having as big a library of films as the rest of us doe not make one's opinions worth any more or less than others.
There are many who love this film enough to call it great. Is that not sufficient? -
ringa80990 — 16 years ago(February 12, 2010 07:32 AM)
Illinoisguy, I don't mean to offend, honest. It's just that your post came across as somewhat overly authoritative, albeit unintentional. We who love this film understand that there are those who do not.
Everyone seems to have a need to stand up for a film that is near and dear to them, and when we are reminded repeatedly that there are those who feel differently, well, it's like raining on someones parade.
I have my own (small) IMDb page, I have credits in producing, visual effects, model making art direction along with some of the biggest names in the industry. Does that make my opinion more valid than anyone else? Absolutely not! Everyone will like or dislike any given film. A movie is ultimately what each individual member of an audience makes of it.
Your opinion counts as much as anyone's. You and I just differ on points in this particular film (I suspect there must be some aspects of the '76 Kong that you liked, or I doubt you would bother posting here). Now, since you are a big Star Wars fan, I'm sure you and I can agree on much of why we think that film is great.
In the end, you and I are together in that we LOVE the art of cinema. To that end, I salute you! -
ringa80990 — 16 years ago(February 12, 2010 08:04 AM)
I can certainly respect that.
No film is ever what film makers wish it to be. Time and funding usually keeps movies from reaching their full potential. Too bad, but it usually is the case. Reading about the making of Kong '76, it was plagued with problems both avoidable and unavoidable. The fact that they were able to get anything in theaters by their release date is quite an accomplishment. However, the lack of time caused it to suffer here and there. Still, something of the producers original intentions made it into the film, and we who love it can overlook its shortcomings.