Seinfeld

Among Superman fans, it is well known that the comedian Jerry Seinfeld was a fan of the Son of Krypton.  On the set of his hit comedy series, Seinfeld, there was reportedly a small maquette of Superman on the back bookshelf, and a picture on the fridge.  (I haven't seen these myself.)  Well, fans of King Kong 1976 may have noticed there was also a framed photograph of our favourite "monkey over four feet".  That's right, it hung on the wall just to the side of the window as seen in this screen capture taken from the series.  If you doubt me, check out the Sony website where there is a complete panorama of the Seinfeld apartment set.  The Kong '76 picture is clearly visible.  I'd love to know who it was made the decision to put up that picture.  Is Seinfeld a fan of Kong '76 as well as Superman?  It would be nice to think, wouldn't it?  [Once again, I am in debted to Kirk Jarvinen for putting me onto this sighting.  Yah, Kirk!]


Komodo (1999)

This little seen movie, starring Crossing Jordan's Jill Hennessey, featured as its star attraction really big Komodo dragons chasing the cast around a deserted island research station.  Done shortly after Jurassic Park, it made similarly impressive use of computer generated images to create remarkably realistic looking beasties, one of which is hideously dispatched using a flaregun (well, so now you know).  The movie itself, alas, was about as exciting as watching paint peel -- and a particularly obnoxious colour of paint, at that.  But of interest to Kong '76 fans was the roar produced by the eponymous dragons.  Listen closely, it's unmistakable.  Clearly either someone had figured out the recipe used for the roar in King Kong 1976, or they lifted the sound effect in its entirety.  Whatever the case, just once again hearing those lovely peals of simian ire almost made the experience of watching bearable.  Almost.
Guilty Pleasures of the Horror Film (1996)

A collection of essays each extolling the (frequently questionable) virtues of a different horror film, Guilty Pleasures runs the gamut from expensive bombs, like David Lynch's Dune, to shoestring budget legends of the B-movie circuit, like William Castle's The Tingler. It includes a really extensive 25-page chapter devoted to King Kong 1976 by an avid fan, complete with several large, black and white pictures.  The essay covers a lot of ground, including an analysis of John Barry's musical score, nor is the author afraid to speak frankly with regards to weaknesses in King Kong 1933.  This is a must-have for Kong '76 fans, my only quibble being the whole idea of classifying Kong '76 as a "guilty" pleasure.  There's nothing guilty about it!



Femme Fatales Magazine (2003)

In the March/April 2003 issue of Femme Fatales, a  film magazine dedicated to women in horror movies, the magazine's editors chose  "32 Women We Want to Clone Now!"  #4 on this list was none other than our very own Jessica Lange.  From the accompanying commentary, it was evident she was chosen mainly because of her turn in the big guy's palm.

[In case you're interested: #1 was Sharon Stone, #2 was Barbara Steele and #3 was Pam Grier.]








People Magazine (2005)

In the May 9, 2005 issue of People Magazine, the editors published a "People's Readers Poll" entitled Hollywood Remakes.  One question asked: "Which of King Kong's Damsels in Distress Makes You Go Ape?" and offered a choice of Jessica Lange (KK '76), Naomi Watts (KK '05), or Fay Wray (KK '33).  No big surprise.  The winner was Jessica Lange with a hefty 55 per cent of the vote.  You go, girl!