COLLECTOR'S ITEM!
OUT OF PRINT
He is one of the most amazing, popular, and iconic characters in the history of motion pictures. His 1933 debut was a legendary piece of pure cinema simultaneously a terrifying monster movie, epic fairy tale, tragic love story, and deeply resonant cultural myth. His name is King Kong. Ray Morton's King Kong The History of a Movie Icon is the first book to chronicle the making of all seven feature films in which the character of Kong has appeared, including the hotly anticipated Peter Jackson version. It is generously illustrated with photographs, production art, and promotional materials from the author's extensive private collection. Morton has interviewed the surviving members of each major film. A colorful overview of the tremendous amount of collectible Kong merchandise is also on view for all the fans of Kongdom to devour.
Script magazine columnist Morton, who views King Kong as "an enduring cultural icon," was captivated at age eight by the giant gorilla, and his "Kong-mania went into overdrive" with the 1976 Dino De Laurentiis version. In an effort to survey all feature films in which Kong appears, Morton interviewed surviving cast and crew members, visited archives and trekked to film locations, documenting everything from ape suits, budget woes and optical effects to "Kongs That Never Were." The lengthy opening chapter recaps the making of the 1933 film in exhaustive detail, illustrated with dramatic conceptual art and test shots; an equal amount of space is given to the 1976 remake. Shorter chapters review "The Son of Kong," "King Kong vs. Godzilla," "King Kong Escapes" and "King Kong Lives." Peter Jackson's forthcoming version gets only 14 pages, but fans dazzled by this book's 100 color and b&w illustrations (storyboards, stills, production art, collectibles) and comprehensive coverage of past Kongs won't complain.
Product details
- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books (November 1, 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1557836698
- ISBN-13: 978-1557836694
- Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1 x 11.2 inches