Tag: KONG: SKULL ISLAND

This Week’s WAMG Podcast – BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, KONG SKULL ISLAND, and More!

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This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Jim Batts and Tom Stockman talk movies. Our guest in the studio today is Jim Tudor, founder of ZekeFilm and reviewer for ScreenAnarchy. We’ll discuss the weekend box office and review BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, KONG SKULL ISLAND, LAND OF MINS, SENSE OF AN ENDING, and THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE. We’ll also discuss all of the movies showing locally including 1984, STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and DEAD AND BURIED. We’ll also talk about retro movies coming out on Blu-ray.

Here’s the show. Have a listen:

KONG SKULL ISLAND – Review

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With a new story faithful to the spirit of the 1933 original, KONG SKULL ISLAND is a roaring, chest-pounding triumph. After a WWII-set prologue on an uncharted island in the Pacific, KONG SKULL ISLAND jumps ahead to 1973. Scientist Bill Randa (John Goodman) of the same Project Monarch (one of several reference to the recent Warner Bros GODZILLA reboot) persuades a senator (Richard Jenkins) to let him convene a military team to help survey a mystical, skull-shaped island. This crew includes freelance mercenary James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), hotheaded Army colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) and photojournalist Mason Weaver (Brie Larson) who brags about having helped turn public opinion against the waning Vietnam War. The rest of the ethnically diverse lineup includes Toby Kimmel as a doomed grunt (we know he’s toast because he writes a letter home to his son), John Ortiz as a scared Monarch exec, and Tian Jing as……I’m not sure. Minutes after breaking through the rain cloud that surrounds Skull Island (which supposedly explains of why it’s remained unchartered) and carpet-bombing the jungle inside, they meet Skull Island’s colossal monarch, Kong, and he’s not up for company. After Kong swats several of the copters out of the sky and kills half of the soldiers, the survivors must find a way back to safety battling fantastic monster while the single-minded Packard seeks revenge on the King.

John C. Reilly costars in KONG SKULL ISLAND as Hank Marlow, the veteran flying ace who had crashed onto the island decades earlier. He’s there to inform everyone that Kong is the good guy, protector of the island’s natives. I was worried when John C. Reilly showed up mugging in the trailer but Marlow is a well-written, scene-stealing character, and the jokes work. Slaying beasts with his Samurai sword, Tom Hiddleston makes for a nimble action hero while Sam Jackson, though he’s played variations of this character before has the film’s best moment; a thrilling stare-downs between Kong, whose eyes completely fill the screen, and Jackson’s Ahab-esque Packard, glaring right back. The carnage in KONG SKULL ISLAND pushes the PG13 boundaries. A central character is torn limb from limb by some pterodactyl-type critters (while silhouetted against the sun – nice touch!), bloody skulls are puked up by the nasty Skull Crawlers and a soldier is impaled through the mouth by a giant spider leg in a shot that recalls a similar one in CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST.

Other highlights include the last act showdown with King Skull Crawler, whose tail swats a potential hero sideways into a cliff just as he is about to pull the pin on a belt full of hand grenades and save the day. There are references to other movies in KONG SKULL ISLAND. That prologue plays like HELL IN THE PACIFIC. The initial helicopter attack on the island, complete with an onboard tape deck blasting music and acres of burning napalm, evokes APOCALYPSE NOW on more than one level. The military interplay borrows heavily from ALIENS, and there are other plot points from JURASSIC PARK and JAWS thrown in for effect, but KONG SKULL ISLAND doesn’t want to be those films. Rather, its homages are intended to make sure you know and respect its influences. Nor does it want to be the original 1933 KING KONG. Though Brie Larson has a brief ‘Girl in the Hairy Paw’ moment, there is no girl/ape romance here, nor does Kong fight conventional dinosaurs this time, but a variety of well-designed otherworldly beasties (but where are those giant ants Marlow mentions?)

KONG SKULL ISLAND is not without its flaws. Some of the dialog is clunky. Sam Jackson says a variation of “This is one war we’re not gonna lose!” several times. I wish the filmmakers had thought outside the box with their choice of period songs which are the usual, clichéd suspects (though Credence Clearwater fans will be pleased) and Tian Jing as ‘Token Asian Gal’ is as peripheral here as she was central to THE GREAT WALL. But I’m not going to let a few imperfections here and there at all discount my love of KONG SKULL ISLAND. Sometimes you just have to throw your hands up in the air, scream at the top of your lungs and ride the rollercoaster, which is exactly what KONG SKULL ISLAND is. Highly recommended!

5 of 5 Stars

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This Week’s WAMG Podcast – TABLE 19, DON’T KILL IT!, and More!

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This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Cate Marquis, Jim Batts and Tom Stockman talk movies. We’ll discuss the weekend box office and review TABLE 19 and DON’T KILL IT! We’ll also discuss all of classic movies showing locally including MY LITTLE CHICKADEE, WHITE HEAT, and RAGING BULL all at the Tivoli. We’ll also talk about how excited we are about seeing KONG SKULL ISLAND this week and discuss our favorite giant ape movies.

Here’s the show:

 

 

 

 

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of KONG: SKULL ISLAND In St. Louis

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On March 10, witness the rise of the King.

On March 10, 2017, the producers of Godzilla transport audiences to the birthplace of one of the most powerful monster myths of all in KONG: SKULL ISLAND, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures.

When a scientific expedition to an uncharted island awakens titanic forces of nature, a mission of discovery becomes an explosive war between monster and man. Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly star in a thrilling and original new adventure that reveals the untold story of how Kong became King.

WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of KONG: SKULL ISLAND on March 6th at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

Answer the following:

King Kong was originally conjured by revolutionary special effects master Willis H. O’Brien and sculptor Marcel Delgado to be the enigmatic central figure and unquestionable heart of the groundbreaking 1933 classic “King Kong”—a dazzling mash-up of Beauty and the Beast, high adventure and giant monsters that would shock and awe millions of moviegoers across the world. It played to sold-out crowds at the height of the Great Depression and broke records through decades of re-releases and television airings.

Name the TWO directors of the original 1933 film!

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWERS AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

This film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for brief strong language.

Visit the official site: http://kongskullislandmovie.com/

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See The New Trailer For KONG: SKULL ISLAND

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Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have released a pretty great new trailer for KONG: SKULL ISLAND.

The movie reimagines the origin of the mythic Kong in a compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“The Kings of Summer”).

In the film, a diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific – as beautiful as it is treacherous – unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND stars Tom Hiddleston (“The Avengers,” “Thor: The Dark World”), Samuel L. Jackson (“The Hateful Eight,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Oscar winner Brie Larson (“Room,” “Trainwreck”), John Goodman (“Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Argo”) and John C. Reilly (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Step Brothers”). The international ensemble cast also includes Tian Jing (“Police Story: Lockdown”), Corey Hawkins (“Straight Outta Compton”), Jason Mitchell (“Straight Outta Compton”), John Ortiz (“Steve Jobs”), Thomas Mann (“Beautiful Creatures”), Shea Whigham (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Toby Kebbell (“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) and Eugene Cordero (“The Kings of Summer”).

Vogt-Roberts is directing the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Derek Connolly. “Kong: Skull Island” is produced by Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni with Mary Parent. The executive producers are Eric McLeod and Alex Garcia.

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The creative behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Larry Fong (“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”), production designer Stefan Dechant (supervising art director “True Grit,” “Avatar”), editor Christian Wagner (the “Fast & Furious” films), and costume designer Mary Vogt (the “Men in Black” films). The team also includes Oscar-winning makeup supervisor Bill Corso (“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) and supervising stunt coordinator George Cottle (“Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight Rises”). The legendary Kong is being brought to life at a whole new scale by Industrial Light & Magic, with two-time Oscar winner Stephen Rosenbaum (“Avatar,” “Forrest Gump”) serving as visual effects supervisor.

To fully immerse audiences in the mysterious Skull Island, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and his cast and filmmaking team are filming across three continents over six months, capturing its primordial landscapes on Oahu, Hawaii – where filming commenced on October 2015 – on
Australia’s Gold Coast, and finally in Vietnam, where filming will take place across multiple locations, some of which have never before been seen on film.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND will be released worldwide in 2D, 3D in select theatres, and IMAX beginning March 10, 2017, from Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Watch The Brand New KONG: SKULL ISLAND Comic-Con Trailer

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Discover how Kong became King in this exciting first trailer for KONG: SKULL ISLAND.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ KONG: SKULL ISLAND reimagines the origin of the mythic Kong in a compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. In the film, a diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific—as beautiful as it is treacherous—unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Oscar winner Brie Larson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly.

The international ensemble cast also includes Tian Jing, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, John Ortiz, Thomas Mann, Shea Whigham, Toby Kebbell and Eugene Cordero. Vogt-Roberts directs the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Derek Connolly. “Kong: Skull Island” is produced by Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni with Mary Parent. The executive producers are Eric McLeod and Alex Garcia.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND will be released worldwide in 2D, 3D in select theatres, and IMAX March 10, 2017, from Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/kongskullisland

Like on Facebook: facebook.com/KongSkullIsland

GODZILLA VS. KONG Coming To Theaters in 2020; KONG: SKULL ISLAND Confirmed For 2017, GODZILLA 2 For 2018

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Following Legendary’s and Warner Bros. Pictures’ 2014 success with the global reinvention of the Godzilla franchise, the companies have come together to create an epic, new shared cinematic franchise.

All-powerful monsters become towering heroes for a new generation, revealing a mythology that brings together Godzilla and Legendary’s King Kong in an ecosystem of other giant super-species, both classic and new.

Monarch, the human organization that uncovered Godzilla in the 2014 film, will expand their mission across multiple releases.

The announcement that the reinvention of monsters continues was made today by Legendary CEO, Thomas Tull, and Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. The initial trio of films are 2017’s KONG: SKULL ISLAND; GODZILLA 2 in 2018; and then GODZILLA VS. KONG, arriving in theaters in 2020.

While Legendary maintains its new home at Universal Pictures, the GODZILLA films remain in partnership with Warner Bros., who will now also distribute KONG as a part of this franchise.

Production on KONG: SKULL ISLAND begins October 19.

Warner Bros. and Legendary released Godzilla in May 2014 with an agreement to release Godzilla 2 on June 8, 2018.

Both films feature the human Monarch organization. Shortly following Legendary’s pact with NBC Universal, Legendary acquired rights to additional classic characters from Toho’s Godzilla universe, including Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. This paved the way for developing a franchise centered around Monarch and anchored by Godzilla, King Kong, and other famous creatures.

When Legendary announced films centered on Godzilla and Kong, fans all over the world speculated these two characters might one day meet in the same film. Classic Toho monsters including King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan, as announced at Comic-Con 2014, may also join the Legendary pantheon of giant monster mayhem going forward.

“Audiences really responded to Godzilla,” stated Tull. “Today, I’m excited to reveal that film was only the beginning of an epic new entertainment universe. As a lifelong fan of these characters, I’ve always wanted to see the ultimate showdown, and today we’re pleased to be announcing that and more.”

“Working with our partners at Legendary, we enjoyed tremendous creative and commercial success with `Godzilla,’” said Tsujihara. “It’s great to be able to revisit these characters and help create a franchise with so many creative possibilities for filmmakers. Fans love these big, globally iconic films and it doesn’t get any bigger than this.”

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KONG: SKULL ISLAND stars Tom Hiddleston, Sam Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Tian Jing, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham, and Toby Kebbell.

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and written by Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy, and Derek Connolly, KONG: SKULL ISLAND will fully immerse audiences in the mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce with Mary Parent. Alex Garcia and Eric McLeod will executive produce.

Warner Bros. will distribute the film in 3D and IMAX 3D on March 10, 2017.

GODZILLA 2 will be written by Max Borenstein and directed by Gareth Edwards. Legendary is producing with Mary Parent, and Alex Garcia will executive produce. The film is set to be released by Warner Bros. on June 8, 2018.

GODZILLA VS. KONG will be released in 2020.