October 6, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 17 Eighth Wonder of the World comes to Blu-ray by Dennis Seuling Transport yourself back in time to 1933. “Talkies,” or sound films, had been around for only six years. Hollywood’s special effects were far from today’s razzle-dazzle computer generated images, there was no TV to compete with movies, and it was the depth of the Great Depression. Depression-era moviegoers escaped from the harsh realities of real life at the movie theater. It was in this atmosphere that a film destined to become an enduring classic would burst upon the scene. “King Kong” (Warner Homer Video), recently released on Blu-ray, is easily the best version of this great picture. “King Kong” was previously released on VHS and DVD, including a pointless colorized version. This re-mastered edition sparkles with pristine black and white images. Having watched badly scratched, choppy prints of “King Kong” on “Million Dollar Movie” back in the 1950s, I was stunned at how beautiful the Blu-ray version looks. The film stars Robert Armstrong as movie producer Carl Denham, who travels to a mysterious uncharted island in search of material for his next film. Accompanying him on the long voyage are out-of-work actress Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and adventurer Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot). Once the crew reaches Skull Island, they discover this land is home to prehistoric beasts, including Kong, a giant ape who becomes obsessed with Ann. The brainchild of Merian C. Cooper, “King Kong” pioneered the technique of stop motion photography. Kong and assorted dinosaurs were created through this process, in which 18-inch models were placed in miniature settings A giant ape is discovered on a remote island in the classic ‘King Kong’ (1933), now available on Blu-ray with lots of extras. and photographed a single frame at a time. When the film was run at normal speed, the models looked as if they were moving by themselves. Adding sound effects and superimposing the stop-motion images with human actors completed the illusion. The movie is filled with spectacular scenes: Kong’s attack on the native village, including shots of him stomping and chomping on natives; his battle with a Tyrannosaurus; the gentle way he examines an unconscious Ann in his giant paw; and, of course, his last stand swatting at fighter planes atop the Empire State Building -- the greatest death scene in movie history. Special features abound. There is commentary by Ray Harryhausen (who became the reigning king of stop motion in the 1950s and 1960s with such films as “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad,” “The Three Worlds of Gulliver,” and “Jason and the Argonauts”) with King Kong creator Cooper and Wray; the 2005 documentary “I’m King Kong! The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper;” the superb documentary “RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World;” and test footage of “Creation,” a planned but never filmed stop-motion movie with commentary by Harryhausen. “The Karate Kid” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) is a remake of the 1984 Ralph Macchio/Pat Morita film. This time, the protagonist is 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith), who moves from Detroit to China with his mother (Taraji P. Henson) when her career necessitates the family’s relocation. Dre is attracted to his classmate, Mei Ying and, though the feeling is mutual, cultural differences make such a relationship impossible. To make matters worse, Dre makes an enemy of class bully Cheng. When it comes to kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor easily. With no friends in a foreign land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung (continued on Crossword page) �� ����������������� ��������� Authentic Cuisine from Spain ��������������������������������������������� OPEN 7 DAYS • LUNCH • DINNER • COCKTAILS Sunday & Monday NFL Ticket on Direct TV ����������� ����������������� Football Menu & Bar Specials Regular Menu also available ������������ Available Sunday thru Thursday Noon-10pm, Friday until 5:30pm � (Served with Spanish Potatoes) Choice of Appetizer Soup or Salad • Entree �� R I �� ���������� ������ No Substitutions • Both Parties Must Order From This Menu • Not Available On Holidays Introducing...La Coume Wines with guest speaker, David Sindell, owner of Chateau La Coume in France. 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