MovieChat Forums > King Kong Lives (1986) Discussion > The DVD we'd like to see of this....

The DVD we'd like to see of this....

posted 21 years ago by BijouBob8mm
18 replies | jump to latest

It's almost a miracle that this is even making its way to DVD (no doubt only to cash in on the interest generated by the Peter Jackson remake), and chances are the only extra we're going to get is the film's theatrical trailer. However, it would be nice to do the job right if they're going to do it at all, and include the TV special made to promote this film (and the King Kong ride that had just opened up at Universal Studios theme park at the time.) If memory serves, this was called KING KONG: THE LIVING LEGEND, and was hosted by Jonathan Winters, with a special appearance by Jenilee Harrison. The special included clips from the 1976 KING KONG, a look at the making of KING KONG LIVES (with on-set footage), an interview with one of the film's producers, as well as a look at the making of Universal's King Kong ride. So far, I've only encountered two other people who remember the TV special. (I had just got my first VCR when it aired, and taped it. Unfortunately, the tape is long gone.)

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[–] CrazyJim2004 21 years ago

I actually still have some of this on tape somewhere. I don't quite remember where it is but I know I still have the special you're talking about.

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[–] BijouBob8mm 21 years ago

That makes you the 4th person I know who's even heard of the special, let alone actually seen it!!!! It doesn't even have a listing under the credits of any of the participants on IMDB. I thought it was a neat little documentary.

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[–] chewysez 21 years ago

Bijou - that's a trip.

I worked on it and don't remember any behind the scenes taping, but that was a long time ago. Would be really neat to see that stuff.

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[–] dmc102 21 years ago

I bought the DVD from the net last year for £3.99 and recently saw it on the shelves in HMV (UK) for £5.99. Easily worth the cash.

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[–] BijouBob8mm 21 years ago

Glad to hear it's out there. Yeah, Chewysez, there were clips from the 1976 KONG, the 1933 KONG, an interview with one of the KING KONG LIVES producers, a brief look at a scene from LIVES being shot (I want to say it was a quick shot of the operating room scene, but won't swear to it), a look at the Universal ride and interviews with the technicians who were building it, and footage of the finished ride in action. Very neat, but very overlooked and seemingly forgotten about these days.

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[–] dmc102 21 years ago

chewysez, You worked on it? That's cool! What was your role in production?

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[–] chewysez 21 years ago

I was a driver - pulled star trailers around the mountains of Tennessee. Pigeon Forge, mostly. Me and another guy got canned only to be replaced by two of the boss' friends, so I didn't finish the show. Worked about five weeks on it, I guess.

Got a kiss from Linda Hamilton - so it was all worth it!

This was my first show, actually - this or Crimes of the Heart - I can never remember.

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[–] BijouBob8mm 21 years ago

Well, getting kissed by Linda Hamilton will do that to a fella's memory!

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[–] chewysez 21 years ago

lol! - absolutely!

I'll try to make this short:

I was driving a van w/Linda and Brian and some producer types and we passed by some wildflowers growing on the side of the interstate. She was in the passenger seat and remarked as to how pretty they were. I didn't want to say anything then, but when we got back to base camp and all the 'wigs got out, I asked her if she wanted the blue ones or the purple ones. She got really excited and said she liked the purple ones (or was it blue?). Anyway, I stopped by there while on another run and picked a bunch. I pull back into base camp, and she's talking to Martha DeLaurentis (might have been Martha Schumacher at the time, don't remember if they were married yet) and I don't want to bother them, so I silently get her attention and motion to her that I'm going to stick the flowers in her trailer. Well she SCREAMS and runs over to me, about 50 feet, grabs me and kisses me, saying "Oh thank you! They're beautiful!!" blah blah blah..leaving the producers standing there staring at me like "Who the hell is this peon? We were having a meeting! How dare he!!"

I'm sure that didn't go over too well. Might have been part of the reason I got canned!

But like I said, it was worth it. She was an amazingly nice girl. Brian was a class act, too.

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[–] BijouBob8mm 21 years ago

It's neat to hear the stars were decent to all the staff. If, however, Brian ran up and kissed you as well, no need to share! (lol)

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[–] dmc102 21 years ago

Nice job chewysez! Wondering if you ever got to meet John Guillermin? Oh yeah, you don't know anything about Charles McCracken (the guy iMDB sez co-directed it) do yeh?

What d'ya think of the final film?

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[–] chewysez 21 years ago

bijou:

Yea, if Brian had laid one on me I'd be keeping that to myself! And it is nice when you have actors who still have their heads screwed on right. Most of them I've worked with do - maybe they're clueless politically, but they're decent people. For the most part.

And dmc:

No, I don't remember meeting John Guillerman. When I first got into the biz I was maybe a little intimidated by all these folks. I wish I had been more pushy. I'm a fan of the '76 King Kong (even though Carlo Rambaldi really stunk it up with his Kong in the cage - thank God for Rick Baker - and also John Barry - great score) and I would have liked to have talked to Guillerman about that.

And no, I don't remember McCracken - seems to me Guillerman had to leave the show? Been a long time. Have to do some research on that. McCracken maybe came in after I left.

But the biggest regret was working with Kurt Russell on Winter People and not talking to him. I'm a HUGE The Thing fan (and Escape from NY and Big Trouble..) and I wish I had gotten some autographs and shot the sh*t with him about Carpenter.

I still kick myself over that.

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[–] BijouBob8mm 21 years ago

If you haven't already, check out the Special Edition version of ESCAPE FROM NY, with deleted scenes and Carpenter/Russell commentary. Ditto on the DVD of THE THING. You can tell, listening to these two guys, that they're really buddies as the watch the film.

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[–] chewysez 21 years ago

Yea, I have them both. And The Fog, and Big Trouble in Little China, and In the Mouth of Madness, and Christine, and....well, you get my drift.

It's funny listening to Carpenter light up smoke after smoke.

I'm looking forward to the new 16x9 release of The Thing - I saw somewhere that it has more deleted scenes than the current release, but you know how rumors are.

Also word is that a special edition of Christine is coming. Hope so.

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[–] BijouBob8mm 21 years ago

Wow, you mean they actually may have left something off THE THING DVD? I thought it was packed with goodies as it was. I've also got THE FOG, and the recent 25th anniversary double DVD of HALLOWEEN. Next on my to-get list is ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13. I like the fact Carpenter participates in putting these together.

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[–] 21 years ago

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[–] desdinovah 20 years ago

I also worked on this masterpiece *grin* and I have a copy of the entire Living Legend special on tape.

This film was WAY too much fun to work on (though it's also the only "big" budget film I've worked on, so I guess I don't have craploads to compare it to *grins again*). I built miniature trees for Kong to stomp on. I got hired on a Saturday, was on a plane Sunday and went to work Monday. See kids? Dreams CAN come true overnight! Things were looking good for at the time; I was set to be a PA on "From the Hip" which was about to go into production when I got hit with toxic poisoning (due to inadequate ventilation in the model shop) and I had to quit and move back up to Washington, DC. A LOT of us in the Tree House were affected and it hit us all at the same time; in one day at least three people were taken to the Emergency room (or so I was told. I keeled over first and a friend took me back to my apartment; at the time we thought it was just exhaustion because we were working long hours (the film was behind schedule). The others dropped soon after I left and they soon clued in that something was going on.

Still, everything UP to that moment was amwesome! the studio was very open; we'd wander in and play around on the sets for Bedroom Window (shooting at the time) and eat lunch on the abandoned New York City sets from Year of the Dragon (it was like eating lunch after the fall of civilization--VERY Omega Man!). One day we were prowling around the city when we came upon Joey Tai's coffin inside the funeral parlor (from YOTD). I opened it--and found a body inside. It was just one of those dancing Blue Headed men from the parade scene but it was QUITE unexpected and startled the balls off of us. Another day we were poking around in the trash and a friend came upon Rick Baker's original molds for the Kong mask used in the '76 remake that had been thrown out by accident. Big moral crisis here...keep or turn in? Finally, it was decided to turn them in...though to this day I wonder what they'd fetch on eBay *grin*.

Didn't mean to turn this into an epic...and the sad part is I've just scratched the surface!

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[–] CHIZNAT7 20 years ago

Bijou!!!!

You'll never believe this, but I distinctly remember watching that TV special. I was only 5 years old and they showed it on FOX here in California. Soon after that, my family took me to the Universal Studios ride, and the whole Kong experience scared the living sh*t outta me. I was only 5.

But I do remember the Jonathan Winters special in early 1986. It was the first, and ONLY time, I've ever seen it. For almost 20 years I haven't heard anything in regards to that. To a point where I started thinking, "was I only dreaming that I saw that TV special?" And lo and behold, I found info on it here on IMDB.

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