As usual, this holiday season is replete with movies, from modestly budgeted independent movies released to capitalize on award consideration to mammoth spectacles designed to pack every multiplex in the country to the gills. Peter Jackson's remake of 'King Kong' is by far the riskiest cinematic endeavor this year'maybe even the most dicey studio-funded behemoth since 'Titanic.' If Jackson's gamble pays off, it could be the biggest movie since then, as well.
The 1933 'King Kong,' directed by Merian C. Cooper and starring Fay Wray as Kong's human object of affection, the screaming ing??nue Ann Darrow, Robert Armstrong as the desperate director Carl Denham, and Bruce Cabot as the sexist yet heroic Jack Driscoll, is a beloved classic. Considering the last big-budget attempt to recreate Kong for the big screen was 1976's cheeseball fiasco with a debuting Jessica Lange and Rick Baker in a monkey suit, Jackson has awfully big shoes to fill.
But that's not to say he hasn't faced extremely daunting challenges before. Before he became a household name, Jackson cut his teeth on the grotesque, such as the madcap splatter classics 'Bad Taste,' 'Dead Alive,' and especially 'Meet the Feebles.'
Whereas 'Taste' and 'Alive' are two of the most gory and disgusting movies ever made, 'Feebles' is foul enough to make John Waters blush. Jackson's ruthless satire is endlessly filthy and unsavory, but damn entertaining. Since recommending it to dozens of people'all of whom, after watching, asked me, 'What the hell is wrong with you''?I now recommend it hesitantly but enthusiastically. You've been warned.
All of these films featured state-of-the-art visual effects despite their relatively small budgets, but his 1994 effort, the eerily beautiful 'Heavenly Creatures,' was most striking. Based on a true 1954 incident in New Zealand, 'Heavenly Creatures' told the disturbing story of two girls whose friendship grew too deep for society to handle and eventually led to murder. Jackson garnered numerous critical accolades for his deft use of contrasting between the girls' drab, harsh everyday life and their elaborately concocted fantasy world. Certainly one of the oddest films of the '90s, 'Heavenly Creatures' was Jackson's first film to gain widespread acclaim, and it also served as his gateway to Hollywood. Jackson was later tapped by New Line Cinemas to helm 'Lord of the Rings.'
People were initially surprised that Jackson was chosen, and considering his offbeat track record, that was understandable. But this was back when Hollywood had just started taking risks with its directorial choices for high-profile blockbusters; in other words, they were hiring filmmakers who become famous for independent or smaller films instead of reliable hacks. But Jackson rose to the opportunity and gave us the most universally appealing, enduring trilogy of this generation.
Now he's prepared to follow it up by remaking his favorite movie. Jackson repeatedly attested that it's his dream project'a chance to show that an update of a cherished classic can expand upon and perhaps even improve on it while maintaining the original's spirit and integrity.
A three-hour, $200 million-plus homage to one of the most treasured films of all time is an incredibly ballsy movie to make in the wake of 'Lord of the Rings;' especially after you consider that this is the movie that will determine whether Jackson becomes a George Lucas (will his creativity be eroded by dollar signs and narcissism?) or a Steven Spielberg (will he continue to pursue exciting, varied projects despite insane commercial success?).
I predict that 'King Kong' is going to bypass any of the 'Lord of the Rings' films and will not only be a monstrous financial success, but will represent a significant personal victory for Jackson. He's an extraordinarily gifted filmmaker who paints big stories on a large canvas, but with a definite and laudable independent spirit. 'King Kong' will do nothing but solidify his lofty reputation. Pay attention to his career now, because what a director does after his most popular films defines their lasting status. And I don't think we're going to stop hearing from Peter Jackson for a long time to come.
