_ - ~~IPAGE 6 THE TECH FRIDAY. JANUARY 7. 1977 m m I I Agr~lh Kiong~ goes wrong By Stephen R. Wilk the exception of a brief wrestling match Hey, what's this Denham fellow got, with a snake; it looks like an ape trying to anyway? tie himself up in a garden hose. Moreover, Well, it better be good after all this bal- the much-touted forty foot mechanical Iyhoo. beast appears on screeen for barely a se- -two men outside 'Kong' exhibition! cond. King Kong (1933) The plot is essentially the same as the 1933 version, but has been altered somewhat to be 'relevant.' This arrogant Dino deLaurentiis' remake of the classic yet lovable movie producer Carl Denham King Kong is without a doubt, one of the has been replaced by grabby, tactless Fred most widely publicized motion pictures Wilson (Charles Grodin), an official for ever released. Petrox Oil. Paramount's publicity men have played Wilson plans to exploit Kong's island for up the big ape in a style that Carl Denham it petroleum and use Kong in a Petrox would have been proud of - Kong's pic- promotion. (Let Petrox put an ape in your ture appears on posters, cups, T-shirts and tank?) Opposing this ecological rapist is iron-ons, inside comic books, and featured Our Hero, Jack Prescott (Jeff Bridges), a in ads for whiskey, sound systems, and "Primate Paleontologist from Princeton." video cassettes. With this much coverage, it He is a man burdened with a heavy social seems people will go, if only to see what all conscience, and tries to make Wilson look the ballyhoo is about, bad every chance he gets. Dwan (Jessica Lange) stands beside the fallen body Of Kong in Paramount Pictures My first impression of the film is disap- Prescott also provides the romantic in- King.Kong, directed by John Guillerman. pointment that an animated Kong was not terest for Dwan (Jessica Lange), the new used in this production. Much of the charm Fay Wray. Differences between Dwan and Still, the production is slick in reach Skull Island, and an excessive of the original King Kong lay in the way he Wray are best characterized by Dwan's cinematography, with breathtaking shots amount of time is spent 011 characteriza- moved; his elaborately pantomined moods pleading with Kong not to release her from of the great ape's Polynesian habitat, the tion. The original King Kong was an action- and his choreographed fight scenes his grasp, lest the helicopters shoot him oil ship Petrox Explorer at sea, and the adventure films cutting swiftly from one brought the story to life. down from the World Trade Center. native ceremonies. Some interesting things scene'to the next, not letting the viewer The new Kong, on the other hand, is In short, this is a motion picture are done with the giant Kong hands and dwell on the incongruities of a love affair played by an actor in an ape suit, -andthis calculated to make money. The audience face. between a forty-foot sihmian and a Ho!- fact is painfully obvious. The special effects boos the exploiting oil. company and cheers However, the John Barry score, reminis- lywood flapper. are limited to matting (superimposing) the mighty Kong. the 'now' themes of cent of his James Bond soundtracks, is just shots of thle suited ape into scenes so that sociology, ecology, and the oil crisis are too slow for this picture. Therein lies King Dino deLaurentiis' King Kong is an he appears to be enormous. played up relentlessly. Inside of ten years Kong's final pitfall - its pace, quite simply, engaging way to spend an evening, but it is All of Kong's Sights have been cut, with this movie will be hopelessly dated. is sluggish. A full hour goes by before we not the stuff of which legends are made. They ads-tSeep camrq III qIa naight long By David B. Koretz policemen stood on each subway The group hit a peak with the After taking it through the mo-g~~~A6d handsi of the police, along with Aerosmith, the area's favorite platform, keeping crowds in popular single "Train Kept A- tions, they left again. This time endless searches for contraband. punk rockers, came back to the order, confiscating containers of Rollin' All Night Long," and they did not return. I think we deserved something Hub on Dec. 16 to blast the alcoholic beverages from concert- then left the stage to thunderous The house lights went on, better. One may not, perhaps, Boston Garden with their hard, goers young and old, and roughly applause. Since only an hour had and with the realization that blame the Boston Garden for can- heavy metal sound. However, for shoving young people about.- passed, it was generally assumed the concert had lasted barely 70 celling the original concert, or the many of the sellout crowd of over They were determined not to al- it was an intermission of sorts; minutes came the shock that Boston Police Department for be- 17,000, mostly teenagers, the low a repeat of the night a month Aerosmith had been playing hard, Aerosmith hadn't even played ing anxious to prevent a recur- evening fell short of perfection. earlier. and like most rock groups are "Dream On," their all-time most rennce of violence. Back in October Don Law, the Naturally, the situation peaked known to play about two-hour popular song, and certainly their I cannot, however, justify the noted rock music promoter, an- at the North Station and Boston sets. most well-known. treatment accorded by Aero- nounced two concerts featuring Garden lobbies, where the atmos- They soon returned, and went Aerosmith fans had waited smith to their most loyal fans Aerosmith with Rick Derringer as phere resembled that of an armed into the title cut from Toys in the over two months for this concert. anywhere. For with success, a warm-up act, for Monday and camp. Several vicious pjofice dogs A ttic. However, it seemed They braved long ticket lines, the musical or financial, must come Tuesday, Nov. 15 and 16. Ticket were present, and their fierce strangely lackluster compared to stifling air of the Boston Gardern, the maturity necessary to be true sales were brisk, as expected, and snarls blended well with the sound the band's earlier pyrotechnics. and rough, brutal treatment at the professionals. soon radio stations announced of police billy clubs held in right - ------- -- I the addition of another concert hands smacking against corre- Is_arsasaaarnaaaacalras on the preceding Saturday, Nov. sponding left palms. Unfor- 13. tunately, the evening's low point Preferring the weekend slot, I lay ahead. went to the Boston Garden box Derringer, typical of warm-up EARTHl SHOE SALE office, where I was told that there groups, was mediocre. He did, would not be a Saturday night however, keep the crowd some- concert. I reluctantly purchased what alive for the main attraction tickets for Tuesday, and two days of the night. later tickets for Saturday went on Aerosmith came out blazing, sale. starting off with "Mama Kin", a According to newspaper and raucous, but catchy tune, fol- radio accounts, the Nov. 13 show lowed by a collection of songs went off smoothly. However, on from their last two albums, Toys Monday night, some concert- ins the Attic, and Rocks, including goers, while returning home, "Rats in the Cellar," 'Uncle became somewhat rowdy, due to Salty," and "Big Ten-Inch the influence of alcohol, mari- Record." They pranced about the juana, and whatever, and badly stage, spirited but consistently I damaged several subway cars. solid, very seldom missing a note, The next morning, the Boston beat, or guitar lick. Garden announced that the Tues- After pausing to catch their day night concert would be post- breaths, the flve-man band from poned until Dec. 14 "due to the Boston played steadily, mixing severe laryngitis of Steve Tyler, hits such as "6Sweet Emotion," the lead singer." "The Last Child," and the current Those travelling to the Boston chart-topper, "W~alk Thlis Way," Garden by MBTA on the evening with songs from their second of Dec. 14 had good reason to be albumn, Get Your Winks, such as intimidated by the show of force "Same Old Song and Dance," on the part of the Boston Police "XS.O.S. (Too Bad),"' and "Lord Department. Several gruff, stolid of the Thighs." - -- From January 3rd thru January 29th.BNow you can buy the EARTH brand shoe for as little as $14.95..... Which means r Last day of IAP you can actually buy a pair of EARTH brand shoes for less than an irmitalion. Chos)se from a wide selection of styles ;24.0. US P--eN. 3305947 ko BasL&aOnO mm and save from $5.00 to $ Available at the following ocatsio ins5 in Massachuosetts: (I11 Cambridge. Mass.: 14 Story Sit.-(467) 492 6000 am l_ io Give today, 10:45-4:30 in Burlington PNall.Town Meeting Siection (617) 272-3557 Amherst. Mass.: 264 No. Pleasa nltSt. (413) R2568911 910 ~For sevpy walk--of lifeej the Sala de Puerto Rico I -- - - L~ar~aPI~lsrr~sl~sP~u~mr _, upl~·s~a-nss~a,-, '' __ ___ - __ ---c-- I ,,, _ __ __ __ _ __ i.