Why Kong Will Never Die | Monstrum
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- Since his 1933 movie debut, King Kong’s impact on our culture has been persistent. For nearly a century, Kong’s story has changed to reflect, and sometimes comment on, our society’s issues with racism, sexism, and fear of the unknown. Let’s talk about how well this iconic monster’s evolution keeps up with our changing times.
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Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Executive Producer: Dr. Emily Zarka
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Love kaiju? We have a video on Godzilla and Mothra already! Check it out: th-cam.com/video/y9550OVlMg8/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
We'd appreciate it if you made videos about the following monsters:
-KELPIES
-BOOBRIES
-THE BUARACH-BHAOI
-JIANGSHI, THE CHINESE HOPPING VAMPIRE
Skull Island is very underrated, it actually had coherent anti-war themes and very a cool aesthetic
Underrated? "Kong: Skull Island" was the highest-grossing kaiju movie before the release of GxK
I appreciate this comment, while it isn't underrated commercially. It's actually the highest grossing in the franchise up until GxK this year, it definitely is underrated by the majority of the kaiju fanbase because it's a Kong movie and Godzilla isn't in it. As for the themes of anti-war, this is the only film of the 5 that actually had a message that was meant to be there and not just "critics" placing their interpretations that weren't intended by the creatives.
My 5 year old son knows Kong mostly from the Monsterverse movies and the 1962 Toho movie. To him, Kong is a superhero. Godzilla and Kong are basically Superman and Batman, right down to Suko filling the Robin role.
"I am neither that big nor that scary," says Batman. "And I am neither that big nor radioactive!" adds Superman. 😁
Tell you kid I feel the same way about these to legends
Smart kid! They can really surprise you with their perception and imagination, even at that age. 😊
When my first son was about 20 months old, he was quite deaf (glue ear; it "popped" just days before he was due to have the operation!), but if I spoke at a high pitch he could get most of what I said.
One day we turned the tv on and Son of Godzilla (or whatever that was called. It was the original black and white version, dubbed into English) was on. The son was on screen and we were about to change channel because we didn't want to scare him - he couldn't hear the story so everything was in his imagination. Before we could he pointed to the screen and asked who the "dinosaur" was (although it was more like "die-saur" 😅). Not to confuse matters I said "Godzilla" - I hadn't seen that film and didn't know if k, "Daddy" was going to turn up. He nodded and said "Digger!" Close enough!
A few scenes later and the ominous signs of Daddy turning up were starting. Again we were nervous about him being scared. Before we made a decision to turn it off, there was the big monster and he shouted out, "Bigger Digger!" 😂 Guess what Godzilla has been known as for the last 30 years!
He has his own baby son now, so I'm wondering if my darling little elf (he's got such a cute elfin face!) will ever get to know Digger or his dad!
Loved learning more cultural history with this movie. Please keep making videos of extensive lore kaiju, they’re so fun
I don't think Skar King enslaving another Titan was meant to have a deep meaning, just to show that he's a villain.
Plus Kong and Godzilla beat him. What ever the negativity scare king represents they overcame that.
Right? Skar King is a fascist dictator who enslaves his fellow Titan Apes and keeps Shimo, an Alpha Titan whose frost-breath is a threat even to Goji himself, as a pet. Kong knows he can't fight this bastard on his own, so he enlists Goji for an assist... after Mothra shows up to slap the taste out of Gojira's mouth and basically tell him "Kong needs our help, doofus!"
It's to show how Kong is a better leader than him. Kong wants to help and protect others.
Right? I don't understand why she has issues with the plot.
Slavery and tyranny are obviously shown as something bad and horrible and that Kong is against that.
@@ExtremeMadnessX It's not sophisticated by any stretch, but it's not supposed to be... "The New Empire" skews pretty young in its target demographic, and kids wanna see the giant monkey and the giant radioactive dinosaur kick a bully's ass!
people in 1930's: big monster cool
people nearly 100 years later: big monster cool
I see Kong’s BEAST Glove (yes thats its canon name) moreso as an arc with humanity thats ran thru the movies: putting trust in the kaiju. You see it in KOTM when, after decades of films with the military fighting against Godzilla, now they decide to let him take the lead & assist him. It took a bit longer for Kong, but thats whats done in GxK. Kong was always humanity’s champion & now humanity has more closely accepted that.
Love this interpretation!-*Dr.Z*
@@pbsstoried I think the point of the Skar King is that he is supposed to be the anti-Kong. He's either the same species as Kong or a very similar species, but his personality is the opposite of Kong's.
Great Apes again become protectors of humanity with Kong as their new leader.
"I spent ten years on that island studying him. I know this for sure: Kong bows to no one."
-- Dr. Ilene Andrews
basically with Kong "when there is a huge problem or a global tragedy, you go to ask for support from the giant hero"
One simple reason: he is king.
Kings are antiquated childish idols mature grown adults would never bow to.
And the Kong
Thank goodness Dr. Zarka is here. I've been trying to wrap my head around the metaphor and deeper meaning behind the robot hand for the longest time. Other than "That's rad!"
Perspective: some people see political/social/historic commentary, others just see a giant monkey wreaking havoc in one way or another.
Just because you're simple doesn't make you equal to Dr. Z.
@@smurfyday just because you can read doesn't mean you can comprehend.
Both, both is good.
@@ExtremeMadnessX exactly. I like Monstrum's analysis of Kong's history; it does make sense. But at the same time there are people who don't try to, or just are not able to, see the underlying social/political/historical context. Hence, the reason Monstrum makes videos such as this one to point out these underlying aspects.
Heh, nice timing. I just watched the new Kong movie tonight. And, yeah, it was fun. Possibly even dumber than its predecessors, but it had way too much cool action to hate. The whole thing had a real "kid bashing toys together to make them fight" vibe. Although I still think Skull Island is by far the best of the new Monsterverse flicks.
I did think it was a bit interesting how they had the parallel storyline of both Kong and Jia finding "their people," but with different outcomes. And big props for continuing to have a deaf character who speaks through ASL in a major role. That's so rare.
I see Godzilla & Kong vs. Mechagodzilla as a metaphor for these ancient beasts, representations of nature, facing their respective greatest enemies: civilization itself. Its mankind & their weapons which killed them in their original movies. Now Godzilla & Kong must overcome humanity’s greatest weapon to save the planet & their own lives. The theme is to humble humanity whose unchecked ego harms the planet.
Unintentionally, I think theres something to be said about Godzilla & Kong being deified. They were always moniker called “gods” and have legends in their universe corresponding to that. But the MonsterVerse films cement it much stronger. Being American made films, one might see a theme of humbling before God but not so much Yhwh, but a new natural form in these giant beings.
I remembered a couple of things about the 1950's version of Kong V Godzilla. In that movie, Kong was also a protector of the humans living on his island, he drove off a giant octopus that was attacking their village, and although he was taken from his home against his will, the movie ended with him swimming home after emerging victorious in his battle against Godzilla, and a reporter covering the story saying that they were all wishing him a safe journey.
Same reason Tarzan or Conan will never die :
Because they represent the untamed wildness within every man and how easily we can lose our "civilized" ways
I think Peter Jackson was attempting to downplay the discourse around the film as a throwback to the 1933 film’s racial and social lens. As a fan himself, he would surely know the discourse thoroughly and that film buffs and journalists will read into the film whatever they want. It’s less that the weighty stuff is disavowed, but that the story is open to individual readings.
We'd appreciate it if you made videos about the following monsters:
-KELPIES
-BOOBRIES
-THE BUARACH-BHAOI
-JIANGSHI, THE CHINESE HOPPING VAMPIRE
One interesting tidbit from the 2005 version is that Carl Denham's New York Kong spectacle includes dancers and performers onstage all dressed with I'm pretty sure are nods to the 1933 original's natives. Not sure how (or if) that fits in the re-imagination of the racial issues that are present over the movies, but at least it's a neat little touch.
Oh, they were definitely meant to resemble the natives in the 1933 film. Carl Denham also references the bogus "Arabian proverb" the original movie opens with.
I'm not sure if any of that was meant to convey a particular message. Probably more their way of paying homage to and/or making fun of the original.
twas beauty killed the beast-in the first film it's a sort of pompous boast, in jackson's version it's whispered as if jack black actually accepts it's his fault
King Kong 2005 is one of my favourite films. And that is in large part due to James Newton Howard’s score.
During the intro, the subtitles said "I'm Dr. Emily's Ark Zaka" lol
The various reasons you list, plus a whole lot more, are why Kong skull Island is my favorite King Kong movie
In spite of its obvious flaws, I still like the original movie best! The fact that the creatures in it were a major inspiration for Ray Harryhausen makes it even better because I'm a big fan of his work
I came for kong, did not expect to hear about sexism and racism. In all honesty I never really saw the king kong franchise as a allogory for racism and sexism but really just a cool fantasy franchise.
Because giant monsters like Kong, Godzilla, & more can be reinterpreted & reexamined with ever changing times much like how stories will always cycle.
3:58 This is NYC and this is sacred ground
Definitely the most American thing ever said.
We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there - there you could look at a thing monstrous and free.
I don't get the issues with the 2024 bondage plot. It's little different from something like The Lion King. And while the natives of hollow earth do need outside assistance, it's not necessarily white saviors that save the day but a collaboration between kaiju and Jia, who is one of their own.
I’d really love to see some monstrum videos on Godzilla! He, like kong, has a vast expanse of lore and meaning relating to politics, humanity and what it means to be human!
Peter Jackson originally wanted to cast Fay Wray as the person who says the "beauty killed the beast" line. Unfortunately she died before she could meet with Jackson. Interestingly, when Fay Wray died, the lights at the top of the Empire State Building went dark in her honor.
Next up: the Gamera films! So bad, they're good! Come on, Dr. Z! :-)
Be it King or Donkey, Kong reigns supreme!
Hot take: not all art has or needs a message and I think the modern Kong was made solely for money/ entertainment purposes... not a bad thing I just don't think it's that deep.
I agree. Messages have a purpose and often we need them...but sometimes you just need a mind numbing film that's soul purpose is to make money. Escapism at it's finest
All art has a message, whether intentional or otherwise.
No clearly the 4th movie in the monsterverse only came about because of a pandemic/stuff in Isreal 😂 not because it makes money...... doesn't even bother to list of either connect to new empire either only how she "chooses" to believe a pre pandemic movie was a response to it
@@JellyFilledEmpanadaWhat language is this?
2:48 No, that's still the same as the first movie... and I made the same complaint in the first video.
OK, Monstrum, explain to me how Kong stripping Ann Darrow in King Kong (1933) is neither sexual nor a threat to her. Ann isn't the sacrifice, she's the "Bride of Kong".
Why does Simpson's "King Homer" parody understand the movie better than you? "We know what you think." Hmm...
Can you please do a video about the history of dinosaur monsters in movies and the impact of Jurassic Park on the trend? I also wish for a video about the history of bats bad reputation as literally blood thirsty drinkers through Dracula stories and reports of vampire bat attacks passing rabies to humans. Lastly, maybe you could do a video about the wampus cat and its impact on the depiction of mountain lions.
Have you seen Cold Crash Pictures's Saurian Cinema series? So good.
Why would Peter Jackson and Nwe Zealander write his King Kong to be a metaphor for the US? None of the writers were American. I don’t think that they had the US in mind when they wrote King Kong
You are right, I've not thought about that😂
And this episode will live forever alongside Godzilla and the Kaiju cinematic phenomenon! Wonderful breakdown of Kong! King Kong! 🌴 ⛰️ 🌇 🗽 🏝 ⛓️
Hmmm Kong gets 2 videos but Godzilla only gets a half video & a special guest appearance in this one? I see which team Monstrum was on 😑😑😑 lol sorry couldn't resist
Would love another Godzilla video tho :) so much history & lore & real world tie-ins.
He don't die. He mulitply.
Why did you guys skip so much of the movies? Seriously, King Kong Lives, the Toho flicks, technically the 76 movie…seems weird to not include them.
That and the shows and books.
Got the old cartoon theme in my head now.
🎶
King Kong
You know the name of King Kong.
You know the fame of King Kong.
Ten times as big as a man.
One day, a boy, too young to know the danger,
Made a friend of this giant fearsome stranger!
And the life they led on their island home became a legend
The legend of … King Kong.
🎶
My wife and I loved watching this video! But as much as we loved the Kong content, we love the outtakes at the end. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to see Doctor Z commenting about "the hair" and seeing an animated King Kong hand reach in through a studio window, grab her and take her out as a technician lurched after her, hair brush in hand, shouting, "Don't worry, Doctor Z! We'll get you back before the next video!"
I love Skull Island. Its probably one of the most underrated action flicks out there, certainly the most underrated of the monster movies.
How is it underrated??? it's the 2nd highest-grossing kaiju movie next to GxK
Thank you for another fascinating episode. I hope that you will one day do one about the Scandinavian “Myling”. Its origins will send chills down the spine all the while giving us a whisper of insight into the hardship women faced back in the day (And still do in some places) For those who don't have sleep on the schedule I recommend diving into the literature. Also related is “Ängla makerskor” (Eng: Angel makers)
Awesome as always thanks ❤
So much good stuff here, part 2 was worth the wait!
And thank you for addressing the elephant in the room with GxK's plot. Dr. Z's take was great as ever, and I was thinking the same thing when I first started hearing about Skar King's whole deal. To say nothing of his overtly different color scheme and use of a whip as his primary weapon. Loved the film to bits, but I'm glad I'm not the only dissenter. ;)
See you for the next episode!
So, what is the issue with Skar King? Why is it a problem that he’s a slave master and a tyrant? Kong defeats him and liberates the ape clan, so he conquers the slavery and tyranny.
Love that y'all convered this, with thoughtful commentary. Love Skull Island and I think it's underrated. I think there is value is looking at these messages we see can see from media.❤
i took my daughters to see king Kong vs Godzila. they loved it😊
At the beginning I was afraid and hated King Kong 2005 but as I got older, I really loved it. I haven’t seen the 1933 for a while just clips of the old stop motion which was impressive and I loved the dinosaurs plus this old movie influenced Godzilla.
Kong is such a good boy.
Spite towards those we disagree with is ruining media. This show included.
2 Kong videos, 0 goji? I love em both but damn where my boy at?
Loved this video, but the view on GxK confuses me a bit. Scar King is the villain of the story, and the problems that are brought with him are ultimately taken care of when he's defeated. I don't really understand why anyone would take issue with it, especially with Kong's role as a liberator and savior.
Right? Slavery and tyranny are obviously shown as something bad and that Kong is against that.
It’s crazy how the first movie came out during the Great Depression
Peter Jackson's 2005 film King Kong featured a complete ecosystem on the film's version of Skull Island populated with descendants of Mesozoic animals. The designers of these animals (Weta Workshop) were inspired by Dougal Dixon's works, in particular "The New Dinosaurs".
Also follows in the category of Speculative Evolution.
Love the video, hoping for a Gamera episode one day.
This is a very insightful video! Concerning the Skull Island natives in the original 1933 version, yes, being of a somewhat Polynesian decent, their skin shouldn’t be black and they shouldn’t be wearing what appears to be surplus costumes from an early Tarzan movie. That being said, they are far from the savages of the 2005 remake. The subtext in Ruth Rose’s script reveals that the Native Chief (played by Noble Johnson) is a wise and experienced leader. Notice that he didn’t order the white intruders killed on the spot. Instead, he chose diplomacy. He had obviously seen strangers, perhaps even white men visiting the island before. We know this by the fact that he attempted to barter with the white men, to negotiate a trade between six of his tribal women for Ann Darrow (Fay Wray). The Chief clearly knows by experience that he and his tribe could conceivably benefit from this meeting of strangers. He is cautiously curious, he studies the situation before making any rash decisions. It is the Witch Doctor who is upset by the white folks interrupting the ceremony. The Witch Doctor would hold a high position in the political hierarchy of the tribe, therefore he would have a certain level of influence over the Chief. Again, subtextually, it isn’t until the white folks go back to their ship (The Venture) that the Witch Doctor convinces the Chief that bartering for ‘the Golden Woman’ wasn’t enough and that they would have to later act in stealth to procure Ann. The Chief chose to keep the peace in the village by granting the Witch Doctor’s request. The Chief is wise enough to know that the Witch Doctor also holds influence over the rest of the tribe just as clergy can influence his congregation in any society. The Chief is no savage dummy, in fact he is a strong, diplomatic, worthy leader fully capable of reason. Despite the inaccurate skin color and wardrobes, I feel as if history hasn’t given the 1933 Skull Island natives a fair shake. There’s more to Rose’s script between the words than meets the eye.
Simple, he is awsome.
I'm in the process of recording the novelization of the original film, written from the screenplay and published a few months before the movie came out (shameless self-promotion: it will be available on my channel when I'm finished). I find it fascinating how much the Kong we know today was already there, even before his first appearance in theaters. I tend to think he wasn't intended to be as sympathetic then as he is now, and while it may be true that he largely serves as the villain of that story, there is a certain pathos even then. A few scenes are written from his perspective, and do indicate that even then he was more than an savage, destructive beast.
The sexual element was definitely present as well, albeit not explicitly spelled out. I suspect the difference between the 1930s and 1970s films in that regard was more about what they could get away with showing on screen than anything else.
Thanks for the video
What I have to admire about the Peter Jackson Movie is the World Building. I may not have dug into it very much but everything I have seen if it makes it seem a lot more interesting to me.
Most excellent. Thank you, Dr.
Thank you Dr. Z.
A new Kong film released after major bad events seems weirdly coincidental…
I first saw King Kong, 1933, on TV in the mid 70s. I was just a kid so I didn't pick up on all the messaging, but what I remember most is all the men trying to save, the one white woman. Even Kong saved her, and appears to be saving her at the end.
God I love this episode and this channel, you should do an episode on skin-walkers or one about demons and different types of
Edgar Wallace the creator of King Kong half-brother Edgar Marriott wrote one of my favourite comedic poems Albert & the Lion about a cheeky kid called Albert getting eaten by a cranky lion at Blackpool Zoo.
That was a lot of analysis. Will there be a quiz?
8:50 What serious issue with the plot?
Scar King is obviously shown as villain and slavery as something bad.
Kong is obviously shown as a hero who free other apes and Shimo from Skar King tyranny.
I sont know if this is true, but supposedly there was a reason why 2005's Skull island tribe were so violent when the S.S. Venture arrived on their shores that didnt make it into the film. Because Skull island sat in between tectonic plates every year pieces of the island would break apart and sink to the bottom of the ocean and because they viewed Kong as a god they were sacrificing people so he would save them from disaster. Again I dont know where I heard this or if its even true, but I think it makes some sense.
Jackson’s islanders are the most realistic interpretation of islanders in a hostile environment cut off from the world lmfao.
The Monsterverse’s Iwis are the most fantastical, especially after GxK
Nope.
Is there any chance of you covering wolfwalkers?
You should do an episode of Montrum about the Jorogumo.
We have one! th-cam.com/video/tCsHkU-TH3Y/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
Soon to be public domain, so we're going to see some new takes on it in the not too distant future
The obvious answer is big monke
Pretty cool look at Kong and his place in history...thanx!
That said, it's all about Godzilla. As a GenX'r, he's my King. 😎
more monstrum
Well said...
I just watch those movies because I like seeing monsters fight each other. I don't read anything into it. As far as the recent film? I see Kong as a Moses type character. He is tasked with freeing his people. I mean, it's not all bad. Kong gets a queen & heir out of the deal.
I mean sure, you can read all that deep sociopolitical stuff into it, or you can just take it at face value of "big monke cool". Was any of that really intended in the actual films? or are we just trying really hard to find a "deep" reason why people think big monsters are cool?
Maybe both. I do know that most people just want to watch an adventure story with a giant ape
You should take a new Look for Godzlla.
Naomi Watts and Jessica Lange need to know about this.
Nicole Kidman would say we come to this place for magic.
Feel free to send it over 😂
I guess Nicole Kidman might want to watch a video featuring her best friend, Naomi Watts.
@@purcascade Omg I just realised that.
@@PokhrajRoy. That edit is great. 🤣
@@purcascade I have to thank you for that
9:48 plus, big monke smashing stuff
somehow i thought of hamilkong when she said "musical" before i remembered the big budget one
Kong is my 2nd favorite kaiju n#1 is Gamera. because of how he's portrayed he's not a savage beast but a creature trying to thrive in a world all alone with most iterations saying he's the very last of his kind understandable why he does latch on the the female lead since he's all alone. granted he may be powerful but not invulnerable he could die anytime but still would never go down without a fight. most of the time he doesn't fight unless someone starts it the military, Godzilla, or planes. with modern Kong being pretty noble like a real king
The director of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire stated that the Skar King was meant to represent the worst of humanity
There was another Godzilla & Kong movie? This year?!?
You lived under rock this whole time?
Godzilla X Kong 2024 to me felt like an exciting power rangers movie to me
Godzilla protects nature, while Kong protects humanity. Therefore, Godzilla vs Kong shows how although nature and humanity is in constant conflict, it is better when they work in tandem against artifice created only for war. You could even interpret it as being about AI in art; Godzilla represents talent and instinct, Kong represents intelligence and creativity, Mechagodzilla is a soulless AI abomination.
aren't you a bit late to this? _Godzilla x Kong_ is old news by now :P
not that i'm ACTUALLY complaining--i love me some Kong and Skull Island ;)
Yay
I mean this in the nicest way possible.. but Emily, you kinda reminds me of that Megan doll 😅
I like the Peter Jackson's version and Skull Island I don't really like the new one's besides those 🤔
👏👏👏
Finally, now we can finish of the story of the Eighth Wonder of the World. Even though sure that they do have some kind of social commentary about social fears. But keep in mind that most of them are more entertainment first and messages second. Since with how unnecessarily divisive politics have become these days, most people have come here for the entertainment. Because well even if they do have messages they could agree with, but most people don't like being talked down to with things that remind us of how much humanity and society suck. I'd argue with Kong it feels like an inverse of the slavery angle where Kong becomes the hero who leads his people/species into freedom and goes against an evil sadistic overruler who wants to conquer and destroy. th-cam.com/video/DA5ZoElFdwA/w-d-xo.html
I think you're reading too much into the 3 monsterverse films, theyre real dumb and fun, and there aint much to em
I like the Monsterverse version best. Still team Godzilla though lol
I have a soft spot for the 1970s Kong, the one with Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges.
I mean, it's Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges!!§!
There is no denying that the "primitive natives" are depicted in the old-fashioned, stereotypical way. But, dare I say, it's even worse that the special effects look like something from the 1930s.
People talk with veneration about the practical special effects in the era before cgi, and there are many good examples of that from the 1970s. King Kong is not one of them.
An outdated film already when it was made. But it's hard to top Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges!!
Big monke is awesome. Simple as.