King Kong (1976)

Dino De Laurentiis' remake of the original hairy monster movie features remarkable special effects by Rick Baker. Fred Wilson (Charles Grodin), head of an oil drilling expedition to the remote island of Micronesia, discovers a stow-away on his ship, Jack Prescott (Jeff Bridges), a zoologist in search of a prehistoric creature fabled to exist on the island.

Off the coast of Micronesia, they rescue Dwan (Jessica Lange), a beautiful woman shipwrecked in the treacherous seas. On the island the expedition witness a mysterious ritual to a strange beast called Kong. They soon realise that Kong is the gigantic ape that Prescott is searching for.

Critic Reviews:

• " It's a remake that was a good idea, because it's bigger newer and better than the old one. " – Ruth Batchelor

• " The special effects are marvelous, the good-humored script is comic-bookish without being excessively campy, and there are two excellent performances " – Richard Schickel

• " Not as bad as reputed, this Kong has some good moments + great Barry score. " – Steve Crum