As a lifelong fan of giant monsters and cinema history, I can confidently say that Peter Jackson’s 2005 reimagining of King Kong is nothing short of a masterpiece. However, it’s not just the epic setpieces or the towering titular character that make this film stand out; for me, the most memorable moment has to be the spider pit sequence.
Peter Jackson’s grand adaptation of King Kong boasts breathtaking scenes and colossal monsters, including the legendary Eighth Wonder of the World itself. Yet, what truly stands out in the 2005 film, currently available on Peacock, is a rather unsettling, squirm-worthy scene where Kong lowers the main characters into a vast chasm teeming with enormous insects and other creepy creatures.
These deep-sea creatures with multiple legs, often seen as terrifying, have been known to devour some unlucky humans enthusiastically. This act might even create or intensify a fear of insects in viewers who already dislike them. However, for people who enjoy giant monsters and cinematic history, the spider pit scene from the 2005 version of King Kong is particularly exciting. That’s because it recreates a scene that was deleted long ago from the original 1933 King Kong.
The deleted 1933 King Kong scene that Peter Jackson brought to life
In a similar fashion to both the ’05 movie (and for emphasis in the ’76 film), King Kong knocks several sailors off a rickety log bridge, leading to their demise, as depicted in the original 1933 version. Early iterations of this movie contained scenes where any surviving sailors were pursued by colossal spiders, animated using the same stop-motion methods that the renowned Willis O’Brien utilized to animate King Kong. However, this particular sequence did not make it into the final cut of the film, and there is debate over how much of the spider pit scene was actually filmed or completed.
Delving Deeper into King Kong:
There are tales about initial viewers reacting negatively or even walking out during the spider attack sequence, causing its exclusion. However, some spectators found the spiders amusing instead. Additionally, there’s speculation that this scene was never publicly shown. Max Steiner, who composed music for King Kong, didn’t create any score for the spider pit scene, suggesting that if audiences did see it, they watched an unfinished version of the film. In any event, director Merian C. Cooper decided to omit this scene from the final cut as it disturbed the overall rhythm of the movie.
It’s thought that no one has ever witnessed this particular event in real life, as there’s no known surviving footage. Furthermore, only some sketches and backstage images from test shoots are left, offering just a glimpse into what might have been.
After achieving success with the epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings in 2005, Jackson, a director hailing from New Zealand who initially made his mark with gruesome and grotesque horror films, found himself drawn to the infamous spider pit sequence. This scene, rumored to be too disturbing for audiences, had a lasting impact. When Kong sends Adrian Brody, Jack Black, along with unnamed sailors, plummeting off the log bridge in Jackson’s movie, they come face-to-face with an array of terrifying creatures. These include giant spiders, oversized crickets, colossal cave scorpions, and the most unsettling – toothy, leech-like bloodworms that consume Andy Serkis’ character. It’s revolting and grotesque… but it’s also remarkable filmmaking.
Through allowing the chilling spectacle of the spider pit unfold (up until Kyle Chandler’s character intervenes to save the trapped survivors), Jackson offered monster enthusiasts a glimpse into what could have been. He didn’t just modernize the concept of the spider pit for his film, though; Jackson and Weta Workshop, famous for their special effects on King Kong, also designed a representation of what they envisioned the original 1933 scene would have looked like, based on descriptions of the sequence and the special effects that would have been employed at the time. This reimagined lost spider pit scene from 1933 is available as an extra feature on certain DVD editions of the original movie.
Currently streaming on Peacock is the awe-inspiring yet distressing victory portrayed in the ’05 spider pit scene from Skull Island, as well as the other astonishing sights and terrors that Peter Jackson vividly depicted in his critically acclaimed remake.
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2024-11-11 22:31