Eccentric actor and personality, Charles Grodin, passed away recently. There are two roles that I most strongly equate him with. One was as an opportunistic oil company executive who hopes to cash in on a motherload of an oil find in “King Kong” (1976.) Very humorous, comic performance. But I best remember Grodin for his playing of the newlywed schmuck who asks his wife for a divorce a day or two after getting married. “The Heartbreak Kid” contains this classic performance and it is linked here. It is a goodie!
Tag Archives: king kong
Q – The Winged Serpent (1982)
Not quite a horror comedy but this film definitely has some satirical touches added by director/writer, the late, great Larry Cohen. There is also a good supply of gore such as bitten off limbs and rains of blood from the sky above. Two New York cops are in pursuit of a crazed killer who is enacting Aztec ritual sacrifice on people. Why, you may ask. The rituals will summon forth, Quetzalcoatl , an Aztec god of wind and air who could give the killer more of an edge in taking New York over by force. So, the killings continue both on the ground and in the air. Victims are beheaded on rooftops or carried away and saved as late night Scooby snacks. A hapless criminal stumbles upon the feathered serpent’s lair and leads the cops there to set up an ambush. It then becomes a modern day King Kong finale.
Cohen makes great use of urban location shooting to tell his story and has a lively cast to bring this thing to life. David Carradine and Michael Moriarity gamely go along with the grisly goings on and provide needed spark to this film. Decent stop motion effects for the serpent and lots of interesting aerial photography to show the beast’s point of view as it flaps around town. Cohen had by this point in his career had the It’s Alive and God Told Me To films under his belt. Cohen just recently passed away. An always interesting talent!
KING OF THE LOST WORLD – 2005
With a lot of attention being placed on the upcoming theatrical release of “Jurassic World”, it might interest you to take a look at this lovely little lost world ditty. A plan crashes on an isolated island that is rife with primordial life forms. But the really beautiful beastie present is the “King” of this place. Look familiar? A man in a terrible ape suit runs wild at times through this thing. This movie is a great diversion. Seek it out and have a few cheap thrills!
