King Kong Lives

At the beginning of this instalment, King Kong finds himself near death, having survived an extended assault, but unable to move and awkwardly unconscious. 

He's kept alive for 10 years by a team of researchers who ingeniously construct him a new artificial heart, but they lack the requisite abundance of giant gorilla blood to delicately perform the incredible operation. 

Fortunately, at the same time, a bold adventurer is visiting Borneo, where an animate beastie takes note of his daring, and tries to catch him after falling forsooth.

He's able to outmaneuver and eventually capture her in record time, the scientists agreeing to pay his lofty fee if they can have access to her gorilla kinship.

Soon Kong's new brilliant heart efficiently pumps his apex consanguinity, and he's ready to once again embark upon unheralded journeys throughout the wilderness. 

But he detects that very same individual who serendipitously saved his exuberant life.

And the authorities refuse to just let them be.

After they escape to the nearby mountains.

The Kongs seem well-disposed to amorous union and heartfelt happenstance, as they freely explore the depths of their longing with timid yet curious affected insistence.

Certainly a rare species indeed it's no doubt fortuitous that they find one another, the academics and adventurers working posthaste to altruistically secure parkland in that very same Borneo.

Alas, before that parkland can be secured the military and paramilitary move in, and another unique and precious animal species is bombastically threatened through misguided hostility. 

It doesn't have to be that way, as previously mentioned the army could excel at protecting endangered species, and use its vast lands and resources within the United States and elsewhere to bravely care for courageous rhinos and elephants.

After the herds reach 50 to 100,000 the animals could be shipped back to fertile Africa, the U.N perhaps making an agreement with concerned national militaries to secure protection for the animals in the wild.

Kong and his mate likely would have just chilled far off in the mountains away from the 'burbs, and never would have disturbed idle civilization as it technologically diversified through electronic verve.

Left alone in their verdant woodland they could have built a civilization of their own, to be studied and researched and elucidated over the course of the compelling centuries.

Fortunately, there is another, as Kong's species conquers ignorance and disdain.

To be left alone in the jungle to flourish.

Emboldened, enriched, elongated. 

Never Let Go

I suppose there are so many cool films from so many old school actors I've never seen, Never Let Go notably showcasing Peter Sellers (Lionel Meadows) in a rather unique uncharacteristic performance, in fact in full-on rank compulsive wickedness this one's shocking to say the least, certainly not ye olde Pink Panther, it may be a bit hush-hush. 

As it should be, the wretched villain knows no decent ethical limit, lovers of turtles and tortoises beware, for he takes his anger out on Testudinal kind, which left me most distressed indeed. 

I sought out the film to see more of Mervyn Johns's work, I had never seen him in anything else besides A Christmas Carol (1951).

Never Let Go is from 1960 and it looks like Johns may have been typecast post-Scrooge, for within he plays a similar character who's fallen upon even harder times.

He has what was known as a newspaper stand (or newsstand) where he sells a variety of papers, journals, and magazines, and lives in a rather modest apartment, his most cherished possession a pristine aquarium. 

He's even more mild-mannered than Cratchit and has unfortunately found little reward, even less after he witnesses a car theft and names names to local investigators. 

The car belonged to a cosmetic salesperson (Richard Todd as Mr. Cummings) who's hellbent on retrieving it, but he's never had much luck when bluntly asserting himself, and initially encounters snide disrespect. 

I can't recall anything else I've seen Todd in and may seek out more of his films, he's like a cross between Richard Burton and Russell Crowe, both of whom I've never seen in film noir. 

Sellers finds him a craftier competitor than he thought he would be at first, and slowly loses his ferocious temper as he comes aggressively calling again and again.

I always hope the Scrooge/Cratchit working relationship will pay dividends for commerce come January, and there's no doubt that for many it does while many more can't comprehend the message.

It was still nice to see Mervyn Johns back at it with that fiery loving habitual strife, but whereas Scrooge can never stifle his passion, the cruel Mr. Meadows befouls indignantly. 

An excessively grim morbid tale scandalously excelling through onerous confrontation, Never Let Go provides unruly disillusionment as everything within is tenaciously crushed.

Strong performances outweigh the lugubrity but still leave fair little preponderant hope.

That poor little innocent turtle.

How could anyone ever be so ruthless?

🐢