'King Kong' (1976) with BJ Colangelo

In the middle of the 1970s, producer Dino De Laurentiis wanted to make a big movie, maybe the biggest movie. And what could be bigger than Kong? The original 1933 classic was arguably more popular than ever, having picked up new generations of monster movie fans over the decades. All De Laurentiis had to do was make a bigger and better version for 1970s audiences. Did he succeed? Short answer: well, no. Long answer: But that doesn't mean his attempt doesn't still have a lot going for it.

Seeing the 1976 King Kong was a formative movie experience for me, despite seeing it later on television, so I'll always have a soft spot for it. But I'm not alone. Critic BJ Colangelo, who's similarOy fond of the film, joins me for a discussion of all things Kong (and all things '70s). You might have seen Colangelo's bylines in publications like Fangoria and Vulture. With her wife Harmony, BJ's also the host of the podcast This Ends at Prom, which I encourage you to check out.