Movie reviewer Scott Foy (aka The Foywonder) has posted a clip from the episode of TBS Super Scary Saturday featuring King Kong vs. Godzilla (hosted by “Grandpa” Al Lewis) on his Youtube account:
In the above clip, professional wrestling personalities Michael “PS” (“Purely Sexy”) Hayes and Jim Cornette debate which of the monsters they’re representing will win the battle. The sketch’s loving parody/recreation of wrestling promos (love that 80’s WCW logo) is quite amusing and it ties in nicely with the similar publicity Japanese and American campaigns used for the film’s original release.
Wrestling fans are probably going to hate me for saying this, but the wrestling angle also ties into how the King Kong winning fight was totally rigged. There’s a soft spot in my heart for the big lug, but I’m a Godzilla fan first and foremost. Honestly, do you really think a fire-breathing monster than can shrug off artillery fire like it was nothing could be defeated by a monster that was trounced by biplanes? I mean, come on.
It’s been said that the reason Kong was scripted as the victor was due to Godzilla still being a villain at that point in the series and King Kong having been more popular at the time. You can read more about the issue, along with notes on the film’s production, the never realized follow-ups and a debunking of the “Godzilla wins in the Japanese version” urban legend here. Or, if you want a more scholarly resource, scroll through the publicity campaign link I posted earlier or click here. I bet many of you reading this never would have guessed that the original Japanese version was more of a social satire than a serious science fiction movie.
I know I’ve already commented on the bizarre “He’s ‘Grandpa,’ but not ‘Grandpa Munster'” licensing issue in a previous entry, but I’m still amazed Turner Broadcasting was willing to make such a legally iffy choice as the host of their horror movie show. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Al Lewis and his work, but I wonder if TBS Super Scary Saturday was a quickly-created replacement for Dead Ernest. In case you’re wondering, Dead Ernest was another TBS horror host from the 80’s. His biggest claim to fame was that he was rumored to have been played by the superstation’s owner, Ted Turner! You know what? I’m officially intrigued enough by this to do a little digging into the matter. Stay tuned!
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