kong, totoro, and a cat in a tuxedo

Almost two months without a post, so I'll start back up with a double.

Just saw King Kong. Meh. Stellar computer graphics. Questionable casting. Script and story lacked direction and varied pacing. (The Chronic - what? - the Chronic - what? - the Chronic Lack of Editing.) If you really need to watch a Depression-era story about scarred apes pawing beautiful blue-eyed girls on a mountain island off the coast of Asia, watch Geisha.

The previews for this umpteenth remake of the Big Ape falls for Fay Wray/Jessica Lange/Charlize Theron/I'm beginning to see why they keep remaking this movie/Naomi Watts story (the original being a rather B-movie remake of the already ludicrous (Ludacris?) fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast ...let's start this sentence over from the beginning. Laemmle previewed next summer's blockbusters: Da Vinci Code, Miami Vice, MI3, and X3. The first is based on a book that was itself a ripoff; the second, based on the ultimate 80's TV show; the third, the second sequel to a movie based on a 60's TV show; the fourth, the second sequel to a movie based on a 60's comic book. I refuse to root for Ron Howard, so, even though I still don't get the whole Miami thing, my $10-$12 will probably go to Jamie Foxx.

In more important movie news, Disney has now set the DVD release date for the next trio of Studio Ghibli films: March 7, 2006. Accompanying Howl's Moving Castle are two of the last three DVDs I need to complete my collection: Totoro and Whisper of the Heart (the third movie I'm waiting for is Delicatessen). Perhaps it's not coincidence that Disney saved two of my most beloved movies for last. Not that this exhausts the Studio Ghibli library, but these will be released only weeks before the introduction of the PS3, and thus, the launch of HD DVD and the beginning of the end for DVD.

Is it worth shelling out another $42 on an outdated format?