Wing Commander Movie Night: King Kong

The Wing Commander movie club has put their seats up and their tray tables in the upright position following the conclusion of Die Hard 2. Next week, we're going a little further back in the past… to 1933 for the original King Kong! King Kong is a massively important film for how it defined the kind of blockbuster movies whose evolution continues to this day… and it's always fun to watch a giant ape wreck things. You can join us this Friday via Discord to watch along.

The direct connection to Wing Commander this time around is a fun one: the island that Blair, Grunt and Kulrag crash land on in Wing Commander Academy's Word of Honor is based on the island where Kong is discovered in the original movie (later named Skull Island). USA originally aired a 'Kids Club' bumper with the series' background artists explaining this; unfortunately, it has been lost to time!

There's also a big connection to Chris Roberts' history. His very first game, programmed in BASIC and printed in a magazine in 1983, was… King Kong! It's a simple arcade game that pits you against the fearsome ape in a take on the film's final climactic battle atop the Empire State building. You can read all about the game's history at Pix's Origin Adventures and even play it in your browser here. Let's compare high scores this week! We've mirrored a copy of the King Kong tape here for anyone wanting to use an emulator.

Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?

King Kong is available to download free from the Internet Archive and to stream via YouTube. It is also available for rent or purchase on all the standard services. If you would like a physical copy, the movie was released on BluRay in 2010 and remains in print around the world. If you are not able to locate a copy please stop by the Discord and ping a CIC staff member before Friday's showing.

How do we watch the movie together?

It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!