Jack Black/King Kong fedora: Poet?

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 9:53 pm

Just got back from King Kong and it absolutely blew me away. Movies like this are the reason they make movies. For those of you who enjoy adventure movies, this one has it all. I cannot recommend it enough.
In any case, I noticed that the hat jack Black wore for the first hour or so of the film looked like it could have been a Poet. It looked exactly like the bad stuff that had been coming out of HJ for a while now. Lots of taper. I did notice that the ribbon was not the way they do the standard Poet ribbon (pinch was tighter) but who knows who and how they're doing them now? I did notice a red/burgundy liner and tack marks on the ribbon on the front. If I'm not mistaken HJ glues theirs in, but again, who knows. If it's not an HJ, it sure looks like one.

Anyone else see the film and notice the hat?

Dakota Ellison · Post by **Dakota Ellison** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 10:46 pm

I just got back too. Absolutely a must see. Peter Jackson took great care in paying tribute to the first Kong. I really don't think that was a Poet, just an average looking brown fedora. Did you catch the reference to the first movie when they asked if "Fay" wore a size 4 dress and she was busy filming a movie at RKO with "Cooper"?

Hemingway Jones · Post by **Hemingway Jones** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:34 am

I haven't seen the movie, but I plan to. This one I am actually going to go see though I am loath to go to a movie theater.
Anyway, one complaint: couldn't Mr. Jackson have asked his stars to cut their hair? Neither Jack Black nor Adrien Brody have haircuts that look anything remotely like something worn in those days, and Naomi Watts just squeaks by with an approximation of a 30's cut.
I suppose it is a minor point, but if you go to all of the trouble to recreate NYC in 1933, couldn't you have insisted your stars get properly groomed?

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:53 am

Ok, someone please convince me to go to watch a king kong remake where he fights against a t-rex please, because i'm totally not interested in this film! Am I the only one?

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:55 am

Kong fought against dinosaurs in the original, if memory serves me correctly.

Dakota Ellison · Post by **Dakota Ellison** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:58 am

I guess Ford's haircut wasn't all that short in RLA.

Erri · Post by **Erri** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:59 am

binkmeisterRick wrote:Kong fought against dinosaurs in the original, if memory serves me correctly.

right

I think i should watch the original KK first...

no idea where to get it!

Anyway... back on topic

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0360717/ ... Jack%20(I)

About the poet in it... anyone going to the cinema to watch it, please watch all the ending titles and please tell all of us what hatter is named

Post by **Jens** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:30 am

erri_wan wrote:I think i should watch the original KK first... no idea where to get it!

As far as I know it's available on DVD ...

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:34 am

i'm totally not interested in this film! Am I the only one?

Yes. Apparently so. And yes, the original was just rereleased to coincide with Jacksons version.

Rusty Jones · Post by **Rusty Jones** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:44 am

You just said a paradoxical statement Erri my friend, who would NOT be interested in watching a giant monkey fight a dinosaur... (Not meant to be taken sarcastically, as boys I think we're prone to enjoy watching odd, specifically giant monsters fight eachother) ;c) I'm interested but I think the movie itself (While I cant wait to see it and I anticipate it will be very good) LOOKS like one of those "30-70 % Hype" flicks that stand on the fact that they had money and popularity pumped into them before their release, however with such rave reviews from the likes of CoW members (and direciton from Peter Jackson) I'm defnatly going with good expectations...

I also heard from a teacher I'm interning with, that King Kong was the first movie that Peter Jackson's parents took him to see, and that they got him a cheap camera soon after and he made a little remake of it when he was a child... not sure where she got that info from though... if anyone else has a reliable source for it lemme know (i'll try and ask her but she's out this week)

Kaleponi Craig · Post by **Kaleponi Craig** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:09 pm

I saw the movie last night and loved it. Could have been a little shorter and almost every fedora in the movie (and there are lots of them) had major taper.

But anyone who loved the original I think would like this one. Yes, that was a great comment about Fay, Cooper and RKO...KC

Canasta · Post by **Canasta** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:11 pm

THey have recently re-released the original and the '76 version on dvd.
I wold highly suggest renting it prior to seeing the new one. There were a lot of little things that I picked up that Jackson either made reference to (i.e. the Fay Ray comment) or lines that were pulled directly from the original. (The part on the boat where Ann says
"You don't think much of women on boats do you?"
"No."
"Ill try not to be any trouble"
"You already have been"
This was in the original. It was fun to see it now being filmed by Jack Blacks character as a part of his movie when in the original verion is was just a part of the movie. Kind of like a "behind the scenes" thing.
Jackson also added the "Lost Spider scene" to this version.

The other reason for renting/buying the dvd is the bonus material.
A complete hour of documentary on Merian Cooper. (They call him the original Indiana Jones and with good reason.
WWI bomber pilot, film director, camera man, head of RKO, head of PanAm, one of the commanders of the Flying Tigers etc.

The other good stuff is the making of Kong. Really cool.
In this material they interview Jackson along with showing how he and his team completed the "Lost Spider" scene for the original version using some of the actual cameras and armatures used in the original film.
Neat Stuff.

On another note, I just watched the '76 version about a week ago.
I saw this one in the theater as a kid. I couldn't believe all the swearing in this one. I couldn't let my boy watch it and he is the same age I was when I saw it in the theater. Unfortunately, the best part of this Kong is when you get to see Jessica Lang topless thanks to that big hairy ape.
Other than that, this version is for lack of better words ... stupid.
They even edited out the spot where Charles Grodin gets stepped on.
In the original cut, Kong lifts his foot after stepping on Grodin and all that is left is his hat.

Canasta · Post by **Canasta** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:12 pm

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
All the best!
C

Minnesota Jones · Post by **Minnesota Jones** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:21 pm

Canasta wrote:In the original cut, Kong lifts his foot after stepping on Grodin and all that is left is his hat.

I totally remember that and yes, it's not on the DVD. Now with that said... sorry but we need get back on topic on this one guys. Thanks.

Dakota Ellison · Post by **Dakota Ellison** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:55 pm

Back on topic. Just before the guys in King Kong arrived, Indiana Jones had been on Skull Island, searching for some lost artifact and had barely escaped the natives, the dinosaurs, and Kong, with his hat still on his head.
This is why everyone was so inhospitable to Carl Denham and company.
Hmmm.....this is not a bad idea.

Kt Templar · Post by **Kt Templar** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:58 pm

I saw a colourised version of the original not so long ago. I know, I know how could I sully my vision with that atrocity! Actually its not too bad. Done sensitively it's a bit like watching a moving hand tinted photo. They also pick ot quite a lot of detail that you usually miss in the original B and W version.

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:13 pm

I don't think the crown in the picture Erri posted looks too short to be a poet, although there are many tricks that could have been done to make the hat appear that way, and still have it be a poet. Also, tapered hats were not frowned upon in their day, many men's hats came tapered, or were even re-blocked on tapered blocks.

Indycraze71 · Post by **Indycraze71** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:30 pm

The new King Kong is a marvelous film I loved it. After Raiders the original 1933 King Kong is probably my second most watched movie. I was paying attention to the hats in the new one didn't really see anything too cool I really like the skipper's and first mate's sailor captain caps though, but there are some really cool fedora's in the original film especially when the reporters show up to photographic Kong captured on the stage. I couple of those fellow's lids even have center dents for their bash. Check it out!

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 3:28 am

Cooper used to jump up and down on his hat when he got frustrated. The female lead of Cooper's giant ape film "Mighty Joe Young" said that twice in an interview I just saw. Why would someone do that?

Post by **Jens** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 4:36 am

Maybe cause he has as much hats as underwear? I guess, hats were just part of "clothes" back then. So if it was old and show wear ... you just bought a new one. They weren't nuts on hats like us, I guess.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:18 am

Nah, he was just distressing his AdventureBilt. It could take it.

IndyK · Post by **IndyK** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:29 pm

Now I'm even more looking forward to see the new Kong!
I clearly remember the 1976 version because I worked in the cinema when it was released in Denmark. And I especially remember it for one thing: I was about to start my training as a photographer and in this film we have Jeff Bridges running around with a motorized Nikon F2 (if I'm not cheated by my memory). When Jeff and Jessica is playing around on the beach of the island I beleive I counted Jeff taking more than 50 shots without changing film. Now THAT impressed me more than Kong! And BTW - Jessica looked terrific as Dwan.

Cheers

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:11 pm

I saw it,a nd the Jack Black hat was really a pleasure to the eye, in fact, that entire movie was! I saw a LOT of good movies this year, and I enjoyed even this the most. If this gets more then 3 Oscars, I'm not suprised. VERY good movie. Erri-Wan, see it, if you don't care about the Moneky .. well.. you will .. if needed, go for the Golden Era!

Andiana · Post by **Andiana** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 4:50 am

I loved this movie, as did the audience I saw it with. They cheered, clapped, "awwed", "Ewwwed", etc. They then gave it a standing ovation at the end. This is a great film, and really shows how great a director and visionary Peter Jackson is. Surprisingly, Jack Black did an amazing job in my opinion.

My friends kept telling me that Black's fedora was exactly like Indy's...dear god...

Feraud · Post by **Feraud** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 9:17 am

Just saw Kong. The audience (as usual) ruined the moviegoing experiece for my wife and I. Loud, annoying cell phone answering idiots stuffing their faces who try push to push aside a woman with a broken foot (my wife) to get a seat. Thought the movie was good. I like long movies but this felt like Kong needed to be a bit shorter. Certain scenes went on too long. The Manhattan dogfight scenes were some of the best use of computers I have ever seen.

Why are the background extras always better dressed than the stars in these period films? Jack Black's hat (when he wore one) looked ugly to me. Adrian Brody barely wore one. What is with that? Do the filmmakers think we will not recognize their 'beautiful faces' if they wear hats?

Indycraze71 · Post by **Indycraze71** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:02 pm

Just got back from my second viewing of King Kong...It just gets better and better much like ROTLA!

Not much attention is payed to the hats in this film and I think Feraud may have hit it on the head, I'll wager that the studios think we (the audience) need to see the actor's heads and faces in the shots they are in more than the actual characters they play.

slowdevil · Post by **slowdevil** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 12:59 pm

I saw Kong last night and loved it. I agree the scene with the biplanes was amazing. I noticed mostly teardrop crowns on the fedoras. I thought teardrops didn't become more popular until later... of course I was born in the '70s, so I'm not exactly an expert. Also I thought I noticed a discrepancy in Jack Black's fedora where it was a teardrop in one scene and a bash in another.
BTW, I never would have noticed stuff like this before I started visiting this website.

Justin

Ghos7a55assin · Post by **Ghos7a55assin** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 1:32 pm

I believe the discrepancy of tear/c-crown versus a center dent is one of nationality. I once read that American's had an affinity for c-crowns and tear drops and the British liked their center dents. Since Indy's fedora originated in England...

ray

Dakota Ellison · Post by **Dakota Ellison** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:48 pm

Here's a pic I've posted before, but it illustrates your point. This is England,
1927 and a crowd of Brits are watching Lucky Lindy landing the Spirit of St Louis, having left France after his historic flight accross the Atlantic. Try to find a tear drop bash. Also, try to find Indy. He's there too.

Indycraze71 · Post by **Indycraze71** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:38 pm

Awww the good ole' days... I love old photos like that!

Thanks for sharing Dakota.

Morgan Alden · Post by **Morgan Alden** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 11:53 pm

I don't know, but in this "deleted scene" screen shot ( don't ask how I got it... I have connections

) it appears to be a Poet that this guy has on his head. Hmmm....

I love this film too. But I was also unlucky enough to have a super-rude bunch of teens sit right in front of me and be noisy at all the wrong times. They're lucky I wasn't sporting my whip!! (

) I guess I'll just have to see it again!!

Gater · Post by **Gater** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 11:56 pm

Soooooooooo...basically I'm the only one who did NOT enjoy this movie, then?

NO WAY did it have to be over 3 hours long...some scenes just DRAGGED and were WAY overdone for effect. And considering the time and budget difference, I would have expected CGI equal to or better than Jurassic Park. The creatures often looked very 2-dimensional.

When will film makers realize that computers still cannot give us the 3-dimensional realism that we get from miniatures?? Is it just a cost thing? Computers are easier and cheaper than making models?? Why sacrifice imagery for cost?

I Will admit that the visual effects at the end were quite good, in that my acrophobia was wicked, and I was actually ill to my stomach from the way that the height of the skyscraper was shown and represented(altho, I may have just felt ill from wasting $10, and 3 hours of my life I'll never get back)

I am glad that I saw it once, but I won't bother to sit thru it again, even on DVD. I'll stick to Raiders, or Vanishing Point (a cult classic with little budget, and an amazing story and stunning visuals and no CGI)

Indycraze71 · Post by **Indycraze71** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:18 am

Pretty clever Morgan...thanks for the laugh!

VP · Post by VP » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:15 pm

Morgan Alden wrote:it appears to be a Poet that this guy has on his head.

A modified Poet, that is.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:02 pm

Rusty Jones wrote:I also heard from a teacher I'm interning with, that King Kong was the first movie that Peter Jackson's parents took him to see, and that they got him a cheap camera soon after and he made a little remake of it when he was a child... not sure where she got that info from though... if anyone else has a reliable source for it lemme know (i'll try and ask her but she's out this week)

Sounds like it is from the interview with Peter Jackson on King Kong: HBO's First Look a preview show by HBO when the movie was first released. On the interview, he said that it was his favorite movie and it was the one that made him decide that he wanted to be a film maker when he first saw it.

He said that he was dedicated to making the Lord of the Rings movies to the best of his ability, but King Kong is the movie that he always wanted to make.

There is also a two dvd set that includes art work and other extras that document Peter Jackson's making of the movie King Kong. It has an MSRP of $39.98 but can be had for around thirty bucks. I find this a unique marketing strategy, release the Special Edition Bonus Materials at the time the movie hits the theaters and then release the dvd at some later time. Ummm....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BM ... ance&n=130

Actually, having seen the Special Editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I am sure that there is going to be a release of King Kong on dvd with massive amounts of bonus material. And, it probably will include a director's cut of the film.

Morgan Alden · Post by **Morgan Alden** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:14 pm

VP wrote:
Morgan Alden wrote:it appears to be a Poet that this guy has on his head.
A modified Poet, that is.

Well I guess he borrowed it from Indy. He must have been visiting the set that day.

So however Indy modified his hat...

Ghos7a55assin · Post by **Ghos7a55assin** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:33 pm

That's perfect! I can't find a single center dent.
I think that since this is an Indy board, we all assume that the greatest type of hat in the world is one with a center dent, and we should shun all tear drops.This was learned from the basis of Dorfman hat=teardrop and Dorfman hat=evil, therefore all teardrops=evil. This is a pretty false notion, as a large majority of hats were done in a c-crown style. Humphrey Bogart, James Stewart, and a whole lotta stars from the Golden Era bashed their lids with a c-crown. Once, or if you ever, move out of Indiana Jones fandom into other parts of the 1920-1930's era, you will find there is a lot more to hats than a pinched crease, center dent, 1 1/2" dark brown ribbon, soft-as-mush felt, dimensional cuts, 5 1/2" crowns, and camel humps.

pardon the rant,
ray

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 10:13 pm

Ghos7a55assin wrote:
That's perfect! I can't find a single center dent.

ray

Let's see if Ol' Buff can help you out with this one. I suggest closing your eyes, then sticking out your index finger. Touch your finger to the picture. Now, open your eyes, and where your finger is pointing, that is a center dent.

Morgan Alden · Post by **Morgan Alden** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 10:27 pm

I love it!!! Thanks for the laugh Buff.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 12:47 am

You're very welcome. If my wife were here, she would say, "Do NOT encourage him!"

Rusty Jones · Post by **Rusty Jones** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 9:31 pm

erri_wan wrote:Ok, someone please convince me to go to watch a king kong remake where he fights against a t-rex please, because i'm totally not interested in this film! Am I the only one?

Oh oh oh Erri, I have posted perviously about being interested in watching Kong fight a dinosaur, however the film offers more than that, he fights not only one, but THREE diranosaurus rex's at once...

seriously though i wasnt very hyped about the movie but I'm glad I saw it, I'd recomend it but only if you're in the mood for a long movie... and anyone will be able to make a very good argument about why its bad if they go into it looking for reasons to not like it (reasons are there, and there were a lot of things I didnt care for); however overall I had fun and I'm glad I saw it...

Note: Was I the only one that thought Thomas Kretschmann (Captain of the ship) looked indyish... when he smiled at the begining it was quite fordian I thought... Couldnt find a good image of him though...

Morgan Alden · Post by **Morgan Alden** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:22 pm

Rusty Jones wrote:
Note: Was I the only one that thought Thomas Kretschmann (Captain of the ship) looked indyish... when he smiled at the begining it was quite fordian I thought... Couldnt find a good image of him though...

Yeah, kind if like if Indy was wearing Katanga's cap on the Bantu Wind. I thought the same thing. Of course Indy isn't blond, but....

And Ol' Buff... as long as your wife is not around to discourage you, keep 'em coming. Love the sense of humor. I still chuckle when I read your comments about that picture.

Indycraze71 · Post by **Indycraze71** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 12:03 am

Yeah I liked Cpt. Englehorn and Lumpy the cook a lot! My 2 favorite characters after Kong. He does have a cool look and I like those sea captain caps, I wonder where I could pick up a good one like the one in the photo there. I tried one some old WW2 pilot's crusher caps at the gun show but my head was too big for em.

Mattdeckard · Post by **Mattdeckard** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 3:46 am

Reposted from the Fedora Lounge

Could spoil.
If you haven't seen the film... don't read.

Saw the film and thought the first moments were corny. The film progressively became better and better with a few points where the special effects were too overshadowing to be believable (too much blubbery dino-flesh). The end had a few more of those corny points, particularly circling some chartacter actors playing execs that were from the studio for which Jack Blacks character was supposed to be making a movie.

The costumes while in the Jungle I thought were dead on for the period.

The women's clothing and makeup in the city scenes I thought was very accurate for the early 30's. The men's clothing was a mess of what looked like custom made clothes with low cut armoholes and light weight fabrics. the men's hats were all modern. the crowns were low, there were too many tear drop shapes and their ribbons were all too narrow.

All together if I don't nit pick at the clothing I thought the movie was great.... If it didn't have the corny parts at the begening and end and stayed a little more serious at those points, I would put it at the level of Titanic.

On a scale of one to four I give the movie a four.

It had heart!

Indycraze71 · Post by **Indycraze71** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 8:10 pm

On the subject of the hats in this film here is what it says about the costumizing in "The Making of King Kong" by Jenny Wake.

"A lot of men's hats were bought from Australian and American companies, while others were rented. "There's a company here called Hill's Hats that has been our lifesaver. They've made hundreds for us. They did mostly men's, and we've had a milliner in here full-time for quite a few months, churning out women's hats."

Sounds like a lot of the hats were provided by the company in New Zealand. I wonder who the Australian and American companies were?

Anyways there is some info I found. I saw the movie again today as well, it still is great even the third time around!!!

Heliograph · Post by **Heliograph** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 9:28 pm

Saw it . Loved it. The tramp steamer is fantastic and my Skull Island home is accurately portrayed. I think Jackson added good era texture.

My only beef is with the sailor's combination caps. The chin straps are too tight and the crowns are either too tight or two chauffeur-like in appearance. My recollection is that during the period the tops were virtually frameless.

I have a suspicion that Captain Englehorn is a former WWI U-boat skipper.

Rusty Jones · Post by **Rusty Jones** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 1:18 am

Morgan Alden wrote:Of course Indy isn't blond

Wow I'd always thought he was because it mentions blonde beard stublies in the novel and for some reason I thought I rememebered seeing blonde in raiders... but I went looking for screens and figured out your right...

Post by **Jens** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 11:25 am

Heliograph wrote:I have a suspicion that Captain Englehorn is a former WWI U-boat skipper.

Interesting! That's an idea I begin to like!

Rusty Jones · Post by **Rusty Jones** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 7:35 pm

Heh yeah I began to wonder why an exotic animal trapper would need soooo many thompsons in addition to the rifles he had stocked on board, so the second time I saw it I rationalized that - because the thompsons werent exactly stored in open view - he smuggled guns to the mafia on the side... didnt think about it till my girlfriend leaned over and asked why he had all those guns...

Heliograph · Post by **Heliograph** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 8:37 pm

Rusty Jones wrote:Heh yeah I began to wonder why an exotic animal trapper would need soooo many thompsons in addition to the rifles he had stocked on board, so the second time I saw it I rationalized that - because the thompsons werent exactly stored in open view - he smuggled guns to the mafia on the side... didnt think about it till my girlfriend leaned over and asked why he had all those guns...

My wife knew Frank Buck's script girl...really. So I know stuff by marriage.

Exotic animals are found in...exotic places. In the 'Thirties exotic places were inhabited by among other things, bandits, pirates, and warlords. In a word, dangerous people. Roy Chapman Andrews went into the Gobi armed and all his men were armed.

I didn't find the Thompsons and rifles the least bit surprising. If I were to capture exotic animals in Borneo or Mindoro, I'd take along some hardware. Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but cold steel and cordite are a boy's best friend.

Jack Black/King Kong fedora: Poet?

Jack Black/King Kong fedora: Poet?

Kong sould have worn a giant fedora