The two mightiest monsters of all time battle in the thrilling adventure classic, King Kong vs. Godzilla. When an underhanded pharmaceutical company goes to a remote tropical island to steal King Kong for advertising purposes, they get more than they bargained for when the gigantic ape attacks an unsuspecting village and an enormous octopus. Meanwhile, far below the sea, a submarine crew unleashes reptilian terror when they melt a block of ice and release the ferocious Godzilla from his icy lair. When both destructive monsters descend on Tokyo, it's a fight that holds the future of mankind in the balance in this knock-out film that was the first theatrical release to bring its larger-than-life contenders to the big screen in glorious color.
Topic: "Life as a Titan: Godzilla and King Kong vs Nature"
Presenter: Kent Kirkby, PhD.
Hollywood loves a good monster fight. But for middle-aged monsters, like Godzilla and King Kong, fighting is easy, it's life that is hard. With increasing age, gravity and heat can become potent foes. So how would King Kong and Godzilla stack up against real life monsters, like the larger dinosaurs?
At the age of seven, a gift of three plastic dinosaurs opened up an unknown world for Kent Kirkby that led to geology, a career path confirmed by his graduate experience while living in a mountain lion’s cave in the Chihuahuan Desert. Kirkby, now a teaching professor at the University of Minnesota, has two sons who have fled the nest and currently lives with his best friend/spouse, three cats and a decent-sized green aluminum Brontosaur.
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SCIENCE ON SCREEN
Experts reveal the science behind cinematic standouts and cult classics in paired screenings and lectures. The series is made possible through a grant by the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
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