Battle Royale #13: Battle of the Big Boys (The Results)

The biggest battle of 'em all is finally over, and we have ourselves a winner.  But which one of our mighty combatants, the great ape King Kong or the atomic dinosaur Godzilla, is that winner?  Well, let me tell ya, though I am sure even the least astute viewer will be able to figure said victor out by just peering over an inch or two, and looking at the great poster specially made for a 2000 screening of the original 1933 film at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - but I digress.  For the longest time, this looked like a runaway victory for King Kong (the eventual winner in the one and only cinematic battle these two giants ever had, in the 1962 film, appropriately titled King Kong vs. Godzilla), who at one time even sported an eleven vote lead, but as the end drew closer and closer, so did good ole 'Zilla, at one point coming to within just two votes of his mammalian opponent, but alas, Kong would never relinquish the lead, and poor Godzilla never could quite catch up.  In the end, the great beast who would eventually succumb to the wiles of beauty (though oddly returning in future movies) would win our thirteenth Battle Royale.  With a final tally of 28 votes (or 54% for the more statistically-minded among you) for King Kong to just 24 (or 46%) for his irradiated reptilian brethren, Godzilla, the biggest battle of 'em all has finally come to an end.  Congrats ya big ball of furry angst.

Now, as I am sure even the most basic math skills can easily realize, the 28 Kong votes and 24 'Zilla votes, add up to a grand total of 52 votes cast.  After the 66 votes cast in The Battle of the Hollywood Hoofers (Astaire edging out Kelly by just two votes) and the 64 cast in The Battle of the New Wave (Godard beating compatriot Truffaut by four), the 52 votes cast here are the third best voter turnout we have had in the whole of Battle Royale history.  Still though, I know we can get those numbers up even higher - maybe even into the triple digits like we managed to accomplish with the annual Oscar poll in January and February (almost 200 votes cast there, though it did last a lot longer than the normal two weeks of the typical Battle Royale, and had a more mainstream topic).  So, tell all your friends about the fun to be had, and the pride one can feel in being part of our Battle Royale, and let us get those vote totals up.  And speaking of voting, your next opportunity to do so, will be coming up in just a few days.  On either Tuesday or Wednesday (depending on how busy/lazy I feel), the combatants for Battle Royale #14 will be announced.  These combatants are men of few words but strong morals, and great iconic talent.  Who are they you ask?  Well, be back here on the aforementioned Tuesday or Wednesday, and find out.  In the meantime, there may be a film review or two posted around these parts.  I will leave you with a behind-the-scenes (obviously) shot from the 1962 film, King Kong vs. Godzilla.