Peter Latham asks, in regard to KING KONG and TAXI DRIVER: "Do these two films contain emotional appeals of unique strength to disturbed/evil males? If so, what are those appeals? Please understand I would not propose to censor either film, even if the appeals were obvious and direct. I simply want to understand. Many thanks for your thoughtful responses." I can refer you to one novelist's take on the former. KING KONG is used as a point of reference and structuring elements in several parts of Thomas Pynchon's GRAVITY'S RAINBOW. On p. 275-277 (Viking ed.), he links the black ape to Western man's (a term I used advisedly) fears and fascinations with blackness, death, and excrement. The context defies synopsis, but it might be worth a look. (His argument, by the way, parallels some of the points raised by psychoanalyst Joel Kovel in WHITE RACISM). Now, extending this analysis to TAXI DRIVER is another matter! One thing that both films do have in common is the overt representation of the male as Knight--the courtly lover who is attracted to his lady and dies protecting her, but can never have her. Needless to say, such a pattern is impossible in modern society--so it gets twisted into the ape or Bickel (but then we can find many parallel representations in other films!). Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN) ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]