This article was originally published in Skeptic magazine (Vol. 14, No. 1, 2008) then online at Skeptic.com. An archived version is available here.

A still from the film King Kong, with inset image of a sketch made from alleged Cadborosaurus witness Kemp’s description many months after his sighting. King Kong © 1933 RKO Pictures Inc., © 2005 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

The 1933 and 2005 versions of King Kong share many rich details, and a moral. There are those who suggest that moral must be something about the power of love, but I suggest the moral is this:

“Never, ever go to Skull Island.” Read more