A*P*E (1976)

[Torgo]

A*P*E   was a Korean/American co-production that was originally supposed to be titled The New King Kong before RKO filed a lawsuit making them change the name.  It came out in 1976 when Dino Delaurentis' ill-advised remake of  King Kong came out.

I hadn't seen A*P*E in years and I couldn't believe how awful this movie was. I can't really fathom how anyone involved with this piece of crap thought that this was releasable.   At the beginning of the flick that gargantuan ape has already been captured and promptly escapes.    Much hilarity ensues as the beast walks around all hunkered over like it's really constipated or something.

The worst part is that the ape suit looks like it had been getting eaten by moths prior to filming and at certain points in the movie the actor's t-shirt in the suit can be seen through holes in the costume.  There are also numerous spots where the wrists of the man in the suit are completely visible.

The movie was also filmed in 3-D so we get treated to tons of shots where things like rocks are "thrown" torwards the camera.  No attempt was made to hire wires in these shots of any sort.

  Easily the movie's most infamous moment is when the ape after swatting a toy helicopter into a  mountain side promptly flips off the camera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH-fNG9GH5E.

I took it that he's actually flipping us off, the viewing audience who are having to suffer through this cinematic abomination.


I should also mention numerous shots in which Korean extras are supposed to be running in total fear of the giant ape but are instead clearly smiling and running all goofy towards the camera in numerous shots.


There's also the usual cantankerous general who finds it hard to believe that a giant ape is running loose after seeing proof of it at numerous points.  There's the usual female actress who the ape falls for briefly for (played by Joanna Kerns of Growing Pains fame).

Anyway, beware of this one. 

[Psycho Circus]

I love this film! I got really drunk one night and watched King Kong vs Godzilla (which always cracks me up) followed by A*P*E, I can only say that I nearly died from laughter that night! There are so many errors in this film and nobody cared at all how glaring they were...great stuff!

[Captain Tars Tarkas]

Has anyone seen it in 3d?  My copy is just the regular version, I was wondering if the 3d improves it in any way at all.

[Mr. DS]

I like the epic shark battle in the beginning. 

[inframan]

I saw it in 3-D at the Alamo Drafthouse a couple years ago. I couldn't believe how bad it was, it rides the line on so bad its good and just plain bad. It makes Mighty Peking Man look like a masterpiece. I read a reivew of another KK rip of that was supposed to be worse than both of these cant remember the name right now...

My favorite part was the stock footage, I remember there was footage of a helicopter repeated like 3 times in a row! The audience cheered when the stock footage montage was over. Also the battle with the (dead) shark was a real WTF moment.

Don't forget the alternate title of this flick: Attack of the Giant Horny Gorilla

[The Burgomaster]

I have always wanted to see (actually, I've wanted to OWN) this movie.  But I would feel empty if I didn't see the 3-D version . . .

[Torgo]

I read a reivew of another KK rip of that was supposed to be worse than both of these cant remember the name right now...

You might be thinking of Queen Kong which actually went unreleased for 25 years due to rights problems over the name. It was also supposed to come out in 1976 but didn't.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlHxg2UzCag

[inframan]

I'm sure that one is bad, I'd always heard of Queen Kong but I didn't know about the rights issue. Here's what I was thinking of, the Mighty Gorga
I need to see this one
http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/cult_movies/mighty_gorga.htm

[Torgo]

I'm sure that one is bad, I'd always heard of Queen Kong but I didn't know about the rights issue. Here's what I was thinking of, the Mighty Gorga
I need to see this one
http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/cult_movies/mighty_gorga.htm

I actually own The Mighty Gorga on DVD. In fact, this past weekend when my friends and myself suffered through A*P*E, we also suffered through The Mighty Gorga and Might Peking Man all in a row. I don't think that I'll ever recover.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk3jUxjfKKg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-HUPDYfva8

[Psycho Circus]

I always thought Konga (1961) was the best rip-off of King Kong.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uh01vf3-8j4

[The Burgomaster]

I have QUEEN KONG on DVD.  It's awful.

[Torgo]

I have QUEEN KONG on DVD.  It's awful.

I might get that at some point.  If I can find it dirt cheap that is. Maybe I'll just get a friend to get it on Net Flix and rip me a copy.