Friday, January 30, 2009

KONGA (1961)

At times I just want to see a big monkey movie. Usually this means I will watch KING KONG (original flavor) because it’s the first and best of this particular genre (Ape Genre? Giant Ape Genre?) but at times I feel the need to see something else. Since I’m one of the few who thinks that Peter Jackson’s recent remake of KONG was terrible this leaves me with the 1978 version, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG or KING KONG vs. GODZILLA. On occasion I’ll want to punish myself with KING KONG LIVES but if I’m in a masochistic mood and want to actually enjoy the pain I’ll throw in KONGA.

One could debate the film’s various merits (or lack thereof) but it would be singularly impossible to ignore the brilliance of Michael Gough’s over the top acting here. Cinematic evil has never been so gleefully mad as we bear witness to his character’s insane quest to chew every bit of scenery on set. Only his performance in THE HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM even comes close to the beauty of the monkey crazed lunatic he portrays in KONGA.

For lovers of bad cinema it is a must see and for fans of giant ape movies it is a good fallback.

They need to make more big monkey movies though. Many more.

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