A*P*E

Infobox Film
name = A*P*E


caption = DVD cover for "A*P*E"
director = Paul Leder
producer = K.M. Yeung
Paul Leder
writer = Paul Leder
Richard Leder
starring = Rod Arrants
Joanna Kerns
Alex Nicol
music = Bruce Mac Rae
Chung Min Sup
cinematography = Daniel Symmes
Tony Francis
editing =
distributor = Worldwide Entertainment
released = 1976
runtime = 87 minutes
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
imdb_id = 0074148

"A*P*E" is a 1976 science fiction/horror film. An American/Korean co-production with 3D effects, it was released at approximately the same time as Dino De Laurentiis' 1976 remake of "King Kong".

Plot

In the film, a 36-foot-gorilla escapes from an oil tanker off the coast of Korea. After battling with a giant Great White Shark, the ape reaches land and destroys several buildings before finding and kidnapping an American actress named Marilyn (Joanna Kerns). The military eventually corners and kills the ape, prompting one observer to comment, "He was just too big for a small world like ours!"

Several plot elements, such as the gorilla's relationship with an American actress, are essentially lifted from the "King Kong" story. Worldwide Entertainment's print advertisements for the film even told viewers that their movie was "not to be confused with "King Kong"."John Wilson. "The Official Razzie Movie Guide". New York: Warner, 2005. 7-9] . This was because the film was originally going to be called "The New King Kong" as it was advertised by a teaser poster [http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8670/newkonggf5.jpg] . When RKO got wind of this, they filed a $1.5 million dollar lawsuit against the company. [ Stephen Jones. "The Essential Monster Movie Guide" Titan Publishing Group. 2000. Pg.36] Because of the lawsuit the title was changed to "A*P*E" and the tagline "Not to be confused with "King Kong" was added to the theatrical posters.

Reception

"A*P*E" has been described as one of the worst movies ever made, even appearing on the cover of "The Official Razzie Movie Guide". Much of the commentary on "A*P*E" focuses on the film's low-quality special effects. For example, John Wilson claims that the ape suit used in the film "looks more like your grandmother's lamb's wool coat collar than an actual simian." He also remarks that "a five-year old could spot the [model buildings and vehicles] as phony."John Wilson. "The Official Razzie Movie Guide". New York: Warner, 2005. 7-9] Other critics have noted that the size of the ape appears to change throughout the film, and that the ape actor's t-shirt is visible through holes in his costume. [ [http://www.atomicmonsters.com/APE.htm A*P*E] at AtomicMonsters.com. Retrieved 23 August 2007.]

The film suffers from other problems besides poor special effects, however. The Korean extras, who are supposed to be fleeing in terror, can sometimes be seen with smiles on their faces, and the film's dialogue is occasionally chopped off by poor editing. Wilson even describes the film's music as "one of the worst movie soundtracks of all time."John Wilson. "The Official Razzie Movie Guide". New York: Warner, 2005. 7-9]

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074148/ A*P*E] at IMDB.com
* [http://www.dvdcult.com/rev_APE.htm A*P*E] at DVDCult.com