Ape (1976)

A newly discovered 36-foot gorilla escapes from a freighter off the coast of Korea. At the same time an American actress is filming a movie in the country. Chaos ensues as the ape kidnaps her and rampages through Seoul.

Director:

Paul Leder

Writers:

Paul Leder, Reuben Leder

Stars:

Rod Arrants, Joanna Kerns, Alex Nicol

Cast

Cast overview:
Rod Arrants	...	Tom Rose
Joanna Kerns	...	Marilyn Baker (as Joanna DeVarona)
Alex Nicol	...	Col. Davis
Nak-hun Lee	...	Capt. Kim (as Lee Nak Hoon)
Yeon-jeong Woo	...	Mrs. Kim (as Woo Yun Jung)
Jerry Harke	...	Lt. Smith
Larry Chandler	...	First Mate
Walt Myers	...	Seaman
J.J. Gould	...	Soldier in Jeep
Charles Johnson	...	American Tourist
Paul Leder	...	Dino
Choi Sung Kwan	...	Film Producer
Bob Kurcz	...	American Actor
Jules Levey	...	Reporter

Storyline

A newly discovered 36-foot gorilla escapes from a freighter off the coast of Korea. At the same time an American actress is filming a movie in the country. Chaos ensues as the ape kidnaps her and rampages through Seoul.

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Plot Keywords:

korea | actress | gorilla | south korea | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

Ten Tons of Animal Fury Leaps from the Screen

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

South Korea USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

A*P*E

Filming Locations:

Seoul, South Korea

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kukje Movies, Lee Ming Film Co.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The filmmakers hoped to cash in on Dino De Laurentiis 1976 remake of King Kong. That film turned out to be a bust, and "Ape" was an even bigger disaster.

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Goofs

In one of the first scenes, two characters driving through Seoul see the Korean World Trade Center, the "North Gate," and the president's mansion. The landmarks are several miles apart, in different parts of Seoul. Considering the short span of time and what appears to be a straight route, the characters wouldn't have time to see all three landmarks.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Tom Rose: He was just too big for a small world like ours.

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Connections

References King Kong (1933)

User Reviews

Not great even for a 'bad' film

Nowhere near as good as "Mighty Peking Man" as far as King Kong rip-offs, "Ape" is good to look at just to see the fair miniatures and little else. The best "bad" hilarious movies are those that never intended to be that; in "Ape", the Ape gets mad gives the finger in one scene, obviously in a deliberate attempt for laughs, which in turn, makes it pretty unfunny.

The sound effects are BAD, there's a decent 'bad' fight with a giant shark which couldn't look much more fake if they tried, plus the Ape trashes a few buildings. If you are a giant monster film fan, this probably won't get more than a few viewings in your entire lifetime but it's good to watch and take off your list of films to see, plus to examine how badly this one was made. All in all, some fun, but pretty bad.