Cult-favourite actor Michael Gough turns in a memorably demented performance in this larger-than-life fantasy B-movie which takes a skewed look at the King Kong story, transposing the action from New York to London. Shot at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated, Konga was among the first of the ‘mega monster’ movies to be made in colour and is featured here in a brand-new transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Original theatrical trailer Image gallery Press material PDFs
Another film where the music is better then anything else, except MICHAEL GOUGH, score by GERARD SCHURMANN.By the was I believe at one time they were going to call it I WAS A TEENAGE APE OR GORILLA.since Herman hit it big with I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN AND I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF.
I saw KONGA in the theater when I was in elementary school----even at that age among all the worst B movies such as ATTACK OF THE FIFTY FOOT WOMAN and TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE, KONGA was cheap crap.
Well this is what happens when American's go overseas and get involved with films in other countries. I hate to say this but most of the time the films that are the worst ones in Europe had American interest. When the Europeans do their own movies they are usually better. It is a touchy subject but I have believed this for decades.
Well this is what happens when American's go overseas and get involved with films in other countries. I hate to say this but most of the time the films that are the worst ones in Europe had American interest. When the Europeans do their own movies they are usually better. It is a touchy subject but I have believed this for decades.
So why the great enthusiasm on another thread for GORGO? Quality wise there's little to choose between them. I think our opinions of films are based on the age when we saw them. I saw KONGA on first release when I was 14 and loved it. Nowadays I realise how bad it is but I can still enjoy it thanks to Michael Gough's performance. I didn't see GORGO until I was an adult and thought it tedious nonsense, badly made and almost unwatchable.
wow Doug, I saw both films first run in theaters and thought KONGA blew chunks even then, but loved GORGO (to this day) because it has a happy ending for the creatures.(plus a wonderful score and decent enough effects compared to the ratty gorilla suit of KONGA, comparable to anything Toho has done).
When you give growth serum to a chimp....you should wind up with a giant chimp, not the 3 STOOGES gorilla costume.
TO DOUG- When you said unwatchable about GORGO , sadly the prints through the years on this film has been very bad, Some prints almost looks like the film was made in B/W. really a shame.
I saw both KONGA and GORGO during their original theatrical releases, and thought GORGO a swell film, and KONGA, a piece of crap. As an adult, I feel exactly the same way. I always like Michael Gough, though.
One of the many interesting thoughts over the years on what could have been. I wonder how the film would have turned out with VINCENT PRICE in the lead of Horrors of the black museum, predecessor to DR PHIBES perhaps.
The review says the original 1.66:1 aspect ratio is adhered to. The box says 1.66:1 but the disc actually displays the film in 1.75:1 (judging from measurements on my LED screen - there are very narrrow black borders left and right of the screen), which was the correct ratio for British films in 1961. The 1.66:1 ratio was common from 1953 to 1955 but by mid-1955 1.75:1 became the standard - as detailed in Bob Furmanek's 3-D Film Archive: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/home/widescreen-documentation
