CONGO (1995) Retrospective/Review

[@luisguzman3657]

Bruce Campbell talked about how he shot all of his scenes in the first week and asked if he could be sent home. They said he had to stick around in case of pickups…for a character that was already dead. So he spent 4 weeks vacationing/shooting golf with Tim Curry and Ernie Hudson all on the productions dime.

[@JP47471]

LOL

[@simcard027]

nice work if you can get it

[@kurtdewittphoto]

LOL That's hilarious. No wonder movies cost so much.

[@DeusExCanis]

I hate golf, but I would have taken it up to join that group for a few rounds. Approximately 25% of all human charm on one golf course.

[@missmeaghanj2482]

Living the dream.

[@christophergolias3610]

This is an absolutely ridiculous movie and I love every second of it!

[@flee4urlives]

me too

[@morbius_of_krell]

At least it isn't woke. In fact the Karen character is heroic, sympathetic, and likeable... just in a shoddy movie.

[@thing1thing2themediamaniac43]

I actually take CONGO VERY SERIOUSLY as an Action Adventure film with strong Creature Horror Feature Elements. That's not to say that Tim Curry, Ernie Hudson, Delroy Lindo, Joe Don Baker and Joe Pantoliano who TRAGICALLY went uncredited aren't entertaining, because they are. But I take The Albino Killer Gorillas VERY SERIOUSLY

[@TheGillenium]

Hercuma Hemulca!

[@pf6797]

Laser Apes 😅

[@dbensdrawinvids8390]

I often describe Congo to my friends as a B-movie with an A-list budget. The talent that went into the movie is immense, but the result never manages to raise above a late-night guilty pleasure.

[@shanester1832]

Adventure, colorful characters, lost city, mutant killer apes, talking apes, volcano, it's great! One of those movies i had no idea there was so much negativity for before the internet.

[@Cam-pe3nd]

I guess it's goofy now in retrospect, but as a kid, this was incredibly atmospheric and scary. It has a weird magic to it.

[@mrmoralman1]

I just remember the laser killing scene - otherwise it's awful

[@tajcee]

The amount of times my brothers and I watched this on VHS back in the day is ridiculous. “Have some coffee and cake… HAVE SOME!”

[@benphillips9973]

Stop. Eatin'. Mah Seasame CAKE!

[@artmpowers]

I always got a kick when he stapled the paper bag after getting the $$. Lol “more….”

[@stevie1107]

@@artmpowers don’t want anybody peeking!

[@EDPDBZ89]

"Liar Liar pants on fire".

[@jeremystoeckel9903]

This film, Sphere, Timeline, 13th Warrior...so much potential in all those adaptions that just weren't executed nearly as well as Jurassic Park.

[@basquat76]

All original unique films so it's a real shame they all turned out bad.

[@creekandseminole]

​@@basquat76I really like the 13th Warrior. Cool premise

[@coconut8192]

Sphere is one of my favourite books off all time. The movie is one of the worst adaptions of all time. Completely butchered the story, especially the final 30 minutes. Terrible!

[@ZachAttackIsBack]

Wait a few more years and you'll likely see Hollywood give these ideas another shot.

[@TheJRP2010]

2 things: 1. I actually finished reading the book this year and I liked it! 2. This film has one of the best teaser trailers ever!

[@Rajalord27]

The biggest disappointment from this is after Ernie showed what he can do they didn't give him more tent pole opportunities

[@edwardiii8409]

Man had so much style

[@J.S.3259]

Laura Linney slicing gorillas with a laser is a gorgeous sight

[@adampoll4977]

Ernie Hudson completely ROCKED in this movie, both suave and shady at the same time. "Lightweight"... my a%se ;)

[@TheGillenium]

Hurcuma Hamulca!

[@JoJoJoker]

Congo was constantly being shown on cable when I was a teen. It’s a forgotten gem.

[@DaveVoyles]

I had one of those illegal cable boxes in 1995, and this was one of the movies which was constantly on, along with Mortal Kombat, The Net, and Die Hard 3

[@JoJoJoker]

@@DaveVoyles The Net, another regular now mostly forgotten to time! A similar plot to Enemy of the State with Will Smith.

[@RUOK2000]

On Cinemax? Damn yes I remember

[@andrewhosfeld]

Delroy Lindo & Ernie Hudson characters deserved their own movies. “I can feel the money hairs on the back of my neck going "WOO-WOO-WOO".” -Eddie Ventro Congo lost their Razzie awards to Show Girls. Yet both films are 1000% better than most of the nonsense today. More entertaining and funnier. "The show is called Goddess, it ain't called classes.”-Tony Moss, Show Girls

[@darwinwins]

i still quote the money hairs lines to this day. like that is a goddamn ingrained quote that rises above all other movie quotes.

[@CowabungaWo101]

Swapping Dylan Walsh and Bruce Campbell’s roles would have done so much to help this movie it’s ridiculous.

[@Noname15514]

I'm guessing Katleen Kennedy had something to do with killing off Bruce Campbell's character towards the beginning of the movie.

[@DandA604]

@@Noname15514Showing her brilliance even back then. s/

[@Yambaonline]

Def not Dylan was a great scientist

[@JP47471]

Walsh had good chemistry with Linney tho, so I disagree

[@CowabungaWo101]

@@JP47471 Agree to disagree. I think Walsh is very stilted and flat in his performance.

[@Fuuntag]

Whenever I watch this I’m reminded that while Bruce Campbell IS still nowadays an amazing human with a great acting legacy he could have been so huge if he had been dealt a different hand by the industry.

[@garinsparks7041]

I ONLY watched this BECAUSE, of Bruce Campbell

[@jekw23]

Don’t remind me. Whenever I watch his 80s films I always ask myself why he didn’t make it bigger. Seemed like it would be a sure thing….I’m still glad for what we have.

[@Madkalibyr]

I love him so much! He’s just the man. Grew up watching his movies and there’s something really comforting about that :p

[@tchoupitoulos]

@@jekw23 Look up the movie Crimewave, a production disaster that could have sunk a number of today's familiar talents before anyone had ever heard of them.

[@pho3nixinflight]

I was obsessed with this movie as a kid. I still have the old blockbuster box that you could get. No idea why but it’s in a closet at my Gmom’s house and has been there for nearly 30 years. For whatever reason I also spray painted my bike and put the word Congo on it with stick on letters. I thought the word was so cool. Man to be a kid again.

[@charylliss1721]

Tim Curry is so talented it's not hard for him to outshine other actors. One of my favorites Long John Silver, Muppet Treasure Island.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Yep and it's also worth considering how strong some of the other Crichton adaptations were.

[@discostu333]

Saw this in the cinema when I was a kid. Great fun, didn't realise it got so much hate.

[@edwardiii8409]

The movie didn't open during many KZbin reviewer's childhood.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I'm pretty sure I saw it in the theater, but that was quite a while ago. I really don't understand why it's so unloved as it was a fun movie with some great actors and acceptable CGI. I even had the PC game.

[@shadowleon659]

A criminally underrated and underappreciated film. I never understood the hate for it.

[@tomsenior7405]

It is because the film is really, really naff. I hope you found this helpful.

[@shadowleon659]

@@donovanchilton5817 I will one of these days. But a film doesn't always have to be 100% faithful to be good.

[@johnmellor932]

Well Oliver Harper just told you why.

[@flyguy7825]

@@donovanchilton5817I agree the book is probably better than the movie but this adaptation really isn’t that bad

[@blakeharris58]

If you read most books you’ll hate the movies. Being honest this book was very different from the movie, while Jurassic Park the movie was more of a truncated version of the book.

[@squeeeb]

The book is incredible but I do love this movie...a guilty pleasure of mine. The scene with Delroy Lindo is gold!

[@scipioafricanus5871]

"Mr. Homolka, stop eating me sesame cake. STOP EATING ME SESAME CAKE!!!!"

[@juiciness]

3 minutes into the video I see Tim Curry and Bruce Campbell and I pause. Went to watch the entire movie, than came back. Another great video, Oliver.

[@davefuller84]

There’s something charmingly wholesome about Tim Curry’s portrayal of Homolka getting over the top excited when speaking about the Lost City of Zijn

[@Mrkriner]

I absolutely love every second of this movie.

[@KTKZon58]

"Where'd you guys go???" "We ran...." 🤣🤣🤣 My mom took me to see Congo that summer, Independence Day in 96, and Lost World in 97. That run is what made me love film. RIP Mom, and Thank You🙏🏿

[@RealBradMiller]

🫂

[@KesselRunner606]

*STOP! EATING! MY SESAME CAKE!*

[@osurpless]

“This is the crazy world we live in. Ok, you can go…” Always fun to see Lindo channel amusing dialogue like what a more established character would revisit in The Core: “Say it with me. I don’t know…”

[@Rschr101]

Best part😂

[@MarcusJGrey]

I love this movie. I used to go to the cinema as a kid, buy some benign kids movie ticket that I had no interest in, only to sneak out once the pre-film ads were on and into the movies I intended to watch. Usually horror or 18+ movies I was too young for, this was 1 of the movies I did that with and did another 3 times after because I enjoyed it so much. Think I was 9/10 years old at the time when this movie came out.

[@cliffbeavers6158]

Props for covering this movie. I forgot how much I don't hate it. I think it's kinda fun. Hudson and Curry truly are the mvp players.

[@weps8983]

Really shocked to see you haven't done a retro on Anaconda 😮 Love your stuff 🤟

[@Madkalibyr]

I watched this so many times on VHS, it was one of my moms very favorites.. I haven’t watched it it years . Thank you for the video ❤

[@Replicaate]

For me this movie's a great example of ridiculous cheesy fun in that "more modern rework of a 30's adventure film genre", way like Indiana Jones The Mummy - I was always surprised that it was considered Terrible and bombed so bad. Thank you as ever for this retrospective! Fun fact, there was a huge poster for this movie at the art college I went to in one hall as some graduates from said school had worked on it, next to the likes of Lilo&Stitch, The Prince of Egypt, Jurassic Park+The Lost World, and a boatload of various Pixar productions.

[@JL3001]

An absolutely schlocky flick that is ripe for rediscovery and more reviews on KZbin. Always enjoyed this one, especially Ernie Hudson and Tim Curry's performances.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

It's a fun movie. And I think that's pretty much all they intended to get out of it. It's fine, not everything can be a great piece of cinema, we do need movies that are just successful in being fun to watch.

[@brick6347]

I love this film... I know it's got a few flaws, but it's fun. And "stop eating my sesame cake!" is one of the most memeworthy lines of any film in history!

[@trumble7766]

I saw this when I was about 8 and haven't really cared to re-visit it, but whenever my wife tells me something has sesame seeds I quote the line, that part was burned into my brain.

[@PondoSinatra680]

To this day, I quote this whenever someone tries to touch my food. No one has any idea what I’m talking about.

[@nfchance76]

There's another line where Ernie Hudson tells the doctor " relax you're in better hands than you should be" is such a great moment. All of the actors really make it work, you could really see in his face how in over his head he really is.

[@SalaciousBCrumb-md3lk]

"A few flaws" 😂😂😂

[@omaruk1979]

I love Congo, the grey apes are so creepy. Also the lava at the end is brilliantly done.

[@gokaury]

"Congo!" This one's for you Tom. Bruce Campbell never disappoints with his overacting cheesiness. Michael Crichton has been and always will be my favorite author. Never once during any of his novels was I never engrossed in the story. RIP, he will always be missed.

[@mathiaspodlovics6306]

I remember the fff-screening '95 in Munich, germany, european premiere and Mr. Marshall was there in person, talking about the cheering Bruce Campbell got for his first appearance :) still have his autograph in the program-journal, Saturday, 29.07.95/18:15/surprise screening. It was a good year, God's army (Prophecy), Species, Hideaway, ...

[@apollo4657]

Your retrospectives are so good, man! Thank you 🙏🏻

[@lilpenny1982]

I agree 100%

[@Peer165]

I always found the atmosphare to be really eerie.

[@thermonuclearcollider4418]

The first encounter with the grey ones was positively scary. Something nobody says is that the movie is creepier than the novel, which was a major disappointment when I finally read it: I was expecting it to be like "Jurassic Park" (the book), but instead it was rather boring. It was more concerned with detailing the tech used to zap a satellite video signal than anything else...unfortunately, unlike genetic engineering, telecommunications tech made titanic leaps since 1978. I read the book in 2009, before everyone could stream a video with their smartphones almost anywhere in the world, and it already felt uber-dated. Now it just feels ridiculous. I understand that the idea of somebody sending a live feed from the jungle was very cool back then (it partially inspired the Italian exploitation film "Cut & Run"), but, yeah, I think the book should've had more killer apes attacks and less technical jargon destined to be obsolete pretty soon.

[@09daniscool]

My brother and I had some friends over when we were kids. Congo was showing on HBO while there was a nice summertime thunderstorm rolling in outside. Good times.

[@azforu29]

Holy hell dude. You made that Street Fighter doc at the beginning here? You should be proud, especially getting all those high profile contributions.

[@TheDarkHour684]

I was a backer, and it's worth buying. Quality content if you're at all interested in the subject!

[@AbsolutTBomb]

Saw this in theater when it came out. Still holds up.

[@AbsolutTBomb]

STOP EATING MY SESEME CAKE!

[@WanderlustZero]

Best scene. Delroy stole the show there

[@ScarFace5566]

@@AbsolutTBombWho is Kafka?!? Tell ME!!!

[@burresseffects]

Laura Linney was wildly miscast but every side character is so well cast that they almost save the movie.

[@madthing5738]

Fun fact about the lava in the film, a lot of people deride the effects for being too quick and fluid, as well as too Hollywood, but in actuality, the Congo is the only place in the world where lava can move that quickly because of it's consistency.

[@insertcolorfulmetaphor8520]

The new logo done in the style of the Canon Films logo?! THAT IS AWESOME! Those intro music tones and logo both speak to my inner latch key/1980's kid soul.

[@callumbus7690]

Fantastic video as always mate, I love this film one of my childhood favourites so means alot to me, 10/10 video

[@Ironsocks12]

I remember seeing this film in the theaters, I loved it then and still love it now. It such an underrated film. STOP EATING MY SESEME CAKE !!!🤣🤣

[@ViktorKruger99]

NOW just imagine if they actually had Bruce as the lead

[@CowabungaWo101]

I know damn well that man would sell the relationship with Amy way better than Walsh does. It’s the heart of the movie, maybe hire the guy who has experience working with special effects and not the guy who delivers every line with the same inflection while he talks to a dwarf in a monkey costume.

[@Marveryn]

i am just thinking of tim and bruce in the same scene

[@orinjayce]

"That gorilla knows where it is... SPACE!"

[@Kantami]

highly underrated movie in my opinion, we need more movies like Congo nowadays.

[@Cousin_Uli]

Before Sam Jackson and John Goodman should have just been the leads of Kong Skull Island, it was Ernie Hudson and Tim Curry shattering their spines carrying Congo.

[@garygallo]

I had a lot of toys as a kid around '96. This video makes me so nostalgic. Thank you Oliver.

[@FansFAX]

If you go for any food of mine, I say “STOP EATING MY SEASAME CAKE”

[@chrisvelazquez6933]

Ernie Hudson has the best line ever in ghostbusters. “ that’s a big fuckin Twinkie”

[@rushmore3927]

This IMO set the bar for "So bad, it's good".

[@DanielKutz]

Great reviews Oliver! Speaking of missed opportunity- I saw last night Cutthroat Island, be great to see an in depth on thhat one:)

[@travisbickle1601]

Always loved this movie.

[@skulltown3131]

This is so hilarious I loved Congo as a kid. It was kinda hard to find online for a small amount of time and theres not a whole lot of videos on it! Good stuff

[@kamandi1362]

I really like this film. Had they made this a few years earlier, they’d have probably cast Steve Guttenburg as the lead, which would’ve been brilliant.

[@spencerhering8684]

I love this movie. Though I do wish they would make a R rated Congo movie that is more true to the original novel

[@Jay-O_Carlow]

I Loved this movie as a Kid , I was only 9 or 10 but brings back some amazing memories I Remember that summer well Alanis Morissette brought out her first big album , That was played non stop in the car & on the radio This really does bring me back , I loved this as a kid and 100% its a guilty pleasure of mine. Oliver Killed it as always The new opening credit's are Amazing , The O & R tReally look like an early 90's Production company like the Carolco Company for T-2 Judgment day or the Orion company. So happy he is getting the credit he has done Truly Amazing work for well over a decade now. Thanks Oliver this was ACE!

[@gamertechkid1490]

What an absolute treat. 30 minutes of Oliver's work. Best content on KZbin by far.

[@milosmisic89]

For my entire life Tim Curry's "the city of ZinJ!" line lives in my mind

[@shammy8703]

f... you put it back into my head now.... that accent and acting was ridiculous hahaha

[@TarawaS2000]

I've always liked this film. I still don't mind it. And I will occasionally drop a "stop eating my sesame cake."

[@Padre_diego_longoose]

OMG YEEEEEESSSS TWO THINGS I LOVE, OLIVER HARPER RETROSPECTIVE AND CONGO!!!!!!

[@petermorrissey8497]

The book is fantastic.

[@simcard027]

i remember watching this movie when it first came out and liking it i finally managed to buy a second hand dvd of it about a month ago and it was great to revisit, especially seeing bruce campbell this movie also gets a great reference in a freakazoid episode which is another classic

[@TheWokeWarlock]

I saw Congo in theaters when it came out. I liked it at the time, and it most definitely is meant to be funny. I actually find it a strange brilliant mix of comedy, spoof, and thriller… and it worked for me. If you go in with the right expectations, or better yet, none at all, it can be a fun watch. Its dated watching it today however. At the time it was a solid film and I found it refreshing. It definitely does not have the same tone as the book. I recommend the read over the film overall.

[@be-noble3393]

Ernie Hudson, an amazing and under appreciated actor.

[@morbius_of_krell]

At an old job I sat next to this black guy and I would always bring up a sound bite on my computer of Amy saying "ugly gorilla, ugly gorilla". He would look over at me like he was going to kick my butt!

[@robertcunningham8762]

Whatever happened to the 1987 near dark retrospective/review?

[@AeroAmphibious]

I Love This Movie.

[@procow2274]

I always remember the scene from king of the hill when peggy is like oh you did read the book! When told by her family member that she was at the part with the super laser being fired at the apes. Thus confirming that the king of the hill writers never read the book as that is something that only happens in the movie.

[@rw7975]

I remember watching this when it came out on video; I was 10 in 1995 and scared the whole movie... dreading the eventual interaction with the evil guerillas. Something unique about Congo, better or worse... I appreciate you covering it.

[@vanguardian2864]

I’ve been on a huge 90s movie kick lately. I love them because they weren’t movies made for people with ADHD. Congo just happens to be a childhood favorite of mine! I am looking forward to this episode!

[@Batman88878]

STOP EATING MY SESAME CAKE!!!!! Delroy Lindo was a legend for that line! And Ernie Hudson! I grew up on this movie, watched it when it 1st came on HBO back in 1996. Jerry Goldsmith's score was really good.

[@havok2579]

I'd love to see you do a retrospective of Pitch Black or Riddick.

[@TheDarkHour684]

seconded!

[@DarrylRuiz-s1w]

Ernie Hudson and a ridiculous performance by Tim Curry make.this a fun action adventure

[@harryshuman9637]

Me: can we have a Jurassic Park? Mom: we already have a Jurassic Park at home Jurassic Park at home:

[@MrStath1986]

But does JP have sesame cake?

[@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories]

75 minutes into the film with little action...Oliver nails it. Congo had potential, as a kid in the 90s i watched several times on cable :) Thank you for this episode; it was GREAT! Good name for Congo would be "The Volcano would have destroyed it anyway" hahah

[@markcarr5142]

STOP EATING MY SESAME CAKE!!!

[@backto-il9ne]

I unapologetically love this movie.

[@DANRYX]

I am not even kidding, you and Rowan J. Coleman are my favourite reviewers of all time. You are both so concise and your formats are unique from one another but very solid in structure. Thank you for the years of content you have created and shared, I genuinely appreciate it.

[@blacknapalm2131]

15:12 *That is hilariously bad AND awesome at the same time. Kinda sums up the film actually!*

[@WhatHoSnorkers]

I saw this at the cinema and quite liked it. "Hello. I am a Romanian philanthropist". It's gloriously daft. Ernie Hudson! Delroy Lindo! Tim Curry! Bruce Campbell! Lasers! Apes! Volcanoes! I'm intrigued by the book now with footnotes and that...

[@kurtdewittphoto]

As a kid, that laser gun was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Re watching Congo years later as an adult I said, "really? that's all that was?" lol I think my imagination made the scene longer and cooler.

[@rw7975]

Haha right? I was exhilarated watching that scene as a kid, I thought those evil monkeys were terrifying lol

[@kidgruesome407]

saw it in the theatre as a child and liked it.

[@scipioafricanus5871]

STOP EATING ME SESAME CAKE!!!!

[@retrorambles517]

The special effects and the work that went it to it is really good Nowadays it would all be CGI this still holds up well toray

[@nifftbatuff676]

One of the best movies ever made.

[@chasehedges6775]

90s movies are so much better than any of the bad movies coming out in 2023 right now.

[@anubusx]

I agree with you in that one.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@anubusx 💯💯

[@blakeharris58]

That’s only because you saw them first. 😂

[@thetalentof]

Correct, this is due in part to superior screenwriting but also higher quality filmmaking in general, filming on-location or if in a studio using built sets instead of obvious green screens, shooting on 35mm instead of weightless looking digital cameras, hiring composers to create orchestral scores, using a stunt team to perform stunts in-camera so that action sequences were thrilling to watch and using practical effects (i.e. real helicopters, explosions, blood squibs, muzzle flashes, ricochet effects..etc) to make everything look real. We do still get films of this technical quality made today ('Oppenheimer,' 'Sharper,' 'Mission Impossible: Fallout,' 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' 'No Time to Die,' 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' 'A Quiet Place 2') but not as often.

[@readyforclarity]

I am pretty excited about this video. Thanks! - Hannah

[@retroworld8090]

Underrated film. Amazing visuals, soundtrack, etc...

[@anttimasa3076]

Great review Oliver! I love your videos. If its possible, could you review Men in Black someday?

[@countycullen]

great vid. love this movie. i do wish u had given mention to joe panteliano and Adewale in the side character segment. both are great actors and have good roles in this movie

[@AlwayzFresh]

I read this book when I was 14 and it scared the absolute crap out of me. It was a follow up to Jurassic Park and I was not ready for the level of violence and terror I felt reading this one.

[@justinratcliffe947]

Congo was written BEFORE Jurassic Park

[@Larry]

Do they ever explain why the grey apes have mutated in the movie?

[@DingKong]

This film is so bad it's good. Most of the cast seem to be aware of the exact type of move they're in; Ernie Hudson hits all of the right notes with his slightly over the top performance as Monroe Kelly. Joe Pantoliano and Delroy Lindo really ham it up perfectly. Tim Curry is obviously having a blast as Homolka. Laura Linney manages to sell her role convincingly even though everything is ridiculous. Love it. Now I'm off to grab a slice of SESAME CAKE!

[@Yambaonline]

Damn I’ve been waiting for this for so long

[@anubusx]

Please look at The Omen franchise.

[@shoddyworkmanship4934]

This was sold as a spiritual follow-up to Jurassic Park; the next Michael Crichton blockbuster. I was really disappointed. But I guess it has some good stuff in it. Thank you for another great video!

[@LightsaberSkillz]

When I was a kid I thought Amy was a real gorilla and I was crushed to learn the truth years later 😞

[@camschuster5947]

Yeessss!!! Been waiting forever for this!!

[@Rschr101]

Great book. Good movie. It was amazing when i was a kid. Watched it a few years ago and this movie is the defibition of not aging well.