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.

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!”

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

"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🙏🏿

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

*STOP! EATING! MY SESAME CAKE!*

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.

I absolutely love every second of this movie.

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

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

"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.

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!

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

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

I always found the atmosphare to be really eerie.

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.

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

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.

NOW just imagine if they actually had Bruce as the lead

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.

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 ❤

Laura Linney slicing gorillas with a laser is a gorgeous sight

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

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.

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 !!!🤣🤣

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, ...

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

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.

The book is fantastic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just a note. I am sad you used an F-bomb in your documentary. Your documentary's are thankfully, swear free. Which is much appreciated. I agree the film was sadly a missed opportunity. I feel with some script tweaks and today's technology the film could of been received very differently. Jumanji was made shortly after featuring the first cgi apes. If they had waited the film could have been very different. Oh dear, and that electronic voice of Amy's. Love anything with a Jerry Goldsmith score. The movie is still an entertaining romp and I love Ernie Hudson and Tim Curry in this movie. The scene were Tim Curry is ordered to "Stop eating my sesame seed cake! " always makes me smile. I have to admit, I did not recognize Dylan Walsh in the new Superman and Lois series. Great to see the actor doing so well. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your next documentary.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

Damn I’ve been waiting for this for so long

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!

I unapologetically love this movie.

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

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

Having watched many of your retrospectives now, I must ask, have you worked in editing or trailer production? Your short mood setters in the beginning and end have a great editing pace to them and sometimes, like in the case of Congo, are better than the film itself. 😊

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

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

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.

Man, I totally forgot Tim Curry was in this. It's been so long since I watched this movie.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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...

Ernie Hudson, an amazing and under appreciated actor.

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.

Very underrated film. Great cast playing memorable characters. I’d say it’s almost as good as Jurassic Park and better than the Jurassic Park sequels. It’s a fun movie that reminds me like King Solomon‘s mines from 1950, but in a 90s style.

This is one of those movies that I had recorded on my VCR from cable TV…TNT, TBS, or USA.

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!

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

Always loved this movie.

I have a vague memory of this movie when it came out. The only thing I ever got out of it was an orange "Congo" themed wrist watch from a fast food place that I kept for years, but has been lost to time. I'd love to see this revamped as an FPS hoard game like Aliens Colonial Marines was supposed to be.

Earnie Hudson is fantastic in this very B-movie.

Please look at The Omen franchise.

Ah, Congo.. the first movie I ever walked out the theatre on 🤣 Will have to try it again!

love this movie to this day!

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.

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

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

I love jungle adventure movies. Enjoyed this one.

This movie always stuck with me. The most memorable scene for me was not covered in the OP's video but it is the scene with the Hippos !! Wow this really marked me as a young man to realize some fat funny creature I thought was actually extremely dangerous in the wild. That scene in the boats + hippos woooooow. I really enjoyed this movie and come back to watch it here and then. Similar to Ghost and the darkness.

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.

Yeessss!!! Been waiting forever for this!!

This is just one of those films in the mid 90s that studios were coming out that were whacky and silly, I love this film for it's dark tones and use of CGI and creature effects and odd humour. The films around this time that were like this were, The phantom, The shadow, The Island of Dr. Moreau.

I remember it fooled a lot of people with an exciting preview.

Yoooooo! Been waiting for this one!!!!!

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

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

Gotta say that Congo was better than I expected.

Thanks for taking the time to spotlight this film. I knew you'd get to it eventually over the years, as it seems to fit into your sandbox of what you usually review. I was a kid in the 90's, and this definitely left a decent impression on me then. It scratched that Indiana Jones/Jurassic Park itch despite it's flaws which did become more apparent the older I got. I do think Laura Linney, Ernie Hudson, and Tim Curry put in quality performances with what they were given. It sucks that Amy, who is supposed to be a focal character in the narrative just really doesn't do much than act as a reason to get from point A to B. I feel like I can sympathize with the filmmakers there a bit more though, because getting an audience to connect emotionally with a gorilla in this script just seems challenging from the start. I was never bothered by actors walking around in gorilla suits for whatever reason, and honestly to this day I never even think about it when I watch the film. ILM really knocked it out of the park with their miniature work, and I loved some of the action shots that I'm guessing Frank directly supervised with his experience being involved with these type of movies. I'm especially impressed with the camerawork when the characters dive out of the plane, and always wondered how that they shot that. Can't say I've heard the entire score from Goldsmith here, but what is showcased in the movie I remember enjoying. Overall I get the complaints about the movie, but I still like to come back to it every now, and again. Maybe because I can see the potential in what this film could have been if the initial concepts just came together a bit more. Michael Crichton not being involved certainly didn't help.

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