Top 10 Movie Monster Rip Offs
#10: “Queen Kong” (1976)
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“Queen Kong” didn’t receive an initial theatrical release in its native country! This was due to threats of a lawsuit by producer Dino de Laurentiis. The same year he planned on releasing his own remake of “King Kong, “Queen Kong” prepared to roar into cinemas. The British film is a slapstick-y gender swap of the original “King Kong” with “Ray Fay” standing in for Fay Wray’s “Ann Darrow.” What makes it fun to watch is that “Queen Kong” knows how ridiculous it is. Not only does it make fun of the big ape, but it also spends time making fun of “Jaws” too.” Thanks to song numbers and a quirky sense of humor, “Queen Kong” is a parody of a classic with lots of character.
#9: “Grizzly” (1976)
While there are a bevy of “when animals attack” films out there that have tried to cash in on the success of “Jaws”, “Grizzly” may be among the very best. The film’s plot centers around a big bear slaying innocent campers in a forest that needs to be stopped. Although it has unapologetic similarities to the plot of “Jaws”, the movie definitely doesn’t feel as classy as the Spielberg original. “Grizzly” fully pushes the limits of its PG-rated violence with some fairly harrowing bear attacks, has saucy language and throws in gratuitous fanservice at a truly unexpected moment. This big and bloody ripoff film is pure B-Movie gold.
#8: “Bach Ke Zara” a.k.a. “Bollywood Evil Dead” (2008)
Not every suspiciously similar monster film is released right after the original. Over twenty-five years after Sam Raimi’s “The Evil Dead” debuted, director Salim Raza released “Bach Ke Zara” in 2008. As the title suggests, the 21st century movie also shows us what happens when an unsuspecting group unleashes dark forces in a mysterious house. The Bollywood picture surprisingly looks cheaper than the original despite being made so much later. Fortunately, the cast makes up for special effects shortcomings with campy and absolutely committed performances. Is the 2008 film better than the original? Definitely not. However, it’s just silly enough to conjure up a good time.
#7: “The Horror of Party Beach” (1964)
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What happens when you combine radioactive waste with a sunken skeleton? Apparently, you get a shameless “Creature from the Black Lagoon” ripoff. The joy of a beach party that seemed to have invited every person in a local town is shattered when a terrifying creature rises from the water. While the original Gil-Man had a few victims, its body count pales in comparison to the amount of deaths in “The Horror of Party Beach''. Not only does the rip off movie feature multiple monsters instead of just one, but each one of them takes out an astoundingly high number of people. Anyone who thought “Creature from the Black Lagoon” was too mild just might enjoy attending this bloody beach party.
#6: “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein” (1957)
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The same year American International Pictures released the somewhat original “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”, they brought the much less unique “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein” to life. If you’re familiar with the Mary Shelley classic, this movie’s plot will feel like a review. It features crooked scientists trying to build a living being by using dead materials. In order to distinguish itself from its source material, one scientist has an alligator pit. The titular monster alo gets a fresh face that makes him look like…well, a teenager. Despite having a serious lack of plot originality, the character returned for the “How to Make a Monster” crossover film. It seems like American International Pictures just couldn’t get enough of its copycat creature.
#5: “Biohazard” (1985)
There have been a LOT of sci-fi horror hybrid rip-offs of the “Alien” franchise over the years. Fred Olen Ray dipped his creative feet into that pool with 1985’s “Biohazard.” To be fair, his film offers up something different from the average “Alien” rip off by incorporating psychic powers. Actress Angelique Pettyjohn plays a woman named Lisa who gains her special abilities after taking an experimental substance. Unfortunately, officials who try to harness her abilities unintentionally unleash an alien onto the world. The creature isn’t as intimidating as Ridley Scott’s original creature mainly because it's played by the director's eight year old son. Between the cute monster and a genuinely surprising twist, “Biohazard” truly stands apart from any alternative takes on “Alien.”
4: “Çöl” a.k.a. “Turkish Jaws” (1983)
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Sometimes a ripoff like “Great White” will enjoy some financial success before it swims into legal hot water and is buried underneath the waves. (xref) However, 1983’s “Çöl”, affectionately called “Turkish Jaws”, is a completely different story. During the story, a protagonist gets left for dead in the water. One big obstacle standing in between him and safety is a notorious shark. Although this was only one scene in the film, this Turkish movie is hilariously often tied to the Spielberg shark adventure. To be fair, it does feature a sea encounter with very similar sounding “Jaws” music. It’s fascinating to see a movie that largely tried to be its own thing gain such a big reputation for being a knock off because of one scene.
#3: “Hobgoblins” (1988)
Out of all the “Gremlins” knock-offs that have been released over the years, many audiences agree that “Hobgoblins” is the absolute worst of them all. The creatures in this film have barely any personality and are scarcely believable as a menace. And unlike other ripoffs, “Hobgoblins” isn’t even that fun to watch. Honestly, it’s sort of a shame due to the interesting concept. The beasties in this movie possess the power to access and take advantage of their victims’ deepest fantasies. Unfortunately, the story barely capitalizes on this creative power. It doesn’t help that the hobgoblins look lifeless whenever they actually appear on screen. The negative audience response to the film killed any fantasies that this ripoff could measure up to the original.
#2: “The Mighty Peking Man” (1977)
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In “The Mighty Peking Man!," a man named Johnny is eager to encounter a giant ape that could lead to fame and fortune. Along the way, he meets and falls for a woman who’s basically a gender swapped Tarzan. Together, they take the big ape away from its home and towards civilization. Although a lot of those story beats are ripped directly from “King Kong”, “The Mighty Peking Man” feels like an honest effort to make a new narrative. Its engaging characters and fantastic ape suit help it stand on its own two feet. And its scenes of destruction are genuinely impressive. Famed director Quentin Tarantino was such a fan that he ensured “The Mighty Peking Man” got a re-release and more mainstream exposure.
#1: “Gamera, the Giant Monster” (1965)
The “Godzilla” imitator “Diagoro vs. Goliath” film is definitely worth the watch. (xref) However, “Gamera, the Giant Monster” was the ripoff that spawned an entire franchise. This story features a huge turtle creature that was brought back into the world thanks to an atomic bomb explosion. Although the world perceives Gamera as a threat, it had a more gentle nature than its intimidating looks would suggest. After debuting in 1965, the creature would go on to appear in a stunning 11 additional films. Admittedly, Gamera didn’t exactly reach the pop culture success that Godzilla’s enjoyed over the years. But its number of outings is still impressive. What started as an attempt to cash in on Godzilla’s fame branched out into a world of unique stories.
