Monkey Shines [DVD]

For some reason every time I see anything having to do with monkeys I think of that episode of The Simpson's where actor Troy McClure (you may remember me from such films as...) marries Homer's sister-in-law Selma in a sham wedding and then appears in a musical play titled `Stop the Planet of the Apes I want to get off!', singing the following lines...Troy: [singing] 'I hate every ape I see,From chimpan-a to chimpan-zee,No, you'll never make a monkey out of me'But I digress...Monkey Shines (1988) is a film adapted for the screen and directed by horror maven George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Martin), who, incidentally, has a new `dead' film coming out sometime in 2005 titled Land of the Dead. Starring in Monkey Shines is Jason Beghe, who I first saw on the HBO series `1st and Ten' way back in the mid 80's and has gone on to appear in such films as Maid to Order (1987), and G.I. Jane (1997) before settling into a career of forgettable TV movies. Also appearing is John Pankow (To Live and Die in L.A.), Kate McNeil (The House on Sorority Row), Joyce Van Patten (Bone, The Bad News Bears), Christine Forrest, who just happens to be married to the director, Stephen Root (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), Stanley Tucci (The Core, Shall We Dance), and Janine Turner (Cliffhanger).As the movie begins we see a young couple nekkid in the bed, and we get half a bum shot of Janine Turner which is then ruined (for me at least), by a lengthier bum shot of Beghe (for this we should have had partial breastage shot from Turner...missed opportunities...oh well). Anyway, the man, named Allan, who is quite fit, begins what appears to be his daily morning jog, only to find himself on the losing end of a face to grill meeting with a truck, thus beginning Allan's new life as a quadriplegic. Adjusting to a life of near immobility is certainly difficult (so much so for the once active Allan), and not made better by the departure of his hot girlfriend (wait to you see who she trades up to). Allan's friend Geoffrey Fisher (Pankow), who is also a medical scientist working at the university Allan attended before the accident, sees that his friend is having difficulties, and arranges for one of the Capuchin monkeys from his lab to be trained by Melanie Parker (McNeil), an expert in the field of training helper monkeys for the disabled. Thing is, Geoffrey's experimentation involves trying to increase the brain power of primates (developing the cognitive skills) by injecting them with serum partially comprised of frozen human brain shavings have not met with the level of success he was hoping for, that is until Ella (the monkey) is paired with Allan, and its discovered that the formula may have worked too well causing a mind meld of sorts between primate and human. This connection allows for a number of things, but it also unleashes some very primal instincts in Allan, ones that Ella begins acting on, and soon people begin to die...I enjoyed this film, despite my thinking it was just a tad too long. If you are expecting loads of gore based on the fact that this is a Romero film, you are going to be disappointed and should probably skip this one. It's listed as a horror/Sci-Fi film, but I think of it more as a semi-intellectual thriller. The main problem I had with the film was I didn't care for the main character in Allan...now it's understandable his initial bitterness in coping with his injury as I would think the loss of usage of nearly all ones limbs would be a real downer, but what I am talking about goes beyond that in his treatment of those around him, especially his nurse and his mother. Okay, the nurse was a slacker and complainer, but his harping on her didn't help...and his mother...she might have been a tad overbearing, but her heart seemed in the right place and her concern genuine. Neither really deserved the verbal abuse they got from Allan. Oh, wait, Allan's abusive nature stemmed from his close relationship with Ella, and the unleashing (perhaps transference) of primal furies...whatever...seemed to me Allan had more of an effect on Ella than she did on him. Ella, after her training, existed only to serve and protect Allan, obeying his every command. And something else I had a little problem with was the scientific credibility of Pankow's character. His methods certainly left something to be desired and I hardly bought off on the notion that he was some sort of acclaimed researcher on the cutting edge of brain/intelligence studies. The lack of scientific `veracity' doesn't break the film, but it could have been a little tighter...and why in the world would he donate his best test subject in such a manner? I know he and Allan were friends, but come on now...here's another question for anyone who has seen the film...why did Geoffrey take two hypodermic needles (when only one was needed) with him prior to the final confrontation? Other than it was a necessity for the plot? Perhaps the 2nd hypo was a backup, but I'd doubt it as Pankow's impulsive and erratic character wasn't they type to think in terms of safeguards and backups...anyway...this was a case for me where the supporting more or less cast carried the film, as I never felt any real connection with Beghe or his character (too jerky for me). He did well enough in the calm moments, but appeared too overwrought during the tense scenes. I think my favorite characters, besides the monkey (who was quite expressive) was played by Forrest (the nurse), Van Patten (Allan's mother), and the arrogant Dr. Wiseman (Tucci). One thing that puzzled me was the subplot with Geoffrey and his boss, Dean Burbage (Root). Was that supposed to go anywhere? Seems to me they could have cut those scenes out and saved about ten minutes or so...the real strength in the film lies in the direction as Romero does really well in setting scenes up and just creating and maintaining a general sense of suspense...the story may have been lacking in some areas, but the flow was generally strong, and the plot moved along, leading up to a dramatic finish.The picture on this DVD, available in both widescreen (1.85:1) and pan and scan, looks sharp and clear, and suffers no noticeable defects. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround audio comes through well enough, but could use a little boost. In terms of special features there really isn't much except for a short `collectable' booklet (what's so collectable about it?) and a theatrical trailer for the film. All in all I'd give this 3 ½ stars...Cookieman108By the way, it was stated no monkeys were harmed in the making of this film...it says nothing about budgies, though...and as far as the Simpson's reference I made earlier, I know the film is more akin to the episode where Homer got his own helper monkey named Mojo...

Underrated movie. Very unique story. Very entertaining.

A capuchin monkey (named Ella, supposedly after Fitzgerald) is gifted to a new quadriplegic named Allan Mann by his "mad scientist" friend Geoffrey Fisher, in order to help the unstable guy find his purpose in life again...but the little monkey is a bit too helpful, and too caring, and soon Allan realizes not only that his new condition was most likely caused by a corrupt doctor (with designs on his beautiful lady friend, Linda Aikman) but also that Ella is, for some reason, getting inside his mind and tampering with his emotions, his anger, and--finally--his own outrageous capacity for violence.Apparently director George A. Romero's original vision for the picture was tampered with by Orion Pictures, who proceeded to trim the picture and include a new ending even, robbing the filmmaker of his own ambitions to create the ultimate sequel to "Misery". Romero complains, in the wonderful documentary feature on this new Blu-Ray release, that the preview process is a "crap thing" for the filmmaking crew, because they have to put up with the studios catering to public whims by actually surveying preview audiences to get a feeling for what they do or do not like about a film. With the "Misery" connection in mind, dig that Stephen King inspired cover art on this new Blu-Ray! That image, to me, misrepresents this picture quite a bit, since "Monkey Shines" is much more of a drama picture than a true "balls out" horror film. Still, Jason Beghe gives a fascinating performance as the paralyzed Allan, and the monkey (played by a capuchin named Boo) is sensational.Finally, "Monkey Shines" has made it to an upgraded digital format that plays right into the hands of those of us who enjoy collecting these forgotten genre movie gems on home media. Scream Factory's transfer is a little grainy in places, but this helps to maintain the look of the movie as it would have been screened in the theater at the time of its original release. Overall the sound presentation is quite intense, probably more precise than the picture quality itself. But what makes this package so wonderful is the extra content. Not only is the new Red Shirt co-produced documentary about the making of the film pretty near complete, but we are also treated to the full alternate ending (prepared by Romero), an original making of featurette, and a great audio commentary by Romero himself, who opens up quite a bit about his problems with the film and its eventual distribution. Listening to an old hand like Romero speak is always a pleasure for anyone who is trying to figure out the labor half of the motion picture business and how it all works. This 1988 mad science shocker was probably a little bit too late (and maybe even too little) for audiences at the time, who probably wanted more of a conventional horror film. While Romero blames the poor ad campaign for the picture's lack of legs at the box office, I think it is more fair to say that this was simply not a film that generated any interest on its own. Genre fans were probably confused, while the general public...well, you know how they are. They wanted to watch Tom Cruise, not monkeys. Their loss, I say. Even though Romero's movie was ultimately compromised, it nonetheless goes a long way towards his redeeming his reputation for me. This is not going to be the most involving picture for some folks but that's all well and good because it wasn't made for them. While I haven't yet read Michael Stewart's source novel, I can only imagine how gripping that it is after having seen the film that was inspired by it. B+ (for the whole package)

For animal lovers it is a wonderful horror film with interesting and complex characters. It looks great on blu-ray, very rich. The violence is stylized enough so you don't worry about any animal cruelty, but is also believable enough to never pull you out. The makers of the movie went to great lengths to get some very memorable and impactful shots. There is one quick, tasteless shot of a dead cat (that was already dead) to try and get a reaction and show real weight, but other than that, the overall experience is very enjoyable. We get to see the transition of an athlete becoming a paraplegic and the effect it has on loved ones around. The mother with her overbearing but genuine love is probably the most enthralling, but the crotchety nurse also certainly gets to you. The horrific elements are able to be gone with even if they don't always make a logical sense because they make an appropriately primal sense. The more vague blends of human and animal nature make it more rewarding on repeat viewings. The companion and service monkey is very lovable and potentially terrifying. The human/animal relationship is the most complex of all, and it is fun to explore those layers.

I remember renting this George A. Romero (R.I.P.) horror film years ago. But definitely a big fan since his dead series along his career. Couldn't find this on dvd or blu ray so I bought it only for 5 bucks. The storyline is about man had an accident and a monkey his helping him but they share a horrible truth. You"ll found out soon enough. I recommend it if you're a big fan of George A. Romero dead films.

Alan Mann is an extremely fit, promising young athlete in a relationship with Linda, who he loves deeply. One morning whilst out running, a barking dog jumps out towards Alan, just as a truck is driving by. Alan is hit by the truck and wakes up in the hospital having had spinal surgery, but the surgery has left Alan quadriplegic. Upon returning home, it very quickly becomes clear that Linda is struggling with the change. When Alan is trying to read a book, it becomes a monumental effort and in a state of depression, he attempts to kill himself by suffocation. Luckily his best friend, Geoff, visits Alan and manages to stop him before he's successful, and Alan is taken to the hospital. Geoff bumps into Linda at the hospital and realises that she couldn't possibly know about Alan yet, she's begun an affair with the very same surgeon that saved Alan's life. Alan now back at home and completely dependant on his overbearing mother and a nurse she's brought in, Geoff who works in a lab dealing in experiments on animals, decides that one of his capuchin monkeys could be of great help to Alan. Geoff takes the monkey to a capuchin trainer called Melanie, who agrees to train the monkey that she calls Ella. When Ella is taken to Alan's home, she and Alan quickly strike up a strong bond. As weeks pass and Alan and Ella become closer, she becomes more than a help, she becomes his friend, his confidante. Being a George A. Romero film, events soon take a sinister turn. Geoff has been injecting Ella with human brain tissue attempting to make her smarter, but Ella seems to become a telepathic receptacle for Alan's anger at his friends and family who he believes have betrayed him, meanwhile Alan and Melanie begin a tentative relationship. When Alan is informed that his condition may be reversible, Ella's protectiveness turns to savage jealousy.Jason Beghe is an excellent lead as Alan, he really manages to get across his anger and frustration at being quadriplegic. He goes through joy, anger, embarrassment, love, and handles them all fantastically, I'm really surprised he hasn't become much better known. John Pankow, Kate McNeil, Joyce Van Patten, Christine Forrest and Janine Turner are all good as his friends and family. Stephen Root and Stanley Tucci are really good in their small roles, Root plays Geoff's cold and cruel boss and Tucci plays the slimy, smarmy surgeon that "steals" Alan's girlfriend. The capuchin monkeys that played Ella have to be mentioned, it's an extraordinary performance and a lot of credit has to go to the animal trainers. Monkey Shines was George A. Romero's first studio film, if rumour is to be believed, the studio were in financial difficulties at the time and re-cut the film against Romero's wishes. The film flopped spectacularly at the box office, and apart from The Dark Half and Land of the Dead, he appears to have gone back to independent films which he has complete control over. Romero is most widely known for his zombie films and rightly so, Night, Dawn and Day of the Dead are still three of the best zombie films ever made. His other films are worth a look though, Martin is a superb film concerning a young man who may be mental or a vampire, The Crazies is an excellent look at how the military handle a town that's been over taken by a manmade combat virus. Creepshow is one of my favourite horror films of all time, and Monkey Shines is much better than the recent zombie films he's directed. It's the sort of film that could have been awful if it wasn't for Romero's masterful direction, I love the scenes where Ella leaves the house and we see through her eyes.The DVD isn't all that good, the picture quality and sound is fine but there's a distinct lack of extras. George A. Romero has done a commentary on some of his films, but I assume his annoyance at having the film re-cut may have been the reason he doesn't do one here, it didn't stop him later making The Dark Half for the same company. Orion who fought bankruptcy for several years were finally bought by MGM in 1998, the Tom Berenger film One Man's Hero was the last film Orion released. A commentary or especially a making of would have been very welcome. There's the choice to watch the film dubbed in German, French, Spanish or Polish. There's French, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese and Greek subtitles.If you want to watch a George A. Romero film that doesn't have zombies in it, then Monkey Shines is as good a place as any to start. At nearly an hour and fifty minutes long, some people will find parts of the film slow and boring, I found the acting and directing was more than good enough to carry the film through those moments. It isn't really scary at all, but it does build up a decent amount of suspense and tension towards the end. There's some genuinely funny moments in the film, like when Ella raises her hand to answer a question when Alan is in a lecture. It does suffer from a sugary sweet happy ending that seems out of place for Romero, quite possibly one of the changes the studio made. If you're after a Romero zombie film then I'd suggest staying away from this, Monkey Shines is a very different film and shows that Romero isn't all about zombies. It also has the worst fake beard in the history of film which gives it a certain charm, and an Alien homage which is one of the better one's I've seen. Not a perfect film by any means, but it's a really fun ride and worth seeing purely for the monkeys alone.

*Spoiler Free*This film is not your typical George A. Romero film, 'The King of the Zombies' delivers something closer to science fiction or an interesting twilight zone episode but I mean that as a compliment. Interesting and thought provoking it reminded me of the early scenes of the recent 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' exploring the connection formed between man and ape and the animals kindness before showing the more violent side of the species. Where Rise of the Apes required state of the art technology for it's monkey magic, this films real life monkey Ella is amazing and is the real star of the film. Although the film possibly switches to a fake monkey for some of the shots the use of this extremely talented real monkey creates so much empathy (and later fear) for the character that the greatest CGI would find hard to replicate.The great maestro of special effects Tom Savini is on duties here but feels a little wasted as this is closer to science fiction thriller than horror and is not particularly gory. However Savini gets to show why he is the master of practical special effects in the final scare that is so great that its worth buying the DVD just for it.As stated in a different review, picture and sound quality are pretty good but a lack of special features is disappointing.This is a three star movie in most respects but great performances (especially from the monkey) and an interesting idea bump it up to four stars and well worth a watch in my book.

This film is a true classic,i did expect this to be a great film due to being G.A.ROMERO but i must say it was better than i expected it to be thats for sure.Very clever monkey & great overall film & sad at the same time.I did expect more horror & gore as it does take a while to get there,but i feel the work up was justified due to the material & base story line. WELL DONE ROMERO. ;-)BUY IT NOW IF YOUR A FAN OF G.A.ROMERO LIKE ME. GREAT FILM. :-)

Brilliant underated film from George Romero. Intelligent and nasty so pick up this blu.

Just wanted to list the special features that will be on the blu-ray that Scream/Shout! Factory will be releasing on November 18th, 2014.Bonus Features--NEW Audio Commentary With Writer/Director George A. Romero--NEW An Experiment In Fear - The Making Of "Monkey Shines" - An All-New Retrospective With George A. Romero, Stars Jason Beghe And Katie McNeil, Executive Producer Peter Grunwald, Special Make-Up Effects Creator Tom Savini And More!--Alternate Ending--Deleted Scenes--Behind-the-Scenes Footage--Vintage "Making of MONKEY SHINES" plus additional interview clips--Theatrical Trailers--TV Spot--Still Gallery***UPDATE***After finally watching the film, the video and audio are pretty good. The print is in pretty good shape. You'll see the odd dirt flecks here and there, but nothing very distracting. Black levels and colours are fine. Detail was OK, but didn't have as much definition as I thought it would have. It's a bit on the softer side, but for what it is, it's not bad. It's still better than the DVD at least. Audio quality was generally fine. Didn't notice anything wrong with it. Dialogue is clear. Sound effects and musical score sound good.Overall, it's a pretty good release from Shout!/Scream Factory. I'm satisfied with the picture and audio quality, and the bonus features are excellent.This release has both 5.1 and 2.0 English DTS HD-MA tracks. English subtitles as well.