Monkey Shines (1988)

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers (WGA):

Michael Stewart (novel)
George A. Romero (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 July 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil...

Plot:

A quadriplegic man has a trained monkey help him with his paralysis, until the little monkey begins to develop feelings, and rage, against its new master.

Plot Keywords:

Simian Fiction | Monkey Actor | Quadriplegic | Wheelchair | Murder

Awards:

7 wins

Cast

Jason Beghe	...	Allan Mann
John Pankow	...	Geoffrey Fisher
Kate McNeil	...	Melanie Parker
Joyce Van Patten	...	Dorothy Mann
Christine Forrest	...	Maryanne Hodges
Stephen Root	...	Dean Burbage
Stanley Tucci	...	Dr. John Wiseman
Boo	...	Ella
Janine Turner	...	Linda Aikman
William Newman	...	Doc Williams
Tudi Wiggins	...	Esther Fry
Tom Quinn	...	Charlie Cunningham
Chuck Baker	...	Ambulance Driver
Patricia Tallman	...	Party Guest
David Early	...	Anesthetist

Also Known As:

Ella
Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear (USA) (promotional title)
Affe im Menschen, Der (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Atracción diabólica (Spain) [es]
Comando Assassino (Brazil) (video title) [pt]
Experiment i skräck, Ett (Sweden) [sv]
Incidents de parcours (France) [fr]
Instinto Fatal (Brazil) [pt]
Malpia intryga (Poland) [pl]
Monerías diabólicas (Argentina) [es]
Monkey Shines: esperimento nel terrore (Italy) [it]
Vihan lähettiläs (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

113 min | West Germany:105 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Carnegie Mellon University - 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Quotes:

Maryanne Hodges: You killed my Bogey!
Dorothy Mann: Maryanne, I think you're confused.
Maryanne Hodges: Not with his hands. He had his little demon do it for him.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Malcolm in the Middle: Monkey (#3.22)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

THERE'LL BE ANOTHER SPRING

Nice try

"Monkey Shines" is an honorable effort that doesn't quite work. It deserves credit for originality, but falls short of the mark.

The concept is interesting, but the execution leaves much to be desired. A paralyzed man's life is made easier with the help of Ellie, a monkey trained to help disabled people get by with their daily lives. However, she used to be a lab animal who has had human brain cells injected in experiments. A bond forms between the two, and she acts out his violent desires.

The final act does a good job in delivering the goods, but the film takes too long to get going, diluting the overall effect. In fact, at times one almost forgets it's supposed to be a horror movie. When it gets going, it works, although the very ending is a bit much.

I'm still not sure the sci-fi gimmick was necessary. Surely they could have done pretty much the same things without it? Something more supernaturally orientated perhaps? Still, I admired Romero's willingness to take chances and try his hand at a more subdued thriller. Jason Beghe does a credible job in the role, and we are offered a rare glance at the frustrations of the disabled. A tighter film would have better achieved the director's goals.

**1/2 (out of ****)

An Orion Pictures release