Monkey Shines (1988)
Directed by George A. Romero
George A. Romero, the master of the zombie movie made numerous horror movies that didn’t involve zombies, I know it is surprising! The idea of intelligent animals being used as slaves or servants isn’t something new but with Romero’s name attached it is definitely intriguing. I have seen this before, but this was a revisit after many many years.
The movie is about a man named Allan, a track star that is hit by a car and paralyzed from the neck down. Allan gets set up with a wheel chair he controls with his mouth and voice command lights & drapes. At the same time Allan’s friend Geoffrey has been doing experiments on capuchin monkeys in his lab. Geoffrey has been injecting them with a serum made from human brain matter. The serum makes the monkeys more intelligent. Number 6 aka Ella is Geoffrey’s smartest monkey and as a gift he gives Ella to Allan to help him around the house and give him companionship. Soon after Allan and Ella form a bond and even begin sharing experiences through the eyes of Ella. The beautiful friendship becomes a nightmare when Ella begins polluting Allan’s thoughts and carrying out terrible deeds. Is Ella evil or is it all just Monkey Business? (SLIPPIN ON THE TRAAAAAAAAACK! Sorry random Skid Row moment)
The acting is pretty damn good. Allan is played by Jason Beghe and you feel for him initially. Soon Allan begins to be a real asshole and very vengeful which is reflected by Ella. Ella, my god Ella, what an amazing monkey, she is played by Boo a highly trained capuchin monkey. This monkey is great that’s all I can say lol. Geoffrey is played by John Pankow and man is he a sleazy dude. You just get an unsettling feeling from him, right off the bat. Allan’s love interest Melanie is played by Kate McNeil, she’s sweet and kind of innocent with a smart-ass wit that is enjoyable. The dialogue is great, even between Allan and Ella. Allan becomes such a dick that the things he says are just comical they’re so evil.
The special effects are really kind of minimal, this movie really doesn’t need anything over the top. The monkey is real, no need for CGI or puppets. There are many POV shots from Ella’s perspective and that is really cool. You see her running through the woods, around cars and down streets. It really gets you sucked in and you become connected with the film. The suspense really ramps up with the POV shots and the situations towards the end. I won’t ruin the ending at all, it is really great and gripping.
I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. The acting is great, the dialogue is great, the cinematography is above average and the acting by the monkey is beyond words. With Allan seeming so helpless it really ramps up the suspense and makes you feel helpless as well. I can’t believe this doesn’t get more attention like Romero’s zombie movies. It is well written and really entertaining. I give this movie an A-. As great as it is, I feel like it is one of those movies you have to be in the mood to watch, which isn’t always a bad thing.
