This lesser-known movie directed by George A. "Night of the Living Dead" Romero is an enjoyable slice of pure '80s cheese.
Athlete Allan Mann (Jason Beghe in the worst fake beard you will have ever seen) is hit by a truck and becomes a bitter quadriplegic.
He signs up for an experimental arrangement in which he is provided a monkey helper that has had its intelligence artificially boosted.
After a while, Allan seems to psychically bond with the monkey, which begins to act out on its master's fits of rage and murderous revenge.
Then, the monkey turns on him.
Romero's movies have traditionally been more straight-up gore-fests than tension-building mysteries like this, which is crammed with terror and suspense.
I'm not sure which of the two filmmakers I'm honoring or insulting more by calling "Monkey Shines" downright Hitchkockian.
And since it was released in 1988, you can expect a synthesized score, big hair, and a muddy, low-budget film grain that makes the movie appear to be shot through gauze (but in a good way).
Sometimes unintentionally funny, other times pee-your-pants shocking, "Monkey Shines" is definitely worth your while, and is celluloid gold for '80s movie fans and Romero completists.
Athlete Allan Mann (Jason Beghe in the worst fake beard you will have ever seen) is hit by a truck and becomes a bitter quadriplegic.
He signs up for an experimental arrangement in which he is provided a monkey helper that has had its intelligence artificially boosted.
After a while, Allan seems to psychically bond with the monkey, which begins to act out on its master's fits of rage and murderous revenge.
Then, the monkey turns on him.
Romero's movies have traditionally been more straight-up gore-fests than tension-building mysteries like this, which is crammed with terror and suspense.
I'm not sure which of the two filmmakers I'm honoring or insulting more by calling "Monkey Shines" downright Hitchkockian.
And since it was released in 1988, you can expect a synthesized score, big hair, and a muddy, low-budget film grain that makes the movie appear to be shot through gauze (but in a good way).
Sometimes unintentionally funny, other times pee-your-pants shocking, "Monkey Shines" is definitely worth your while, and is celluloid gold for '80s movie fans and Romero completists.