Monkey Shines (1988)
Monkey Shines (1988)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Currently Monkey Shines is available for streaming online, rent, buy or watch for free on: Apple TV, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Fandango At Home, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV
Streaming in:πΊπΈ United States
Cast & Crew.
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
Tom Quinn
Charlie Cunningham
Stanley Tucci
Dr. John Wiseman
Janine Turner
Linda Aikman
William Newman
Doc Williams
Tudi Wiggins
Esther Fry
Patricia Tallman
Party Guest / Stunts
George A. Romero
Director
David Early
Anesthetist
Charles Evans
Producer
Brad Long
BAMF in Red Jacket
Robert Hendren
Orderly
David Shire
Composer
Debra Gordon
E.R. Nurse
James A. Contner
Cinematographer
Kate English
Scrub Nurse
Pasquale Buba
Editor
Rik Billock
Garbage Man
Dianne Crittenden
CastingDirector
Cletus Anderson
ProductionDesigner
Christina Galesi
Nurse
Leslie Dane Shapiro
Nurse
Alice Shure
Nurse
Melanie Verlin
Vandal
Anthony Dileo Jr.
Vandal
Lia Savini
Child Playing
Mitchell Baseman
Child Playing
Media.
Details.
Release DateJuly 29, 1988
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 53m
Content RatingR
Budget$7,000,000
Box Office$5,344,577
Filming LocationsPittsburgh, United States
Genres
Last updated:
This Movie Is About.
Wiki.
Monkey Shines (also known as Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear) is a 1988 American science fiction psychological horror film written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Jason Beghe, Kate McNeil, John Pankow, and Joyce Van Patten. Its plot follows a young athlete who becomes a paralyzed quadriplegic, and develops a bond with an intelligent service monkey named "Ella" who becomes homicidal after she is injected with an experimental serum of human brain tissue. It is based on the 1983 British novel of the same title by Michael Stewart.
Producers Peter Grunwald and Charles Evans of Orion Pictures acquired the rights to Stewart's novel in 1985, and began production two years later, with Romero assigned to direct. The film marked Romero's first major studio feature, and was his second-most expensive film at that time, with a budget of $7 million. The setting was changed from Oxford, England, where the novel was set, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a city in which Romero had long resided and often set his films. Principal photography of Monkey Shines took place in Pittsburgh in the late summer and early fall of 1987. It had a protracted post-production and editing process, as Romero shot more film than he had on any of his previous projects, particularly due to the use of live monkeys.
Monkey Shines was released theatrically by Orion Pictures in July 1988, receiving mixed reviews and a lackluster box-office reception, grossing $5.3 million against its $7 million budget. In the intervening years, the film has been noted by critics as an offbeat entry in Romero's filmography, and has earned status as a minor cult film.