Monkey Shines (1988)
Monkey Shines (1988) is a science fiction psychological horror film written and directed by George A. Romero. After being struck by a truck and becoming quadriplegic, law student and athlete Allan Mann struggles to adapt to his new life in an SNP-equipped wheelchair. His overbearing mother and unempathetic nurse try their best to help him, but Allan’s friend Geoffrey Fisher comes up with the idea of getting him a Capuchin monkey as a service animal. However, Geoffrey has a hidden agenda as he is under pressure to produce results as a research scientist. He has been experimenting on a monkey in his lab with a serum that enhances intelligence, and he believes being around humans will amplify the effects. To train the monkey, Geoffrey enlists specialist Melanie Parker, using the Capuchin he has been testing on while claiming it is normal.
Allan names the monkey Ella, and she becomes an invaluable helper and companion for him. As they work closely together, Ella brings joy into Allan’s life and he grows increasingly attached to Melanie as well. Allan’s frustration and bitterness grow, while Ella’s behavior becomes more aggressive. He daydreams of running free in the fields at night and believes he can communicate with Ella mentally. Geoffrey finds evidence supporting this, but chooses not to share it with Allan and Melanie due to his admiration for Ella’s cleverness. After being bothered by Allan’s negligent nurse, he wishes for the bird to be gone – that very night, Ella kills it and leaves it in the nurse’s slipper, causing her to angrily quit her job. A second medical opinion reveals that Allan may have been incorrectly diagnosed as paralyzed and there is a chance he could regain movement through another surgery.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  Jason BegheJason Beghe  John PankowGeoffrey Fisher  Kate McNeilMelanie Parker  Joyce Van PattenDorothy Mann |
Monkey Shines (1988) is a science fiction psychological horror film written and directed by George A. Romero. After being struck by a truck and becoming quadriplegic, law student and athlete Allan Mann struggles to adapt to his new life in an SNP-equipped wheelchair. His overbearing mother and unempathetic nurse try their best to help him, but Allan’s friend Geoffrey Fisher comes up with the idea of getting him a Capuchin monkey as a service animal. However, Geoffrey has a hidden agenda as he is under pressure to produce results as a research scientist. He has been experimenting on a monkey in his lab with a serum that enhances intelligence, and he believes being around humans will amplify the effects. To train the monkey, Geoffrey enlists specialist Melanie Parker, using the Capuchin he has been testing on while claiming it is normal.
Allan names the monkey Ella, and she becomes an invaluable helper and companion for him. As they work closely together, Ella brings joy into Allan’s life and he grows increasingly attached to Melanie as well. Allan’s frustration and bitterness grow, while Ella’s behavior becomes more aggressive. He daydreams of running free in the fields at night and believes he can communicate with Ella mentally. Geoffrey finds evidence supporting this, but chooses not to share it with Allan and Melanie due to his admiration for Ella’s cleverness. After being bothered by Allan’s negligent nurse, he wishes for the bird to be gone – that very night, Ella kills it and leaves it in the nurse’s slipper, causing her to angrily quit her job. A second medical opinion reveals that Allan may have been incorrectly diagnosed as paralyzed and there is a chance he could regain movement through another surgery.
