Monkey Shines
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.
- Director: George A. Romero
- Genre:Drama / Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller
- Runtime:106 minutes
Cast
Jason Beghe : Allan Mann
John Pankow : Geoffrey Fisher
Kate McNeil : Melanie Parker
Joyce Van Patten: Dorothy Mann
Christine Forrest: Maryanne Hodges
Monkey Shines tells the story of an athlete, Alan Mann, who is rendered quadriplegic when struck by a truck. Mann fails to adjust to his condition, becoming suicidal and despondent. When Jeff, a scientist friend of his (portrayed by John Pankow), who has been experimenting with the injection of human brain tissue into monkeys, learns this, he is prompted to supply one of the experimental monkeys, named “Ella” (portrayed by Boo, whose sounds are provided by Frank Welker), to Alan as a helper.
Their relationship is amicable at first, with Mann’s life being made much easier, and the two bond deeply, even sharing “romantic” moments with sweet music. But soon their interaction takes a decidedly sinister turn. The monkey seems to become a telepathic receptacle for Mann’s anger at his state and his desire for revenge against friends and family for slights both real and imagined. Simultaneously, Mann develops a romantic relationship with Melanie (Kate McNeil), a specialist in quadriplegia and helper monkeys. The film contains a rare example of an intimate love scene with a severely handicapped protagonist.
Ella’s protectiveness turns to savage jealousy even as Alan is informed that his condition may be reversible. First, Ella kills Alan’s former girlfriend (Janine Turner), who has been cheating on him with his former doctor (Stanley Tucci), by setting their romantic hideaway on fire. Then Ella kills Alan’s jealous, overbearing mother (Joyce Van Patten), by electrocuting her in the bathtub. Then, Ella kills Jeff, by injecting him with the very syringe of poison he had intended to use on her, and disables Melanie, before trying to light her on fire. Alan, helpless and alone, is able to summon the strength to turn on the tape player with the romantic music, summoning Ella to cuddle close to him. When Ella cradles Alan’s head, Alan, painfully betraying Ella’s trust, bites and thrashes his head back and forth, hitting Ella into the handles of his wheelchair before finally relinquishing his bite and throwing her toward the open deck of his tape machine, killing Ella.
The movie ends with Alan undergoing surgery to restore his mobility, after which he walks using the aid of crutches. Read more
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