6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A recent quadriplegic loses all hope for living until he meets Ella, a monkey trained to fill all his needs.
Starring: Jason Beghe, John Pankow, Kate McNeil, Joyce Van Patten, Christine ForrestHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Poor George A. Romero may be the cinematic auteur equivalent to Rodney Dangerfield, unable to get any respect. Despite having almost singlehandedly creating a cultural phenomenon with Night of the Living Dead in 1968, Romero has had a rather tortured history in the often precarious highways and byways of Hollywood. Romero, who virtually defined the idea of an independent filmmaker years before it became part of common parlance, entered into what ultimately became a fool’s bargain with Orion to release his first traditionally studio funded film, Monkey Shines, at a time when Orion’s future was anything but secure. As might be expected, the innate sensibilities of Romero and those of the studio bean counters did not exactly correspond, and the result was a film that was tinkered with in defiance of Romero’s wishes. Whether due to that or other issues, Monkey Shines failed to really take off either critically or at the box office, just the first of several disappointments Romero would experience in his efforts to work within the confines of La-La Land (even if he actually tended to film mostly in his native Pittsburgh). While Monkey Shines may not be the film Romero initially intended, there’s still a moody tone suffusing the film. Anyone who has ever dealt with a handicapped friend or relative who might have a “helper” animal around will understand the apparently telepathic connection between the pet and its owner, something that’s exploited in Monkey Shines in a more traditional horror setting. When a former athlete is tragically injured, becoming a quadriplegic, he’s gifted with a helper monkey who has been the subject of some scientific experiments. The results are increasingly murderous, as the injured man’s roiling psyche links the the monkey’s artificially enhanced intelligence, leading to a string of deaths.
Monkey Shines is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory, an imprint of Shout! Factory, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Elements are in very good to excellent condition, though there are the customary issues with flecks, specks, dust and other minor damage that occasionally pop up. Colors are generally accurate looking, but don't quite pop with the vividness one might hope for. Flesh tones can occasionally look just slightly on the pink side. The overall look of this transfer is very natural and organic, but just slightly on the soft side quite a bit of the time, without a lot of depth. Contrast and black levels are well established and consistent, and the film has a natural though at time quite heavy layer of grain. There are no problems with filtering or sharpening.
Monkey Shines offers DTS-HD Master Audio mixes in both 2.0 and 5.1. The 5.1 mix nicely splays the film's at times astounding sound effects while also offering more low end support for David Shire's appealing score. Fidelity remains excellent and dynamic range is very wide. Dialogue is very cleanly and clearly presented in both iterations, and there are no problems of any kind to report.
Monkey Shines never quite gets to the level it needs to deliver the kind of visceral experience it's obviously aiming for, but the interplay between Beghe and the monkey is initially charming and then increasingly disturbing. There's no denying that the film has pacing issues and that (for a Romero film, anyway) it's ultimately not that frightening, but it explores some dark territory of the psyche that is rather interesting in its own way. Despite its flaws, Monkey Shines has a rather vocal coterie of fans, and they will be pleased to know that for the most part technical merits here are very good to excellent, and that the supplementary package is well done as well. Recommended.
Unrated Director's Cut
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