Home / Monkey Shines

Monkey Shines

Year:

1988

Duration:

113 min | West Germany:105 min (cut version)

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

IMDB rate:

6.2

Director:

George A. Romero

Awards:

7 wins & 1 nomination

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1988-07-29

Filming Locations: Carnegie Mellon University - 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Earnings

Budget: $7,000,000

Cast

Actor

Character

Jason Beghe

Monkey Shines

John Pankow

Geoffrey Fisher

Kate McNeil

Melanie Parker

Joyce Van Patten

Dorothy Mann

Christine Forrest

Maryanne Hodges

Stephen Root

Dean Burbage

Stanley Tucci

Dr. John Wiseman

Boo

Ella

Janine Turner

Linda Aikman

William Newman

Doc Williams

Tudi Wiggins

Esther Fry

Tom Quinn

Charlie Cunningham

Chuck Baker

Ambulance Driver

Patricia Tallman

Party Guest

David Early

Anesthetist

Michael Naft

Young Allan

Tina Romero

Child Playing

Mitchell Baseman

Child Playing

Lia Savini

Child Playing

Anthony Dileo Jr.

Vandal (as Tim DiLeo)

Melanie Verlin

Vandal

Dan Fallon

Allan's Friend

Alice Shure

Nurse

Leslie Dane Shapiro

Nurse

Christina Galesi

Nurse

Rik Billock

Garbage Man (uncredited)

Robert Hendren

Orderly (uncredited)

Heidi Hinzman

(uncredited)

Eric Morgan Stuart

(uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

One of the very few films depicting a quadriplegic having sex.

Share this

This was George A. Romero's first studio film. However, the studio he was working with, Orion Pictures, had re-cut the film against Romero's wishes which contributed to the box office failure of the film. Afterwards, Romero went back to independent filmmaking until The Dark Half (1993) (also from Orion).

Share this

This was the first film role for Stephen Root, then a stage actor. According to Root, he had been instructed by his agent not to let the casting directors know that he was inexperienced with film as an actor. Root's official debut was Crocodile Dundee II (1988), which had been released in theaters a month before this film, despite being shot a month after it.

Share this

Goofs

The shot of Ella on the floor after being killed and hurled to the ground is obviously some sort of rug or dummy - it is completely flat and looks virtually nothing like her.

Share this

When Geoffrey falls down and dies he is lying on his stomach, but when Allan comes into the room he is on his back in a different position.

Share this

Ella urinates on Allan as a sign of mating, but it's actually the male capuchin who urinates on it's mate. This would suggest that Ella is in fact a male capuchin.

Share this

Quotes

Geoffrey Fisher: You're a clinical cunt.

Share this

Maryanne Hodges: You killed my Bogey!

Share this

Geoffrey Fisher: [dazed] Sorry. She got me.

Share this

Faq

Do disabled people in real life ever use monkeys for help around the house?

They sure do, but it isn't very common. There is a non-profit organization called Helping Hands that trains and places helper monkeys for those who meet the criteria (vs. someone who just wants a pet monkey). Their web page is www.monkeyhelpers.org/

Share this