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George A. Romero MonkeyShines


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Monkey Shines tells the story of an athlete, Alan Mann (Jason Beghe), who is rendered quadriplegic when struck by a truck. Mann fails to adjust to his condition, becoming suicidal and despondent. When Geoffrey, a scientist friend of his (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" (played by Boo, whose vocal effects 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 poignant moments with moving 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, she kills Alan's former girlfriend (Janine Turner), who is now in a relationship with his former doctor (Stanley Tucci), by setting their romantic hideaway on fire. Ella then kills Alan's jealous, overbearing mother (Joyce Van Patten), by electrocutingher in the bathtub. Ella then kills Geoffrey by injecting him with the very syringe of Sodium pentobarbitone 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, rightfully betraying Ella's trust, bites and thrashes his head back and forth in a violent manner, 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.

Alan undergoes surgery to restore his mobility, eventually regaining the ability to walk short distances with the aid of crutches. But before then, as he in rest post-surgery, he has a nightmare that he flat-lines and Ella leaps out of his back while the doctor is making his surgical incision.

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