A George A. Romero Retrospective: ‘Monkey Shines’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

‘You slime. You filth. I’m gonna take you apart.’
- Allan Mann

When one takes a moment to think about it, we enjoy some serious freedom in the modern world. Take for example the fact that we can indulge in just about anything we want to, whenever we want to. For if we feel the need to just jump in our car and drive about, we can most certainly do that at any time of day or night. And doing something like that allows for us to enjoy the sights and sounds of our beautiful world, giving us internal peace and joy when we need it the most. Plus, it’s quite nice that we can see our friends whenever we want and enjoy incredible meals with them and share in laughs, all because of our modern world is designed to be a place free of barriers, where comfort and joy are available to anyone who wants to partake in it.
 
But what’s truly fascinating about the world that we live in, is that we take all of these freedoms… for granted. Because we simply do them on a whim, and rarely think about the wonder of what we are doing. Which is no easy task, since there is so much on our minds at any given time, but it’s not a bad thing to take a moment and appreciate one’s day and the gifts that we’ve been given. Because as the universe is wont to do, it can rob us of those freedoms at any given time that it wants. For if something were to happen to our sight, there would be no more sunrises and sunsets for us to experience. Or if something were to happen to our ability to walk, there would be no more hopping in the car for a quick drive and we would have to plan differently in regard to meeting up with our friends. 
 
Yet while that seems like fear-mongering thoughts, the kind that are designed to make people prepare for the worst on a daily basis, that’s simply not the case. Because appreciating the wonders we enjoy on a regular basis, simply makes one grateful for everything that life has to offer in general, and it is never a bad thing to fill one’s heart with that. And if by chance something were to happen that put you in a unique position where you were no longer able to enjoy the things you used to, you can fall back upon that gratitude and still enjoy some semblance of peace. Because that kind of transition is not easy in the slightest and it can be detrimental to one’s mental health and it just so happens that all of these elements and thoughts are something that George A. Romero took the time to explore in his next horror venture; Monkey Shines.
 
Which is another supremely unique motion picture for certain, simply because it is in essence a rare drama/horror film. One that really does dive deep into what life would be like if fate took away the things we take for granted, since Allan Mann goes from being a successful marathon runner and overall athlete to a quadriplegic and that leads to some powerful storytelling for certain. Because Allan is someone who really didn’t take the time to appreciate the gifts the world gave him and this transition sinks him into an incredible depression, one where he outright attempts to take his own life, and this is a brave way to handle this kind of subject matter. For most films that feature an accident and change in this manner, try and fluff it up and make it an inspirational tale, when in fact some people would indeed mirror Allan’s mental journey and the boldness of this tale doesn’t end there. 

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​Because this motion picture also takes the time to explore how differently abled individuals are often viewed in a negative light by others. For it doesn’t take long for some of Allan’s friends and beloved girlfriend for that matter, to begin to look at him in a pitiful manner and see him now as a burden instead of a human being and that too leads to some powerful moments since so many of them leave Allan behind. Which serves to remind us that these are the kinds of prejudices that differently abled individuals deal with on a regular basis, and really, Romero deserves serious credit for taking the time to explore this and put it on display on film. Simply because this is an unfortunate reality that is rarely confronted in our modern world and it is nice to see George didn’t shy away from an opportunity to inject this kind of commentary into the story. 
 
But there was mention of horror elements being present in this movie, and that is handled by way of Allan’s animal companion Ella, and how she comes to be in his possession. For this helper monkey is the product of medical experimentation, the kind where she was injected with a human brain cell formula to boost her intelligence and that of course, goes horribly wrong. Because certain human traits come with the injections, allowing for her to be quite loyal to Allan and that of course leads to utter disaster. But what makes his part of the story supremely fascinating, is that Ella is in essence, the embodiment of classic horror films. For she is that mad scientist experiment gone wrong and serves to remind us that playing god comes with a price and well, this wild twist actually works.
 
Thanks in large part to some bonus commentary in this particular tale. For this is also a story that explores the power and the danger that comes with anger and rage, and how easily those emotions can infect others and spread like wildfire. For Allan is filled with raw fury in his soul over his condition and when that spills over, Ella is there to receive it and execute his wishes surrounding it, which leads to the aforementioned disaster when lives are lost and well, what this part of the story has to say about how people give into their base instincts without giving it a second thought is pretty straight forward for a Romero film. But it fits none the less, for this is a problem that has plagued mankind for generations and continues to persist in this day and age, making this observation as relevant as any that George has to offer. 
 
If anything, all of these concepts make this a supremely complex motion picture, one that examines a great deal of the human condition and the darkness that resides within us and it is safe to say that this really did run the risk of being an outright messy disaster on screen, thanks to how many elements are present within this tale. But Romero’s extensive experience allows for this motion picture to blend all of these concepts together in a seamless fashion, to the point where you really don’t notice all the various plot threads and commentary until a second or third viewing. Lending credence to George’s abilities as a writer and as a master of horror, since he simply knows what works on screen and truly, this movie really is an underrated gem. One that explores some incredibly dark material in a magnificent and thoughtful manner.

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