Monkey Shines

Romero + Savini: Splatter Kings, Part VIII

After the disappointing reception to DAY OF THE DEAD and the collapse of his production company, Laurel Entertainment, George Romero found himself in unfamiliar territory: working within the Hollywood studio system.

In 1988, Romero was hired by the flailing Orion Pictures to adapt the novel Monkey Shines—a psychological thriller about a paraplegic man who forms a telepathic bond with a hyper-intelligent service monkey... who also happens to be a murderer.

It was Romero’s first time working with a major studio, and the experience came with all the creative restrictions and compromises he’d spent his career avoiding.

In this episode, we explore how Romero ended up on this strange project, the battles he fought behind the scenes, and the final film that emerged—an oddity in his filmography, but one that’s garnered a cult following in the decades since.

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Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.