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Bluray Review: Scream Factory’s MONKEY SHINES/THE DARK HALF!!

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Scream Factory gives fans the George A. Romero treatment with their release of both 1988’s MONKEY SHINES and 1993’s THE DARK HALF, allowing fans NOT familiar with Romero’s non-zombie work to experience two films that though underrated, are both equally as entertaining as hell and given the Scream Factory special features touch we’ve all come to enjoy.


 

MONKEY SHINES

MONKEY SHINES

Romero’s 1988’s film adaption of the Michael Stewart novel of the same name looks just as good as ever with Scream Factory’s new release, and gives viewers quite the insight into the film, with some pretty impressive (and NEW) special feature interviews, as well as deleted scenes and a handful of vintage material as well.

THE FILM:

Romero tried something new with MONKEY SHINES, adapting someone else’s work for the first time. Always known for writing his own films, he took Michael Stewart’s 1983 novel, and gave genre fans a fun and entertaining tale of Alan Mann (Jason Beghe), a recently paralyzed man who is given Ella, a helper monkey that, unbeknownst to Alan, has been the subject of multiple experiments by his friend Geoffrey (John Pankow). Having been left by his girlfriend for his doctor (Stanley Tucci), Alan instantly feels a kinship with Ella and the monkey gives Alan a newfound lease on life, helping him snap out of the angry side that he’s been in since the accident.

When Geoffrey’s experiments begin forming an almost psychic bond between Alan and Ella, things begin to go south, as Ella becomes very protective over him and begins to get rid of anyone who upsets Alan. While the plot is a bit far-fetched, the film is based within reality enough to latch onto it, and it’s always been a film that just feels enjoyable to watch. Beghe is great as Alan, and Pankow’s crazy performance as Geoffrey is always fun to watch (perhaps one of the best death scenes around, complete with laughing (?) ). There’s a playful and fun tone to the film, and Scream Factory’s Bluray transfer of it looks absolutely great. It never looks overly glossy like a lot of company’s Bluray transfers, and keeps the film’s ’80s look and feeling intact, while bringing out the definition in HD greatness.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

In the supplemental area of the disc, viewers are treated to a commentary with Romero, “An Experiment In Fear“: an almost 50-minute brand new retrospective with new interviews with Romero, Beghe, Pankow and everyone else from the film’s producer to SFX legends Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero; The film’s alternate ending, deleted scenes, behind the scenes footage, and even a vintage EPK from the film’s release.

The real highlight of the supplemental features is the retrospective, which is full of entertaining stories and anecdotes from Romero and Co., saying that when the monkey was into it, the filming of the movie was a lot of fun, but when it wasn’t wanting to co-operate, that it was a living hell. It’s great to see the cast and crew speak highly of the film and the experience, over 25 years later, as it’s obvious that they all had fun doing it.


THE DARK HALF

THE DARK HALF

One of the most overlooked and underrated (in my opinion) Romero films, George’s 1993 adaption of THE DARK HALF (taken from the Stephen King novel of the same name) is not only given the same great treatment here as MONKEY SHINES received, but is just a hell of a time in general in the absolute most bat-shit crazy of ways.

THE FILM:

Loosely inspired by King’s Richard Bachman outing in the early ’80s, Romero’s THE DARK HALF sees the always great Timothy Hutton (TURK 182) as Thad Beaumont, a college professor/moderately successful author, who has a dark secret: he writes dark and twisted horror novels under the pseudonym of George Stark, one huge contrast to the family and day job lifestyle that Beaumont has kept up for quite some time. When a man shows up to one of Thad’s classes and threatens to expose Beaumont’s secret, Thad makes the decision to beat him to the punch and stages a publicity move of revealing that George Stark isn’t real and even staging a fake funeral for Stark. As soon as the Stark secret is out of the bag, a mystery figure begins to appear, murdering anybody who Beaumont is seen to have some form of issue with, putting Thad under suspicion of the local sheriff (a great Michael Rooker, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) and his family in jeopardy. The more Thad puts the pieces together, he realizes that his creation of George Stark might be a living figure now, and Thad rushes to regain control of his mind and Stark.

Half crime-mystery and half supernatural horror film, THE DARK HALF really showcases Hutton’s versatility as an actor, going from the quiet and subtle Thad Beaumont to the off the wall, slick yet falling apart George Stark persona within the film. He does a great job pulling you into both roles, and supporting performances by Rooker, Amy Madigan and Robert Joy (Aja’s THE HILLS HAVE EYES remake) as the blackmailer are all great in the film as well. The HD transfer looks great, and like the MONKEY SHINES bluray, doesn’t over-do it, keeping the film’s original feeling and look intact, which works to its advantage.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

THE DARK HALF is also given an almost hour long retrospective, “The Sparrows Are Flying Again“, and while the majority of the cast is absent from the interviews, Joy, along with Romero and most of the creative team behind the film, are front and center, recalling the experience and how method Hutton was with both characters, even going as far as having Romero refer to him in character.

Also including, is a commentary by Romero, deleted scenes, behind the scenes footage and like THE MONKEY SHINES, a vintage EPK as well.


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